This article assesses the role that middle managers play in creating and sustaining entrepreneurial institutions. To date little is known about this role, with attention favouring a more macro-level, top-down focus on institutional leaders, and/or a micro-level, bottom-up focus on individual enterprise champions. This focus on unidirectional strategies, we argue, provides a partial understanding of the drivers of sustainable change. In its assessment, the article draws on and tests Trowler's social practice theory which argues for meso-level task-group focus in education sector change. Drawing on empirical evidence from one enterprise-led change programme--the Enterprising Colleges Project, Trowler's conceptual approach is assessed and extended. The paper argues in favour of a cross-level perspective which recognises that it is the interaction between levels that is the critical factor in ensuring engagement is embedded. Further, that in this regard the meso-level middle managers act as key enablers in the entrepreneurial process.