Birkbeck Business School secures reaccreditation from Small Business Charter
The reaccreditation highlights Birkbeck’s impact on SME growth, student enterprise, and its role in shaping the local business landscape.
Birkbeck Business School has been reaccredited by the Small Business Charter, receiving a three-year endorsement that recognises its continued excellence in supporting small businesses, student entrepreneurship, and the local economy.
The assessment process, which took place in June, involved contributions from academic and professional services staff, alumni, and Small and Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) leaders, reflecting a collaborative effort across the School. The panel of assessors commended the School’s “robust, inclusive, and forward-looking enterprise and entrepreneurship ecosystem,” highlighting its strong physical presence in the local business community and its commitment to embedding enterprise across academic and extracurricular activities.
The reaccreditation enables Birkbeck to continue delivering the Help to Grow: Management course, a national initiative designed to support SME leaders. Since its launch, the programme has connected the Business School with a wide network of small business leaders and decision-makers and Birkbeck is set to welcome its tenth cohort in September.
Professor Andy Adcroft, Head of Birkbeck Business School, said:
“The Small Business Charter is incredibly important to the Business School at Birkbeck. Over the past few years, it has allowed us to engage with a range of dynamic and exciting businesses through the Help to Grow: Management programme, which has created a whole new group of stakeholders for us to work with.
The reaccreditation demonstrates our commitment to being an outward-looking business school that is always open to opportunities to put our world-class research to work as we support small businesses in their growth agenda.”
The School’s dedication to student enterprise was also praised, with particular recognition given to its flagship Pioneer 1.0 and Pioneer 2.0 programmes. These initiatives have supported over 500 students in developing business ideas, equipping them with the skills, confidence, and networks needed to bring their ventures to life.
The Small Business Charter is awarded to business schools that demonstrate excellence in supporting small businesses, student enterprise, and local economic development. Birkbeck joins 68 accredited institutions across the UK and Ireland.