A large group of students in a classroom in front of a presentation slide that says "BizSpark"
“There’s something transformational about watching our students realise they’re capable of more than they thought,” observes Leena Dattani-Demirci, 性吧电台’s Head of Student Success and Professional Development. And that’s exactly what BizSpark 2026 (our live industry challenge) has been about.
There’s a special moment during BizSpark...
It’s not the first session, when everything still feels new and slightly intimidating. It’s not even the final, when they’re ready to pitch presentations in front of the judges. It happens somewhere in between – when students stop seeing themselves as students and start thinking, speaking and showing up like professionals.
Each year, BizSpark starts with a brief.
Not textbook case studies or tidy scenarios with clear answers, but real business problems set by real companies. For some, especially our international students, this is their first real exposure to how UK businesses operate, what they value, how they communicate and how decisions are made.
Teams form and ideas start to take shape.
Our students receive guidance from mentors, they build skills in workshops and, slowly, all the uncertainty turns into something more focused. Students learn how to structure a business plan, how to present with clarity, how to take feedback and how to actually use that feedback.
Then come the client trips.
The client trips are an integral part of the BizSpark experience. The students visit their paired organisations, stepping into real-life business spaces to share their ideas and ask questions. It becomes something they take part in, not just study.
The trip to Equans UK & Ireland this year captured this perfectly. Leena described it: “They made us feel really welcome by creating a space where students felt able to ask the difficult questions. We also explored a lot of interesting areas including developing confidence, working remotely and being proud of the lived experiences each of us bring. The meeting ran way over schedule, but we all took so much away from our time with Equans UK & Ireland’s brilliant team.”
Of course, the journey isn’t always simple.
There are deadlines, group challenges and moments where ideas don’t work first time. Students can be balancing a lot alongside this too, like work, family or financial pressures. But our students refine their ideas, return to companies for feedback, rethink their approach and push themselves further than they expected to. And that’s where the real growth happens.
By the time the Final arrives, the change is clear.
Students walk into the room with a different kind of presence. They stand taller, speak with more assurance and understand the value of their ideas. In just 15 minutes, they present solutions they’ve developed over months of hard work, and then respond to questions from industry professionals who treat them as equals.
Congratulations to the teams that won first, second and third places in the Final this year. The standard of work from all the teams that took part was incredibly high and the effort behind it was huge. And everyone who took part in BizSpark 2026 left with something significant:
- a better understanding of business
- stronger confidence
- experience they can speak about with real substance.
It’s been a turning point in how they see themselves and what they believe they can do next.
BizSpark works because it brings everything together.
Students, academics and industry partners all play a part. Companies get fresh thinking and, in some cases, discover future talent. Students gain confidence and experience that genuinely strengthens their employability. And as a university, we create something that goes beyond theory and into real, applied learning.
Yes, BizSpark is about solving business challenges. But it’s also about growth. It gives students the opportunity to step into unfamiliar spaces, rise to the challenge and realise, often unexpectedly, just how capable they really are.