Sheet supporting apparatus and image forming system

A sheet supporting apparatus comprising:

• a sheet discharge unit configured to convey a sheet to discharge the sheet;
• a conveyance unit including a gripper member configured to engage with a leading edge of the sheet that has been discharged from the sheet discharge unit, the gripper member being disposed in a part of a sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction, the conveyance unit being configured to convey the sheet engaged with the gripper member by moving the gripper member;
• a stacking unit on which the sheet that has been conveyed by the conveyance unit is stacked;
• and
• a stiffening unit including an abutment surface configured to abut against the sheet conveyed by the sheet discharge unit toward the gripper member, the stiffening unit being configured to stiffen the sheet by curving the sheet when viewed in the sheet discharge direction, the stiffening unit being disposed in a part of the sheet width direction perpendicular to a sheet discharge direction,
• wherein the stiffening unit is provided at a position where at least part of the stiffening unit overlaps the gripper member in the sheet width direction when viewed in the sheet discharge direction.