The UK is one of the most entrepreneurial economies in Europe, with its entrepreneurs and SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) currently employing over half the UK private sector labour force and contributing significantly to UK exports. With appropriate investment in areas such as enterprise education and SME support, there is significant potential for further economic growth from entrepreneurial activity.
What is The Duke of York supporting?
The Duke supports providers of entrepreneurially focused education, who strive to teach individuals of all ages the skill set required to pursue successful business endeavours. HRH engages with these providers, promotes the opportunities they offer, recognises the success of their students, and encourages wider support from businesses and other stakeholders.
The Duke is Patron of Enterprise Education Trust which delivers flexible, interactive programmes that use real life business experience to inform, involve and inspire young people of all abilities to bridge the gap between education and work. HRH became Patron of Enterprise Education Trust in 1998. More recently HRH became Patron of The Peter Jones Foundation, which runs Peter Jones Enterprise Academies that provide ‘learning by doing’ courses to encourage more entrepreneurial activity in young people, and also run a nationwide ‘Tycoon in Schools’ competition which challenges school children to set up and run their own businesses. The Duke is also supportive of the entrepreneurially focused education provided by Young Enterprise, Rotherham Ready, which is expanding across the UK as Are You Ready and The Gazelle Group of FE Colleges.
HRH understands that entrepreneurs and SMEs require ongoing support beyond their initial start-up phase if they are going to be successful. The Duke engages with a number of organisations providing various programmes and schemes, which act to facilitate the growth of smaller entrepreneurial ventures and companies. In addition, HRH also regularly meets with SMEs to understand their issues and where possible aid their future development.
Tech City
The Duke continues to support the growth of Tech City in East London, a media and technology hub that is providing a uniquely British solution to the burgeoning Tech Industry in the UK as Silicon Valley has done in the USA. Tech City aims to become the leading centre of innovation within Europe and the location of choice for tech and digital companies and investors.
The Trampery
The Trampery provides a shared workspace where creative and technology focused entrepreneurs can communally work and share ideas with other entrepreneurs and industry leading business guests. The Duke became Patron of The Trampery in 2013.
School for Creative Start-Ups
The School for Creative Start-Ups is a year-long programme specifically designed for businesses in the Creative space especially artists and arts organisations, with unique ideas, wishing to grow sustainable businesses with creative integrity. The aim of the programme is to teach the critical skills that are often missing from the education offered in art and design schools. The course offers accessible basic business curricula as well as hands-on support throughout the vulnerable early stage of developing a creative business.
SMEs
A key focus of HRH’s regional programme of engagements is to recognise the successes and achievements of SMEs that are operating at the forefront of their respective industries. Some recent examples of SMEs that The Duke has visited include Clayton Equipment, TMD Technologies and Demarquette Chocolates.
