MBA and Masters students at Strathclyde Business School will be able to take part in Virgin Money's innovative Levelling Upstarts programme which gives SMEs the opportunity to partner directly with MBA and masters students from leading universities through digital workshops.
In 2022 the Levelling Upstarts programme brought together 40 business owners with over 200 MBA and masters students from the University of Leeds and Aston University in a series of workshops to address barriers to productivity. This year the programme is available to students at the University of Strathclyde and Newcastle University.
Levelling Upstarts aims to both empower regional SMEs to level up and to foster the next generation of business leaders.
Virgin Money wants to help assist SMEs with overcoming the numerous challenges they face as small businesses. Every business has its own unique obstacles, whether that’s building brand awareness, honing a competitive advantage or selling into new markets. By facilitating access to MBA students, Virgin Money wants to provide SMEs with the latest business advice and recommendations – something they may not otherwise have access to.
Strathclyde MBA and Masters students have varied backgrounds and experiences which will help the SMEs encounter new ideas and innovative solutions to issues they may be facing.
Any small business with less than 250 employees can apply to take part in the programme – they don’t need to be a Virgin Money customer. All the workshops are online so there are no location barriers for the businesses.
Kash Ahmed, Head of Business Banking at Virgin Money said, “SMEs are the lifeblood of our local economies and are key to helping our communities to level up. However, we know that the cost of doing business has become a significant concern for businesses, impacting their ability to plan longer term.
“The Levelling Upstarts programme allows businesses to get focused, comprehensive and tangible support, by pooling the resources of talented business students, to help them think outside of the box, while simultaneously giving students valuable and transferable skills.”
Professor David Hillier, Executive Dean of Strathclyde Business School, said, “We're delighted to be participating in the Levelling Upstarts programme which will provide benefits to both our students and the SMEs taking part. The Strathclyde ethos is one of 'useful learning' - not just delivering the theory of business but providing opportunities for our students to engage practically with the business world wherever possible which ties in perfectly with this latest partnership with Virgin Money.
"Both our students and the participating businesses will benefit by being able to share ideas, put thoughts into practice, offer alternative perspectives, challenge the perceived norm, create bold solutions and ultimately work in partnership to enable the SMEs to move forward.”
Applications for the programme opened on January 10 and will run until May 31. Businesses that wish to express an interest can email levellingupstarts@virginmoneyukplc.com for further information on how to apply.