DCU Business School Reaccredited with Small Business Charter Status

This award is in recognition of the effective role DCU plays in supporting the development of small and medium sized businesses in Ireland and in promoting entrepreneurship among its students and within the Irish entrepreneurship eco-system.

DCU, Ireland’s University of Enterprise, was the first designated Small Business Charter university on the island of Ireland (2017) and remains the only University in the Republic of Ireland to have Charter status.

The Charter recognised DCU’s extensive and effective engagement with businesses and entrepreneurs via specialist enterprise-focused units including the Business School-based Centre for Executive and International Education (CEIE), the National Centre for Family (NCFB) and the Irish Institute of Digital Business (IIDB), DCU Alpha Innovation Campus, DCU Invent, and the DCU Student Entrepreneurial Hub. Our activities to promote enterprise are supported by research, teaching and industry engagement that are delivered to the highest international standards as evidenced in the University’s and Business School’s international rankings.

The Assessment Panel were particularly impressed with the school’s continued contribution to the development of opportunities for SMEs in the local area, through a comprehensive range of learner focused, immersive initiatives such as the Go Global for Growth Programme and the Family Business Continuity workshops. Feedback for these events was overwhelmingly positive, with participants commenting that they appreciated the opportunities for continued networking post-event.

Colm O’Gorman, Executive Dean of Dublin City University Business School said:

“DCU Business School is delighted that we have maintained our prestigious Small Business Charter accreditation from the Chartered Association of Business Schools. This accreditation recognises our close collaborations with ambitious Irish small and medium sized enterprises, with Irish family businesses, with the Irish entrepreneurial ecosystem, and our broader engagement with both Irish and multinational enterprises. Close industry connections underpin the school’s focus on ensuring that our graduates are work ready and that our internationally recognised research impacts on organisational successes and managerial practice.”

Anne Kiem OBE, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and Chief Executive of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said:

“We congratulate Dublin City University Business School for retaining its Small Business Charter Award. They have remained committed to supporting small businesses, student entrepreneurship and the local economy. The work that the school do to help businesses grow and to support students into entrepreneurship is having a demonstrable positive impact on businesses and entrepreneurs within its regional economy.”

To achieve the Small Business Charter award, universities undergo a rigorous assessment to determine the depth and effectiveness of their business engagement and business support which is overseen by the Chartered Association of Business Schools.