Northumbria University’s Vision for 2030 is to be a research-rich, business-focused, professional university with a global reputation for academic excellence.

We are a challenger institution, transforming to take on tomorrow. Northumbria University creates and applies knowledge for the benefit of individuals, communities and the economy. Through excellent research, teaching and innovation we transform lives, making a powerful contribution to cultural and economic development and regeneration, locally, nationally and globally.

Through it’s dedicated Student and Graduate Enterprise support service, located at the recently opened Innovate Northumbria: Incubator, which acts as central hub for students and graduates seeking to research, develop, validate and test their entrepreneurial aspirations. The Incubator seeks to further build and enhance Northumbria University’s established reputation as a leading entrepreneurial university for students and graduates.

The service offers a range of enterprise activity, both inside and outside of the curriculum. This includes guidance for academic staff on incorporating enterprise into curriculum, in-curricula sessions on enterprise, enterprise weekends and bootcamps, equipping students with entrepreneurial skills,  workshop series with business experts and social events bringing together like-minded individuals. Significant focus is placed upon the provision of initial mentoring and advice on self-employment opportunities and business ideas, through one-to-one guidance and direct support to individuals, as they seek to develop their ideas for businesses.

The service is unique as it provides the full spectrum of support from assisting individuals in developing, testing and validating their ideas, through to the commencement of trading, and then further support during the first three years of trading activity. This is all complemented by the new incubation facility. The emphasis is not simply on early-stage pre-start/start-up support, rather the aim is to provide support which will assist student/graduate entrepreneurs in the creation of sustainable self-employment/business start-up options, which will secure long-term employment for themselves and others.

Main Contact: Graham Baty, Head of Student and Graduate Enterprise