A consortium of small business support providers has won grant funding from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to deliver voluntary mentoring as part of the Government’s flagship Help to Grow: Management course to boost business performance and growth. Led by business support group Newable and including small business support platform Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, the consortium has been grant funded to develop a network of business leaders and experts who will share their skills and experience with firms on the practical management training course.
The Help to Grow: Management Course was launched by Chancellor Rishi Sunak in March 2021, with the long-term target of reaching up to 30,000 business leaders. The programme is a 90% government funded, 12-week course to be taken alongside full-time work, through a combination of online sessions and face-to-face learning, delivered by business schools, which is open to businesses with five or more employees. The course includes access to one-to-one mentoring from experienced SME leaders to help take their business to the next level.
From August businesses participating in the Help to Grow: Management Course will be matched with a voluntary mentor who will support the participant with the development of their growth action plan as part of the course. Mentors will benefit from access to training, qualifications and membership of the Association of Business Mentors community and support network, plus being part of mentor peer groups.
The Enterprise Nation support platform will use smart technology to specifically match thousands of small business owners to mentors across the UK based on region, sector, and support need. SMEs will have the ability to track their progress through a personalised dashboard, as well as receive tailored actions and recommendations on a daily basis.
Chris Manson, CEO of Newable, who leads the consortium’s bid, said: “Helping small businesses to grow is at the core of Newable’s mission. The Help to Grow: Management mentoring offering is a winning combination to encourage experienced mentors to volunteer their valuable time and expertise to support the growth of ambitious SMEs at all stages of business growth.
“By leading the new voluntary model we will be able to leverage our extensive experience of helping over 43,000 businesses to thrive each year, plus the expertise and experience of our partners at Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, to help businesses on the Help to Grow: Management Course take their business to the next level.”
Emma Jones, CBE, founder and CEO of Enterprise Nation, said: “Small businesses tend to be set up by individuals with a great idea and a passion to take it forward. That doesn’t always include management skills and strategic planning.
“Help to Grow: Management allows founders and business leaders to focus on the key strategic skills they need to stretch and flex their enterprise muscles. Bringing on board a mentor can consolidate the skills business owners have learned on the 12-week course, with the skills of the mentor gained over a professional career. It’s a powerful combination and we’re delighted to be part of this consortium.”
Simon Fordham, CEO & Chair of the Association of Business Mentors, said: “With our involvement it will be a great opportunity for volunteer mentors to receive training, one-to-one support and optional qualifications, whilst having complimentary access to a great community of like-minded professional business mentors, webinars, podcasts and peer mentoring groups, we’re pleased to be associated with such an important programme of support for UK businesses.”
Mentors interested in getting involved with the scheme are being asked to register via this link https://enterprisenation.typeform.com/mentorsignup
