About The Project
REFLECT is a framework that supports rural enterprises by assessing challenges linked to uncertainty in rural areas, fostering collaboration and informed policymaking among businesses and local authorities.
Introduction
The relationship between entrepreneurship, rural areas, and public policies matters.
In recent decades, various policies have supported rural business growth in the UK. However, Brexit, COVID-19, climate change, and other challenges have created unprecedented uncertainty, impacting rural business communities’ ability to thrive. This highlights the need for public sector support.
REFLECT is a framework designed to assess resources and policy support in rural communities, aiming to improve rural enterprise policies through a holistic perspective.
The Project Background
REFLECT stands for “Rural Entrepreneurship Framework for Local Economic and Communal Thriving.”
Initially developed by Professors Pablo Muñoz and Jonathan Kimmitt, the original research covered 17 rural areas in Chile. It includes 4 key drivers and 11 dimensions linked to thriving rural enterprises. The published paper can be read here.
Although robust, the framework needed refinement for the UK context. In 2023, new research adapted REFLECT to England. Findings show that uncertainty significantly impacts the present and future of rural enterprises. This website (version 1.0) translates findings into a practical tool.
The survey
The assessment tool encompasses four categories of uncertainty for rural businesses;
1. Local Communities: addressing diverse needs, bridging the digital skills gap, and fostering collaboration for collective growth.
2. Community Resources and Assets: focusing on connectivity, underutilized spaces, infrastructure adaptability, and the efficacy of community networks.
3. External Policies: involving policy definitions, outcomes, and expected impact from local and national authorities.
4. External Resources and Support: encompassing funding, mentoring, training, connections, and access to relevant information for business development.
What can REFLECT be used for
REFLECT is an open-policy assessment tool designed to understand rural businesses’ conditions and promote informed entrepreneurship policymaking within rural communities.
Recognising each area’s unique merits, the UK version of REFLECT is developed for stakeholders interacting with rural enterprises to assess and discuss results, positively influencing policy formulation.
REFLECT is not an index or ranking tool but a framework based on qualitative local evidence, guiding policy conversations during uncertain times.
Who is this project for?
REFLECT aims to serve rural community members, including business owners, business advisors like mentors, incubators, coworking spaces, and policymakers at local and national levels.
REFLECT helps these key actors understand the unique conditions of rural businesses and fosters informed-based policymaking to support rural development.
