Enterprise Management and Entrepreneurship

No specific prior knowledge of management or entrepreneurship is required. Students are expected to have technical and scientific knowledge relevant to their field of study, together with skills in communication, teamwork, digital tools, and the interpretation of qualitative and quantitative information.

Student-centred and active learning methodologies:

• Theoretical-practical classes combining interactive exposition, guided discussion, problem-solving exercises, and case analysis.
• Team-based project work developed throughout the semester, focused on creating a business related to the students’ field of study and/or professional context.
• Application of market analysis, value proposition, business model, and economic-financial viability tools to the development of the project.
• Ongoing support and formative feedback at key stages of project development.
• Oral presentation and discussion of the project in pitch format, fostering synthesis, communication, and the reasoned defence of decisions.
• Promotion of students’ engagement with entrepreneurship initiatives and ecosystems, including competitions, contests, and other opportunities for project validation, exposure, and development.
• Where feasible, sessions with entrepreneurs, managers, or other professionals, strengthening contact with real-world experiences and practices.

These methodologies foster the application of knowledge, autonomy, problem-solving, teamwork, and communication, in line with Level 6 of the NQF/EQF and the applied nature of polytechnic higher education.

At the end of the course unit, the student should be able to:

LO1. Understand fundamental management principles and how businesses operate, identifying the main management functions and their relationship with the external environment.
LO2. Apply marketing concepts to analyse markets, customers and competitors and define a value proposition.
LO3. Understand basic principles for organising the operations, resources and teams required to run a business.
LO4. Interpret basic financial information and apply concepts of costs, revenues, profit, cash flow and investment appraisal.
LO5. Understand the entrepreneurial process and identify and assess business ideas and opportunities, considering ethics and sustainability.
LO6. Develop, as a team, a new venture project integrating the business model, market, operations, resources and financial viability, and communicate it through a business plan and oral presentation.

SC1. Fundamentals of management and organisations
Business, environment and stakeholders; management functions; structures; teams, leadership, ethics and responsibility.

SC2. Entrepreneurship and opportunity
Entrepreneurial process; problems, needs and opportunities; idea generation and assessment; value creation and preliminary validation.

SC3. Marketing and value creation
Market, customers and competitors; market research; segmentation, targeting and positioning; value proposition; marketing mix.

SC4. Business model and operations
Business Model Canvas; processes, resources and activities; suppliers and partners; capacity and quality.

SC5. Fundamentals of financial management
Costs; revenues, margins, pricing and break-even; financial statements; profit, cash flow, investment and financing.

SC6. Viability, business plan and start-up
Commercial, operational and financial viability; business plan; legal forms, start-up formalities and pitch.

Continuous assessment

Passing the course unit requires a minimum final grade of 9.5 out of 20, calculated as the weighted average of the following assessment components:

a) Individual written test (60%)
The test covers the fundamental concepts and tools of management and entrepreneurship and includes questions assessing understanding, application, and problem solving.
It mainly assesses LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4, and LO5.

b) Team-based new venture project (40%)
Developed throughout the semester within the students’ field of study and/or professional context, the project includes: identification and assessment of a business opportunity; value proposition; market and competitor analysis; Business Model Canvas; marketing; operations and resources; cost and revenue structure; investment and financing; basic viability analysis; and implementation plan.

The project comprises two assessment elements:

• Written business plan - 50% of the project component;
• Pitch and oral discussion - 50% of the project component.

The business plan assesses the ability to integrate and apply knowledge in the design and justification of the project. The pitch and oral discussion assess the ability to communicate and defend the business proposal and allow the individual assessment of each student’s command of the work undertaken and the choices made.
It mainly assesses LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5, and LO6.

The new venture project is a compulsory component of the course unit and must be developed and assessed during the teaching period.

Final grade = 0.60 × Test + 0.40 × Project

Assessment by examination

Students who do not pass through continuous assessment may take an individual written examination covering all course content and including questions assessing understanding, application, and problem solving.

In assessment by examination, the written component has a weighting of 60%, while the grade obtained in the new venture project developed and assessed during the teaching period is retained with a weighting of 40%.

Final grade = 0.60 × Examination + 0.40 × Project

Specific situations provided for in the applicable legislation or regulations are handled in accordance with the relevant legal provisions.

Use of Artificial Intelligence systems

For the written test and examination, Level 0 applies (use prohibited). For the project, the following levels are permitted: Level 1 (minimal risk), for basic editing; Level 2 (limited risk), for organisation and structuring based on the students’ own work; and Level 4 (high risk), for exploring alternatives and critical review. Levels 3 and 5 are not permitted.

AI may not replace students’ analysis, reasoning, decision-making, or authorship, nor may it be used to fabricate data, sources, references, evidence, or results. Uses subject to disclosure must be identified in accordance with institutional procedures, with human supervision and validation, and students remain fully responsible for the content submitted.

NAO