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Queen Mary University of London  ·  with Project ReMAKE

The Centre for Second Chances and Inclusive Entrepreneurship

Talent is universal. Opportunity is not. The Centre closes that gap for the founders the system overlooks: people with criminal records and people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Apply to the programme

Finalist

Knowledge Exchange UK Awards

2026

Societal Impact

Launched
16 April 2026, The Octagon, Queen Mary
Recognised
Finalist, Societal Impact, Knowledge Exchange UK Awards 2026
Delivered with
Project ReMAKE, founded by Judge Kameel Khan

IThe gap

Ambition is never the missing ingredient.

The founders the Centre serves have grit and determination in abundance. What they lack is a professional network, and without one the door stays closed.

People with criminal records and people from disadvantaged backgrounds are routinely left out of the rooms where businesses are started, funded and bought from. The Centre exists to open those doors, and to keep them open.

IIWhat is on offer

Not a classroom. A launchpad.

With Project ReMAKE, the Centre runs a full incubator inside Queen Mary. Founders build real businesses alongside students, academics and corporate partners, testing ideas against the market and working towards their first customers.

  1. 01

    A 12-week programme

    Weekly sessions that take an idea from first draft to a business plan ready for investors.

  2. 02

    Three people in your corner

    A business mentor from industry and two Queen Mary student advisors, one from business and one from law.

  3. 03

    Real customers, not case studies

    Ideas are tested in the market with students, academics and corporate partners, with the aim of landing first customers.

  4. 04

    University and corporate expertise

    The School of Business and Management and the School of Law, alongside corporate partners who bring live commercial experience.

  5. 05

    A Dragons' Den style final

    Founders pitch their business plan to investors and industry leaders at The Octagon.

  6. 06

    Routes beyond the programme

    Internship opportunities with Capita plc for some founders, and support for those launching their own ventures.

Project ReMAKE founders, mentors and partners together at a programme event
“Less an entrepreneurship textbook, more a real-world launchpad.”From the brief

IIIThe ripple effect

One business changes more than one life.

A business brings economic independence, dignity and purpose. Founders are no longer defined by their past, and every venture that succeeds creates local jobs, strengthens its community and changes the future of a family.

formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs supported
66formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs supported
Queen Mary student advisors
129Queen Mary student advisors
reoffending rate, against a 59.2% national average
9%reoffending rate, against a 59.2% national average

Figures for Project ReMAKE as published by Queen Mary University of London.

Recognition

Finalist, Societal Impact. Knowledge Exchange UK Awards 2026.

“Project ReMAKE, QMUL: rebuilding futures through entrepreneurship” has been named a finalist in the Societal Impact category. The awards celebrate the most impactful collaborations between UK universities and the communities they serve. Winners are announced on 26 November 2026, Newcastle upon Tyne.

See the 2026 finalists

IVGet involved

Three ways in.

Founders

Build your business.

For people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Free, no qualifications needed.

Apply to the programme

Students and academics

Advise a founder.

Queen Mary students work as advisors on live businesses. Academics can bring their research to the room.

Contact the team

Employers and investors

Open a door.

Mentor a founder, offer an internship, become an early customer or hear the final pitches.

Contact the team

Enquiries: support@remake365.com

Questions

Before you ask.

What is the Centre for Second Chances and Inclusive Entrepreneurship?

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A centre at Queen Mary University of London, launched on 16 April 2026, that helps people with criminal records and people from disadvantaged backgrounds build businesses. It works with the Queen Mary Entrepreneurship Hub, the School of Business and Management and the School of Law, and delivers its incubator in partnership with Project ReMAKE.

Who can take part?

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People with lived experience of the criminal justice system who want to start a business and live in the United Kingdom. No qualifications or business experience are needed.

Does it cost anything?

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No. The programme is free to take part in.

Has the work been recognised?

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Yes. "Project ReMAKE, QMUL: rebuilding futures through entrepreneurship" is a finalist in the Societal Impact category of the Knowledge Exchange UK Awards 2026. Winners are announced on 26 November 2026, Newcastle upon Tyne.

How can a university, employer or investor get involved?

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Mentor a founder, offer an internship, become an early customer or contribute research. Contact the Project ReMAKE team using the address on this page.

Transcript

The brief, in full.

Read the transcript

This is the brief on the Centre for Second Chances and Inclusive Entrepreneurship.

You know, while talent is completely universal, opportunity absolutely isn't,

and Queen Mary University of London is actually stepping up to close this gap for overlooked aspiring entrepreneurs.

First, who's really getting left behind here?

Well, this programme zeros in on marginalised individuals, like folks with criminal records or from really disadvantaged backgrounds.

They've got incredible grit and determination, but what don't they have?

A professional network.

So what's the actual hurdle keeping them awake at night?

It's simply a closed door.

The missing ingredient is literally never ambition.

Second, how does the centre actually force those doors open?

By teaming up with Project ReMAKE, an entrepreneurship training programme specifically for formerly incarcerated people, they've built a full-fledged incubator.

Instead of just sitting in a classroom, founders are surrounded by students, academics and corporate partners to test ideas and land those crucial first customers.

Think of this less as reading an entrepreneurship textbook and more as a real-world launchpad fuelled by actual corporate expertise.

Finally, what's the ultimate ripple effect of all this?

Building these businesses gives founders economic independence, dignity and a real sense of purpose.

They are no longer defined by their pasts.

But why does this matter beyond just the founders' wallet?

Because one successful business creates local jobs, sparks community growth and entirely redirects the future of their families.

Ultimately, a second chance isn't just about starting again.

It's about building something new that opens doors for others.

Audio, about two minutes. Download the recording.

Published by Project ReMAKE about the Centre for Second Chances and Inclusive Entrepreneurship at Queen Mary University of London.

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Listen to the brief

0:00 / 2:02

Two minutes on what the Centre offers, and why it matters.