Wealth creators are the lifeblood of our local economy.
And helping them to not only survive, but thrive - particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic - is what the University of Derby does rather well.
So much so that the university, a proud sponsor of the SME of the Year category at this year's , has cemented its already close ties with industry with a raft of innovative programmes, schemes and courses, including the successful Derbyshire Festival of Business.
"Our vision for the college and everything we do is geared towards supporting to build better business and a better society - that is our driving force," explains Professor Kamil Omoteso, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the
"We offered companies support pre pandemic, and even more so during the pandemic, and our plan is to help businesses capitalise on opportunities now to ensure they survive and thrive as we recover from the pandemic. We can’t afford for companies to feel unsupported, or even close, because of the potential they have to take Derby and Derbyshire to the next level in terms of economic regeneration and the levelling up agenda.
University of Derby is sponsoring SME Business of the Year
Located in the heart of England, the University of Derby builds on its region's heritage of innovation to provide industry-relevant, expert teaching, from foundation and undergraduate degrees through to postgraduate study and research.
Warren Manning, Provost for innovation and Research at the University of Derby, said: "The University of Derby is committed to supporting a thriving modern economy with the valuable links we offer to research, knowledge, expertise and talent.
"We provide a collaborative approach to innovation and skills development that is delivering benefits to businesses across Derbyshire and the wider Midlands Engine for Growth. We are delighted to once again play our part in this celebration of local business achievement and wish all award applicants the very best of luck."
The DerbyshireLive Business Awards 2021, in association with , will take place at the Derby Arena on Thursday, October 21. For more information about the event, tickets and sponsors, visit the .
“We are proud to work in partnership with many local companies and see this as a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the success of the diverse business community within our county. Having received the Small Business Charter award in recognition of the work we do in partnership with SME’s to support their business growth, we offer a range of business support programmes for SMEs in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, including funding, short courses, research and innovation and recruiting talent.
“Each of our funding programmes has a specific focus, such as a sector or outcome, which our Business Services team can help advise on. Examples include, the DE-Carbonise project which was created to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increase their sustainability and save money by reducing energy costs and carbon emissions; The Green Entrepreneurs Scheme, a £2 million grant fund for businesses interested in developing and investing in green energy and carbon reduction schemes; and the Help to Grow Management programme which supports senior managers of small and medium sized businesses to boost their business’s performance, resilience, and long-term growth.
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And the university, in partnership with Vision Derbyshire, recently launched the , a new initiative to help businesses capitalise on opportunities as the county recovers from the pandemic.
More than 150 business leaders and civic community representatives attended the event at the, where they heard about how they can get involved with the festival, which encompasses events, masterclasses and awards over the coming months, and culminates in a three-day Expo in the spring.
It's a win-win for both university and businesses as students get a real taste of the real-life business world.
"Our students and graduates are able to tap into this world, to develop their entrepreneurial skills and business thinking," says Prof Omoteso.
"Companies are already benefitting from the skills and knowledge our graduates and students on internship bring to their businesses - so both parties benefit from that. It also attracts students into business and some of them remain within Derby and Derbyshire for employment or entrepreneurial opportunities."
Naturally, the university has growing ambitions for its students. A new business school will open its doors in September 2024, with the building projected to be the study base for more than 6,000 students by 2030.
Located at Ford Street in Derby on a university-owned site opposite One Friar Gate Square – home to the School of Law and Social Sciences - the landmark building is proposed to be net zero carbon in construction and operation.
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“Our ambitious plans for an iconic new business school are part of a broader vision to expand the university’s reach and reputation across the 海角视频 and globally,” says Professor Omoteso.
“To do so, the university must be in a position to offer the best possible learning experience that reflects its values of being bold, brilliant and future focused. We intend to build on our already strong reputation to become a leading business school for applied real world learning; one that creates opportunities for a diverse range of students to attain their full potential and become successful and responsible future leaders.”
- To find out more about The University of Derby
- To find out more about College of Business, Law and Social Sciences
Find out more about this special event
The celebratory evening, in association with , will take place at Derby Arena on Thursday, October 21. There are 16 prestigious awards to be handed out to the well-deserved winners, so there is no doubt that the room will be buzzing with success and ambition.
To find out who is in the running for a new, coveted title, click here.
This year’s headline sponsors are , , , and . For more information, visit the
- For tickets to the event, contact Michelle Roberts,