UKBI Benchmarks.Indd

Enterprise Small Development Firms Initiative Quality Benchmarks for Business Incubators A partnership project to measure and raise standards in business incubation Skills & experience Strategy & policy Client support Operations & processes small Business business Incubation service Produced by Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative Ltd Contents Introduction 2 Composition of the benchmarks 3 Organisations involved in the project 5 Foundation Phase 7 Key Area 1: Effective management of strategy & policy Principle 1 Entry policy 7 Principle 2 Incubation strategy 8 Principle 3 Exit policy 9 Principle 4 Strategic framework 10 Key Area 2: Skills and experience Principle 5 Generic management skills & experience 11 Principle 6 Business experience 12 Development Phase 13 Key Area 3: Client support Principle 7 Trust and empathy 13 Principle 8 Entrepreneurial approach 14 Principle 9 Networking skills 15 Principle 10 Mentoring skills 16 Principle 10A Relevant experience for targeting specifi c groups 17 (optional) Key Area 4: Effective management of operations and processes Principle 11 Monitors performance Skills & experience 18 Principle 12 Tailored client learning 19 Appendices Appendix 1: SFEDI 7 Key areas of Knowledge & Understanding 20 Strategy & policy Appendix 2: SFEDI Key Principles for Effective Small Firms Learning and Development 23 Client support Operations & processes Quality Benchmarks for Business Incubators / 1 Introduction The benchmarks have been developed by the Small Firms Enterprise Development Initiative Ltd (SFEDI) Aims and Objectives in partnership with UK Business Incubation (UKBI) on The ultimate aim of the standard was to produce a behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Small quality assurance framework within which the level Business Service (SBS), Scottish Enterprise, Welsh and consistency of services to incubator clients can Development Agency (WDA) and Invest Northern be assessed. This will subsequently help incubators Ireland, to help promote quality and consistency of provide a high quality level of service to start-up service within the business incubation community. and early stage businesses, with particular emphasis Incubation is a relatively new concept and practice in on the provision of learning and skills development the UK. There are varied approaches to it and the term opportunities that are capable of addressing business has historically been open to different interpretations. objectives and contributing towards accelerated The Quality Benchmarks for Business Incubators is part business development and growth. of an initiative to promote national standards to which incubators can work and ensure consistent levels of The above should also contribute to raising the small quality service. business skills base within those localities where the incubators are operational. The new benchmarks were piloted with 10 incubators at various stages in their development. An assessment In addition, the more specifi c objectives of the process was put in place, assessors recruited and standard are to: participating incubators engaged in a development ◆ provide a benchmark of ‘good practice’ indicators process. Assessment was by interview and against which business incubators can be measured; observation and was not onerous in terms of evidence requirements, as no portfolios of evidence were ◆ ensure that incubators provide a high quality needed. consistent and fl exible service to clients; The benchmarking document was based on the report, ◆ provide incubators with a clearer understanding and ‘Benchmarking Framework For Business Incubation’, appreciation of the preferred learning styles of start- published on 21st January 2003 by UKBI. The Quality up and early stage businesses across all sectors and Benchmarks for Business Incubators standard is an of the particular constraints faced by start-up and example of the practical application of the report’s early stage ventures; and conclusion. The focus of the standard is on the management skills and knowledge (including the ◆ enable incubators to re-evaluate their activities and management of systems) necessary to set and achieve performance on a regular basis, and work towards planned objectives and is based on the defi nition of continuous improvement. business incubation the report provides. An assessment strategy, which details how individual incubators were assessed against the various key areas and principles of the standard, provides accompanying and complementary documentation. Skills & experience Strategy & policy Client support Operations & processes 2 / Quality Benchmarks for Business Incubators Composition of the benchmarks The benchmarks are presented as two linked sections. Foundation Phase: this relates to activity that defi nes the incubation environment and makes it different from, but complementary to, other forms of business support. Development Phase: this relates to core elements that all incubators will need to develop in order to become mature incubation environments (i.e. the stage at which they are providing a wide range of services to clients, achieving objectives and are becoming independent and sustainable). The standard is concerned with the management of the process of business incubation and its delivery as well as the management of strategy and policy. It is comprised of 4 Key Areas, each of which relates to the primary areas of work an incubator should be undertaking in order to provide a high standard of service to its clients. 1. Effective management of strategy and policy 2. Skills and experience 3. Client support 4. Effective management of processes and systems The key areas are made up of a number of principles with indicators to show how they should be followed. The incubators must meet these indicators, which are made up of elements of good practice. These, in turn, set out the practical steps incubators can take to meet the requirements of the benchmarks. The good practice section provides examples only and it is not intended to be exhaustive or prescriptive. Skills & experience Strategy & policy Client support Operations & processes Quality Benchmarks for Business Incubators / 3 OPTIONS Specialist advice Specialist equipment & facilities OUTER CORE Catering facilities Grant funding FA CI S LIT Broadband Equity/royalties E IE SS S E Access to mentors & mentoring & C Tailored facilities & infrastructure Crèche O IN R F Seed fund P R Access to networks Fit for purpose A N S O T I R T Access to ideas & knowledge Monitoring U A C B T U Access to business advice & training U C INNER CORE Culture of fl exibility R N E I Selection Policy Access to fi nance Incubation Strategy Embedded in regional strategic framework Business advice & training Skilled incubator manager Credibility & visibility for clients Exit Policy Clear objectives Outreach Sector experience Networking Entrepreneurship Business experience Post-incubation Empathy Information Centre Signposting Overseas trade links Pre-incubation SKI CE ned by the report “National Incubation Benchmarking Framework” (UKBI, January 2003), this diagram ned by the report LLS AND EXPERIEN Quality Benchmarks for Business Incubators 4 / illustrates the core processes and services that all incubators should be striving to provide for their clients. It also and services that all incubators should be striving to provide processes illustrates the core a range of optional services that some incubators may need to provide. presents Graphical illustration of the incubator environment As defi Organisations involved in the project small Business business Incubation service The Small Business Service (SBS) – an Agency of UK Business Incubation (UKBI) the Department for Trade & Industry (DTI) Providing Leadership in Business Incubation The Small Business Service (SBS) was launched in April 2000. Its task, in co-operation with the whole of UK Business Incubation (UKBI) is recognised by the Government, is to deliver the Government’s vision of Government as the lead body for business incubation wanting more people to have the ambition of starting in the UK and by practitioners and stakeholders as their own business and, for all those who take that the cornerstone of the future development of quality step, to have every chance of succeeding. incubation in the UK. UKBI has made signifi cant contributions to shaping Government policy, Having listened to the small business community and promoting quality business incubation, providing talked to colleagues across Whitehall, the SBS has specialist development events and information and developed a policy framework based on the key drivers has successfully delivered major contracts e.g. DTI’s to economic development and growth – improved Internet Incubator fund (IIF). productivity and a wider involvement in enterprise for all, to ensure a more coherent engagement between UKBI supports the development of its members and the whole of Government and the small business wider business incubation community to increase sector. The framework encompasses seven core the quality and quantity of incubation in the UK by themes from which seven national strategies have increasing the survival and growth rates of early stage been built: businesses, in commercialising new ideas and research, developing clusters and the regeneration of local 1. Building an enterprise culture and regional economies. UKBI will achieve this by championing the interests of the business incubation 2. Encouraging a more dynamic start-up market industry, spreading good practice, standards

Load more