Congratulations to Hertfordshire Business School, which has been awarded the Small Business Charter award in recognition of its commitment to supporting the small business community, student entrepreneurship, and the local economy.
Hertfordshire has a history of engaging with the local business community; particularly aviation and engineering. The assessors noted that Hertfordshire’s commitment to its involvement of small business in the design of teaching material, entrepreneurship and enterprise is evident throughout their offering as an institution, and their grounded attitude to real-world, applied learning is commendable.
Hertfordshire’s Enterprise Zone has provided over 3,000 hours of support to over 130 SMEs and over 1,000 hours of 1-2-1 business mentoring to over 230 SMEs since its introduction in 2018.
Hertfordshire Business School also has excellent provision for students, including a rich mix of subjects and modules from entrepreneurial theory to AI and machine learning. Students are also given the opportunity to undertake a ‘sandwich degree’, which offers a one-year placement that can be used by students to set up and run their own businesses. In addition to this, the business school offers regular start up bootcamps and a variety of one-off workshops and seminars to ensure interested students can start their businesses with sufficient support.
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. Hertfordshire Business School will hold the award for three years. There are now 41 business schools that hold the SBC Award in the UK and Ireland.
Anne Kiem OBE, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said:
“We congratulate everyone at Hertfordshire Business School for achieving the Small Business Charter Award. Their involvement in supporting SMEs and student entrepreneurship is testimony to their commitment to building strong relationships in the local small business community and it is clear that businesses value their support. We look forward to working with Hertfordshire in the future and watching them continue to grow and develop their offering.”
Professor Damian Ward, Dean of Hertfordshire Business School said:
“At Hertfordshire Business School, we are delighted to have been recognised for our long-standing entrepreneurial roots and the vital role we play in the local economy, supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurship. Being awarded the Small Business Charter at this critical time is significant, and means we can target much-needed extra support through ‘Help to Grow’ to our local and regional SME community, building up business confidence, growth, and resilience for post-covid recovery.”