The National Centre for Entrepreneurship in Education, NCEE, is the new name for the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship set up in 2004 which in 2005 started a number of programmes and projects to help cultivate entrepreneurship in higher education. To evidence the impact of these programmes an independent evaluation of NCGE’s work, prior to its name change, was carried out by EKOS  a leading independent UK consultancy specialising in economic and social development. Below is a summary of the highlights from their evaluation. Full reports are available through the links provided.

NCEE continues to have impact at every level of tertiary education from long term relationships between universities and industries, to supporting future leaders of entrepreneurial institutions, to shaping the academic environment for staff and students and through Make It Happen supporting students and graduates and make a start along their entrepreneurial journey.

Key Impact: every £1 invested in NCGE programmes = £11 return on investment to the UK economy

 EKOS estimate the total net additional GVA (Gross Value Added) to the UK economy of NCGE programmes is £68.3m. There is also considerable social and cultural impact across the HE sector.

 For a detailed summary of the areas NCGE worked in at the time of the evaluation study please click here.

There are four key areas:

1. 1.     Leadership and Management 

• University Enterprise Networks (UENs) are public, private, university partnerships focusing on key sectors of the economy. Launched in 2008 over 30 partners are currently involved;
• Over £5m had been raised from the private sector for the UENs adding to £3.5m of public funds resulting in an estimated GVA of £31.5m - a substantial return on investment;
• In partnership with Oxford University 23 senior managers in HE are on an ‘Entrepreneurial University Leadership Programme’

1. 2.     Academic Environment 

• We provide a number of programmes to shape the academic environment so that entrepreneurship is embedded across the university and college campus;
• One programme – International Entrepreneurship Educators Programme (IEEP) – has an estimated return on investment ratio of 20:1 and is now being delivered in the EU and China;
• Other innovative programmes are the £5m ‘Enterprise Champions’ project in the North West working with a network of universities, and a national programme for academic entrepreneurship piloted in 2010/11.

1. 3.     Students 

• Flying Start is estimated to provide a return on investment ratio of 17:1!
• Flying Start Online has over 27,000 graduate entrepreneurs as members and over 8,000 students are engaged annually in Flying Start activity with 30+ university enterprise societies;
• 400+ companies have started through Flying Start  and over £1m has been raised for them

1. 4.     Graduates 

• In 2009 Make It Happen (MIH) was launched to engage 5,000 unemployed graduates in setting up a business or becoming self employed. Within 3 months 8,000+ had applied;
• In 2010 3,558 graduates were enrolled on a 12 month MIH programme to help them into business;
• By end March 2011, 1379 new businesses were ready for trading.

News