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Entrepreneurs in Residence at Lancaster University’s Department for
Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation
1.0 Rationale
1.1 Background
The idea for a network of Entrepreneurs in Residence (EiR) came out of the
experiences of the ESRC funded Entrepreneur in Residence, Ian Gordon and
described in the case study, What is (the point of) an Entrepreneur in Residence?
(Gordon, I George, M. Hamilton, E., 2010, published in Industry and Higher
Education). The idea that the Department for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and
Innovation (DESI; ‘the department’) wanted to test was could you take a practising
entrepreneur steeped in the way of life of the small business world, and immerse
them in the cultural world of the university so that from their world view they could
understand and interpret the way things worked within the university. The idea
being that they could then be better informed and could influence the department
on new ways to engage with the SME sector.
1.2 Role of the EiRs
Part of the department’s differentiating strategy is to translate research into
programmes for business that joins them in their world, and to expose students to
the realities of business management. The department aspires to maintain its
connection with the “real world” and the network of EiRs play a crucial part by
balancing academic rigour with the lived experiences of the entrepreneur.
1.3 Strategy
The Lancaster University strategy to 2020 calls for departments to “develop close
and innovative relationships with businesses, to explore and pursue new and
alternative approaches to teaching and to engage actively in economic stimulation
and innovation through the exploitation, exchange and transfer of intellectual
property”. The department views the network of EiRs as wholly appropriate as a key
enabler for enacting these strategic aims.

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The Management School, led by this department, is one of only three universities to
achieve the GOLD standard in the Association of Business Schools Royal Charter for
engagement with SMEs. To maintain this GOLD standard requires demonstration of
continuous engagement with the business community and pro-active support for
encouraging student enterprise. Undoubtedly the role of the EiRs played a
significant part in the success of winning this standard and will be of strategic
importance going forward.
2.0 Selection Process
2.1 Number
The Department for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation has, at the time of
writing, in the region of 40 current and active EiRs. With rotation of new EiRs and
incumbents choosing to relinquish the role periodically, we will seek to maintain
between 40 and 50 active EiRs at any time.
2.2 Geographically
EiRs will be selected regionally, nationally and internationally with an approximate
70-20-10 split.
2.3 Gender
Every effort will be made to generate a gender balance between the EiRs with the
minimum standard reflecting national statistics.
2.4 Sector
The majority of businesses that have been supported by the department in the last
10 years have been from service related industries. It is likely that the balance of
EiRs will reflect this sector balance of 80/20.
2.5 Selecting EiRs
The majority of EiRs have already engaged with one or more programmes delivered
by the department and that is likely to remain the case. However, there are other

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influential and supportive entrepreneurs who will also be invited including
influential stakeholders and persons of influence.
2.6 Method of selection and approval
2.6.1 Members of the Department for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Innovation
will nominate potential EiRs to the departmental officer(s) involved in
administering the programme. Existing EiRs may also nominate good
candidates from their networks. Persons willing to be nominated to become
an EiR will complete a pro-forma application form (attached as an annex to
this document) for consideration by the programme managers.
2.6.2 The departmental EiR committee will consider applications and determine
to approve and issue an invitation letter.
2.6.3 In managing the members of the EiR scheme, the department will consider
how best to match stated membership criteria and encourage a balance in
they membership.
2.6.4 EiRs will be appointed for a fixed-term period of one academic year, with an
option to renew annually.
3.0 Structure
3.1 The department will nominate a full time point of contact for EiRs, who will work in
addition to any other members of the department with whom an individual EiR has
an existing working relationship.
3.2 Administrative support for the EiR group will be provided on an ad hoc basis only,
and will be appropriate to the acti9vities undertaken by each EiR. This is subject to
review, and may be increased or enhanced as the programme develops.
3.3 EiRs will be invited to attend an Annual General Meeting of the programme, which
will be organised and hosted by the Department for Entrepreneurship, Strategy and
Innovation.
3.4 The EiR programme will be overseen by an Executive Board, whose composition will
include a minimum of two members of the Department for Entrepreneurship,
Strategy and Innovation and a minimum of one current EiR.

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4.0 Management
4.1 The EiR scheme will be driven primarily by the academic year.
4.2 EiRs will, once a term, receive a short electronic newsletter summarising activities,
publicising opportunities, and sharing information. The format and delivery vehicle
for this has still to be determined, but may be via a restricted access blog site or
similar means.
4.3 There will be one quarterly meeting of the Executive board.
4.4 E-mail addresses for all EiRs will be used as the primary means of communication
with individual EiRs.
4.5 EiRs attending Lancaster University on business will be entitled to receive parking
permits for their visits.
5.0 EiR Terms of Reference
5.1 Mentor & Residency
Ideally, regionally-based and nationally-located EiRs will for one week of the year
serve as Resident-on-Campus. EiRs doing this will be provided with an office and
appropriate on-line facilities so that they can maintain their normal job functions.
However, during this week they would be available for those students and/or staff
members who wanted to garner the views and advice of an entrepreneur.
There are many other opportunities to mentor specific students and these are dealt
with on an ad-hoc basis.
5.2 Support Student recruitment
Recruiting students onto our undergraduate programmes is a complex task that is
greatly assisted with the support of EIRs at open days. Prospective students and
their parents are bombarded with a huge range of choices about degree schemes.
As this department places great emphasis on the integration of teaching and
business engagement, it seems sensible that this should be represented at open
days. To assist us in this activity, willing EiRs would be asked to attend one open day
along with an academic colleague and represent the department in your capacity as

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Entrepreneur in Residence. The department would fully brief you on the content of
our degree programme and the key messages that we are attempting to get over to
students and their parents.
5.3 Advisory
The department is engaged in three areas; teaching, research and knowledge
exchange. An element of the competitive advantage that the department possesses
is the degree by which the three elements are integrated. It is seen as important to
the department that a wide range of opinions are gathered on these activities and
the network of EIRs are ideally placed to review and advise the department on
matters such as, for example, curriculum development. On occasion, some
members of the EiR group may be invited to contribute in this advisory capacity.
5.4 Guest speaker Series
To add breadth to our undergraduate and post-graduate teaching we like to inject
our academic lectures with life experiences from a practicing entrepreneur. The mix
of theoretical constructs accompanied with “real life” experience adds richness to
the student experience. Entrepreneurs who have assisted in this way in the past
report the experience as deeply reflective and of great use to themselves. The
students always report positively on the benefits of such experiences. To enable this
curriculum enrichment we send out an annual, pre-first term call for speakers, to
which all EiRs are invited to volunteer their services. There may be further
additional ad hoc requests throughout the academic year.
5.5 External ambassador
Increasingly the department finds itself in competitive bids to secure funding for
business engagement programmes. There is a strategic benefit in such bids being
accompanied with industrial and commercial support. The network of EIRs can
assist in courting opinion from their wider networks and providing tacit support to
bids made to government departments and other interested organisations.
The department also places great emphasis on broadening its engagement with
other academic institutions, departments within Lancaster and the broader business

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community. The EIRs can support the establishment of working relationships
between the diverse ranges of organisations we aspire to work with.
6.0 Evaluation
6.1 A record of all events EiRs are collectively or individually invited to will be kept by
the department and reported to the exec board. At the end of each year the exec
board will review participation and make recommendations for continuance as
appropriate.
6.2 Each year the member of staff responsible for the EiRs will circulate an on-line
questionnaire (mini – PDR) and discuss with any individual EiR any difficulties that
emerge.