What if four months of fresh thinking could unlock real progress for your business?
Project management is no longer a “nice to have” skill — it’s a critical capability for organisations of all sizes. For SMEs in fast-moving, competitive sectors like food and drink, the ability to plan, execute and deliver projects well can make the difference between keeping up and pulling ahead.
At the same time, demand for skilled project managers has never been higher. Employers want graduates who can manage real projects, with real stakeholders, under real constraints.
That’s where this collaboration comes in.
Following a highly successful first couple of years, Norwich Business School (NBS) is delighted to be entering its second year of partnership with the Tastebuds Collective, offering member SMEs the chance to collaborate with talented student project teams on live, business-focused projects running from February to May 2026.
Proven Impact for SMEs
In 2024–25, Tastebuds Collective members partnered with NBS students on projects that delivered practical, usable outcomes, including:
🚀 Funki Drinks Ltd – Development of a prototype Shopify website as part of a wider marketing plan
📊 SUCSEED – Market research and competitor analysis to inform a sales and marketing strategy
📱 James White Drinks Ltd – Design and delivery of a social media marketing campaign
These weren’t theoretical exercises. They were live projects, tailored to real business needs — and they delivered.
The quality and impact of the work was further recognised when the SUCSEED project won an award at the Tastebuds Collective Collaboration Awards, showcasing just how powerful these partnerships can be.
How Do the Projects Work?
The collaborations form part of a core Norwich Business School project management module, designed to equip students with the tools, techniques and behaviours required in modern project roles.
Working in small teams, students collaborate closely with an SME sponsor and the module organiser, Professor Tomás Harrington, to:
- Co-design a project aligned to your business’s real priorities
- Define clear objectives, milestones, budgets and timelines
- Identify risks and build a structured risk register
- Create and implement a stakeholder communications plan
- Deliver the project using professional project controls
- Develop an evaluation plan to evidence outcomes and impact
- Conduct a formal post-project review with the SME sponsor
Throughout the process, academic supervision ensures rigour, structure and quality, while SMEs benefit from focused delivery — without the cost or overhead of hiring consultants or additional staff.
Flexible, SME-Focused Project Themes
Every project is co-designed, meaning it starts with your challenges and opportunities. Possible themes include:
- Marketing and digital growth
- Consumer insight and market positioning
- Sustainability communication
- Sales strategy development
- Talent pipeline and skills development
- Brand experience and customer engagement
In 2026, 6–8 SMEs will have the opportunity to take part, each working on a project shaped around their specific strategic needs.
A Lower-Risk, High-Impact Opportunity
For SMEs, this collaboration offers a free, lower-risk, high-impact way to:
- Access fresh perspectives and new ideas
- Benefit from up-to-date digital and analytical skills
- Explore growth, marketing or sustainability challenges
- Trial structured project delivery without long-term commitment
For students, the experience is transformational — and directly career-relevant. Alumni from this module have gone on to project management roles at organisations including Oracle, PA Consulting and Aviva, underlining the real-world value of the programme.
Interested in getting involved?
If you’re an SME looking to tackle a strategic challenge, test new ideas or accelerate progress — all while supporting the next generation of project professionals — this collaboration could be exactly what you’re looking for.
February–May 2026. Real projects. Real impact.
