Tag Archives: Business

Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Fellowships

Posted on by

Royal Academy of Engineering logo large

The Royal Academy of Engineering invites applications for its Enterprise Fellowships. These enable aspiring entrepreneurs to commercialise technology-based business ideas from academic institutions into spinout companies.

Applicants must be working in engineering departments or engineering-focused research areas at UK higher education institutions, at postdoctoral level or above. PhD students may apply, but must have received their PhD before they start the fellowship. The proposed technology must be an innovation or invention in engineering or technology.

Each Fellow is provided with up to £85,000 to enable them to spend 12 months establishing their own business. In addition to the financial support, training will be provided to develop business skills. Mentors will be allocated to each fellow to provide additional support, advice and access to their entrepreneurial and venture capital networks during the enterprise fellowship.

Closing date 01 Sep 15 (Forecast)

(The information on the website relates to last year’s scheme but remains available for reference until the 2015 call is announced: http://www.raeng.org.uk/grants-and-prizes/support-for-entrepreneurs/enterprise-fellowships).

24 steps to a successful start up

Posted on by

We recently attended the PraxisUnico conference where Bill Aulet from MIT gave a presentation on “The coming crisis in entrepreneurship education and what to do about it”.

Entrepreneurship is exploding globally and many people believe that this is something that cannot be taught and those that are successful are born with the skills for it. Bill however does not agree this is the case. He believes some of the greatest entrepreneurs – Richard Branson, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates – have one thing in common: they made great products.

He also stated that the single condition needed to be successful is a paying customer. The customer should be involved from the very beginning so you know who they are and what they require. By not carrying out market research and selecting the market segment you will be most successful in you are likely to fail.

For more detail on the 24 steps to a successful start-up you can sign up for the Disciplined Entrepreneurship Toolbox at http://detoolbox.com/ or purchase the book http://disciplinedentrepreneurship.com/

The 24 steps game plan is below

24

 

Chartered Institute of Management Accountants Research Grants

Posted on by

CIMA - Chartered Institute of Management Accountants

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants invites applications for its research initiative. Research that is innovative and challenges and offers fresh perspectives on a range of topics related to the science of management accounting will be supported

Research applications are invited on the topics of:

  • big data
  • management accounting in banks and financial institutions

Grants are worth between £5,000 and £40,000.

The deadline for applications is 30 September 2014.

For further information go to: http://www.cimaglobal.com/en-gb/Thought-leadership/Research-Funding/Research-intiatives/

 

Factsheet on Knowledge Alliances fund under Erasmus+

Posted on by

The European Commission are encouraging Higher Education institutions to work in partnership with businesses on innovative projects that address teaching and learning. The projects are expected to generate long term partnerships which develop entrepreneurship.

The funding is called Knowledge Alliances and is part of the Erasmus+ scheme. Although the deadline for 2014 has recently closed, it takes time to develop a strong consortium and project idea. The External Projects Team is encouraging staff to get thinking on project ideas for 2015. To help have we have created a factsheet giving an overview of the fund.

It is expected that the 2015 deadlines will be in March/April, with calls coming out around November 2014.

Download Knowledge Alliance factsheet here

The External Projects Team can help you to find project partners and can help develop project ideas. Anyone who is interested should contact the team on exteranlprojects@staffs.ac.uk

erasmus-plus-village_en

Knowledge alliances – bridging the gap between Higher Education and Business

Posted on by
3

                                              

 

Erasmus+ Knowledge Alliances 

Knowledge Alliances are a new type of project which, following pilot calls in 2011 and 2012 under the Lifelong Learning Programme, will form part of the Erasmus+ Programme 2014 – 2020.

Knowledge Alliances are structured partnerships between Higher Education Institutes (HEI) and the business community. They are intended to facilitate long-term active exchange and collaboration between HEI and business to foster entrepreneurship and innovation. Knowlege Alliances are part of the second key activity area for HEI under Erasmus+: cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practice. 
 
Knowledge Alliance activities are expected to trigger innovative approaches, entrepreneural skills and the possibility of new products and services. They are therefore broadly defined and might include the development and implementation of new learning and teaching methods; structured mobility; a new multidisciplinary curriculum or a new company approach to staff development.

At least three counties must be involved in a Knowledge Alliance represented by at least one HEI and one private company in all participating countries. Partner organisations will be expected to raise at least 25% of the funds required for their Knowlege Alliance.

The concept of Knowledge Alliances was piloted in 2011 and 2012. Three out of 94 proposals were selected for funding in 2011 and three out of 103 applications in 2012. The successful pilot proposals are: 

CIAKL – Cinema and Industry Alliance for Knowledge and Teaching

EUEN – European University Enterprise Network

KNOWFACT – European Teaching Factory Paradigm in Manufacturing Education

E-NSPIRATION – Energy Innovative Training programme

EDUCCKATE – Education Cultural and Creative Knowledge Alliance for Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs

EURL3A – European Real Life Learning Lab Alliance 

For further details see the Knowledge Alliance web site

http://ec.europa.eu/education/higher-education/knowledge_en.htm