Independent applied study: Consultancy project

Research-based solutions to your business challenge

A key component of our Entrepreneurship & Innovation Management MSc is students undertaking an individual project, which offers them the opportunity to apply their learning through a real-world challenge—while delivering fresh insights and value to your business.

One of the options available to students is the Business Consultancy Project—a hands-on engagement where a dedicated student works on a strategic issue or opportunity within your organisation. Through this collaboration, students develop skills in entrepreneurship, innovation management, market research, project delivery, and problem-solving—enhancing their own career prospects while contributing directly to your company’s goals.

If a strong fit is identified through our thorough recruitment and matching process, a student will be assigned to your project. They will be supported throughout by a dedicated academic supervisor, who ensures academic rigour while helping align the work with your objectives. In addition to their project work, students receive 12 hours of targeted training in areas such as project management, market research, primary data collection, and the practical application of theoretical frameworks and tools.

This is a unique opportunity to benefit from fresh thinking, university expertise, and meaningful collaboration—while supporting the development of the next generation of innovation leaders.

How it works

Once a suitable student is identified, the consultancy project begins with a kick-off meeting, attended by you (the client), the student and their academic supervisor. This meeting is used to define the scope and objectives of the project, agree on key parameters, and set expectations on both sides. Following this meeting, the student will prepare a formal project brief, which outlines the challenge and its context, the project objectives, proposed methodology, deliverables, timeline, and the preferred channels and frequency of communication.

As part of their academic assessment, each student is required to submit a 12,000-word report, offering a comprehensive, evidence-based analysis of the challenge and their recommendations. In addition to this report, you may agree—together with the student and the academic supervisor—on a practical output tailored to your business needs (should be part of the project brief). This could include, for example, a website prototype, a digital marketing campaign, a product design, a live presentation, or a database.

At the end of the project, the student is evaluated against the objectives outlined in the project brief, and your feedback forms an important part of the overall assessment.

Benefits for your business

Student consultancy projects have addressed a wide variety of real-world business challenges, including:

• Designing and validating new business models
• Developing comprehensive go-to-market strategies and generating sales leads
• Identifying target markets and designing products to fit their needs
• Optimising business processes through digital technology integration
• Creating finance strategies, including setting up crowdfunding campaigns and supporting bid applications.

Each project is tailored to align the student’s interests and expertise with the business’s goals to ensure maximum impact and meaningful knowledge transfer.

In many cases, companies have been so impressed with the outcomes that they have arranged follow-up projects—or even offered employment opportunities to the students involved.

Why get involved

• Flexible setup: The project can be tailored to suit your specific needs and business challenges.
• Fresh perspectives and robust research: Students bring innovative ideas, supported by in-depth market research using leading resources such as Mintel, Statista, and Passport. They also gather valuable primary insights from your current and potential customers, users, partners, and industry experts.
• An additional resource for your business: Gain access to dedicated support that can inform your decision-making and contribute meaningfully to ongoing initiatives and strategic development.
• Free to participate: There is no cost for your company to take part in the project.
• Open to all sectors and sizes: We welcome companies from any industry, of any size, and at any stage of development—provided there is at least an initial product or service prototype available.

What we need from your company

• Your input shapes the project: We ask for your contribution in defining the initial project brief, outlining your goals, challenges, and expectations.
• Active engagement: A designated company contact should be available to support the student throughout the project—typically through at least four one-hour meetings (online or in person).
• Information sharing: A willingness to share relevant information needed to achieve the agreed project outcomes (with an NDA in place if required).