New Council brings together private sector, academia and civil society to enhance business mentoring across the UK

Business mentoring is widely recognised as a vital resource for entrepreneurs and business leaders. Recent research has shown that 8 out of 10 SME leaders credit mentoring as playing a vital part in their growth; and 7 out of 10 view it as a resource crucial to their resilience, well being and business’s survival.

Despite this, many businesses continue to face challenges accessing high-quality business mentoring support and consistently cite the difficulty in knowing where to go and finding the right qualified mentors to support them. 

To address these needs and issues, leading firms from across the UK responsible for mentoring standards and accredited mentoring services have come together to form a new National Business Mentoring Council, supported by Government and referenced within its  Small Business Plan. 

The new National Business Mentoring Council, is a major new partnership aimed at enhancing the quality and accessibility of business mentoring to help drive growth of businesses across the United Kingdom.

The Council brings together senior representatives from across regions and nations involved in business mentoring, finance, entrepreneurship and academia. Its mission is to reduce sector fragmentation, strengthen professional pathways for mentors, share data and industry trends, and promote the benefits of and access to mentoring for SMEs, startups, and scaling firms. The Council will also support government strategies that foster business growth and resilience.

At the Council’s inaugural meeting held in the Department for Business and Trade and co-chaired by the Association of Business Mentors and ScaleUp Institute plans were discussed for National Mentoring Day on 27th October which is the  platform to promote the impact of mentoring; the access to mentoring options and mentoring success stories from across the UK. The Council further discussed practical solutions on how to better coordinate activity across the mentoring ecosystem, reduce fragmentation and better support underserved communities and regions which will be a focus for it in coming months.

Gareth Thomas MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Business and Trade, said:

“Having a mentor can be a game-changer for small businesses, so I welcome the creation of this new council who will make it easier for business leaders to find a high-quality mentor they can trust.

“This forms part of the Government’s Plan for Small Businesses, the most comprehensive package of support for smaller businesses in a generation, helping to deliver the Plan for Change.”

Irene Graham OBE, Co-Chair of the National Business Mentoring Council and CEO of the ScaleUp Institute, said: 

“Mentoring is a proven source of support in business scaling up but for business leaders too often it remains difficult to navigate where good mentors are available. The Council’s aim, working with experts across the UK, is to address these challenges and foster greater collaboration between mentoring groups and easier access to proven quality mentorship so that no matter where a business is in the UK there is an easier pathway to find the mentor to suit their needs and support their business journey.” 

Georgina Waite, Co-Chair of the National Business Mentoring Council and CEO of the Association of Business Mentors, said: 

“Mentoring plays a pivotal role in empowering business leaders, helping them to navigate challenges and unlock growth opportunities. By uniting the sector’s collective expertise through the Council, we can make high quality mentorship more accessible to businesses nationwide, helping ensure that they get the support they need to start, scale and thrive.”

ENDS

For more information please contact Jack Storry – jack.storry@boldspace.com and 07530 548807 or Richard Herridge – richard.herridge@scaleupinstitute.org.uk

Business Mentoring Council membership

The full membership of the Business Mentoring Council is:

• Co-Chair – Irene Graham OBE, CEO, ScaleUp Institute
• Co-Chair – Georgina Waite, CEO, Association of Business Mentoring
• Chelsey Baker, CEO & Founder, National Mentoring Day
• Julie Baker, Head of Strategic Partnerships, NatWest and representing Invest in Women Taskforce
• Dr Liz Cameron CBE, Director and Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce Limited
• Malcolm Cohen, Managing Director, Advice, Newable Partnerships Limited
• Mike Conroy, Director, Commercial Finance, or James Jeffreys, Principal, Commercial Finance, UK Finance
• Polly Dhaliwal, COO, Enterprise Nation
• Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools
• Anthony Impey MBE, CEO, Be The Business
• Richard Jeffery, National Director, The Growth Company
• Karen Licurse, Managing Director, Digital Boost
• Ruth Lowbridge, Executive Chair, SFEDI
• Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder, Small Business Britain & Lilac Review
• David Pugh, Chief Executive, PRIME Cymru
• Monder Ram, Professor of Small Business, Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship, Aston Business School
• Sarah Trouten, CEO, IOEE
• Iain Wright, Chief Policy and Communications Officer, ICAEW

National Mentoring Council Supportive Quotes 

Michelle Ovens CBE, Chief Executive Officer of Small Business Britain said, 

“Mentoring plays a vital role in unlocking potential and levelling the playing field for entrepreneurs, especially those from underrepresented communities who face additional barriers to growth. Expanding access to high-quality mentoring for startups, scaling firms and microbusinesses is essential to building a more inclusive, resilient and thriving UK economy. Supporting entrepreneurs at every stage is central to our work, and we welcome greater collaboration that supports this ambition.”

Chelsey Baker, CEO & Founder – National Mentoring Day

“Mentoring is a powerful force for business resilience, growth, and innovation. As the founder of National Mentoring Day, I’m proud to champion the value and impact of mentoring. This new Council marks a step forward in recognising mentoring as a vital part of the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and in ensuring more businesses benefit from the support they need.”  

“The financial services industry plays an important role in supporting business mentoring across the country, and we’re delighted to represent our members on the National Business Mentoring Council.

Dr Liz Cameron CBE, Director & Chief Executive, Scottish Chambers of Commerce

“Mentoring is one of the most powerful tools we have to unlock the full potential of our SMEs. The National Mentoring Council is building a culture of shared experience, ambition, and resilience where every entrepreneur has access to the insight and support they need to grow. I am proud to champion this work as part of the UK Government’s SME Strategy, because when we invest in mentoring, we invest in the future of our economy.”

David Pugh, Chief Executive, PRIME Cymru

“PRIME Cymru is proud to be a part of the National Business Mentoring Council. We know what a powerful resource mentoring can be for businesses and look forward to sharing insights from our Welsh startup mentoring scheme with the group. This is an important step towards building a stronger business landscape across the UK.” 

Monder Ram, Professor of Small Business, Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship, Aston Business

“The National Business Mentoring Council addresses an important gap in entrepreneurial support. Our research at CREME shows that entrepreneurs from ethnic minority backgrounds often struggle to access quality mentoring due to limited networks and cultural barriers. This Council’s focus on supporting underserved communities is welcome and necessary. By coordinating expertise across the UK, we can better ensure that entrepreneurial talent from all backgrounds has access to appropriate mentorship”

Sarah Trouten, CEO, Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs

“The IOEE is proud to be a founding member of the National Business Mentoring Council, an essential new initiative set to significantly enhance the quality and accessibility of business mentoring across the United Kingdom. We firmly believe that through this collaborative effort we can profoundly impact the growth, resilience, and overall success of businesses, from startups to scaleups.”

Mike Conroy, Director, Commercial Finance, UK Finance

“The business mentoring programmes run by our members, as well as the countless business mentoring organisations across the UK, make such a difference to SMEs. Our refreshed and upgraded Mentorsme.co.uk website, due to launch in the Autumn, will help to make it easier for business owners to find the right mentoring programmes and organisations that can help them to manage better and grow more.”

Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: 

“We are delighted to join the National Business Mentoring Council. Mentoring can have a transformative impact on small businesses. This is evident in the successful Government backed Help to Grow: Management course delivered by SBC-accredited business schools, where mentoring is one of the features participants value in supporting their growth journey. The creation of the Council represents a fantastic opportunity for a joined-up approach to mentoring across Government, industry, education, and mentoring providers to ensure small businesses can access the support available to them. Business schools have a hugely important role to play in this conversation as both mentoring providers themselves and as gateways to connect SMEs with business support.”

Iain Wright, Chief Policy and Communications Officer ICAEW

“Mentoring is vital for transferring knowledge and wisdom and nurturing talent. As trusted business advisers, chartered accountants are uniquely positioned to mentor others—offering not just technical expertise, but the ethical guidance, strategic insight and business acumen individuals need to thrive. I’m therefore delighted to be part of this positive step forward in mentoring.”

Polly Dhaliwal, COO of small business support platform and membership community Enterprise Nation, said:

“We know having a mentor can significantly drive structural growth and long-term productivity while building resilience to economic shocks.

“As part of the group delivering the mentoring element of the Help to Grow: Management course, research we conducted found 82% of small businesses are now interested in being mentored.

“What needs to happen now is to dramatically improve awareness and access to a national network of experienced mentors. The launch of the National Business Mentoring Council is a timely and crucial step towards ensuring that more founders across the UK, particularly in underserved sectors and regions, can access high-quality mentoring support that helps them start, grow and thrive.”

Anthony Impey MBE, CEO, Be the Business

“At Be the Business, we’ve been organising high-quality mentors for businesses since 2018 and have seen first-hand just how much of an impact this support can have – over half say that mentoring improved their leadership and management, and six out of ten say that it increased their productivity. On average, businesses increased sales by 12%.  This is because mentoring is so effective at building confidence, improving decision-making and strengthening resilience – qualities that are essential in today’s challenging business environment. That’s why establishing the National Business Mentoring Council is key to making these benefits available to even more businesses across the UK.”

Karen Licurse, Managing Director, Digital Boost

“I’m so passionate about mentoring because I’ve seen it change countless lives and businesses in the Digital Boost community. Mentoring helps business owners feel less alone and overcome barriers, plus it can build the confidence to dream bigger. But too many are missing out due to perceived financial, social, or geographic barriers, or simply a lack of awareness of what’s available. That’s why I’m excited to join forces across the Council. By working together, we can help more businesses benefit from this incredible tool for growth.”