BGP at Cranfield enters its twentieth unbroken year!

BGP ñ the Business Growth and Development Programme ñ at Cranfield School of Management will have run continuously for two decades when BGP 2007 starts in mid-January next year.

Since 1988 almost 1,000 owner-managers have participated in the UKís largest programme for ambitious entrepreneurs. Many have gone on to build significant and well-known businesses, such as Karan Bilimoria at Cobra Beer, Angus Thirlwell at Hotel Chocolat and Lara Morgan at Pacific Direct. During 2006 BGP has run for the first year ever THREE times, to meet the increasing demand for places. Just under 150 participants have accepted places on the programme this year. BGP was also cited in the spring by Real Business magazine as ìone of the seven pillars of entrepreneurial wisdomî.

Participants on BGP come from across the UK and from all walks of business life ñ high tech, low tech and even no tech! They share, however a common passion for their businesses, and a common aspiration to grow their businesses and develop themselves as leaders. Businesses that take part are typically at least three years old and have a turn over in excess of 750,000 and less than 20 million. Four out of five participants report that they recover the costs of participation by the time the programme has finished.

We are now recruiting for the first BGP of 2007, which will start on Friday 19th January. Ambitious owner-managers are invited to attend one of our autumn BGP Briefing Seminars, which are free of charge. The seminars address the challenges of business growth, and how successful owner-managers overcome these. They also provide an opportunity to meet members of the delivery team, and to talk to past BGP participants about their experiences of the programme and how it has impacted on their business and personal ambitions.