Demonstrate an understanding of the main theories and concepts of innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business development.

Module title

Innovation and Entrepreneurship

CRN

59127

Level

6

Assessment title

Advanced Feasibility Report

Weighting within module

This report is worth 100%of the overall module mark.

Module Leader/Assessment set by

Gabi Round

G.A.L.Round1@Salford.ac.uk

Office number 604,

Floor 6,

Maxwell Building,

Salford Business School,

University of Salford,

The Crescent,

Salford,

M5 4WT.

Submission deadline date and time

Your report must be submitted via Turnitin on Monday 28^th of April 2025, 16:00hrs. Any submissions after this time without specific arrangement such as a PMC or RAP will be considered late.

How to submit

Submit your report to Blackboard / Turnitin prior to the deadline.

See guidance on module site for submission areas.

As an individual assessment RAPs do apply in this instance. For any questions regarding this, please contact the Module Leader or Program Admin team.

Assessment task description

BACKGROUND: The ability to examine and apply entrepreneurial thought and innovation techniques is crucial in all business pathways. This assessment asks you to examine entrepreneurship, look for gaps and apply techniques to develop and discuss new innovations.

This assessment gives you the opportunity to evaluate an existing business, given to you in week 2 (Route 1), examining their entrepreneurial nature and applying the innovation techniques learnt in this module to help them further enhance their offering. Alternatively, if you are a budding entrepreneur with your own business plan or existing business, you can use these techniques and apply them to your own business idea (Route 2) instead.

Assessment task details and instructions

TASK: You are required to develop an advanced feasibility report which creates a persuasive argument for a new innovation or innovative approach. This argument will be formed through assessing the entrepreneurial nature of the existing business (or your own business/business idea), looking for gaps and then creating an argument for a new direction or approach. Remember not all innovations need to be large and life changing, small innovations are just as valid.

This innovation can either be a new product/service/process for the business given to you in week 2 (Route 1) or for your own business idea (Route 2). Your role is to encourage the investors or stakeholders of this business to move forward with this innovation, with the feasibility report showcasing your research and reasoning.

Additionally, feedback is essential in any business. Within week 8 we will host a ‘pitch showcase’ in your seminar classes, within this ‘pitch showcase’ you will be required to undertake a 3-minute elevator pitch to the class and any special guests who may be present. The feedback you receive at this point will need to be presented in your report highlighting any changes you may have made taking this feedback onboard.

Whilst this is your own report, and the direction, layout and content are to be directed by you, we expect to see the following three ‘essential areas’ represented. You will also see these in your marking criteria.

ESSENTIAL AREAS:

1) An examination of entrepreneurship

In this section you will use entrepreneurial theory to assess the entrepreneurial potential of the business being discussed. This section could involve an examination of what entrepreneurial activities are currently occurring, to find gaps or highlight potential.

2) Your Feasibility Report

This section must include a detailed explanation of the innovative idea for your business or for the business given to you in week 2. To thoroughly explore why this is an innovative idea you may need to any cover unique selling points, goals, scope and any further necessary context for the reader to understand your vision. The feasibility report should make clear why your proposed idea is a good fit for the business based on the entrepreneurial examination completed in part 1.

You should then cover other essential areas of feasibility relevant to your idea, for all projects this will include:

A) Market Feasibility (Why is the market ready for this?)

B) Financial Feasibility (Is this project financially realistic?)

C) Environmental Feasibility (What sustainability consideration are there and how is your project mitigating any potential harm?)

You may also want to include some of the following areas (your choice of these will depend on your proposed idea):

Technical Feasibility (How will this be delivered?)

Organisational Feasibility (How does this fit with the business and their goals/values/needs?)

Legal feasibility (Any pertinent laws or regulations that need to be discussed?)

Resource Feasibility (Both human or otherwise, are there any considerations required for what is needed or already present?)

3) Your elevator pitch feedback

This section can be accommodated within your market feasibility or kept separate, but it must reflect on the feedback received and discuss whether you’ve amended your idea based on this.

Knowledge and Understanding

Practical, Professional or Subject Specific Skills

Assessed intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this assessment, you will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the main theories and concepts of innovation, entrepreneurship, and small business development.

2. Explain and assess the entrepreneurial business market potential and the feasibility studies to undertake before starting up a small business operation in the service sector.

3. Analyse and evaluate the legal, social, economic, environmental, political, cultural, ethical factors that influence the extent of innovation and entrepreneurship in the business sector.

4. Demonstrate a critical awareness and understanding of appropriate design, policy and planning, risk assessment, implementation and sustainability of business ideas.

5. Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of a business plan in enterprise development and the ability to produce one.

6. Use complex information from across the range of business functions to support business planning

7. Present complex information including data using visual techniques

8. Demonstrate effective pitching of a business idea to potential stakeholders.

Marking Criteria

(Please see associated rubric for further details of what is expected at each level)

Employability Skills developed / demonstrated

You will develop a range of employability skills sought by employers through each assessment.  

Through this assessment will have an opportunity to develop and demonstrate the following employability skills:

(please put a cross in the box for the skill and level demonstrated in the assessment)

I = You will have been introduced to this skill

U = You will have developed an understanding of this skill in the context of your subject

A = You will be able to apply this skill in the context of your subject

D = You will have demonstrated an enhanced understanding and application of this skill in a wider context 

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools

Category 2: AI tools can be used in an assistive role

For this assessment you may use tools, software, or features of software which use artificial intelligence to assist with idea formation or to generate images that may help with the clarity of your pitch, this is to be purely in an assistive and supportive capacity.

This means you may use the tool to explore the topic, find or process data, or suggest ideas.

However, the final work you submit must be your own. Use of AI to generate written content to misrepresent your own abilities or mislead your assessor is academic misconduct. You are required to develop an advanced feasibility report which creates a persuasive argument for a new innovation or innovative approach. When using AI tools, please use University provided tools within the requirements of the University`s ICT Acceptable Use Policy, and do not upload sensitive or personal information. 

Please note, whilst AI technology is an inevitable part of the working world moving forward, we still suggest caution in these early stages, the best place to find data and information is the University library and supporting databases (of which we will provide guidance on). Check any sources of facts you receive from an AI tool as they may not be valid, and this will reduce the credibility of your assessment and reduce your mark.

Word count/ duration (if applicable)

3000 words, +/- 10%

Feedback arrangements

You can expect to receive feedback by 20^th May 2025 at 4pm.

Feedback and grades will be released and made available for learners to view via Blackboard.

Please ensure you view the marks and feedback when released, as this will provide information that supports your subsequent assessment attempts.

You can discuss any grades or feedback with your Module Leader and the Program Leader via an appointment.

Academic Integrity and Referencing

Students are expected to learn and demonstrate skills associated with good academic conduct (academic integrity). Good academic conduct includes the use of clear and correct referencing of source materials. Here is a link to where you can find out more about the skills which students need:

Academic integrity & referencing

Referencing  

Academic Misconduct is an action which may give you an unfair advantage in your academic work. This includes plagiarism, asking someone else to write your assessment for you or taking notes into an exam. The University takes all forms of academic misconduct seriously. 

Assessment Information and Support

Support for this Assessment

You can obtain support for this assessment by …..

• Attending all lectures, seminars and workshops
• Contacting your Academic Personal Tutor  - Nicola Moss N.C.Moss@Salford.ac.uk
• Reading carefully through the assessment brief
• Sending your tutor drafts of your work for summative review 
• By asking your tutor questions either in class, via the padlet on the module space or via email/teams
• Engaging with available online materials that relate to the topic
• Request an appointment with your tutor for 1-2-1 guidance
• Confer and collaborate with your peers
• Engage with resources provided on the module site

Practice for success  

- During seminars and workshops, learners will be engaging with the core materials required to complete the assessment.

- During these sessions, learners will be given practice tasks to build and scaffold their understanding and knowledge areas.

- Learners will develop the academic skills in classes, required to meet the standards of the University Academic regulations and improve their academic work through formative in class assessments (non-graded)

- Learners will have a workshop provided by an academic librarian focussing on databases available to you.

You can find more information about understanding your assessment brief and assessment tips for success here.

Assessment Rules and Processes

You can find information about assessment rules and processes in the Assessment Support module in Blackboard. 

Develop your Academic and Digital Skills

Find resources to help you develop your skills here.

Concerns about Studies or Progress

If you have any concerns about your studies, contact your Academic Progress Review Tutor/Personal Tutor or your Student Progression Administrator (SPA).

askUS Services

The University offers a range of support services for students through askUS including Disability and Inclusion Service, Wellbeing and Counselling Services.

Personal Mitigating Circumstances (PMCs)

If personal mitigating circumstances (e.g. illness or other personal circumstances) may have affected your ability to complete this assessment, you can find more information about the Personal Mitigating Circumstances Procedure here.  Independent advice is available from the Students’ Union Advice Centre about this process:  https://www.salfordstudents.com/advice/centre

In Year Retrieval Scheme

Your assessment is not eligible for in year retrieval.

You can find more information about this scheme in the Assessment Support module in Blackboard. 

Reassessment

If you fail your assessment, and are eligible for reassessment, you will be able to find the date for resubmission on your module site in Blackboard.

For students with accepted personal mitigating circumstances for absence/non submission, this will be your replacement assessment attempt.

Your reassessment details will be shared on the blackboard site so we advise looking for updates. Your reassessment brief will be an individual project thus the parameters will change. Reassessment support sessions will be available to you.

We know that having to undergo a reassessment can be challenging however support is available.  Have a look at all the sources of support outlined earlier in this brief.