East Midlands Chamber

Our strategic partnership

The University of Derby is proud to work in partnership with the East Midlands Chamber to foster growth, innovation, and opportunities for our students, graduates, and the wider business community in our region.

About East Midlands Chamber

The East Midlands Chamber is the leading business organisation representing and supporting businesses across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Leicestershire. As the largest business representation organisation in the Midlands and the largest Chamber in the UK, the Chamber supports over 4,000 members and works with a further 12,000 businesses annually.

Generation Next

Generation Next is a growing network of young professionals, upcoming business leaders and new entrepreneurs. As a headline partner, the University will help shape East Midlands Chamber’s latest initiative, which aims to connect business owners and employees aged between 18 and 35 with like-minded people, develop their skills and open doors to new opportunities.

As part of the link-up, Generation Next is based at the University’s Enterprise Centre, where the Chamber has a physical presence and hosts some of its networking events.

This regional network connects them to a community which can help them – and each other – to take those vital early steps into their business career or to take on their own entrepreneurial challenge.

Professor Kamil Omoteso

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the University’s College of BLSS

Currently, two board members from our student and graduate community are successfully performing their roles as the Generation Next Champions. Amber Green (Student and Graduate Engagement Manager at the University of Derby), and Ewan Johnson (second year Business Management Student) are part of the board of Generation Next Champions of young professionals from across the East Midlands, that take an active role in the development of shaping EMC’s network.

Amber reflected on her experience as a Generation Next Champion:

"Being a Generation Next Board Champion has been a great experience. I’ve connected with a wide range of professionals and gained a real understanding of how this membership can support young professionals in the East Midlands. The network has helped me develop my own skills, especially in networking, and has boosted my professional profile, both internally and externally.

Being on the board has also given me insight into how the membership network works, which has helped me promote Generation Next to University of Derby students and graduates as a valuable network which can support their career goals."

Ewan expressed his journey with the Chamber:

"Gen Next has given me some great opportunities such as their awards evening which made it possible for me to connect with different industries within the East Midlands but also gave me some recognition for the work I’ve done!"

Future Leaders Award

East Midlands Chamber recently celebrated the achievements of its 2022/23 Future Leaders Award winners during the 2024 graduation ceremonies.

This year’s Future Leader Award winners are:

Samuel Musson
James Eames
Nikki Kershaw
Zofia Szaprowska
Kaitlyn Mepstead
Arshwinder Gautam
Adam Garratt
Junior Wilkinson.

The winners will have access to the Chamber’s Generation Next programme, offering the students one-on-one mentoring sessions with industry experts across various sectors. They have also been invited to attend the Derbyshire Business Awards on September 25th, 2024, at Derby County Football Club, where they will have the chance to network with prominent business leaders from organisations such as Toyota and the NHS.

The students expressed their excitement and gratitude for the opportunities. Samuel Musson stated, "It feels great to be in touch with the Chamber and have the opportunity to meet leaders of various businesses. I am excited for the opportunity and looking forward to seeing how this will help me with my career.

Kaitlyn Mepstead noted, "I am excited for the opportunity, and getting insights from industry professionals will be very useful." Nikki Kershaw expressed, "I am very grateful to be recognised by the University and the Chamber. I am excited for the opportunity to network with industry leaders and be mentored one-on-one by experts. It would have been very difficult to get this opportunity without this award."

For the next 12 months, they will have the opportunity to attend any Chamber events, typically reserved for members, at no cost, providing them with valuable exposure to potential future employers.

students taking a photo at grad ceremony

Accelerating Growth

Our combined efforts are focused on accelerating growth for businesses and the region through:

Headline sponsorship of CSR and Sustainability Summits and associated workstream development.
Promotion of University-funded programs like Help to Grow, Derby Talent Programme, and Derby Innovation Accelerator.
Enhancing brand promotion and high-level networking opportunities

Derby City UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Projects

East Midlands Chamber and University of Derby both deliver UKSPF decarbonisation business support projects through Derby City Council.

University of Derby Innovation Accelerator

The University of Derby alongside the East Midlands Chamber, Marketing Derby, Greenborough Management and the Council's Employment and Skills team were awarded a share of £2.3m from Derby City Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation.

Working in partnership, eligible businesses are cross-referred to ensure that the beneficiary business can take full benefit from the entirety of the UKSPF programme. More information is available on the University of Derby’s Derby Innovation Accelerator and the East Midlands Chamber’s Derby Innovation Accelerator.