Enterprise Catalyst – an individual or team from HE or FE who are delivering exceptional enterprise education or practice inside or outside the curriculum.
The Business Clinic (BC) at Northumbria University
Northumbria University
The Business Clinic is part of the business support eco-system. It was established as the promise that every business student will graduate with a “real experience”, thus developing relevant enterprise/employability skills. Circa 400 diverse students annually form ‘consultancy firms’, advising some 100 organisations. Students co-construct knowledge with each other, the client and tutor. They produce a report addressing a business problem, which is assessed by the client and tutors. The award would support the Business Clinic to work more globally.
Enterprise by Design
Bangor University
Bangor University has cut through traditional academic boundaries to bring students from different subjects together to compete in multi-disciplinary teams for an ‘Enterprise by Design’ challenge with a winning prize of £2,500. Now in its 11th year, Enterprise by Design (EbD) combines students drawn from Business, Arts, Science and Engineering and aims to deliver projects that are feasible (using current available technology), viable (financially) and desirable (meeting a human need).
MetMUnch: 10 years of Cabbage to Enterprise Eternity
Manchester Metropolitan University
MetMUnch is a creative student food and nutrition, wellness, and sustainability social enterprise. There is an immense passion for sustainable food shared with students, staff, local businesses, and communities. MetMUnch team runs on-the-spot nutritional advice, leads fun and interactive science-focused workshops. MetMUnch’s story of against all barriers ‘cabbage to eternity’ demonstrates how nurturing entrepreneurship and transforming engagement skills for students and staff can enhance the student experience; create global citizens, and live-wide life-long education for individuals through food and fun.
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Entrepreneurship Catalyst – an individual or team from HE or FE who are delivering exceptional entrepreneurship education or practice inside or outside the curriculum
Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
University of Bristol
The Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship was established in 2016 as part of a flagship initiative in University strategy. The Centre hosts a suite of 4-year Integrated Masters degrees in which students study one of 14 traditional academic disciplines alongside human-centred design thinking and venture creation, a taught one-year postgraduate programme, an MPhil, and a PhD programme. The first cohort of UG students graduated in 2020 and have started up businesses at a rate 10x higher than the national average.
Imperial Enterprise Lab – Finding opportunity in adversity
Imperial College London
Imperial Enterprise Lab, Imperial College London’s student entrepreneurship centre, has directly supported the formation of over 200+ student startups, who have gone onto raise £150M+ in funding. In the last year, it has engaged 2,000+ individual students, provided over £138,000+ in grant-based funding and supported the formation of 53 technology-led student startups.
Engaging University Research Departments in Data-Driven Entrepreneurship
University of Edinburgh
Data-Driven Entrepreneurship was a University of Edinburgh and Heriot Watt University collaboration lead by Edinburgh Innovation. We worked across 5 data-driven hubs to encourage entrepreneurship in 10 sectors including Robotics, Agritech, Health and Social Care, and Space. Our holistic approach to entrepreneurship training strategically integrated online training, competitions, business incubation, advisory board construction and investment. In 6 months we trained 430 students, staff, alumni and business mentors, encouraging the growth and creation of 31 data-driven startups and spinouts.
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Rising Star in Enterprise Education – an exceptional individual at the early stage of their enterprise or entrepreneurship education or practice career in HE or FE who is making an exceptional contribution while demonstrating their potential for transformational future impact
Rachel Bickerdike
Durham University
Nominated by Marek Tokarski
Rachel Bickerdike has led the development of Durham University’s Game Changer programme: an innovation competition which requires students to use Design Thinking tools to tackle challenges themed on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The programme has transformed the way that Durham University students engage with the SDGs and inspired the creation of a number of startup ventures striving to achieve positive impact on the world. Rachel has helped over 30 universities globally to explore running Game Changer at their institutions.
Georgina Phillipson
Oxford Brookes University
Nominated by Lydiah Igweh
Georgie Phillipson joined Oxford Brookes’ Enterprise Support (BES) in October 2020, and seamlessly fitted into the team despite having to join and work remotely. Georgie is an exceptional individual who has already led several Entrepreneurial Programmes for BES, supporting numerous start-ups from early-stage, to scale-ups, and late-stage tech businesses. Georgie developed an outstanding Tech accelerator, recognised by AWS, secured sponsorship and internships for marginalised students, and built bridges with Oxfordshire Educators and the Tech Sector for the first OxTech Fest.
Edward Pollock
Robert Gordon University
Nominated by Chris Moule
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group (EIG) at Robert Gordon University was created in 2018 to stimulate new entrepreneurial thinking and embed practice. Edward Pollock, the Innovation Manager, consistently demonstrates the highest level of dedication and commitment to this aim and his clients – RGU students, staff and graduates – who are interested in starting a new and want to learn enterprise skills. The positive impact his work has made is highlighted by the confidence and success of the start-ups teams.
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Pioneer in Enterprise Education – an exceptional individual who is actively influencing and driving transformational change and creating impact related to enterprise and entrepreneurship education or practice within their organisation and across the sector
Professor Nigel Coates
Northumbria University
Nominated by Professor Robert Newbery
Nigel pioneered the Business Clinic (BC), an innovative approach to enterprise education and employability skills development. The BC is at the heart of the curriculum with students, (c2000 to date) completing real pro-bono consultancy projects, for a diverse range of organisations and sectors.This practice has been recognised via a UK government funded project; rolling out the BC model to other UK universities, as a national solution to improving business productivity. Nigel is advising seven Universities on adopting this pedagogy.
Laura-Jane Silverman
London School of Economics and Political Science
Nominated by Professor Julia Black
LJ Silverman is Head and Founder of LSE’s inspirational entrepreneurship centre, LSE Generate. Serving over 2500 students and alumni a year, LJ created – from scratch – a multi-faceted educational support programme that supports entrepreneurs developing socially driven and UN-SDG aligned start-ups. Student-led, community-focussed and extremely innovative, LJ ‘s energy and ambition has produced a world-class skills development programme and international community of innovators, placing LSE firmly on the map as a key player within the entrepreneurial education ecosystem.
Lydiah Igweh
Oxford Brookes University
Nominated by Professor Tim Vorley
Lydiah is a changemaker and strategic influencer committed to transforming lives and creating equal opportunity through inclusive enterprise education. She fosters a University-wide entrepreneurial culture, including contributing to the 2035 strategy, which positions Enterprise and Entrepreneurship as a golden woven thread. Her leadership has fuelled the continued growth of the University’s enterprise team, investment and portfolio from 1 programme to 13 initiatives. Recognised as an inspiring woman in HE, she contributes to the sector through impactful platforms such as the Evolve Conference.
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Inclusive Enterprise Education Award – an additional award that will be conferred on one entry from any of the above four categories and designed to recognise excellence in driving change in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) in enterprise and entrepreneurship education or practice
Siân Prime
Goldsmiths, University of London
Nominated by Gerald Lidstone
Siân Prime is a true pioneer in enterprise education, there is a clear innovative progression from the Nesta Creative Pioneer programme to the ground breaking postgraduate university programme MA Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship and through local entrepreneurial initiatives in South East London to global influence with real impact in more than ten countries or regions. Her approach has always been conditioned by guiding principles developed from a real understanding of the issues of Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity.
Lydiah Igweh
Oxford Brookes University
Nominated by Professor Tim Vorley
Lydiah is a changemaker and strategic influencer committed to transforming lives and creating equal opportunity through inclusive enterprise education. She fosters a University-wide entrepreneurial culture, including contributing to the 2035 strategy, which positions Enterprise and Entrepreneurship as a golden woven thread. Her leadership has fuelled the continued growth of the University’s enterprise team, investment and portfolio from 1 programme to 13 initiatives. Recognised as an inspiring woman in HE, she contributes to the sector through impactful platforms such as the Evolve Conference.
Laura-Jane Silverman
London School of Economics and Political Science
Nominated by Professor Julia Black
LJ Silverman is Head and Founder of LSE’s inspirational entrepreneurship centre, LSE Generate. Serving over 2500 students and alumni a year, LJ created – from scratch – a multi-faceted educational support programme that supports entrepreneurs developing socially driven and UN-SDG aligned start-ups. Student-led, community-focussed and extremely innovative, LJ ‘s energy and ambition has produced a world-class skills development programme and international community of innovators, placing LSE firmly on the map as a key player within the entrepreneurial education ecosystem.
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People’s Choice
All of the above shortlisted entries were invited to submit a short video for online public voting to determine the winner of an additional ‘People’s Choice’ award. Click here to see the videos and vote.