Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking at the first ever Small Business Charter (SBC) Annual Conference in Westminster, an inspiring gathering of 66 accredited business schools from across the UK, all working to deepen their impact on local communities and economies.

I was invited to take part in the SME Engagement for Growth breakout session, where I shared Blueberry’s journey, from early support through the Leeds Beckett University business incubator, to now working with universities nationally on business outreach and engagement campaigns. I also reflected on my experience as Entrepreneur in Residence at Leeds Business School, supporting student entrepreneurs and contributing to wider enterprise initiatives.

Throughout the day, it was encouraging to see just how much momentum there is across the sector. From start-up clinics and accelerator programmes to cross-university partnerships and embedded enterprise support, the variety of approaches shows how committed business schools are to strengthening their role as community anchors.

It was also a timely reminder of the importance of building long-term, human relationships, something we believe sits at the heart of successful SME engagement. Business support works best when it’s relevant, local and sustained, and it was great to hear so many examples of this in action.

The UK government’s recent Industrial Strategy announcement added further weight to these discussions. Its focus on long-term, place-based growth and innovation closely mirrors the work already happening across the SBC network. From fostering regional partnerships to supporting skills development and entrepreneurial ecosystems, the strategy reinforces the vital role business schools and SMEs play in driving inclusive, sustainable growth. It was encouraging to see national policy catching up with the approaches many of us have been championing for years.

The SBC’s latest research, published the day after the event, highlights the pivotal role business schools play in providing long-term, impactful support to small businesses. Blueberry were proud to support the SBC in delivering this research, and it was particularly interesting to see how the findings aligned with much of what was discussed on the day.

We’ll be sharing more thoughts soon on the insights from the report and what they mean for the future of university-led business engagement.

Our recent guide – How Universities Can Still Prosper Through Economic Challenges – outlines practical strategies for enhancing business engagement and long-term sustainability. You can download a copy here.