22 SME NEWS / Greater London Enterprise Awards 2017 , NACUE (National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs) is a unique peer to peer led student organisationwith the aimof “Powering the Enterprising Generation”, through championing enterprising and entrepreneurial activity within the student body in both College and University campuses across the UK. CEOHolly Knower tells us more about the organisation and how it works to support its service users. Best Student Enterprise Support Organisation 2017 Created in 2008, NACUE was developed by 12 enterprise society presidents from individual universities looking for new and innovative opportunities to increase engagement amongst the wider student body. Collectively, these students were playing a leading role in the development of student entrepreneurship at their institutions, though they knew that collaboratively they could create something bigger, for the benefit of their societies and beyond. Those original 12 societies were the catalysts for an extraordinary movement in student entrepreneurship and enterprise, with that initial group growing into an associated network of over 150 College and University enterprise societies. Holly explains the organisation’s work in more detail. “At NACUE, we are committed to advancing education and supporting bespoke solutions in developing greater engagement with learners from various academic backgrounds in enterprise initiatives. We believe that all students should have the chance to engage in unique opportunities, providing a platform to develop the skills they need to succeed in their chosen career paths. We work with institutional members to assist them with delivering services to stimulate enterprise and entrepreneurial activity, as well as delivering bespoke programmes and services.” Based in London, NACUE are a national organisation and work with institutions across the UK, on a wide variety of projects and activities. Holly is keen to showcase some of the latest initiatives that the charity is undertaking and how these will benefit the students nationally. “Currently, our engagement includes two flagship events, The Varsity Pitch Competition and The Student Enterprise Conference. The Varsity Pitch Competition, in partnership with Tata, sees student and graduate businesses being pitched to win a prize of £10,000 equity free. The Student Enterprise Conference is held across a weekend and brings together over 400 committed and enthusiastic students, with a passion for enterprise and entrepreneurship. There are workshops, panel sessions, key note speakers and much more, for those engaged in broadening their LON17039 knowledge and skills for their future careers.” “Thanks to our recognised services and these events, we have successfully delivered several major contracts, including for the UK Government, the European Commission, HEFCE, Barclays Bank Plc and Lloyds Banking Group. Over the years we have been privileged to be supported by many prominent organisations, including Blackberry, BP, Google, IBM, Microsoft and Xero. We are also extremely grateful to our major supporters Lloyds Banking Group, PayPal, Swiss Re and Tata, without whom, we would not be able to continue our work.” Operating in an ever evolving market, the team at NACUE have a strong overview of the enterprise space in the UK, which Holly is keen to share with us. “The Enterprise and Entrepreneurship sector is forever changing, constantly adapting to external influences. Over the past 4 years we have seen educational institutions striving to provide much needed support to foster an entrepreneurial culture within their institutions. With changing priorities, institutions are frequently faced with limited resources and changes in student attitudes, whilst striving to provide a dedicated service supporting students with a passion to do something different, try new initiatives and consider alternative careers.” Ultimately, having been recognised for praise by several prominent politicians and UK business leaders, including Mark Prisk MP, The Right Honourable Sir Vince Cable, MP, Dr David Landsman OBE, Executive Director, Tata Limited and Tim Hames, Director General of BVCA, this demonstrates NACUE’s value. NACUE has achieved incredible success since inception, and moving forward the organisation will aim to build upon this and continue to provide the very best quality services and support for students around the country. Contact: Holly Knower, CEO Contact Email:
[email protected] Contact Address: Kemp House, 152 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX, UK Phone: 03333 601746 Web Address: www.nacue.com