MBA7066 Innovation and Entreprenuership Assessment Brief AS1 Portfolio 2025/26

MBA7066 Innovation and Entreprenuership 2025/26 ASSESSMENT BRIEF

Assessment Number	AS1
Assessment Type (and weighting)	Portfolio – 5000 words (100%)
Assessment Name	New Venture Business Plan
Assessment Submission Date	23rd Jan 26- Via Turnitin @23:59hrs

Learning Outcomes Assessed:

LO1. Demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of contemporary tools, techniques, and strategies for innovation management, entrepreneurial thinking, opportunity evaluation, and the development of new ventures.

LO2 . Critically evaluate market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital, and synthesise findings to support innovative value propositions and new ventures.

LO3. Identify and critically evaluate and interrelate stakeholder interests and key risks, including financial, commercial, technical, and legal risks, in the context of a new venture, and propose and justify strategies for managing these complex issues.

LO4. Develop a cogent and justified a business plan for a new venture to respond to an evidenced-based market opportunity support by a critical analysis of key risks and key stakeholder interests.

MBA7066 Assignment Brief 

Each student is required to evaluate a business opportunity and develop a critical, robust and comprehensive plan that seeks to develop and exploit the opportunity identified.

Important: Students must propose a completely original and creative business idea; existing businesses cannot be used

Part 1 – Pitch  (Presentation 10 minutes ) – Formative assessment should be completed by week 8. 

Present a  new business idea in class and get it approved from your tutor.
Your presentation slides should justify the new business proposal.
After approval upload it in formative link on Canvas.

Part 2 – Business Development  Plan – Report (5000 words) Summative Assessment

The report should based on new business venture proposed in part 1

• As an entrepreneur, provide a robust justification for a new business development within a specified industry.
• Critically appraise the market opportunity identified, and discuss the process through which opportunity will be developed and evaluated.
• Develop evidence of a systematic assessment in the external environment and how it aligns with the internal capabilities of the firm.
• Be structured around an appropriate and overall business development strategy as discussed in class.  
• Provide a critical reflection of your journey as an entrepreneur when going through business development plan.

Guidelines for Format and Structure:

1. Executive Summary (250 words)
2. Introduction to the new venture and entrepreneur thinking ( 500 words)
3. Market Opportunity and risk analysis (1000 words)
4. Internal capabilities and external environmental analysis (1000 words)
5. Business Plan for the New Venture  using strategic model (1500 words)
6. Reflection on your journey as Entrepreneur (750 words)

Specific Assessment Criteria 

Distinction (70% and above)

A cohesive, comprehensive and critical synthesis of the business development literature and concepts will be provided. Relationships between these and the nature and peculiarities of the opportunity being developed will be expertly elicited. An excellent evaluation of your justification for and approach to business development will be clearly articulated. The discussion on opportunity identification, development and evaluation will be succinct, relevant and insightful. Assessment of the internal and external environment will be will be expertly summarised and comprehensively justified. 

Extensive research demonstrating use of a wide range of current secondary research sources will be evident. Referencing and English will be excellent.  

Merit (60-69%)

A clear and critical synthesis of the business development literature and concepts will be provided. Relationships between these and the nature and peculiarities of the opportunity being developed will be well elicited. A good justification for and approach to business development will be set out. The discussion on opportunity identification, development and evaluation will be clear and well evidenced. Assessment of the internal and external environment will be will be summarised and well justified.

Wider research demonstrating use of a good range of current secondary research sources will be evident. Referencing and English will be good.  

Pass (50%-59%)

A critical synthesis of the business development literature and concepts will be provided. Relationships between these and the nature and peculiarities of the opportunity being developed will be clearly drawn out.  A relevant justification for and approach to business development will be set out. The discussion on opportunity identification, development and evaluation will be relevant and evidenced. Assessment of the internal and external environment will be will be coherent and justified.

Research demonstrating use of a range of current secondary research sources will be evident. Referencing and English will be satisfactory.  

Fail (Below 50%): Students who do not meet the requirements of the Pass criteria will not successfully complete the assessment activity.

Minimum Secondary Research Sources Requirements

Level HE7 – It is expected that the Reference List will contain between fifteen to twenty sources. As a MINIMUM the Reference List should include four refereed academic journals and five academic books.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: To be added in your assignment

Declaration: At the end of the assessment you should also include a declaration of any software tools including Generative AI (GAI) applications that you used in developing and completing the assessment. The assessment brief will specify if and how you can use GAI applications in the assessment. 

Guidelines for the Preparation and Submission of Written Assessments 

1.Written assessments should be word-processed in Arial or Calibri Light font size 12. There should be double-spacing and each page should be numbered.

2.There should be a title page identifying the programme name, module title, assessment title, your student number, your tutor and the date of submission. 

3.You should include a word-count (excluding reference list/bibliography, figures, tables and appendices).

Where a word limit is specified, the following penalty systems applies:

• Up to 10% over the specified word length = no penalty
• 10 – 20% over the specified indicative word length = 5 marks subtracted (but if the assessment would normally gain a pass mark, then the final mark to be no lower than the pass mark for the assessment). 
• More than 20% over the indicative word length = if the assessment would normally gain a pass mark or more, then the final mark will be capped at the pass mark for the assessment.

4.At the end of the assessment you should include a declaration of any software tools including Generative AI (GAI) applications that you used in developing and completing the assessment. The assessment brief will specify if and how you can use GAI applications in the assessment. 

5.All written work should be referenced using the standard University of Bolton referencing style– see: University of Greater Manchester Library

6.Please note that when you submit your work to Canvas, it will automatically be checked for matches against other electronic information, as well as for hidden text characters and GAI generated text. You will be able to see similarity matches but not currently flags for hidden characters and AI-generated text. The outcomes of Turnitin reports may be used as evidence in an academic misconduct investigation.

Late work penalties

Late work will be subject to the following penalties:

• Up to 7 calendar days late = 10 marks subtracted but if the assignment would normally gain a pass mark, then the final mark to be no lower than the pass mark for the assignment. 
• More than 7 calendar days late = This will be counted as non-submission and no marks will be recorded.
  Late submission of assessments on refer and those which are graded Pass/Fail only, is not permitted unless an extension is approved. See below.   

Extensions

In the case of exceptional and unforeseen circumstances, an extension of up to 14 days after the assessment deadline may be requested using the standard University Extension Request Form. For approval there would need to be an explanation and evidence of relevant circumstances. 

Longer extensions for individual assessments, projects and artefacts may be granted, at the discretion of the Programme Leader.

MBA7066 Appendix A – Specific Assessment Criteria (Rubric)

	Exceptional 85-100%	Excellent 70-84%	Good 60-69%	Satisfactory 50-59%	Borderline Fail 45-49%	Fail Below 45%
ES and New business idea and Entrepreneurial thinking, ( 15%)	Holistic critical review of the new venture idea. Report sections outlined and interrelated. Critical synthesis of market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital Synthesised findings to support innovative value propositions in the new ventures Clear justification of models supported by brief critical review of alternatives.	Succinct critical review of the new venture idea. Critical evaluation of market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital. Synthesised findings to support innovative value propositions in the new ventures drawn from high quality sources. Clear justification of models. supported by summary review of alternatives.	Summary of review of the new venture idea. Good overview and justification of market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital. Good analysis to support innovative value propositions in the new ventures	Coherent outline of the new venture idea. Outline of report sections.  Coherent discussion on market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital. Explanations on innovative value propositions in the new ventures. Further critical analysis and justification of models chosen would strengthen.	Limited or superficial treatment of new venture idea. Report sections not linked clearly.  Discussion missing or incomplete on market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital. Few, if any alternatives considered.	Weak justification of new venture idea and missed some of the sections of the report.  Discussion of models is superficial and lacks critical engagement; some of the models may be irrelevant. Justification of market opportunities, technology developments, and available resources, including sources of capital is missing. No alternatives considered.
Market opportunity and Risk Analysis (20%)	Insightful, holistic critical analysis; of Stakeholders interests, strategies and different types of risk	Integrated critical analysis; of Stakeholders interests, strategies and different types of risk	Effective critical analysis; of Stakeholders interests, strategies, and different types of risk	Strong analysis, of Stakeholders interests, strategies and different types of risk	Application of models is incomplete, and analysis of Stakeholders interests, strategies and different types of risk is limited.	Key elements may be missing or incomplete.  For example, analysis is lacking; the model(s) are used descriptively rather than for analysis, e.g., of Stakeholders interests, strategies, and different types of risk
Internal capabilities and external environmental analysis ( 20%)	Presents an exceptional critique of advanced research material resulting in clear, original and illuminating conclusions when analyzing internal capabilities and external environment Expertly interprets complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data	Presents an excellent critique of advanced research material resulting in clear, original and illuminating conclusions when analyzing internal capabilities and external environment. Comprehensively interprets complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data.	Presents a comprehensive critique of advanced research material resulting in clear and original conclusions. Systematically interprets complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data when analyzing internal capabilities and external environment  Demonstrates creative flair and originality.	Presents some critique of advanced research material resulting in original conclusions when analyzing internal capabilities and external environment. Shows the ability to systematically interpret complex matters and ideas and makes sound judgments in the absence of complete data.	A limited critique of research material presented, with simplistic conclusions drawn when analyzing internal capabilities and external environment. Some complex matters and ideas interpreted but not systematically, resulting in flawed judgements. Limited creativity and originality evident	An absence of critique of research material evident with unjustified conclusions when analyzing internal capabilities and external environment. Complex matters and ideas not interpreted correctly resulting in flawed judgements. Creativity and originality are