This article sets out to capture the benefits of business and universities working together to create robust management development programmes for the competitive markets ahead. It attempts to illustrate the changes in business approaches to providing people with management development, given the increased mobility of individuals from company to company, the pressures on budgets in more restricted financial times and the benefits of partnering with university provision. Using qualitative data sourced from both business organizations and higher education institutions (HEIs), underpinning a more detailed pivotal case study, themes are extracted on the current provision from institutions to business, bringing to light the reality that desire and actual outcome are two different things. The systems created for institutions before their contemporary dealings with business are still used to serve current needs, and it is clear from early research and practice that they are not fit for purpose. The result is a slow service for business clients and a loss of potential third-stream income -- valuable to HEIs in a new competitive market. In the light of this research, recommendations are offered for HEIs to become more competitive when trying to penetrate commercial markets for this income.