Upon awarding the reaccreditation, the Small Business Charter Reaccreditation Report commented that Canterbury Christ Church University has “a strong regional mission to drive prosperity, skills development, and innovation across Kent and Medway - an economy where 99.6% of enterprises are SMEs, contributing £535 million annually to the South East economy and supporting over 5,700 jobs. The newly formed School of Business, Law and Policing acts as a hub for SME engagement, to deliver practice-based education and knowledge exchange.”

Phil Gray, Lecturer in Global Business and Help to Grow: Management Programme Manager, said: “We are delighted to continue to offer support to Kent's SMEs through the Help to Grow: Management programme for a further three years.

“The SME environment continues to be challenging. Developing business resilience and the ability to identify and seize growth opportunities are key to a small business. These are at the heart of the programme and equip business leaders with the practical skills, tools and very often the confidence to address their business challenges, in a practical and supportive environment. Participants tell us how much they appreciated the opportunity to stand back from their day-to-day business and share their experiences and challenges with a small group of like-minded businesses.”

The next 12-week programme starts in early October (2026) and will comprise of four face- to face-workshops at Discovery Park, and eight online modules.

Further details, including key dates and what the programme covers can be found here, where you can also register your interest.

Alternatively, contact the University’s programme team by emailing: htgmanagement@canterbury.ac.uk for an informal chat about how the programme might benefit you and your business.

Strengthening support for local businesses: CCCU secures Help to Grow reaccreditation