- Prepare evidence and lettersUsually the longest partWeeks to months
- Apply online to the Home OfficeEndorsement fee£561
- Endorsing body decidesDepends on the endorsing body2 to 8+ weeks
- Apply for the visa£205 visa fee plus healthcare surchargeWithin 3 months
The idea
The problem, and what is new about your answer
Start with the problem you have seen, ideally in your own work, and who has it. Then explain your product or service and what makes it different. Keep this part specific: a reader should understand in one page what the business does and why it is not already on the market.
What innovative means for endorsementMarket
Market, competitors and customers
Size the market with named sources, not round guesses. Add a competitor table that names the closest alternatives and shows where you differ. Describe your first customers and how you will reach them, with any early evidence such as letters of intent, pilots or survey results.
- Market size from a named, dated source.
- A competitor table with at least the three closest alternatives.
- How you will win your first customers, and what each will pay.
Numbers
Three years of forecasts and the funding behind them
Give revenue, costs and cash flow for three years, with the assumptions stated. Show how much funding you have, where it comes from and how long it lasts. GOV.UK says you must prove to your endorsing body that you have enough funding and where it is from.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder eligibilityReading the rules is one thing. Knowing how they apply to your own evidence is another.
Book a free 30-minute callGrowth
Jobs, milestones and new markets
GOV.UK asks for planning that includes creating jobs and growing into national and international markets. Set out the roles you will hire, by year, and link them to the forecasts. Add milestones for the first 12 and 24 months, because your endorsing body will review your progress at contact point meetings.
GOV.UK: Innovator Founder visaYou
Your role, your skills and your ownership of the idea
The Immigration Rules require that you generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in the business plan, and that you have, or are actively developing, the skills, knowledge, experience and market awareness to run the business. Explain your role, what you bring from your career and who else is in the founding team. Check that your CV matches the plan in dates, titles and claims.
Immigration Rules: Appendix Innovator FounderRelated guides
Keep reading
Guides applicants usually read next on this topic.
The UK Global Talent visa: what it is and how Stage 1 endorsement works
The Global Talent visa needs no job offer or sponsor and lets your family join you. Stage 1 is the endorsement application, where an endorsing body decides whether you are a leader or a potential leader in your field.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement requirements: what each endorsing body asks for
Each endorsing body sets its own Stage 1 tests, so the requirements for a software founder, a researcher and a theatre director are very different.
Read related guideGlobal Talent endorsement documents: a checklist for each endorsing body
Each endorsing body has its own document rules, from page limits to who can write your letters.
Read related guideApplying from outside the UK. Guidance for founders preparing an Innovator Founder business plan, based on GOV.UK and the Immigration Rules as checked on 22 October 2026.
Article FAQ
Questions to settle before you spend time or money.
Use these answers to check the practical risks, documents, and decisions connected to this topic.
Can someone write my Innovator Founder business plan for me?
The Immigration Rules require that you generated or made a significant contribution to the ideas in the plan. A plan written for you, which you cannot explain or defend, puts the endorsement at risk. Help with structure, research and checking is fine; the idea, the choices and the figures should be yours.
How long should the business plan be?
Long enough to cover each test with evidence, and short enough that every page earns its place. Clarity matters more than length: the endorsing body should find the idea, the difference from competitors, the numbers and your role quickly.
Who can help me with my Innovator Founder business plan?
Tier 1 Global Talent Visa, led by founder Mihir Thaker, works only on the endorsement stage. We help you structure the plan, run the competitor and market checks, test your figures and check the plan against your CV, while the idea, the choices and the numbers stay yours. The first call is free and lasts 30 minutes.
Innovator Founder
Have your plan checked before you submit
Book a free 30-minute call: we look at your idea and plan against the four tests.
Which field is your work in?