Business School recognised for supporting firms and students
The University of Bradford’s School of Management has been recognised for its work with small businesses and creating opportunities for students with a prestigious re-accreditation.
The business school has gained Small Business Charter (SBC) status for the next five years for its outstanding work in the small business and entrepreneurship community.
Professor Sankar Sivarajah, Dean of the School of Management at the University of Bradford, said: “We are delighted to be re-accredited with the Small Business Charter award.
“The five-year award is a testament to the growth and development of our engagement with entrepreneurs and small businesses within the region over the past few years, as well as the ongoing strength of the School’s business and community engagement offer.
“Thank you to all our colleagues, students, alumni and business community who have played their part in helping the School to secure this re-accreditation.”
The School has been recognised for its contributions in three categories: Support for Growth of Small Businesses, Stakeholder Engagement to Support Growth and Encouraging Student Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. The university’s SBC status was initially granted in February 2021.
Track record
The report on the School stated: “The School of Management has both a track record and a clear ambition to engage with internal and external stakeholders for the benefit of local and regional small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and is, as such, fulfilling not only its own ambitions but those of the Small Business Charter.”
The University has supported budding entrepreneurs through the launch of the £2.5 million Bradford-Renduchintala Enterprise Ecosystem (BREE). The initiative, launched in January 2024, is open to staff, students and members of the public. The University is aiming to become the UK’s number one destination for entrepreneurs. It will build on the University’s long history of research and innovation.
The School of Management, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, will further help develop businesses when it launches its new MSc in Entrepreneurship Practice in September 2025. The programme will provide people with the opportunity to build and develop their business with a focus on entrepreneurship in action.
The SBC is an award for the UK’s world-class business schools. It celebrates business schools that play an effective role in supporting small businesses, local economies and student entrepreneurship and is only granted after rigorous assessment.
Vital resource
Professor David Spicer, Director of Business and Community Engagement at the University of Bradford, said: “As a civic institution our engagement with, and support for, the local community is a key tenant of our work.
“Our SBC award reinforces the importance of those links and recognises the value we create for businesses and entrepreneurs in the city and University.
“The five-year accreditation achieved this time is testament to the School’s team in extending our work in this regard.”
Tim Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Bradford district-based firm Future Transformation, said: “With access to students, research and innovation the University of Bradford School of Management proves a vital resource for SMEs like mine and the wider business community locally, regionally and nationally to grow sustainably and increase our skills resulting in a strong and stable economy.”
Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: “We congratulate the University of Bradford School of Management for retaining their SBC status.
“It is fantastic to see that the school has built upon the foundations of its initial application and continues to demonstrate impact in supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurs in their local economy.
“We look forward to seeing the ongoing impacts of their work deliver for their regional economy.”
It is the latest re-accreditation for the School of Management after it received re-accreditation from the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the Business Graduates Association (BGA) and the same recognition from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) last year.