Business Engagement

The University maintained its strong performance in Research England's fourth annual Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF4), continuing to have ‘very high engagement’ in the CPD and Graduate Startups, and Local Growth and Regeneration categories.

We achieved our strategic goal to boost the number of high-quality submissions to the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation), with a 54% increase in bids submitted and a 20% increase in bids won. Successful proposals to UKRI for the other research councils (excluding Innovate UK) include Dracula Returns to Derby, 2PS - Prevention of sexual abuse through support, Single-cell and single molecule sequencing in enhanced forensic DNA recovery, and Connected treescapes: a portfolio approach for delivering multiple benefits which was the project that received the highest income award. All four colleges were represented in our submissions.

The Work Health Hub, launched in 2023 and headed up by Kate Wood, the Hub's Project Manager, aims to empower every individual working within an organisation as well as championing positive health and wellbeing in the workplace. Comprising three elements; consultancy, research and a membership online platform, the Hub has 586 members, and 129 organisations engaged to date. Now, at its one-year anniversary, the Hub has achieved a 90% retention rate. 

The Hub engaged in significant consultancy activity with Alstom and worked with Portland College to support its Manager Development Programme. The Hub also established a growing network of 40 individuals in its Supporting the Supporters Network Group, providing ongoing help and guidance to Mental Health First Aiders. 

The Hub contributed to the student experience by hosting mental health nursing and occupational therapy student placements. These students added tremendous value to the project by creating resources, delivering events and carrying out research in key areas impacting health and wellbeing.

Established in September 2023, Create Growth is part of the East Midlands Creative Consortium (EMC2) and is a collaborative hub of policymakers, creative businesses, public sector representatives and creative space managers. Over the year, Create Growth has supported 261 businesses through Derbyshire Creative Networking and referred 121 high-growth potential creative businesses to EMC2 programmes.

The Green Entrepreneurs Programme supported organisations in Derbyshire to develop green energy and carbon reduction schemes. In partnership with Derbyshire County Council, the programme was a £2 million grant fund investing in projects that support the UK’s target of net zero carbon by 2050.

The programme’s success was recognised at the Innovation Awards, winning the ‘Sustainability Innovation Champion – Organisation' category. The programme has achieved lasting impact, contributing to initiatives that have made a real difference to the future, including the reinstatement of renewable hydro-energy at Cromford Mills and the introduction of solar power and low-carbon energy for several businesses.

Our Management Knowledge Transfer Partnership with the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust completed in 2024, establishing a business model to ensure the Trust can offer commercial ecosystem services. This supports the Trust in achieving its goal that 33% of Derbyshire is managed for wildlife by capitalising on commercial opportunities to establish a strong financial footing.

Invest to Grow provides grants and loans of between £15,000 and £250,000 to support East Midlands-based private sector businesses to deliver projects focused on growth and job creation. This delivers tangible benefits to participant businesses, the University of Derby and the wider economy. Across its lifetime, Invest to Grow has supported 310 projects, awarding a total value of £30 million and significantly supporting businesses to access machinery and equipment.

Building on a history of collaboration and a strong relationship, we established a strategic partnership with the Devonshire Group, aiming to provide mutually beneficial opportunities that create significant impacts and experiential benefits for students, staff, visitors, and regional communities. For the Devonshire Group and Chatsworth House Trust, the collaboration brings fresh perspectives and innovative approaches to public engagement and impact assessment. For the University, it provides unique learning experiences and research opportunities for students and staff, enhancing the university’s academic offerings and reputation.

By strategically aligning with new partners such as the Arkwright Society, the University of Derby continues to support heritage conservation, sustainable practices, and innovation, all while creating a lasting impact on students, staff, and the broader community.

The strategic partnership with Chesterfield Borough Council recognises our shared ambitions to establish Chesterfield as a University town and raise people’s aspirations through delivering effective core skills, careers information, support and advice.

Forging strong connections with employers provides valuable opportunities for our students and graduates to gain practical experience and support regional prosperity. This year, the Careers and Employment Service held seven flagship events, attracting more than 2,000 students and 200 employers, with 71 employers exhibiting on campus for the first time in 2023/24. 

The Derby Talent team developed a wide range of impactful employer relationships, enabling employers to raise their profile on campus, shape and enrich the curriculum and promote roles which positively impact on our Graduate Outcomes. Hear from an employer about their experience of recruiting a Derby Talent Programme intern.  

The DRIVEN team successfully completed the DRIVEN project in December 2023, achieving all objectives and outputs for the project whilst creating a wide range of impactful internships for our students, graduates and local SME business community. Throughout the project, 200 graduates were placed on 400-hour+ graduate roles, and over 400, 80-hour internships were created with local SMEs. 

Following on from the success of DRIVEN, the Derby Talent Programme was launched to offer employers part-funded internship packages. 48 out of our target of 80 internships over the two-year period have already been allocated, with all 25 of our fully funded 80-hour roles allocated to charities and CIC, supporting our Civic agenda.

The SEA continued to provide valuable work opportunities for our students and recent graduates while supporting employers looking for short-term work solutions. In the last 12 months, 86 students completed a year placement, with host organisations including Unilever, JCB, AirBus, Muller, EMSOU, Van Elle, Bloc Digital, Derby College, Lubrizol, GEDA and Stoke Football Club. The SEA also supported 95, 80-hour internships on campus for first and second-year students with little work experience to help them improve their employability.

The Student Legal Advice Centre, which opened in 2019, continued to add value to the Derby Law School, University and wider community. This year, there was an increase in the number of student volunteers, sustaining the growth of the clinics within the Centre and raising awareness of the benefits of engaging with the Centre amongst the student community. There was also an increase in the demand for the service, demonstrating the Centre’s value. 

This year, the Law School was highly commended for the Best Contribution by a Law School at the LawWorks and Attorney General Awards 2024 for the work of the Centre.

The Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Service (EES) is dedicated to fostering enterprise education, entrepreneurial activity and creating an environment where students can have ideas and make them happen. In 2024, the EES secured Higher Education Innovation Funding to pilot several initiatives aimed at enhancing student involvement in enterprise activities, including the OneTech Startup Bootcamp, Entrepreneur in Residence Pilot Scheme and Pitch Perfect. These pilot projects provided unique environments and opportunities for students and recent graduates to develop, test, and launch their ideas. 

The Help to Grow programme provides essential training and support to help managers of SMEs enhance business performance. In total, 146 participants have completed the Help to Grow: Management programme at Derby Business School. These graduates have been invited to join the exclusive National and local Alumni group, which continues to offer support post-programme through networking events, masterclasses, and other activities. Through the Help to Grow: Management programme many businesses have successfully implemented strategies learned during the course, leading to sharper focus, increased revenues and expanded teams.