Projects

A Student Impact Project provides your organisation with a dedicated University of Suffolk student who works on a defined business challenge, opportunity, or strategic project. Unlike a traditional internship, the student is recruited specifically for your project and supported by an academic supervisor throughout.

Projects can cover a wide range of business objectives, including:

• Market research and competitor analysis
• AI adoption and digital transformation
• New product or service development
• Process improvement and operational efficiency
• Sustainability and ESG initiatives
• Marketing and customer engagement
• Technology and innovation projects
• Growth and business strategy

If you're unsure whether your idea is suitable, our team can help shape the project scope.

A standard project provides 240 hours of student support over 12 weeks and costs £3825 (exc VAT).

(Projects can also be tailored to meet your organisation's specific requirements in terms of length and cost).

The University manages recruitment, on-boarding, administration, and payroll. We recommend identifying a project lead within your organisation who can provide regular guidance, feedback, and mentorship, typically through brief weekly check-ins.

Students are recruited against your project brief and assessed for the skills, knowledge, and attributes needed to deliver the project successfully. We work closely with you to identify the most suitable candidate. A dedicated academic supervisor in the specified area of expertise needed for delivery on the brief will guide the shortlisting. University of Suffolk team deals with the shortlisting and proposes the recommended interviewees. The final interview stages are then lead by you, the organisation, to select.

Student Impact Projects are designed around a specific business objective with clear deliverables and outcomes. Students are given ownership of the project and are expected to produce outputs, recommendations, or solutions that can be directly applied within your organisation for immediate growth implementation.

Student Impact Projects allow businesses to progress strategic projects without diverting internal resources from day-to-day operations. For less than the cost of many consultancy assignments, organisations receive 240 hours of dedicated project support, access to academic expertise, and actionable outcomes that can directly contribute to growth, innovation, and operational improvement.

Absolutely. Many employers use Student Impact Projects as an opportunity to identify and develop future talent. There is no obligation to recruit the student afterwards, but we encourage organisations to continue the relationship through extended placement, even exploring the option of KTPs and higher degree apprenticeships.

Businesses gain:

• Additional capacity without increasing headcount
• Fresh perspectives and innovative ideas
• Access to emerging talent and specialist knowledge
• University expertise and academic support
• Cost-effective project delivery
• Actionable outputs aligned to business goals

Every project is supported by an academic supervisor who oversees progress and ensures the project aligns with current industry practice, emerging research, and relevant academic expertise. The dedicated academic supervisor will recommend shortlisted candidates and will be in attendance at shortlisted interviews as well as in attendance at some progress check-in meetings. 

Simply contact businesssolutions@uos.ac.uk or use the application form link to discuss your business objectives. We will help define the project scope, identify the right student talent, and manage the recruitment process from start to finish.