Yorkshire’s Universities back Global Campaign for Entrepreneurship

Nov. 12, 2012 - PRLog -- Now in its fifth year, Global Entrepreneurship Week runs from 12-18 November and is being backed by Yorkshire’s Graduate Entrepreneurship Project, an ERDF funded partnership of ten of the county’s higher education institutions, which encourages and supports entrepreneurship amongst the region’s student and graduate population.

The global campaign spans 115 countries and is being marked in Yorkshire by a region-wide programme of events to inspire and support the region’s next generation of business leaders.

In the past twelve months Yorkshire’s Graduate Entrepreneurship Project has received applications for start-up support from over 1100 students and graduates, carried out over a thousand one-to-one appointments, allocated 41 start-up grants and 49 proof of concept awards and held over 100 events, attended by 2302 budding entrepreneurs.

Louise Bermingham, manager of Yorkshire’s Graduate Entrepreneurship Project said,

“We’re delighted to be playing our part in Global Entrepreneurship Week. The partnership between Yorkshire’s higher education institutions provides unprecedented start-up support for the region’s student and graduates, making Yorkshire one of the best places in the country for students and graduates to begin their journey into business.”

John Macleod, 23, who was supported by Leeds Metropolitan University in setting up his Leeds-based business Lux Creations and whose products include a travel app and a reusable alternative to post-it notes said,

“The support available to Lux Creations through the GE Project was fundamental in the development and launch of our business. Global Entrepreneurship Week provides superb opportunities for other entrepreneurs to access similar help in turning their fledgling business ideas into reality.”

Andrew Devenport, CEO of Youth Business International which hosts Global Entrepreneurship Week in the UK, called for more people to get involved in the Week, saying:

“Global Entrepreneurship Week is now in its 5th year. In 2012, we want to make the week focused, practical and supportive, to help and inspire those people in the early stages of developing their businesses.”

For more information about Yorkshire’s Graduate Entrepreneurship Project, visit www.graduateentrepreneurship.co.uk. For more information about Global Entrepreneurship Week visit www.gew.org.uk.