We are now inviting academic institutions to apply to host the ISBE 2028, ISBE 2029 & ISBE 2030 conferences. The 2028 ISBE Conference will be our 50th, and we look forward to celebrating this milestone in a big way.
Celebrating our 47th conference in 2025, the ISBE conference has become known as the place to go for the highest-quality, cutting-edge research on entrepreneurship and small business. ISBE’s vision is to connect our membership and their communities to pursue excellence in small business and entrepreneurship research, policy and practice. Our annual conference is our largest showcase of this vision in action. We welcome applications from groups who feel they can work with us to provide further excellent events for our community. We welcome joint bids, including collaborative proposals from regional universities.
The event is supported by a well-established pre-conference programme, comprising a Doctoral Day and a policy-focused workshop designed to showcase and strengthen the host institution’s relationships with policymakers and demonstrate related impact. There should also be space for additional development activities, including a Mid-Career Researcher event, PDWs, and a half-day workshop linked to the ISBE journal (IJEBR) conference special issue.
The ISBE conference connects practitioners and policymakers with business support practitioners and academics, nurturing productive dialogue and engagement that allows research to inform policy and practice to create genuine change and impact.
The conference also provides the opportunity for everyone from Doctoral students, early career and mid-career researchers and established academics through to practitioners and policymakers to discuss their work and receive valuable feedback from other experts in their field.
The ISBE conference connects
Taking place over two days and preceded by a dedicated Doctoral workshop, policy event and academia/practitioner Industry Day, the ISBE conference in the past has attracted 350 to 400 attendees from more than 40 countries. We hope to build on the successes of our recent post-Covid annual conferences and host over 250 presentations on a diverse range of topics, including:
- Business Creation
- Business Support
- Creative Industries Entrepreneurship
- Enterprise Education
- Entrepreneurial Finance
- Entrepreneurial Practitioner Learning
- Entrepreneurship in Minority Groups
- Family and Community Business
- Gender and Enterprise
- International Entrepreneurship
- Networks and Innovation
- Research Methods, Practice and Inquiry/Impact (RMPI)
- Rural Enterprise
- SME Growth & Performance
- Social, Environmental and Ethical Entrepreneurship
- Technology Entrepreneurship
The conference also hosts specialised expert keynotes and a wide range of practice-based workshops.
Conference Aims:
- To provide an international event that enables excellence in small business and entrepreneurship across research, policy, practice and learning communities
- To connect our membership and their communities in the pursuit of excellence in small business and entrepreneurship
- To bridge the gaps between research, policy and practice through facilitating effective communication and interaction
- To support the ongoing development of communities of interest and special interest groups built around our conference tracks
- To support the burgeoning careers of our PhD student and early career researcher communities
Conference Dates
Our preferred dates for the annual conference are usually the latter part (Wed-Thurs or Thurs-Fri) of the second week of November.
While indicative timings are outlined, we are open to innovative programming that delivers clear benefits for our members.
Please click here to download the Conference Requirements and Application Form. Deadline for applications: Friday 3 April 2026.
Completed forms should be submitted via email to
