RDSBL awarded international impact label

The Royal Docks School of Business and Law has received international recognition for the contribution it makes to businesses, students and communities after being awarded the Business School Impact System (BSIS) Label for 2026.

Following an assessment by EFMD Global, the label looks beyond conventional measures of business-school performance to examine how a school contributes through education, business development, research, regional development, society and international engagement.

At RDSBL, more than 3,000 students have worked with around 600 businesses, while consultancy projects have generated more than £18 million in value for regional companies. The School’s community-facing services and partnerships have also delivered more than £1 million in pro bono support. Overall, BSIS estimates the School’s financial impact across Greater London at £660.8 million.

Practice-based learning and community support are also central to the School’s work. The Legal Advice Centre, Business Advice Centre and Tax and Accountancy Clinic give students supervised experience while providing free legal, business, tax and accountancy support to people, entrepreneurs and SMEs. The Criminal Justice Project, delivered through the Legal Advice Centre in partnership with APPEAL, extends this approach into miscarriage-of-justice casework, while the Centre of FinTech connects practice-led research, education and industry engagement in financial technology.

RDSBL’s business and enterprise offer also supports founders from first idea through to growth. Its Startup Gateway Services bring together the Business Incubator Programme, the Help to Grow: Management Course, expert consultancy and student consultancy. Over the past year, the Gateway supported more than 95 aspiring entrepreneurs, helped create 11 new businesses and supported 27 existing SMEs, with participants securing more than £540,000 in grant funding.

This activity forms part of a much broader ambition for RDSBL: to develop into a business innovation ecosystem.

FORGE, led by the Royal Docks School of Business and Law, brings together a growing range of business- and legal-facing services and initiatives from across UEL. Spanning Enterprise and Innovation; Business, Tax and Legal Expertise; Talent and Skills; and Partnerships and Impact, FORGE builds on these strengths to create new opportunities for collaboration, enterprise and impact.

Professor Fatima Annan-Diab, Vice-Provost (Business) & Executive Dean of the School, said, 
 

Receiving the BSIS label is an important recognition for the Royal Docks School of Business and Law and one that we are incredibly proud of. What is particularly important about the BSIS process is that it looks at the difference a Business School makes to the students, businesses, communities and the wider society it serves.

The assessment gave us an opportunity to look closely at our impact across Greater London, from the education and opportunities we provide for our diverse student community, to our research, our work with business and industry, and our contribution to inclusive growth, sustainability and social impact.

These are all central to who we are as a School and to our commitment to creating meaningful and lasting impact. This recognition also speaks to the wider vision that guides RDSBL: to be a leading hub for business and law leadership that drives sustainable economic growth, social impact and transformative innovation.

The BSIS label provides independent international recognition of the contribution we are making and gives us a strong foundation from which to continue developing our impact.”