28th July 2021

Oxford Brookes Business School has been awarded the Small Business Charter Award in recognition of their support for small businesses, student entrepreneurship, and their commitment to their local economy.

The school offers a number of important innovations which include the new ‘Entrepreneurs in Residence and Industrial Fellows’. These allow for greater levels of expertise across global industries at various levels and forms a network that benefits from, and contributes to, the local eco-system - also connecting students, graduates and external stakeholders.

The Small Business Charter assessors were also highly impressed by the school’s work with social enterprises, particularly the work they've done to support the region for over 40 years. Oxford Brookes Business School was instrumental in the creation of the Oxford Social Enterprise Partnership (OSEP) to support social enterprises in Oxford and the wider region.

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. Oxford Brookes Business School will hold the award for five years. There are now 37 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 Oxford Brookes Business School for a really impressive application which reflected the importance the school places on supporting local SMEs. They should be rightly proud of their achievement of the Small Business Charter Award.”

Tim Vorley, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School, said:

“I am tremendously proud of the culture of enterprise at Oxford Brookes Business School and across the wider University, and I am delighted that our work with small business has been recognised by the Small Business Charter.”

“At Oxford Brookes we are passionate about student entrepreneurship and enterprise, and we have been working with a wide-range of entrepreneurs and SMEs through our teaching, training and research. Thanks to the Small Business Charter award, we are now looking forward to extending our work over the coming months which will see Oxford Brookes Business School support the resilience and growth of small businesses in Oxford, Oxfordshire and beyond.”