Innovator Founder route update: changes to endorsing bodies and their fees

AuthorCaroline Sykes

The new Innovator Founder visa opened for applications on 13 April 2023, replacing the old Start up and Innovator route.

New applicants will need to apply for an endorsement from one of the four new Endorsing Bodies approved for the Innovator Founder Visa:

The only endorsing body carried over from the old Start Up and Innovator route which still appears on the list is Envestors Limited. Previously there were more than 60 endorsing bodies.

If you already have an endorsement from a legacy Endorsing Body prior to 13 April 2023, you may still be able to use this to apply for your first visa or to apply to extend your Start Up or Innovator visa provided you meet the other requirements.

Our previous article introduces the Innovator Founder route in detail and sets out the key differences. Importantly, there is no longer a distinction between Start Up and Innovator applicants, all applicants will be on a route to settlement in three years and a £50,000 investment is no longer a requirement.

Entrepreneurs and legal advisors will be pleased to see a cap on the fees that endorsing bodies can charge those applying for endorsement. The new fixed price will be £1,000 for endorsement consideration and £500 for checkpoint assessments at 12 and 24 months after endorsement so £2,000 for the three-year visa cycle.

New Home Office guidance has been published which introduces four types of endorsement:

Innovator Founder – new business: This is for entrepreneurs wishing to set up a new company in the UK
Innovator Founder – same business as previous endorsement: This is for entrepreneurs who already have leave to remain under either the Start Up or Innovator category
Innovator Founder – settlement in the UK: This is for entrepreneurs who have spent at least 3 years in the UK in the Innovator category and meet the required level of business success required for endorsement at this stage
Scale-UP Endorsement: This is for UK businesses for which it is not possible to meet the Home Office definition of a Scale-Up business but which can demonstrate clear potential to do this in the next four years. The businesses will already be established in the UK market and have a genuine need to recruit overseas workers through the Scale-Up route to fill vacancies.

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