• Guidance notes

Encouraging and rewarding entrepreneurial behaviour in all staff reinforces the commitment to developing as an entrepreneurial and innovative HEI. There are many ways to provide incentives and rewards for staff, who actively support the higher education institution in advancing its entrepreneurial and innovative agenda. Incentives and rewards...

  • Guidance notes

An entrepreneurial and innovative HEI exploits the opportunities of its digital capacity for inclusive and sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship through communication, collaboration and networking. Digital transformation creates possibilities for a much wider impact on the HEI, its staff, students and the stakeholder community. Therefore, an...

  • Guidance notes

Open educational resources, open science and open data practices have the ability to improve the effectiveness, quality and productivity of entrepreneurial and innovative education and research systems. Through open educational resources, students can access content anytime, anywhere and engage with enhanced and relevant material to support their...

  • Guidance notes

Greater engagement with digital technology provides opportunities for innovative curriculum design and delivery, new pedagogies, learning processes and assessment methods. This requires the associated development of digital competence and skills in staff and students. Digital technology in entrepreneurial teaching, learning and assessment has a...

  • Guidance notes

An HEI should integrate the design and organisation of its digital infrastructure to support innovation and entrepreneurship across all its activities. This includes for example the integration of its learning technologies and platforms, research and administrative systems, and supporting ICT services. All digital infrastructure needs to be managed...

  • Guidance notes

Digital tools and practices are drivers of innovation and entrepreneurship. An HEI should understand, explore, and promote new ways of working based on digital-first thinking. A well-functioning digital culture balances top-down leadership with bottom-up innovation. This includes a coherent and shared strategy and action plan, allocating resources...

  • Guidance notes

Business incubation and external financing are essential for the success of a new venture. Business incubators and student incubators commonly provide a range of services such as free or subsidised premises, access to laboratories and research facilities, prototyping, IT, secretarial support and networking. They also provide additional services...

  • Guidance notes

Mentoring and other personal development relationships, such as coaching and tutoring help start-up entrepreneurs identify and overcome problems and develop their business networks. They provide valuable support in the form of knowledge, experience, social capital and encouragement on a long-term basis. These relationships are effective learning...

  • Guidance notes

An entrepreneurial and innovative HEI supports motivated students, graduates and all types of staff in taking their first steps in preparing for a start-up. This includes developing an idea, finding and building a team, and exploring the technical and market feasibility of a project and introducing staff to new networks. Entrepreneurial and...

  • Guidance notes

An entrepreneurial and innovative HEI promotes a set of initiatives and funding that inspires and supports academic and professional staff, researchers, graduates and students in linking knowledge with global challenges. Higher education institutions play a pivotal role, in their local communities and the wider ecosystem in supporting and driving...

  • Guidance notes

Increasing awareness of the value and importance of developing entrepreneurial competences and skills among staff and students is necessary for HEIs to become more entrepreneurial and innovative. A good first step to increasing awareness about support for entrepreneurs available on campus is establishing a central communication mechanism for both...

  • Guidance notes

Having an understanding of the current impact of the entrepreneurial agenda is just one part of the result. Assessment of impact, particularly where comparisons are made externally, provides learning which should be taken on by the HEI for future improvements. The leadership should be committed to reflecting on the outcomes of the assessment of...

  • Guidance notes

Entrepreneurial and innovative higher education institutions need to understand the impact of the changes they bring about. The entrepreneurial HEI combines institutional self-perception, external reflection and an evidence-based approach. An HEI that monitors the impact of all activities connected to the entrepreneurial and innovative agenda...

  • Guidance notes

Comparing priorities, strategies, activities and services with peers (national or international) helps identify strengths and weaknesses for the HEI’s self-improvement. Comparison exercises can be challenging as common indicators need to be in place, otherwise bespoke exercises need to be undertaken which can be costly and time consuming. The...

  • Guidance notes

Key performance indicators (KPIs) and / or other assessment mechanisms help HEIs monitor and evaluate how well they are performing. An entrepreneurial and innovative institution may wish to combine institutional self-perception, external reflection and an evidence-based approach in its assessment processes. Such methods of assessment might include...