Scaleup programmes
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NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator
Infrastructure
Impact for scaleups
1,283
Scaling business leaders supported in past 12 months
500+
Jobs created
£221m+
Investment raised since inception
56%
Female entrepreneurs
20%
Ethnic minority-led businesses
Key sectors
The NatWest Accelerator empowers UK entrepreneurs with expert-led coaching, networking, and tailored support to scale their businesses. Delivered in person and online, the programme fosters communities of ambitious entrepreneurs through networking events, workshops, and coaching sessions. It is supported by 12 Accelerator hubs, which provide access to ecosystem partners, customers, and a comprehensive events programme, including funding and investor readiness workshops. Participants also benefit from the Carbon Planner, a free digital tool helping businesses manage operational costs and reduce their carbon footprint. The programme is further strengthened by NatWest’s Enterprise team, which provides coaching, networks, and amplification of the Government’s Help to Grow: Management initiative.
Over the past year, the programme supported 1,283 entrepreneurs, with 56% female founders and 20% from ethnic minority backgrounds. In 2023, NatWest supported over 45,000 individuals and businesses through its enterprise programmes, achieving 300,000 customer interactions to help start, run, and grow businesses. Following the March 2024 intake of 861 businesses, the latest September 2024 cohort will see NatWest significantly expand the programme, making 2,500 spaces available to ambitious entrepreneurs.
The main pillars of the programme will focus on four key pillars: Funding, equipping entrepreneurs with expert guidance to identify and secure investment, alongside funding readiness workshops designed for high-growth businesses; Selling, enhancing sales capabilities through coaching in dealmaking, negotiation, and market expansion; Leading, developing leadership skills, fostering a growth mindset, and helping entrepreneurs build strong, high-performing teams; and Belonging, creating a dynamic entrepreneurial community through a virtual network and nationwide co-working spaces that provide peer support and collaboration opportunities.
“The support we received was key to our success, not just financially, but with business management as the company really started to take off. It wasn’t just a few workshops – they put us in front of some really great opportunities.” – Amanda Pickford, Founder, ThermaFY Eco Solutions
