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| Small Business Charter | |
|---|---|
| Name | Small Business Charter |
| Formation | 2010 |
| Type | Accreditation scheme |
| Headquarters | London |
| Region served | United Kingdom |
| Parent organization | Chartered Association of Business Schools |
Small Business Charter The Small Business Charter is an accreditation and recognition scheme for higher education and professional institutions specialising in supporting entrepreneurship and small enterprise in the United Kingdom, established to connect academic institutions withDepartment for Business, Innovation and Skills-style policy goals andEuropean Commission-era funding priorities. It links business schools, enterprise hubs, incubators and intermediaries such as theBritish Business Bank, Federation of Small Businesses andEnterprise Nation to promote practical support for start-ups, linking to networks including theBritish Chambers of Commerce, TechNation and regional development bodies such as Growth Hubs.
The Charter operates as an accreditation framework that recognises universities, business schools and independent centres of enterprise such as theInstitute of Directors-affiliated centres, Manchester Metropolitan University incubators andUniversity of Oxford entrepreneurship initiatives. It aims to bridge academic research activities linked to Wellcome Trust-style grants, applied projects associated with Innovate UK, and civic engagement models exemplified by theHarrison Centre for Social Mobility andKings College London innovation programmes. The Charter encourages collaboration with bodies like Barclays Eagle Labs, NatWest entrepreneurship clinics andCambridge University Press-linked publishing of case studies.
The scheme was launched amid policy debates involving theBIS (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) successor bodies and linked to higher education reforms promoted byUniversities UK and theHigher Education Funding Council for England. Early adopters included business schools with ties to theAssociation of MBAs accreditation network and institutions active inEuropean Regional Development Fund projects. The Charter evolved through partnerships with theNesta innovation foundation, theRoyal Society's enterprise initiatives, and collaborative pilots withLondon School of Economics enterprise units. Influences included models from theUS Small Business Administration and accreditation comparisons with theChartered Institute of Marketing.
The Charter's objectives mirror goals promoted by think tanks and funding agencies such as Resolution Foundation, Institute for Fiscal Studies, andNesta: to boost entrepreneurship, foster technology transfer, and support social enterprises like those championed by theJoseph Rowntree Foundation. Principles emphasise evidence-informed practice as seen in RAND Corporation reports, place-based engagement akin to Local Enterprise Partnerships, and outcomes measurement similar toBig Society Capital dashboards. It endorses partnerships with angel networks such as Cambridge Angels, accelerators like Seedcamp, and corporate innovation programmes run by Microsoft and Google's startup initiatives.
Membership criteria target higher education organisations, business incubators and independent enterprise centres linked to bodies including Research England and theQuality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Eligible applicants typically demonstrate links with professional bodies such as theChartered Management Institute, measurable performance in programmes supported byInnovate UK or theEuropean Investment Bank, and sustained engagement with local stakeholders including Greater London Authority or regional Combined Authorities. Prominent members have included the business schools of University of Warwick, Imperial College London, University of Manchester and University of Edinburgh.
Accredited institutions provide services ranging from startup mentoring modelled on Y Combinator approaches, incubation spaces similar to Cambridge Science Park, to student entrepreneurship modules inspired by Babson College. Programs include accelerator cohorts, business plan competitions akin to the Shell LiveWIRE awards, access to finance clinics involving British Business Bank initiatives, and workshops partnering with law firms and accountancy firms like PwC and KPMG. Some programs integrate intellectual property support reflecting practices of the European Patent Office and international commerce links with agencies such as UK Export Finance.
The Charter is overseen by a secretariat often hosted within associations such as the Chartered Association of Business Schools and involves advisory input from bodies like Nesta, the Institute for Government, and representatives from Universities UK and regional Local Enterprise Partnerships. Funding streams have included public grant allocations mirrored in Research England awards, philanthropic support comparable toWellcome Trust fellowships, and corporate sponsorship from banks like Barclays and technology firms such as Microsoft. Governance arrangements reference accreditation practices from theAssociation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business and reporting standards resembling those of theChartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Supporters cite impacts consistent with evaluations by Nesta and Audit Commission-style scrutiny: increased startup survival rates, enhanced graduate entrepreneurship, and stronger university-regional links comparable to outcomes reported by Enterprise Research Centre studies. Critics reference concerns raised by analysts at the Institute for Fiscal Studies and commentators in outlets like The Guardian about selective benefits, regional imbalance similar to debates over Levelling Up funding, and the potential for mission drift compared with community-focused models championed by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Ongoing debate involves comparisons with international schemes run by the US Small Business Administration and accreditation debates involving the Association of MBAs.
Category:Business education in the United Kingdom