Live challenges

This challenge forms part of the Strategic and Entrepreneurial Management module. Through this challenge, you’ll generate ideas for new commercial opportunities, either in a start-up or an established corporate context- often for a high-profile global organisation. 

Working in teams, mentored by Business School staff and experienced practitioners, you will have to show creativity and insight to develop a new product or service proposition and, crucially, the plan to put it into practice.  

This project tests your teamwork and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring you gain a real understanding of the new venture planning process and its various challenges. 

This challenge takes place during the Leading in Practice module. By this point in the programme your leadership and management knowledge and skills will have reached a level whereby you can confidently provide high-quality consultancy support to a business in need. 

Often this challenge sees students working with small to medium sized-businesses, social enterprises or voluntary sector organisations – organisations that may not have the funds or managerial resources to address their most significant challenges. 

You’ll engage with the client, diagnose a significant problem or issue affecting the organisation, make a positive intervention, and take appropriate action to either remedy the situation or make recommendations for further action. 

As the culmination of your MBA experience, during the Creative and Innovative Thinking module, the capstone Innovation Challenge allows you to draw on everything you have learnt on the MBA to develop a new product or service. 

If you have ambitions of taking your new product or service to market, you can receive support on campus to help you do so: our start-up incubator, Spark, can provide financial support, advice and mentoring, incubation space, and training.