School of Business and Law receives top award for excellence in supporting small businesses

The School of Business and Law has been awarded the Small Business Charter in recognition of its exceptional work supporting local business growth and student enterprise.

This prestigious five-year accreditation, the highest possible, recognises the School of Business and Law as a ‘world-class’ business school, combining academic excellence with real-world impact.

Building on its initial three-year Small Business Charter (SBC) award in 2021, the School scored top marks in 24 out of 27 criteria, underscoring its commitment to fostering student entrepreneurship, small and medium enterprise (SME) innovation, and economic development across the region.

Colleagues in the School of Business and Law ensure students benefit from hands-on, practical learning experiences through close partnerships with the business community. Praising this commitment, the SBC panel noted:

“The School… has demonstrated a remarkable commitment to integrating practical learning experiences with academic rigor. Through a strategic blend of modules, industry collaborations, and community engagement, the school has created a dynamic and enriching environment that prepares students for real-world challenges while fostering social responsibility.”

One example of this innovation is the newly introduced Business Management with Entrepreneurship undergraduate programme, which offers students the chance to collaborate directly with industry professionals, gaining valuable insights into business and innovation. This focus on hands-on experience runs throughout the School’s – and wider University’s – curriculum, ensuring that students are ready to thrive in a competitive global landscape.

Professor Andrew Lloyd, Interim Vice-Chancellor, said:

“I want to share my congratulations to our staff and students in the School of Business and Law. This achievement reflects many years of commitment to, and collaboration with, local businesses in Brighton and across the region. Together, we’re supporting business innovation, reducing carbon emission, helping business start-ups and training people of all ages to become not only highly skilled graduates but also tomorrow’s entrepreneurs and business leaders.”

Crucially, SBC accreditation enables the School to deliver the Help to Grow: Management Course, a government-funded programme that empowers SMEs with the skills to unlock their growth potential. Since April 2022, this initiative has connected the School with over 150 small businesses across the south and south east of England and London – a testament to its impact.

The School also spearheads several other initiatives and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) to advance innovation, productivity and growth among regional business. These include:

• Research and Innovation Sussex Excellence (RISE) – a business innovation project aiding West Sussex enterprises through expertise from the universities of Brighton and Sussex.
• Profitnet – a peer-to-peer learning programme developed at Brighton, benefiting over 1,300 businesses to date.
• Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange (BRITE) – in partnership with Plus X, this programme supports growth and innovation for businesses in Sussex and the south east.
• Clean Growth UK (CGUK) – supporting over 3,000 businesses, CGUK has created more than 500 green jobs and developed over 100 sustainable products or services.

Dr. Stefan Speckesser, Associate Dean of the School of Business and Law, said: 

“The University and its School of Business and Law have close links to our local business community and SMEs – as partners in research and knowledge exchange, with the Help-to-Grow Programme, with student placements, and many more.

“We are delighted to renew the Small Business Charter award for another five years in recognition of all the work by our academics, with and for SMEs. We look forward to fostering greater collaboration over the years to come, to support SME innovation and growth with our talented students and staff, and through joint projects creating innovation or new skills, for the benefit of our local economy.”

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