Greenwich Business School has been awarded the Small Business Charter in recognition of its commitment to supporting small businesses, student entrepreneurship, and the local economy.
The panel were particularly impressed by the Generator, the school’s dedicated enterprise centre and co-working space. The Generator provides opportunities for potential entrepreneurs to undertake a number of development activities, including the school’s long running Enterprise Challenge competition, start-up accelerators and skills workshops. The Generator has successfully engaged strong numbers of students and led to the creation of associated activities such as #GreHacks, a student knowledge exchange initiative.
Greenwich has also demonstrated its commitment to student entrepreneurship and SME engagement through its extensive inclusion of enterprise modules and activities within the curriculum; as part of this, the school frequently call upon local SME leaders to provide guest lectures, to ensure that enterprise remains embedded in all areas of learning. The school also offers a wide range of start-up programmes, events, bursaries and networking spaces.
It is clear that Greenwich are dedicated to supporting local SMEs; most recently, running a series of workshops in conjunction with the South East London Local Enterprise Partnership, which saw 315 SMEs attending across the assessment period alone. The school is also a member of several boards including the Greenwich Enterprise Board and the Institute of Financial Accountants, providing business advice and guidance to SMEs in the area. The introduction of the GoTrade initiative was particularly successful, with the school having provided business support to over 500 SMEs in the retail sector to date.
The school offers substantial employability support for students and alumni, including placements, consultancy opportunities, mentoring and internships within SMEs in London and Kent.
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. Greenwich Business School will hold the award for three years. There are now 55 business schools that hold the SBC Award in the UK and Ireland.
Professor Leigh Doster, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean of Greenwich Business School said:
"We are delighted to have been awarded the Small Business Charter award, in recognition of our small business engagement and are proud to become part of the SBC community. The award will further motivate and extend our small business and enterprise activities and will provide opportunities for further collaborations and to join the national Help to Grow programme to further support the UK's small businesses."
Anne Kiem OBE, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter, and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools said:
“We congratulate Greenwich Business School on their Small Business Charter Award, given in recognition of their support for student entrepreneurship and small businesses in the London economy and surrounding areas. We look forward to welcoming them and working with them as we deliver the Help to Grow: Management Course.”