Business mentor shortlisted for major UK Higher Education award

A leader in enterprise at Northumbria University, Newcastle, has been recognised for his part in helping transform the lives of a wide range of students and graduates starting their own business.

Graham Baty, who is Enterprise Manager at Northumbria, has been shortlisted to receive the Enterprise Catalyst Award at this year’s National Enterprise Educator Awards. The winners will be announced as part of the International Entrepreneurship Educators Conference (IEEC) Gala Dinner on the 7th September in Glasgow.

The National Enterprise Educator Awards recognise excellence within enterprise and entrepreneurship education in UK higher and further education. The aim is to reward and celebrate those who have demonstrated an exceptional and inspirational commitment to supporting student and graduate entrepreneurship.

Despite the region’s challenging socio-economic circumstances, Northumbria University has helped transform entrepreneurialism in the North East. This support is provided by the University’s Student and Graduate Enterprise (SGE) team, which has been led and developed by Graham since 2008.

The estimated turnover of its graduate start-ups has placed the University first in the sector for three of the last five years, having supported the development of more than 120 companies since 2012. The companies supported by the SGE team employ over 1,000 people and have a combined turnover of £69 million.

Graham manages the ERDF Northumbria Enterprise and Business Support (NEBS), which brings in professional mentors to support prospective entrepreneurs, and led on the University’s innovative Graduates into Gateshead project.

Graham said: “I feel honoured to have been shortlisted for the Award but it’s very much about the team, not just myself as an individual. We work with fantastic students and graduates and it has been incredible to see their potential and witness the difference our support makes. The ERDF NEBS Project has enabled us to further enhance our offer with fantastic opportunities for our start-ups to focus on business growth.”

Under Graham’s leadership, the team provides an end-to-end enterprise support service that reflects the University’s ethos and approach as an entrepreneurial university.

Several companies supported by Graham have received external recognition including Seed Cell, whose founder Dan Robson, received the Duke of York Young Entrepreneur Award.