Entrepreneurial talent is not confined to a particular degree subject, institution or postcode. Yet opportunities to develop this talent can be. If enterprise education is to support a more innovative and inclusive economy, we need to look closely at who has access and who might be missing out.
Access can vary within the same university. Students on business programmes may encounter entrepreneurial thinking as part of their course, while those in healthcare, the arts, humanities or other disciplines may find opportunities less visible. That is a missed opportunity. Innovation can emerge wherever people are tackling difficult problems, working with communities or responding to changing needs.
Place also matters. The strength of local business networks, availability of mentors, access to investment and proximity to specialist support can shape what students and graduates are able to do with their ideas. Not every university works within the same ecosystem and the most effective models should reflect these differences.
Universities are finding ways to widen participation, including by embedding enterprise in teaching, connecting learners with businesses and community partners and building support that does not depend on students already identifying as future founders. We need to understand what these approaches achieve, how they are sustained and what others can adapt.
An inclusive approach also asks difficult questions. Are we measuring participation across disciplines and student groups? Are programmes accessible in practice, in time, location and format? Do our assumptions about who an entrepreneur is discourage some students from engaging? These answers matter if we want entrepreneurial opportunity to be more than a promise.
As the NCEE–Universities UK Enterprise Survey reaches its closing period, we encourage universities across all four nations and across different institutional missions to contribute. A strong response will help create a more representative picture of how enterprise is being developed. We are also seeking examples of approaches that have successfully reached new groups of students or strengthened enterprise opportunities in different regional settings.