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Programme

Strathclyde Business School: Growth Advantage Programme

Leadership Capacity

Impact for scaleups

92

Companies supported

2x

Greater projected average sales within 3 years

59%

Business increased turnover by average annual rate above 20%

32%

Female participants

Key sectors

Impact ventures / Social Impact Life Sciences & Biotech Building & Construction Manufacturing / Advanced Manufacturing Creative, digital, film, games & media Professional services Defence & security Technology & Communications Engineering / Advanced Engineering Transport & Logistics Environmental Science & Technology Farming, fisheries & forestry Finance Food & drink Healthcare

The Growth Advantage Programme (GAP) has supported fast-growing Scottish businesses on their scaleup journey through relevant, accessible and practical learning since 2015. Aimed at growth businesses with a minimum £1 million turnover, the programme’s participants typically come from across Scotland and span a wide range of sectors. All have ambitions to grow further and faster.

Participants invited to join GAP benefit from a combination of high-quality executive education along with the insights and shared learning that emerge from dynamic peer networks. The programme is reviewed regularly, and lessons learnt inform the programme’s future development. 

New developments this year include the refinement of the Market Advantage workshop, now offering a deep dive into organisational purpose for participants as a starting point to review and challenge existing growth strategies. This workshop also now includes learnings on identifying and codifying IP – both formal and informal – as a resource for growth. These changes along with the introduction of the Bain “Elements of Value” framework help participants articulate their value propositions and exploit advantages they don’t realise they have, providing them with the confidence to push for further growth.

This year, GAP also introduced a Conscious Leadership session as part of the Leadership Advantage workshop and which is now a core part of the programme. This new session tests scaleup leaders’ personal purpose and its alignment with business purpose. A further new development is the introduction of the “Enlightened Board – Governance for Growth & Good” framework to the existing session on the strategic use of board as a resource for growth. 

Finally, a new session on preparing for exit was introduced, recognising that a number of GAP participants have exited since they completed the programme and that this trend is likely to continue. The session involves a guest speaker who had recently been through a successful exit and now forms a core part of the GAP programme.

Across all 6 cohorts to date, 92 participants have completed the programme, bringing together a diverse group of ambitious business builders from across a range of sectors and creating a strong peer learning environment.  All participants report increased confidence and/or leadership capacity, while half of them have scaled by employment and 59% by turnover. 

 

“…Pro Lawn is growing.  Our sales revenue has increased 41.5% in the quarter Mar-May 2023 compared to 2022. Our team is thriving.  Conscious leadership principles, providing transparency and encouraging contributions from all are the clearest indicators we can give to our team members that they matter.  They are embracing the ‘change of direction’ and are becoming the driving force in making it happen.”
Susan Maitland, Pro Lawn,Ayrshire

“…The focus on Customer Value Proposition has certainly been a standout process from the programme and adapted much of our internal business measurements. Business sales growth will be organic and also international focus, primarily exportation of consultancy services and alliance agreements where our focus will be on a management Fee Consultancy basis not necessarily hugely changing turnover (targeting 73% increase in turnover within 3 years) but triple bottom line profit focused.”
Raymond Bruce, CEO,  Drillmar Resources

Strathclyde Business School: Growth Advantage Programme website