University News Last updated 07 September
Birmingham City University (BCU) Business School has been praised for its outstanding support for student and graduate start-ups and its commitment to Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) after securing reaccreditation from the Small Business Charter.
Through structured programmes delivered through the STEAMhouse Hatchery and the Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network (BSEEN), assessors praised the way students are supported from initial idea generation through to venture development, incubation and early trading.
They added that these programmes, which have supported more than 1000 students and graduates, demonstrate significant long-term impact and positions BCU as a major regional driver of entrepreneurial activity.
Assessors were also impressed with the Business School’s commitment to KTPs, highlighting the way it has embedded them within staff development. BCU ranks fourth nationally for the volume of KTPs delivered.
The accreditation panel also commended how enterprise sits centrally within BCU’s 2030 Strategy, with visible leadership from Vice Chancellor Professor David Mba and the University’s excellent practice in procuring from SME suppliers.
Professor Leanne De Main, Dean of the Business School, said: "We are delighted to have obtained the Small Business Charter reaccreditation, which identifies us as leaders in the sector and shows our exemplary student support and forward-thinking approach to enterprise education and small business engagement.
“A lot of effort went into presenting evidence of our impact in the region, and I would like to thank everyone across BCU and the Business School who worked together to achieve this national recognition.”
The Small Business Charter accreditation is awarded to business schools in recognition of their excellence in student entrepreneurship and support of small businesses and the local economy.
BCU’s Business School will be accredited for five years, having met 30 out of 30 assessment dimensions, surpassing the minimum requirements for accreditation.
Sarah Harper, Head of Accreditations and Strategic Projects at BCU, added: “Receiving a five-year Small Business Charter reaccreditation and achieving a perfect score across all 30 dimensions is an exceptional endorsement of our mission and impact.
“The Small Business Charter is one of the most respected recognitions of a business school's contribution to small businesses and entrepreneurship. This result confirms the scale and quality of our engagement with SMEs, the value of our educational offer, and the impact of our research and knowledge exchange activities.
“As we look ahead, we remain focused on supporting entrepreneurship, driving innovation and helping businesses navigate the challenges and opportunities of an evolving economy.”
Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: “We are delighted to reaccredit Birmingham City University Business School with the Small Business Charter.
“The school have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurship by embedding SMEs and enterprise education within the business school and wider university ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to work with them.”