Birkbeck School of Business, Economics and Informatics has been awarded the Small Business Charter in recognition of its commitment to supporting student entrepreneurship, small businesses, and the local economy.
The panel were particularly impressed by Birkbeck’s unique offering, which allows many students to combine studying alongside full-time work; as a result, many of Birkbeck’s students are also entrepreneurs, small business owners, or already working with the SME community. The student cohort have access to not only a range of educational support, but business support, both within and outside of the curriculum.
Alongside excellent student support, Birkbeck have a strong offering for SMEs; the school is part of a consortium of universities working with the British Chamber of Commerce that established the Institute of Coding, a national enabler of upskilling and knowledge transfer. The consortium have thus far matched industry funding to a sum of £24 million, with the Institute of Coding currently working with over 100 companies across the UK.
Birkbeck’s partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce sees the school’s business development manager working with them to provide feedback and tools directly to SMEs, and providing expertise to assist government policy when planning budgets.
The School of Business, Economics and Informatics also works closely with the CBI on policy matters relating to entrepreneurship, small business ownership, and the promotion of successful local economies. In their work on the development of the London Industrial Strategy, Birkbeck are currently in the process of offering advice on entrepreneurial clustering, to assist government to capitalise on the new levelling-up strategy. The school’s work with policymakers, practitioners and students comes together through the Centre for Innovation Management Research, whose cutting-edge research is disseminated through formal teaching and a lively calendar of public events.
The Small Business Charter Award is a national accreditation, assessed by small business leaders, to recognise business schools which demonstrate excellence in supporting small businesses, student enterprise, and the local economy. Birkbeck School of Business, Economics and Informatics will hold the award for three years. There are now 54 business schools that hold the SBC Award in the UK and Ireland.
Professor Geoff Walters, Executive Dean of Birkbeck School of Business, Economy and Informatics said:
“I am delighted that we have been successful in gaining the Small Business Charter for the next three years. This puts us in a position to deliver the Government’s ‘Help to Grow’ scheme from March 2022 – it will allow us to onboard mentors to work with representatives from small businesses and enable us to further improve our engagement with small businesses.”
Anne Kiem OBE, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools said:
“We are delighted to welcome Birkbeck School of Business, Economics and Informatics into the Small Business Charter’s network of nationally accredited business schools. This award demonstrates their excellent range of support for small businesses and student entrepreneurs, and its impact which permeates through London’s economy. We look forward to working with the business school as they expand their offer to small businesses by becoming a delivery partner of the government’s Help to Grow: Management Course.”