What an Innovator Founder endorsement letter must contain

The endorsement letter is the single most important document in an Innovator Founder application. It is written by your endorsing body, not by you, so it is easy to assume it will simply be right. Usually it is. But the Home Office caseworker guidance sets out a specific list of what the letter must contain, and you are the person whose application is held up if something is missing or mistyped.

This article turns that list into a checklist you can run in five minutes when the letter arrives, and explains why each element matters.

The checklist

Run through this when your letter arrives. Every item comes from the caseworker guidance.

For a new-business endorsement, also check that the body states it is satisfied your plan is innovative, viable and scalable and gives a short description of why.

Why the identity details matter

Items 4 to 7 tie the endorsement to you. Caseworkers verify every endorsement via the Innovator Founder route inbox, and the passport you apply with is one of the validity requirements. If you have renewed your passport since you first gave details to your endorsing body, the number on the letter may be out of date. Raise it with the body before you apply.

The named verifier (item 8) exists because of that verification step. It gives the caseworker a specific person to contact at the body.

Why the date of issue matters most

The guidance makes the letter's date part of the validity requirements: it must be issued no more than 3 months before your application date and must not have been withdrawn. A letter that has expired by the time you apply is a validity problem, not a detail a caseworker can overlook. We cover planning around this in the three-month endorsement validity window.

The criteria confirmation: new or same business

The letter must confirm that you meet either the "new business" or "same business" criteria. You score 50 of your 70 points from one set or the other, not both.

• New business: business plan (30 points) plus innovative, viable and scalable (20 points). The body must say it is satisfied and give a short description why.
• Same business: previous qualifying permission pursuing an endorsed-assessed business (10), business active, trading, sustainable with significant achievements (20), and you active in day-to-day management (20).

The remaining 20 points come from English at B2 (10) and the financial requirement (10). If you are extending, the letter should reflect the same-business criteria. For a fuller explanation of how the points work, see the Home Office's own Innovator Founder guidance decoded.

The three post-April 2023 confirmations

For first endorsements issued after 13 April 2023, the letter needs three extra confirmations about you and your money:

1. You are a fit and proper person.
2. There are no concerns over the legitimacy of the sources of funds or the modes of transfer of funds invested.
3. There is no reason to believe you or the business benefit from illicit or unsatisfactorily explained wealth.

These reflect checks the endorsing body has carried out before writing. We explain what they involve, and how to prepare evidence for them, in source of funds checks at endorsement and the fit and proper person test.

What happens if something is wrong

The guidance says that where a fixable item is missing from an application, for example the Immigration Health Charge not paid for the full period, the caseworker normally writes out to let the applicant fix it. That suggests minor, correctable problems do not always end an application immediately, but you should not rely on it. A write-out means a delay at best, and some defects, such as a letter issued more than 3 months before the application, go to validity.

Caseworkers do not normally re-assess the genuineness of your plan, because the endorsing body has already done so. They apply a balance-of-probabilities test only where there are specific grounds for doubt, mainly information the endorsing body would not have had. They may also request more information if in doubt about the innovative, viable and scalable assessment. A clean, complete letter keeps the focus where it should be.

A note for teams

If you have co-founders on the route, each needs their own individual endorsement and each letter must be in their own name with their own details. You may share a business idea and plan, but each founder must meet all the requirements in their own right. Check every letter separately.

Sources and further reading

• GOV.UK — Innovator Founder caseworker guidance
• GOV.UK — Immigration Rules Appendix Innovator Founder
• GOV.UK — Endorsing bodies: Innovator Founder and Scale-up visas
• GOV.UK — Innovator Founder visa

Key takeaways

• The letter must name the body, carry a reference number and issue date, include your name, date of birth, nationality and passport number, and name a verifier at the body.
• It must confirm you meet the new-business or same-business criteria.
• First endorsements after 13 April 2023 also need the fit-and-proper, legitimacy-of-funds and no-illicit-wealth confirmations.
• The issue date must be no more than 3 months before you apply; this is a validity requirement.
• Check the letter against the passport you will actually use, and raise errors with your body before applying. To test your plan before you approach a body, run a free assessment.

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