Student Enterprise Strategy

It is clear and well proven that students can be taught entrepreneurial skills if they are given the opportunities to try, fail, learn, and try again.

Indeed, most of those who “have it in them” still need to try, fail, learn, and try again. It is the role of the enterprise offering at the University of Leeds to provide these opportunities in a safe and secure environment before they experience the world of commerce and business.

Discover

Discover is a new development and a key element to the success of student enterprise at Leeds. Discover brings enterprise to the whole campus, not just to those who deliberately seek out the levels of support on offer. Its aim is to provide a wide range of opportunities for all students to engage in some form of enterprise activity, to allow existing Spark-supported businesses to give back in a practical way through coaching or mentoring, and to develop a campus with an entrepreneurial mindset.

We have already introduced the Business Simulation Challenge, the Freelancer Programme and additional specialist workshops. We will see the launch of the Earthshot Entrepreneurs Club, mini business bootcamps in faculties, hackathons, innovation sprints and learning lunches. Plans for outreach and Widening Participation support, as well as a sandpit programme, are being developed.

“Discover” is a co-curricular programme.

Spark

Spark is the name for the business start-up service based in Nexus. The dedicated Spark team ensures students and graduates receive the most up-to-date information and support that continues through their entrepreneurial journey from initial ideas to start up, growth and beyond.

In addition to our full-time Spark team, we also have links with a range of specialist external advisers including solicitors, accountants, intellectual property (IP) experts, marketing and business mentors to give students and their businesses all the help they need.

MSc Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme 

The MSc Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Programme is run by the Centre for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies.

It helps students develop an understanding of enterprise on a global scale, and gain skills and knowledge to start, develop, and manage their own business, and to effectively exploit business opportunities.