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Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK
Leadership Capacity
Impact for scaleups
2,300+
Scaling high-growth business leader participants
£5.9bn
Participants combined revenue
53,000+
employees by scaling businesses
97%
are more confident as a business leader
84%
Use financial data more to make decisions
Key sectors
Since its launch in 2010, the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK (10KSB UK) programme offers 100 hours of practical education and business support per business to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
Fully funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, the programme accelerates growth through business education, networking, and mentoring in partnership with Oxford University Saïd Business School and Aston University Centre for Growth. Since 2010, over 2,300 entrepreneurs have completed the 10KSB UK four-month programme. It includes three residential sessions with applied business learning, online support, access to professional experts, one-to-one coaching, and peer networking. Participants develop a customised Growth Plan to guide their business strategy, while alumni benefit from ongoing coaching and a digital resource hub for small business support.
Participants have generated £5.9bn in turnover and employ over 53,000 people. The latest impact report highlights that 10KSB UK alumni are significantly more likely to grow in revenue and job creation than comparable high-growth SMEs. Since the pandemic, 47% have expanded their workforce, compared to 26% of their peers, and 26% report annual turnover growth of over 20%. Confidence and capability are also strengthened, with 94% feeling more confident managing growth, 84% using financial data to inform decisions, 90% introducing new business processes, and 97% feeling more effective as leaders.
This year, 10,000 Small Businesses released ‘The Small Business Manifesto’ as part of the broader Generation Growth campaign. The Small Business Manifesto puts forward a series of policy asks based on a survey of more than 550 scaleup potential businesses who are part of the 10KSB UK alumni network. In the Manifesto, more businesses identified upskilling the UK workforce as their top priority for government than any other issue, ahead of access to finance, business rate reform and international trade. 45% of fast-growth small business owners said they are currently unable to access the talent they need and more than a third (37%) of small businesses surveyed were unable to access the finance they need for their business in the UK.
Continuing in 2024, the 10,000 Women programme supports female entrepreneurs in emerging markets with business education, mentoring, and networking. A free online course is available worldwide, and over 200,000 women across 150+ countries have benefited. Alumni gain access to a global network, resources, and a week-long Fellowship with coaching and training for business growth.
