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Colchester Campus Accommodation

Start-up Square

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Three students in bedroom looking at laptop

Build the foundations of your business.

Start-up Square is a fresh and vibrant new living space for students interested in starting a business while they study or those wishing to pursue an entrepreneurial career path in the future.

Be part of an ambitious, innovative, and entrepreneurially-minded community on campus with access to events and support from the Essex Startups team.

Start-up Square is located in our South Courts accommodation area, a short stroll to the Innovation Centre on the north of campus, where you’ll have easy access to the co-working facilities in Studio X and the Essex Startups team.

Living in our tailored accommodation will provide you with the space and opportunities to share ideas and brainstorm your future business ventures alongside other business-minded students.

Benefits:

Welcome pack on arrival full of Essex Start-ups goodies including a T-shirt, pen, notebook, a lanyard and a plush teddy of Ollie, our multi-tasking octopus mascot.
Free access to Studio X, a space for you to learn valuable skills and let your business ideas to come to life.
Bookable workshops that cover a diverse set of topics related to starting up your business and developing your skills.
Regular check-ins with the Essex Startups team in the form of one-to-ones that you can book at a time that suits you, where you can get support and advice for your business ventures.

How to apply

If you would like to apply to live in the Start-up Square, then you will need to select South Courts as your area preference in your accommodation application. Please also select the option to live in Start-up Square on the application form.

New student applications Returning student applications

Please note that contract lengths vary in line with course dates. Undergraduate courses are normally 39 weeks, however, some courses start earlier or finish later than others.

About South Courts

South Courts is near lots of green space to enjoy a walk or jog and only a five-minute walk to the centre of campus. This accommodation is ideal if you want the perfect balance between your academic studies and social life.

Each of the eight courts, Rowhedge, Thaxted, Manningtree, Brightlingsea, Harwich, Alresford, Frinton, and Walton are arranged into flats with shared kitchens for four to fourteen students, providing a great social hub to make friends and chat about your day. The larger flats accommodating up to fourteen students have two or three kitchens shared between the flat.

South Courts accommodation were built at different stages and, therefore, can be different in appearance, as well as the size of flat. Equally, rooms may slightly vary in size and layout, depending on where they are situated in the building.