CEKE

Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange

The Leeds Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange combines research, business support and engagement, student enterprise, and pedagogy.

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The Leeds Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange combines research, business support and engagement, student enterprise, and pedagogy to ensure the fostering of entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurship within the university community and the local economy. 

Academic Director of the Centre, Professor Lebene Soga argues that while entrepreneurship may have elements of science or art, what we must pursue is that entrepreneurship is a practice.

Whereas it is okay to say that not every student at university desires to be an entrepreneur, our philosophy is that all students must develop an entrepreneurial mindset. This is because entrepreneurial students, compared with their non-entrepreneurial counterparts…

  • Are more employable
  • Possess stronger problem-solving skills
  • Are more innovative
  • See opportunities in failure
  • Are more opportunity aware
  • Are more intrapreneurial within organisations
  • Deliver change more readily
  • …inter alia!

The Leeds Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange supports students and the university community in a number of ways as part of its activities. These include our Business Lab, which is open to all Leeds Beckett University students and graduates! Take advantage of this opportunity to launch your own business ideas.

Leeds City Challenge

Have an idea? Turn it into something real and make an impact on Leeds.

The Leeds City Challenge is your opportunity to take an idea and turn it into a real solution for real problems facing the city.

No experience needed. No perfect idea required.
Just curiosity, ambition, and a willingness to act.

  • Work on real challenges affecting Leeds right now
  • Get hands-on support through expert-led workshops
  • Build skills that employers and investors actually value
  • Connect with entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers
  • Pitch your idea at a high-profile final in June
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  • Structured guidance to develop your idea from scratch
  • Feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and experts
  • A chance to win funding and recognition
  • A platform to turn your thinking into action
  • £10,000 seed funding to be won to start your business!
  • Be setup for life with your business; your passion needed!
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  • All Leeds Beckett students (any course, any level)
  • Recent graduates (up to 2 years after graduating)
Email CEKE team
  • Applications close: Sunday 3 May 2026
  • Workshops: May–June 2026
  • Final Pitch & Awards: 18 June 2026
Email CEKE team
  • Work on real challenges affecting Leeds right now
  • Get hands-on support through expert-led workshops
  • Build skills that employers and investors actually value
  • Connect with entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers
  • Pitch your idea at a high-profile final in June
  • Structured guidance to develop your idea from scratch
  • Feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and experts
  • A chance to win funding and recognition
  • A platform to turn your thinking into action
  • £10,000 seed funding to be won to start your business!
  • Be setup for life with your business; your passion needed!
  • All Leeds Beckett students (any course, any level)
  • Recent graduates (up to 2 years after graduating)
  • Applications close: Sunday 3 May 2026
  • Workshops: May–June 2026
  • Final Pitch & Awards: 18 June 2026
International Student Enterprise Award
This award celebrates our international students who have demonstrated the entrepreneurial spirit in business. They would have deployed the skills learnt at the university and from their engagement with CEKE to formulate viable businesses or business ideas that have passed demonstrable and convincing validation tests. The award includes continuous support from CEKE, a seed fund, and other opportunities to enhance the student’s opportunities of success in the market place. Shortlisting for this Award is done through engagement with course leaders, the Careers team, business lab mentors, and from entries for the Eureka competition. If you are an international student at Leeds Beckett University, you may also contact CEKE to learn more about this opportunity. There is great support available for our international students.
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Quote by Academic Director of the Centre Professor Lebene Soga

While entrepreneurship may have elements of science or art, what we must pursue is that entrepreneurship is a practice.

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Business Lab

Do you have an idea but not sure how to start? Maybe you are already advanced in your thinking about the idea but need some questions answered? Our business lab is a safe place for you to discuss your business ideas with a mentor. It is a space where you can explore your business ideas and to see it nurtured. Come to the business lab with all your questions. You should equally be prepared to be challenged on your business idea so you can see the best out of it. We look forward to seeing you. Remember to fill out the form so our discussants can have an idea about your business to better support you.

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Postgraduate Business Idea Showcase

This showcase is directed towards all those on and about to enter our MSc Entrepreneurship and Business Management programme. We believe our postgraduate students have a statement to make and we are ready to hear them out. The showcase invites all our postgraduate students studying entrepreneurship to present their business ideas in poster presentation formats at the foyer of the Rose Bowl building. Various invited guests, peers, and faculty will be there to hear our postgrad students deliver their inspirational business ideas. Various prizes will be awarded and our guests will have opportunities to share their own stories of entrepreneurship. If you are a postgraduate student on another course that is not entrepreneurship but wish to be part of the showcase, please contact CEKE and we will make room for you. This showcase is held bi-annually.
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