Annual ScaleUp Review 2018

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Your Chief Investment Officer for getting ready to raise Series A
About Techcelerate Ventures

Tech Investment and Growth Advisory for Series A in the UK, operating in £150k to £5m investment market, working with #SaaS #FinTech #HealthTech #MarketPlaces and #PropTech companies.
ScaleUp busy growth programme local ScaleUp Institute
November 2018 
scaleupinstitute.org.uk     @Scaleupinst
Annual 
ScaleUp  
Review 
2018 
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
 
Our thanks to our partners, supporters and 
contributors to this document. 
Report design by NEO and StudioTM 
www.neoposition.com 
www.studiotm.agency
This work contains statistical data from ONS which is 
Crown Copyright.
The use of the ONS statistical data in this work does 
not imply the endorsement of the ONS in relation to 
the interpretation or analysis of the statistical data.
This work uses research datasets which may not exactly 
reproduce National Statistics aggregates.
Published by the ScaleUp Institute 
101 Euston Road, London, NW1 2RA
Any enquiries relating to this Review or the   
work of the ScaleUp Institute should be sent to:   
info@scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
 
This document can be accessed at:  
www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scaleup-review-2018
www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
@scaleupinst
THE ANNUAL SCALEUP REVIEW  
NOVEMBER 2018
The ScaleUp Institute is a private sector-
led, not-for-profit organisation focused on 
collaborating with policy makers, corporates, 
finance players, educators and government at a 
local and national level. 
Our mission is to help the UK to become the 
best place in the world to grow a business as 
well as start one, and enable our existing high-
growth businesses to scale up even further.
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Forewords
4 
Kelly Tolhurst MP 
Small Business Minister and Scale Up Champion  
for Government
6 
Sherry Coutu, Chair, ScaleUp Institute
 
Executive overview 
12 
Irene Graham, CEO, ScaleUp Institute
 
Chapter One 
28 Scaleup business landscape 
Including update on numbers and 2018 survey analysis
 
Chapter Two
68 Leading programmes breaking down the barriers for scaleups 
How national and international ecosystem actors are leaning in 
to engage with scaleups  leading case studies and insights. 
 
 
Chapter Three
130 The local scaleup ecosystem 
Driving UK economic growth through scaleup ecosystems
 
 
Chapter Four 
190 Shaping policy to foster UK Scaleups: Breaking down barriers
 
Chapter Five
230 Looking forward
 
Annexes
234 1. Local Area Summaries
276 2. The ScaleUp Institute
Contents
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SECTION TITLE
Kelly Tolhurst MP 
Small Business Minister and Scale Up 
Champion for Government
Introduction
4
High growth businesses are a critical part of our 
economy and make a significant contribution to 
economic growth and national productivity.  
The number of scaleups is increasing, driving job 
creation and growth right across the country. 
The UK is home to c35,000 scaleups, making us 
one of the leading OECD countries for our share  
of high growth businesses. 
Through our modern Industrial Strategy this Government is taking 
forward a package of measures to help businesses to scale up and 
improve their productivity, with a dedicated action plan to unlock over 
20 billion of investment in innovative and high potential businesses, 
including a 2.5bn investment fund incubated in the Government-
owned British Business Bank. Our network of 38 Growth Hubs 
provides a local point of access to the range of support available to help 
businesses overcome the barriers to growth.
Having run my own business, I am acutely aware of the challenges fast 
growing businesses face and I am determined to use my role as Scale Up 
Champion to create the right conditions for businesses to succeed.
The ScaleUp Institute is a key partner for us in this endeavour,  
helping drive forward this work and making a real difference to scaleups 
across the country through their research and education programmes. 
I look forward to continuing to work with the ScaleUp Institute on  
this exciting agenda.  
Kelly Tolhurst MP
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SECTION TITLE
Foreword
Sherry Coutu 
Chair, ScaleUp Institute
6
As this 2018 Review demonstrates, the 
evidence is clear  for the UK economy, 
scaling companies are the engine of growth: 
creating high quality jobs and new tax 
receipts; leading business investment and 
innovation; and providing an important 
answer to the UK's great productivity 
puzzle. Scaleups have the potential to 
give the UK a competitive advantage for 
generations to come. And it will be scaleups 
that lead any export drive; they are already 
twice as likely to be international, hungry 
to expand further overseas and expecting 
to grow in the next 12 months by expanding 
into new markets.
Just four years ago I kicked off the debate 
in the Scaleup Report on UK Economic 
Growth, using evidence from several 
different sources. This showed that a 
one per cent boost to the UK scaleup 
population would create an additional 
238,000 jobs and 38bn in Gross Value 
Added (GVA), and over time generate an 
additional 225bn in (net) GVA. In the 
intervening years, the ScaleUp Institute has 
become the foundation for a growing body 
of evidence and proposed solutions to the 
challenges that scaling companies face.
Year on year  thanks to the work of the 
Institute, our ambassadors, partners and 
collaborators  more and more private, 
education, and public sector organisations 
have mobilised to focus on scaleups and 
to realise the potential of these 'growth 
heroes'.
This 2018 Review demonstrates that we are 
making good progress, but that there is still 
much more to be achieved. 
Scaleup leaders may be global in their 
ambitions, but they want solutions and 
programmes delivered locally, in the 
communities in which they are based. 
To this end, I was delighted that earlier 
this year the Institute convened its third 
executive education course at Leeds 
University on 'Driving Economic Growth 
through Scaleup Ecosystems' (DEG)  
involving Babson College and supported by 
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses 
UK, Innovate UK and the British Business 
Bank. The course brought together over 60 
local leaders, including scaleup businesses, 
from around the country to understand 
the ingredients that can foster a world 
class scaleup environment in their locality. 
This means that over the past two years we 
have trained over 200 ecosystem leaders, 
covering many localities of the country 
and we are excited by the progress the first 
three cohorts are making and the learnings 
being exchanged with each other.
If delivery is local, we must also be able to 
assess our progress through a local lens. 
To truly become a Scaleup Nation, senior 
leaders from every scaling business in every 
part of the UK should have the tools and 
support they require.
This year with our direct access to detailed 
datasets from the Office for National 
Statistics (ONS) we are able to further 
analyse in depth the diversity of scaleup 
growth across the country; we can see 
where communities are forging ahead in 
scaleup development and where scaleup 
'cold spots,' remain.
In Chapter 1, we analyse the developing 
landscape right down to local authority 
level. Looking at our map on page 33, we 
aspire to work together to achieve the dark 
green colour throughout, yet there are 
some cold spots where urgent action needs 
to be taken. Some areas, such as the West 
of England, Cornwall and Enterprise M3, 
are doing terrifically well. Other areas are 
lagging, but introducing initiatives, such as 
in the Tees Valley where Teesside University 
As the UK faces an increasingly 
competitive and uncertain 
economic outlook, the need for 
communities to be able to drive 
their economic growth remains 
mission-critical. There has never 
been a more important time to 
focus on scaling businesses.
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launched its LEAP 50 this year to tackle 
their local scaleup challenge. 
The development of thematic programmes 
to address scaleup barriers is covered in 
Chapter 2. I am very excited that we are 
now able to make available an enormous 
body of evidence which can be used by all 
stakeholders in the UK about 'what works' 
that to respond to the common barriers 
that prevent companies from scaling 
in their communities. In Chapter 3 we 
highlight new local initiatives, emerging 
from the Institute's education activity, such 
as ScaleUp Ashford, ScaleUp Berkshire, 
ScaleUp North East, CanDo Scale 
Scotland, Scaleup Enablers and Generator 
Initiatives such as these give me cause for 
optimism. We are on the right path to close 
the scaleup gap even if it is clear from the 
data that much more can be done.
Government policy  at national, regional 
and local levels  has also shifted. Scaleup 
companies are increasingly being included 
as specific components of local and national 
strategies. In 2018, we have seen 'scaling 
up' embedded into the Government's 
Industrial Strategy and Export Strategy, 
into the Patient Capital, LEP and 
Productivity Reviews, and into the recent 
2018 Budget announcements.
I have no doubt that the creation of a 
Ministerial Champion for Scaleups has 
helped coordinate this national policy 
direction and ensure the needs of 
scaleups are fully considered in the UK's 
economic and industrial agendas. The first 
Ministerial Champion, Margot James MP, 
has subsequently taken her enthusiasm 
for scaleups to her new role as Minister 
of State for Digital and the Creative 
Industries. Kelly Tolhurst MP, Minister for 
Small Business, has eagerly taken up the 
mantle and is driving forward the agenda 
working closely with the Scaleup Taskforce, 
co-led by my fellow serial entrepreneur and 
Board member, Sahar Hashemi.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to 
monitor the impact of policy decisions and 
other stakeholder interventions, to ensure 
that they deliver practical, on the ground 
solutions for scaleup needs at a local level.
We have always said that the first obstacle 
to supporting scaleups, and high potential 
companies, is identifying them. The pursuit 
of an open 'scaleup register' remains a 
primary goal which will be extremely 
powerful in unlocking our full scaleup 
potential and I am pleased that we are 
making inroads on this.
The ScaleUp Institute has forged valuable 
partnerships with ONS and HMRC 
and over the past year has engaged in 
cross-Government work to help develop 
innovative ways of using data to segment 
businesses. The current ScaleUp Institute / 
HMRC pilots aligning scaleup identification 
to bespoke scaleup services is very exciting. 
I look forward to the outcomes of these 
pilots culminating in a solution that can 
work across all areas of the country, and 
public and private sectors. With this data 
we can fast track scaleup actions and 
engagement to greatest effect, unlocking 
new talent, markets and finance.
As part of this Review the ScaleUp Institute 
continues its role in putting scaleups on 
the map with the 2018 Scaleup Index 
including AIM companies for the first time 
and the inaugural Visible ScaleUp Public 
Procurement Index. My thanks go to 
Beauhurst and Tussell for their collaboration 
on this.
The UK continues to be an attractive 
place to start a new company. As I said 
in the original ScaleUp Report, we also 
have the talent and basic foundations to 
become the best place in the world to 
scale up a company. It is undoubtedly 
true that over the past four years we have 
seen more people, more initiatives, more 
political will, and critically more money, 
 We will continue to ensure that the 
needs of scaleups remain high on 
the political agenda
"
8
SHERRY COUTU, CHAIR, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
FOREWORD
This Review has more new datasets, 
more information and more analysis 
than ever before. It is a testament 
to a vibrant and growing ecosystem 
of public and private sector 
organisations who themselves have 
recognised the power of the UK's 
scaleup companies.
"
focused on making that happen. This is 
evidenced by having seen the growth 
rate of scaleups overall across the UK 
increase, to 4 additional scaleups per 
100,000 population per annum with 
the latest ONS data, compared to 3 as 
reported in our 2017 Annual Review.
In the coming months and years, as 
Brexit unfolds, there will be many new 
and some unforeseen pressures on the 
UK economy. And, of course, there 
will also be opportunities.
At the ScaleUp Institute our focus will 
continue to be on identifying, praising 
and promoting what works; helping to 
ensure that impactful initiatives and 
programmes continue to be funded and 
good practice reaches every company, 
sector and region. We will continue 
to ensure that the needs of scaleups 
remain high on the political agenda, 
and we will work with larger corporates 
to help them understand the benefits 
of working and collaborating with fast-
growing companies. And, of course, we 
will relentlessly pursue the release of 
more data.
That said, this Review has more new 
datasets, more information and 
more analysis than ever before. It is 
a testament to a vibrant and growing 
ecosystem of public and private sector 
organisations who themselves have 
recognised the power of the UK's 
scaleup companies. We are our on our 
journey to be the best place on the 
planet to scale a business  let's make 
sure this becomes a reality. Do make 
good use of the 2018 Review and its 
findings to guide actions into 2019.
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SECTION TITLE
CHAPTER THREE
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Executive  
overview
12
SECTION TITLE
CHAPTER THREE
Executive overview
Irene Graham 
CEO, ScaleUp Institute
Our core focus is to turn evidence and data, 
gathered through research and analysis, 
into robust practical actions, to remove 
the challenges encountered by scaling 
businesses in talent, leadership, markets, 
finance and infrastructure.
From the outset we have built alliances 
and co-operated with the diverse 
range of ecosystem players, including 
large corporates, financiers, educators, 
entrepreneurs, policy makers and local 
leaders. Together we are working to break 
down the barriers faced by our scaling 
companies in their local communities, so 
they can seize opportunities to scale further 
and faster, without obstacle.
It is clear from our 2018 Review that 
through this collaboration we are making 
tangible progress.
However, the scaleup race is not yet won.
With further economic uncertainty 
ahead  including concerns around 
Brexit expressed in our 2018 survey  
the positive momentum we have built, 
must be maintained and accelerated. 
The UK economy needs more scaleups 
to realise their ambitions of domestic 
and international growth. Securing these 
ambitions will benefit all of UK society, 
helping to boost productivity.
Now is the time to double down on our 
collective efforts to address our scaleup 
challenges. At the heart of this must be a 
scaleup segmented, relationship-oriented 
approach  at all local levels  with initiatives 
developed, and policies identified, fully 
implemented.
Where we are now
When we started out, the ScaleUp 
Institute's imperative was to make sure that 
the scaleup challenge was reflected across 
the country in local solutions and services 
that made a measurable difference to our 
scaling community.
Across 2016 and 2017, through research, 
data and education, we developed the 
route map for local ecosystems to come 
together to overcome their scaleup barriers 
and we brought a a scaleup lens to the 
national policy agenda. We galvanised 
actions through our education programme 
"Driving Economic Growth through 
ScaleUp Ecosystems" (DEG), supported 
by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses 
UK and Innovate UK.1 This in turn, led to 
the inclusion of scaleups in local Strategic 
Economic Plans, and in the core strategies 
of our devolved nations, notably Scotland 
and Northern Ireland.
As outlined in this Review, 2018 has seen 
the tangible results of this work in:
 the development of dedicated scaleup 
services across the country such 
as: ScaleUp North East; ScaleUp 
Berkshire; Scotland CAN DO Scale; 
ScaleUp Ashford; Scaling Services, 
Northern Ireland; ScaleUp D2N2, 
with universities, business schools 
and science parks playing a key role 
in emerging initiatives. In 2018 these 
solutions continue to expand through 
our ongoing regional engagement, 
including the running of our third 
DEG course in May, which was 
an opportunity for local leaders to 
share what had worked and gain new 
inspiration for their local scaleup 
actions. 
 the realisation of the Government's 
Industrial Strategy Building a Britain 
Fit for the Future with growth and 
scaling up as a core foundation, with 
data recognised as a core enabler and 
The ScaleUp Institute was 
established by the private sector 
with the practical mission to 
make the UK the best place in 
the world not just to start but 
scale a business.
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1 And in 2018 joined by the 
British Business Bank
localities at its heart with further 
investment into local infrastructures.
 the development and launch of the 
Department for International Trade's 
new Export Strategy placing high 
potential scaleup businesses as a clear 
segment within it and the evolution of 
Innovate Uk's scaleup services.
 data pilots progressed with 
Government, including HMRC, to 
identify scaling companies and their 
characteristics, as well as to inform, 
in pilot areas, the businesses of their 
scaleup status, and make them aware of 
services which they can be fast tracked 
into at a local level. The pilots will 
inform next steps in 2019.
 the implementation of HM Treasury's 
Patient Capital Review with the 
setting up of British Patient Capital, 
a 100m angel fund and a network 
of dedicated regional managers to 
foster a healthy ecosystem of scaleup 
finance at a local level including a 
growth capital finance hub.
 the private sector's growing focus 
on identifying scaleups among their 
client base, and creating more tailored 
solutions for scaling companies; this is 
most notable in the banking, advisory 
and tech community. 
 the 2018 Budget announcements 
investing in peer-to-peer networks, 
mentoring and Business Leadership.
 bespoke sector specific scaleup 
solutions emerging, such as that 
recently announced in the creative 
sector and the recognition of the 
importance of scaleups to the UK 
economy in the recent formation of 
the Prime Minister's Business Councils.
 
Through 2018 we have continued to work 
closely with the Government at local and 
national levels on how these policy initiatives 
are effectively implemented for scaleups to 
deliver practical outcomes. This includes our 
continuing work with the Industrial Strategy, 
ScaleUp Taskforce, Productivity and LEP 
reviews. Politicians and parliamentarians 
generally, are looking for solutions to our 
scaling challenges. We have seen increasing 
interest from overseas in the ScaleUp 
Institute's work.
The 2018 Review once again draws on the 
thematic work of the ScaleUp Institute and 
the results of the recent survey of scaleup 
leaders, to present a complete picture of 
the national landscape for scaleups. For 
the first time it also contains a Public 
Procurement Index, identifying total public 
expenditure with visible scaleups, and a 
Map of ScaleUp Support, highlighting what 
support purports to exist for scaling firms, 
where the gaps are and consequently what 
more needs to be done.
Our partnership with the Office for 
National Statistics is proving extremely 
fruitful. This year we have analysed 
detailed datasets that lay bare the relative 
scaleup performance of different areas and 
highlighting where local authorities need to 
take more and urgent action.
Combined with other research undertaken 
during the course of the year, extensive 
meetings and engagements with scaleups 
and local business ecosystem leaders, 
and the results of the 2018 survey and 
Scaleup SME Finance Monitor, the data 
findings confirm a consistent pattern with 
key insights and learnings for us all to take 
forward through 2019. 
 
Now is the time to double down on our collective efforts to 
address our scaleup challenges. At the heart of this must 
be a scaleup segmented, relationship-oriented approach  
at all local levels  with initiatives developed, and policies 
identied, fully implemented.
"
1 
 Department for 
International Trade: Export 
Strategy: supporting and 
connecting businesses to 
grow on the world stage
14
IRENE GRAHAM, CEO, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Our key conclusions  
for 2018 are:
Scaleups numbers and growth rates are 
generally rising but local disparities remain  
ONS data continues to show a growing 
scaleup population in the UK. The total 
number of scaleups increased from 31,440 
in 2015 to 35,210 in 2016, a growth of 
12 per cent. Using sectoral data from the 
ONS, we have also shown that scaleups 
are much more productive across almost 
every sector of the economy  averaging 
275,000 turnover per employee. This 
trend in ONS data is also evidenced in our 
latest ScaleUp Index with Beauhurst, which 
shows a 15% increase in number of scaleups 
achieving Companies House reporting 
threshold levels. 
However, regional disparities persist. Our 
maps of scaleup density highlight the 
geographic variation  while some areas 
exhibit high growth, others are lagging. 
This reinforces the imperative for local 
intervention and action. 
These datasets increase our understanding 
of scaleups, and also reinforce the need 
for more real-time information to enable 
more effective private and public sector 
engagement to scaling businesses at every 
level. This is work we continue to progress 
with Government. 
Scaleups remain ambitious, confident to 
scale further, highly innovative, and global 
Scaleup leaders again evidence the 
fact that they are twice as likely to be 
innovative and international than any other 
business segment. 
The majority of scaleups are globally focused 
and hungry to seek out international 
markets. As the Export Strategy recognises, 
they are crucial to our future trading 
success  and they are looking further 
afield than the traditional markets in 
Europe and the USA. The Pacific region, 
Middle East, Asia, and India are on their 
horizons. It is vitally important that the 
commitments made in the Export Strategy 
are put into practice to help them grow 
their access to overseas customers. The 
Government and private sector must help 
open doors for scaleups with better buyer 
connections and bespoke trade missions. 
This is especially important when more than 
half of all scaleups surveyed are worried that 
Brexit will have a negative impact on their 
businesses  with one in eight believing it 
will have a very negative impact. 
The core challenges stand, but Access to 
Markets is significantly on the rise 
In 2018 our scaleup CEOs continue to 
say that they need the most help with 
securing talent, but rising up in importance 
 to be almost on a par  is access to 
markets, including overseas customers, 
and opportunities for procurement and 
collaboration with Government and large 
corporates.
Challenges in leadership development, 
finance and infrastructure also remain 
significant and can dial up depending on 
locality. Scaleups are keen to see better 
access to R&D innovation funding and 
growth finance options delivered locally, 
along with access to the infrastructure that 
supports their innovation drive. Finance and 
infrastructure remain vital components to 
scaleup success.
This year four in ten scaleup leaders still 
perceive no relevant support available 
for a company like theirs and two-thirds 
want much better coordination of national 
services in their local areas through some 
form of relationship management. 
Scaleup initiatives to break down the core 
scaling challenges were sparse in 2014, 
but are now emerging at pace, with 1 in 3 
EU co-funded. However, coverage of the 
country is not uniform; some areas lack 
local scaleup solutions; markets access is 
under-served. Quality not quantity is vital.  
For the first time this year working with 
Innovate UK, the London School of 
Economics and Arup, we have mapped the 
available business support that purports to 
exist for scaleups across the UK. This has 
provided some critical insights which we will 
be following up in 2019. 
Notably of the 219 programmes mapped, 
60% have been established in the 
last three years; 1 in 3 are currently 
co-funded by the European Regional 
Development Fund (ERDF) and only 10% 
of programmes provided assistance with 
corporate collaboration, despite this issue 
being cited as a key barrier to growth by 
scaleups in our survey. 
While many programmes state they aim 
to support scaleups, many have yet to be 
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endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute, and 
scaleups do not have the time to assess 
their quality. This reinforces the ongoing 
role for the ScaleUp Institute in assessing 
which programmes work  and which do 
not  and raising awareness of the most 
impactful initiatives. 
EU funding for support to scaleup initiatives 
through EIB/EIF, ERDF, COSME and 
others is substantial. In leaving the EU 
we need to make sure no 'scaleup chasm' 
emerges by failing to have domestic policy 
routes to absorb past EU support for UK 
scaling businesses. Access to these facilities 
must be continued or appropriately replaced.
Procurement and collaborative 
opportunities need to be increased  
and simplified 
Our inaugural Visible Scaleup Public 
Procurement Index, developed in 
collaboration with Tussell and published 
with this Review, highlights the further 
work that the public sector needs to do to 
engage effectively with scaleups, as well as 
the government bodies which are already 
benefiting from these interactions.  
 
Public sector bodies awarded 1.5bn worth 
of contracts to 397 scaleups in Q3 2017 
 Q2 2018, but more remains to be done 
as scaleups only account for 2.1% of the 
total value awarded. Central Government, 
in particular, has room to improve. It is 
currently only responsible for 10% of awards 
given to scaleups by value.
Scaleups continue to cite difficulties in 
discovering opportunities to bid, as well as 
finding the process too complex. More can 
be done to raise awareness and simplify 
procedures in the public sector sphere  but 
also significantly in the corporate world. 
People and Place matter most 
Scaleup business leaders most value locally-
rooted resources and services to foster their 
growth. They are looking for local solutions 
that are easy to navigate and tailored to 
their specific needs. These include peer-
to-peer networks where they can discuss 
solutions to common challenges with 
counterparts, stronger access to schools, 
universities and collaboration partners in  
the public and private sectors. While scaleup 
leaders recognise that there are national 
Government initiatives, they want these 
delivered locally in a manner much easier  
to navigate.
THE 
INFRASTRUCTURE 
GAP
Navigating 
infrastructure
THE MARKETS 
GAP
Accessing customers 
other markets /
home market
THE FINANCE 
GAP
Accessing the 
right combinations 
of finance
THE TALENT 
AND SKILLS GAP
Finding employees to 
hire who have the 
skills they need
THE 5 KEY GAPS
THE 
LEADERSHIP 
CAPACITY GAP
Building their 
leadership capability
So, what does the scaleup ecosystem need to do now?
16
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
IRENE GRAHAM, CEO, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
As an ecosystem we must:
 Act at a local level to overcome 
continuing disparities and act in 
a targeted manner with greatest 
emphasis on converting scaleup 'cold 
spots' to 'hot spots'. Scaleup needs and 
solutions must be high on the agenda 
of every local area and authority. 
Detailed ONS datasets demonstrate 
where the challenges are and where 
action needs to be taken. In 2019, the 
ScaleUp Institute will carry out further 
research using these datasets and 
others to get behind the figures and 
help focus action on local needs and 
local areas that most need attention.
 Unleash the most up-to-date data so 
that we can be ever more effective 
in our engagement with scaleup 
businesses and leaders and to harness 
our resources with more effect, impact 
and investment. In 2019 we will 
continue our work with Government 
and HMRC in piloting the use of 
data to identify and communicate 
with scaleups and in driving forward a 
verification solution including further 
analysis on a central opt-in or self-
identification service. 
 Develop better segmented scale-up 
centric and hubbed solutions. An 
effective segmentation of the UK 
business population and a client-centric 
approach to solutions for scaling 
firms must be at the heart of ongoing 
intervention and developments. All 
Local Industrial Strategies should have 
a clear scaleup component. Local 
Account Managers should be put 
in place to curate relevant activities 
and help scaleup business leaders to 
better navigate impactful private and 
public sector initiatives tailored to 
meet their needs. In 2018 scaleup 
leaders have cited such roles as 
valuable to them, which we have also 
evidenced in Denmark and Scotland. 
Local communities in the UK are now 
seeking to emulate this model and 
in 2019 the ScaleUp Institute will 
continue to monitor progress in this 
area. We have also recognised the 
positive impact of the Scaleup Enabler 
role in the West of England, where 
much has been done to galvanise the 
ecosystem towards scaleups, and we 
encourage replication of this elsewhere.
 Collaborate better and more effectively 
across markets. Large corporates, 
business schools and universities can still 
do more with local scaling businesses, 
working alongside local authorities 
to foster talent, extend research and 
development facilities and open up 
opportunities to enter markets. Both 
public and private sectors can be more 
transparent, making their procurement 
processes simpler and easier to navigate 
for scaling business and joining up 
better with local scaleup initiatives to 
promote the opportunities. We have 
refreshed our corporate collaboration 
checklist with Nesta and recommend it 
as a tool for improved engagement with 
scaleups in the supply chain. In 2019 we 
will continue to monitor progress and 
highlight best practice as a part of our 
ongoing work.
 Link scaleups to capital and local spaces 
to enable them to grow faster. A series 
of new initiatives will provide promising 
opportunities for scaleups to access 
investment. It is vital that scaleups are 
aware of these opportunities and are 
given support to access them. In 2019 
we will continue our overall work with 
the British Business Bank including the 
finance hub launched in June this year.
 Ensure no gap in scaleup solutions 
emerge as a result of leaving the 
EU. The Shared Prosperity Fund and 
Comprehensive Spending Reviews 
must take account of scaling businesses 
needs as the growth engines of the 
economy.
It is imperative that the public and private 
sector  in every locality  respond to these 
findings and continue their scaleup focus. 
 
Our recommendations  
for action
For the ScaleUp Institute, 2018 has been a 
year of building upon the good work already 
underway and ensuring that this is translated 
into effective outcomes. We continue to 
advance a national scaleup action plan 
through education and significant local 
engagement, monitoring what exists and 
sharing insights on impactful actions around 
the country to ensure we have a joined up 
ecosystem for addressing the barriers to 
scaling up.
17
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Progress is underway against many of the 
recommendations made in prior years. 
We are beginning to create the dynamic 
environment that our scaleups need to 
flourish. But our job is far from done and we 
must continue to drive forward.
Here, we refresh and recommend a further 
set of actions.
These recommendations are not a menu to 
choose from, but a comprehensive series 
of actions all actors can take to tackle the 
issues that hamper scaleup growth. Taken 
together, we are confident that we will make 
the UK the most attractive place in the 
world for scaleups.
Throughout the rest of this report, we 
examine:
 Chapter 1: The national and local 
scaleup landscape, as regards numbers, 
sector and growth trends, including 
new data sources on scaleup support 
and what our scaleup leaders are telling 
us.
 Chapter 2: Impactful programmes that 
work to overcome the barriers faced by 
scaleups and insights for local leaders 
to incorporate into their own efforts. 
 Chapter 3: The progress made and 
lessons learned by new participants 
of our Driving Economic Growth 
programme, as well as updates on 
previous participants.
 Chapter 4: A review of progress on 
our previous policy recommendations, 
the work of the ScaleUp Taskforce, 
and what is needed in 2019 if we are 
to substantially break down barriers to 
scaling faster and more effectively. 
 Chapter 5: A look forward to 2019 
and the work that we need to support 
and promote to further grow scaleup 
businesses in the UK. This is followed 
by our "Local Scaleup Briefings" which 
draw together various sources to 
provide insight into the local picture. 
We share evidence on the numbers of 
scaleups in each LEP and region; the 
scaleup sectors and top 5 local scaleups 
growing in employees or turnover, 
including a local 'snapshot' of scaleup 
leaders' views, to help illustrate what 
locally most needs to be addressed.  
In summary
Scaleups are essential to a vibrant UK 
economy, but we need to continue to 
step up our game if we are to surpass our 
international competitors and climb to the 
top of the OECD rankings. 
While we have reason to be optimistic, we 
cannot be complacent when barriers to 
scale still exist in many local areas and when 
scaling businesses are signalling concern that 
the UK may become a harder place to grow 
and see a lack of resources targeting their 
needs. We must act now to remedy this.
Challenges to UK scaleups predate the 
current 'Brexit' focus; Brexit simply makes 
the prize of reducing the scaleup gap, even 
more significant. These challenges are within 
our power to fix. 
In 2019 the ScaleUp Institute will continue 
its mission to drive forward understanding, 
action and outcomes to ensure scaling 
business leaders are 'top of mind' in every 
local community.
We will continue to undertake more sector 
specific work, and build on the creative 
industry and social business work commenced 
in 2018; we will continue our education 
focus with more detailed practical guidance 
to local areas in most need; we will continue 
to progress understanding of well evidenced 
impactful programmes (including analysing 
further the mapping of the scaleup 'support' 
ecosystem with Innovate UK and an online 
scaleup hub) and insights on what works. As a 
priority we will progress our work on access to 
markets and with Government to expand the 
timely availability of datasets to ensure better 
interventions, investment and alignment 
of resources tailored to scaling businesses 
requirements. Closer engagement with the 
education sector will also be a high priority 
with specific attention to sharing of practice 
and solutions to the talent and leadership 
gaps. Strong engagement across the national 
and local, public and private sectors will be 
maintained. We will continue to work closely 
with Innovate UK and the British Business 
Bank on their specific scaleup solutions. 
We look to all members of the ecosystem to 
join us in driving the scaleup agenda forward 
with pace and passion, to make the UK the 
best nation in which to scale a business.
18
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
IRENE GRAHAM, CEO, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
1. 
 IDBR, 2013-2016, and associated confidentiality 
protections.
2. ScaleUp Survey 2018 and UK Innovation  
Survey 2017
3. IDBR, 2013-2016, and associated confidentiality protections.
4. Octopus High Growth Small Business Report 2018
5. Beauhurst Visible Scaleup Index 2018 
6. ScaleUp Survey 2018 and Employer Perspectives Survey 
2016, Department for Education
Where not otherwise referenced, all statistics are taken from the 
2018 Scaleup Survey
SCALEUPS ARE PRODUCTIVE
Scaleups are more productive than their peers, generating  
an average of 275,000 turnover per employee.1
SCALEUPS ARE INNOVATIVE
4 in 5 scaleups have introduced or improved a product/service/
process in the last three years, twice the rate of large firms.2
SCALEUPS ARE INTERNATIONAL
Two thirds of scaleups are involved in international trade, 
in a range of markets across the world. They are looking to 
expand further internationally despite Brexit.
SCALEUPS ARE ACROSS  
ALL SECTORS
Scaleups span the economy: the majority of them operate 
in sectors outside of technology.
SCALEUPS CREATE HIGH QUALITY JOBS
Scaleups help create high-quality jobs with more  
satisfied employees  employing 3.6m workers3  
and creating c. 3,000 new jobs per week.4
SCALEUPS ARE DIVERSE
40% of all scaleups have at least one female director5
 
SCALEUPS ARE GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENS
64% of scaleups offer opportunities to young people 
through work experience, internships or apprenticeships. 
They offer apprenticeships at twice the rate of typical firms.6
 
SCALEUPS DON'T STOP GROWING 
80% of scaleups expect to scale again in the coming year.
62% expect to achieve 20%+ turnover growth.
41% expect to achieve 20%+ employee growth.
We will continue our education focus with more 
detailed practical guidance to local areas in most 
need; we will continue to progress understanding 
of well evidenced impactful programmes
"
19
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The ScaleUp Institute's  
core purpose is to: 
 Ensure scaleups are a national priority 
embedded into the local fabric of the 
communities in which they operate, 
with solutions delivered across the 
private and public sector to break down 
the barriers they face.
 Engage as a national data observatory, 
providing insight on the scaleup 
ecosystem across the UK, disseminating 
and analysing the most recent data, 
ensuring scaleup businesses are on the 
map and providing benchmarks for 
the landscape each year to see where 
more can be done. Acting also as an 
international barometer and assessor.
 Educate on what is needed to create 
and foster a local ecosystem 'match fit' 
for scaling businesses at every stage of 
their growth journey, and to highlight 
well- evidenced impactful programmes 
and practices from which others can 
learn, emulate and improve.
 Enhance knowledge of scaleups 
through research, data, policy and 
analysis, to understand their needs and 
which localities of the country have the 
greatest requirement for private and 
public sector engagement, resources 
and investment to propel scaleup 
business growth.
3 Key principles guide  
our work:
1. Data and evidence  building  
upon what works: We will rigorously 
assess interventions and programmes 
based on data and evidence of 
measurable impact. 
2. Segmentation: Businesses are not 
homogeneous  scaling business must 
be treated as a separate segment with 
bespoke solutions.
3. Client centric and local: Scaleups value 
locally delivered solutions  even when 
a programme is national. In a growing 
company, time is a scarce commodity 
and community level engagement is 
essential, alongside active relationship 
management.
These principles we believe should be  
at the heart of efforts to overcome the 
challenges which scaleups have continually 
identified to their growth. We will continue to 
champion them.
20
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
IRENE GRAHAM, CEO, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
21
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Recommendations for 2018
1
A verification process with Government should be created to allow for local and 
national stakeholders to verify the 'Scaleup status' of a business, building on the 
recent work of the ScaleUp Institute with Government.
This should tap into datasets that combine ONS, Companies House and HMRC data points to enable 
stakeholders to fast track solutions to scaleup leaders. If necessary, legislation should be passed to 
introduce such an enquiry capability.
2
A 'Scaleup Visa' should be made available in communities where there are 100+ 
scaleup companies to enable scaleup leaders, across all sectors, to recruit the staff 
they need to increase their capacity to grow.
The Government should make the international skills needs of scaling businesses a priority. Local 
authorities, education establishments, advisory and finance companies should be able to be sponsors 
of such.
3
Funding for local communities should continue to be tied to the effective 
deployment of initiatives that close the scaleup gap as well as the results and impacts 
that they have on the number of scaleup businesses in their area. 
Every Local Industrial Strategy should have a scaleup pillar, including a markets access strategy and a 
scaleup cluster map based on currently available datasets.
4 All local communities should appoint a Scaleup Champion and develop a relationship 
management structure for scaleup businesses.
5
The outcomes of the Productivity Review, Shared Prosperity Fund and 
Comprehensive Spending Review should ensure that funding for impactful business 
support (whether it be mentors, leadership or networks) has a significant focus 
and segmentation towards our scaleup businesses, which are generators of wealth, 
exports and productivity to the UK economy.
These Reviews should collectively ensure no gap in scaleup support provision is allowed to arise in light 
of the UK's changing relationship with the EU.
6
Central Government when implementing its Export Strategy should allocate a 
significant portion of resources to scaleups, including supporting dedicated trade 
missions for scaleups. 
All local areas should be encouraged to set up a local exchange programme for scaling businesses, such 
as that developed by the Mayoral 'Go to Grow' campaign in London.
22
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
IRENE GRAHAM, CEO, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
7
Public bodies should use the inaugural Visible Scaleup Public Procurement Index to 
further improve their understanding and reporting on the procurement involving UK 
scaleups, including scaling businesses not yet visible at Companies House.
All public bodies should improve the way opportunities are promoted to scaleup companies by 
significantly raising the visibility of procurement champions and ensuring their roles have objectives 
and measurements. The Government should continue the evolution of Contracts Finder to become a 
smart platform and continue to develop more scaleup specific 'meet the buyer' events working with 
local areas and build on the current work underway as regards sandbox environments.
8
Large companies should report on the level of collaboration and procurement they 
source from scaleup companies. 
Any procurement contracts with Government should require an increase in the amount of business 
undertaken with scaleups as part of the contracting process which should be monitored.
9
The Department for Education, Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Careers 
& Enterprise Company should use their convening and promotional power to 
ensure that students at schools, colleges and universities come into contact with 
business leaders and that APIs to the National Pupils database and the destinations 
database (with suitable protections) are made available so that the impact of these 
interventions can be measured.
The public, private and education sectors should continue to work together to close the gap on 
provision of high-quality flexible scaleup leadership programmes, including mentoring, peer networks 
and matchmaking of non-executive directors who have scaled businesses before. Better connections 
should also continue to be made between national programmes and local ecosystem leaders. The 
Small Business Charter, and other such mechanisms, should integrate an assessment of 'scaleup 
engagement' into their performance analysis.
10
Government and industry should ensure progress is made closing the finance gap for 
scaleup by continuing the work to implement the Patient Capital Review.
Growth finance should be included as core curriculum in all local scaleup leadership programmes, 
enabling them to seek out and secure the most appropriate funding at each stage of their company's 
growth. The status of current EU sources of funding needs to be monitored, and replaced as appropriate.
23
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24
EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
IRENE GRAHAM, CEO, SCALEUP INSTITUTE
2018 Highlights of the year
From London to Silverstone to Newcastle to 
Manchester  a day on the road with the SUI 
as we impart insights on scaleup corporate 
collaboration and leadership development with 
Silverstone Technology Cluster; host a thought 
leadership roundtable on Social Scaleups with 
Barclays; launch Manchester Business School's 
Scale-Up Forum peer network; and head to 
Newcastle to kick off ScaleUp North East.
Innovate UK's 
ScaleUp Pilot 
Advisory Board, 
chaired by SUI, 
kicks off.
JANUARY
The economic value of scaleups is discussed at 
the inaugural Colne Valley Business Conference 
And we join the Scottish Ecosystem to assess the 
status on their scaleup plans. 
 
(Twitter: @3mbic) 
Peer-to-Peer with the Vine Club in Beaulieu 
discussing scaling pains with Smith & Williamson.
FEBRUARY
First ScaleUp Female Founder Index is published 
to coincide with International Women's Day, 
highlighting the diversity and variety of our 
female-led scaling business.
Nordic Scaleup Summit invites SUI and Innovate 
UK to share UK insights on scaleup initiatives 
and to foster cross border collaboration: the first 
of many international insights imparted in 2018 
with our core partners. 
 
SUI participates in Downing Street roundtable 
with SME Crown Rep Emma Jones and Minister 
for Implementation Oliver Dowden to discuss 
announcements geared to enabling more 
Government business 
to be contracted with 
SMEs and scaling firms, 
many align with SUI 
and ScaleUp Taskforce 
recommendations. 
MARCH
SUI participates at Thames Valley Berkshire 
Local Industrial Strategy workshop and Northern 
Powerhouse Growth Hub Network. 
 
SUI helps shape 
Innovate UK's  
Scale Up Peer-to-
Peer Summit at  
the Belfry.
SUI gives 
testimony to Lords   
EU Internal Market 
Sub-Committee on 
Startups, Scaleups 
and Brexit.
APRIL
The third DEG course takes 
place at Leeds University 
with 64 ecosystem leaders 
from across the UK.
SUI hosts 2018 Scaleup Taskforce meeting 
at Digital Catapult; participates in Growing 
Women's Enterprise in Scotland with Strathclyde 
University; and continues to work with the 
Creative Industries on the sectoral challenges of 
accessing finance and scaling up.
MAY
SUI hosts and gives evidence to BEIS 
Parliamentary Select Committee inquiry into 
business and productivity.
BBB soft launches 
Finance Hub focussed 
on growth capital 
working with SUI and 
finance ecosystem. 
SUI joins Liverpool LEP 
at International Festival 
of Business to discuss 
Scaling in today's World 
(12/6) with the Entrepreneurs' Network and The 
Supper Club and meets with all UK chairs of 
Vistage to discuss the UK scaleup challenge and 
relevance to their UK wide peer-to-peer networks. 
London Stock Exchange, ELITE, SUI, Nesta and 
Mind the Bridge host SEP ScaleUp corporate 
collaboration and investment summit London.
JUNE
Aiming Higher
Innovate UK & Enterprise 
Europe Network 
Scaleup Programme
25
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ELITE and Sage go on the road around the UK 
to inspire future scaleups working with the SUI 
and launch of the British Business Bank's equity 
tracker in Manchester. 
(photo credit: Saffron Blaze, via 
http://www.mackenzie.co)
SUI participates in 
Oxford Local Industrial 
Strategy Trailblazer 
Workshop and hosts with 
Engine Shed Bristol the 
IUK ScaleUp Strategic 
Advisory Board and 
visit TasteTech, a local 
manufacturing scaleup 
participating in the pilot 
programme. 
JULY
UK Government launches its Export Strategy 
with a range of SUI recommendations and a 
focus on how government will use advanced 
data science 
techniques 
to identify 
businesses with 
the highest 
potential to 
export so that 
they can be 
approached 
with targeted 
support. This 
will include 
high export 
potential, high 
growth firms 
and scaleups.  
(Twitter: @LiamFox)
AUGUST
SUI participates 
at the first 
O2 Blue Door 
Conference for 
fast growing 
businesses.
Somerset 
Chamber and 
Lloyds Bank 
invite SUI to 
present on Scaling for Infrastructure at Hinkley 
Point as they evolve their scaleup hub for 
suppliers. Inspiring to hear JJP Holdings' growth 
journey as part of this initiative.
SUI presents to local ecosystem leaders at the 
Kent & Medway Growth Hub Steering Group, 
bringing together all county councils to learn from 
ScaleUp Ashford and replicate it across Kent.
Discussing with Lord Smith of Kelvin, chairman of 
British Business Bank, access to growth finance in 
Scotland and how BBB is working with the local 
ecosystem to enable Scottish businesses to scale 
up with patient capital and long-term investment.
SEPTEMBER
Coast to Capital Scaleup Escalator Programme 
launches following participation on DEG.
Launch of the HMRC and SUI data pilot  
(see page 198 for insights).
SUI hosts a reception for Ambassadors of the 
scaleup ecosystem.
OCTOBER
Launch of the Scaleup Annual Review
Following the launch of the SUI's Annual Review 2018 the Institute presents at 
ScaleUp Summits in the North East and West of England.
SUI invited to discuss scaleup ecosystems with EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel.
Launch of interactive tool of scaleup business support and research on social scaleups.
Continuing work with DCMS and CIC on the creative and digital sector on scaling 
businesses challenges and needs.
NOVEMBER INTO DECEMBER 
EQUITY TRACKER 2018 
equity investment  
in 2017 up 89% from 
3.1bn in 2016
Early stage funding 
is strong, with seed 
investment value up 91% 
since 2016
Venture stage 
is the most 
volatile, but 
investment 
value is still  
up 72%
The growth 
stage is very 
strong, with 
an increase  
of 100%
The number of equity deal 
numbers have increased  
6% in 2017 to 1,487 deals


Average deal sizes  
have more than
from 2.2m in 2013  
to 4.9m in 2017
doubled
47%
of all equity deals in 2017 
are at the seed stage  
forming the largest part  
of the market
51%
The London region accounted for  
51% of all UK equity deals in 2017
72%
UP
91%
UP
100%
UP
Business and Professional Services  
is the breakout sector, up 680m  
in 2016 to 2bn in 2017
5.9bn
2018 is looking strong 
with investment amounts 
exceeding
1.3bn
 in Q1
British Business Bank 
programmes have supported 
7% of all equity deals  
since 2011
7%
Private equity and VC involved 
in 30% of seed stage deals, 
the same proportion as 
crowdfunding platforms
30%
51% of deals by 
British Business 
Bank supported 
funds were  
in Tech and IP, 
higher than the 
overall market  
of 39%
THE VALUE OF INVESTMENT IS UP AT ALL STAGES:
The Tech and IP based business  
sector received 36% of all equity 
investment in 2017, the largest sector  
by investment value
26
SECTION TITLE
CHAPTER THREE
27
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Chapter One
The scaleup business landscape
28
Scaleup indicators from a 
national and local perspective 
 
Core to the ScaleUp Institute's mandate is to work with others to grow 
and share the evidence available about scaling businesses in the UK. 
With accurate and timely analysis of more data, local communities and 
authorities, LEPs, regions, and stakeholders from the private and third 
sectors will be better able to target interventions that remove barriers to 
scaleup growth.
In 2014, the annual target was set to achieve one net additional scaleup per 100,000 
population nationally. This is in line with aspirations deployed by those responsible for 
driving economic growth in other nations. 
The ScaleUp Institute, in partnership with the ONS, has been able to undertake 
detailed analysis of four years of longitudinal scaleup data both at a national level, a 
sectoral level, and at an in-depth local authority level against three elements of the 
OECD high-growth (scaleup) definition. These are: 
 Scaleups growing by more than 20% per annum by employee growth
 Scaleups growing by more than 20% per annum by turnover growth
 Scaleups growing by more than 20% per annum in both employees and turnover.
The scaleup population has grown in line with targets in recent years. In 2013, there 
were 26,985 scaleup businesses in the UK. The most recent ONS data shows that this 
number has risen to 35,210 scaleups in 2016, representing an increase of 30 per cent 
since 2013 and 12 per cent growth since 2015 alone. This annual change was driven 
by an additional 1,500 employment scaleups, an additional 3,400 turnover scaleups 
and an additional 1,100 scaleups in both employment and turnover. The number of 
employment scaleups has been variable, with the 2016 figure still 3.7 per cent below 
its peak in 2014, but 12 per cent above its value in 2015. 
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
26,985
IN 2013
27,490
IN 2014
31,440
IN 2015
35,210
IN 2016
TOTAL NO. OF 
SCALEUPS
12.495
IN 2013
12,180
IN 2015
13,665
IN 2016
14,190
IN 2014
BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH
BY EMPLOYMENT 
AND TURNOVER
20,195
IN 2013
25,530
IN 2015
28,970
IN 2016
19,610
IN 2014
5,705
IN 2013
6,270
IN 2015
6,310
IN 2014
7,425
IN 2016
NUMBER OF SCALEUPS 
NATIONAL FIGURE DATA 
29
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Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR datasets 2013-2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the 
IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. 
In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in 
totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Looking at the breakdown by the number of employees that scaleups employ provides an 
alternate view of the sectoral dispersion, shown in the figure below. Of the 3.6 million people 
employed by scaleups in the UK, administration and support services accounts for more 
than 500,000 employees, and health/social work and wholesale/retail account for more 
than 400,000 employees each. This also shows how broad based scaleups are across the 
economy, given that there are eight sectors all employing more than 200,000 employees in 
scaleups. The average scaleup has 105 employees, which varies at the sectoral level from 268 
employees in the average finance/insurance scaleup to 50-60 employees in construction, 
water and 'other services' scaleups. 
Sectoral analysis
For the first time, the ScaleUp Institute has been able to conduct an analysis of scaleups 
at the sectoral level using ONS data. This reveals the true diversity of scaleups across all 
sectors of the economy, not just technology or science. The figure below shows the number 
of scaleups by sector of the economy, as well as the growth from 2015-2016. The largest 
sector in the economy by the number of scaleups is health/social work, closely followed 
by wholesale/retail and admin & support services. These largest scaleup sectors were also 
responsible for the vast majority of scaleup growth, with the top six sectors accounting for 
82 per cent of the growth in the number of scaleups.
0.1%
0.2%
0.8%
2.0%
2.6%
2.8%
3.3%
3.4%
3.8%
6.2%
8.4%
9.4%
9.4%
10.5%
11.1%
12.2%
13.9%
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
Total number of scaleups
Energy
Agri/Mining
Water/Sewage
Real Estate
Finance/Insurance
Other Service
Arts
Transport
Education
Info & Communication
Manufacturing
Accommodation/Food
Construction
Professional, Scientific & Tech
Admin & Support Services
Wholesale/Retail
Health/Social Work
Scaleups 2015
Change in Scaleups 2015-2016
% of total
SCALEUPS BY ECONOMIC SECTOR (SIC SECTION)
0
200
400
600
Total employment in scaleups ('000)
Agri/Mining
Energy
Water/Sewage
Real Estate
Other Service
Arts
Transport
Info & Communication
Construction
Finance/Insurance
Education
Manufacturing
Accommodation/Food
Professional, Scientific & Tech
Wholesale/Retail
Health/Social Work
Admin & Support Services
SCALEUP EMPLOYMENT BY ECONOMIC SECTOR (2016, SIC SECTION)
30
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
53
55
58
70
74
75
85
86
90
94
94
98
106
137
163
181
268
0
100
200
300
Average number of employees per firm
Water/Sewage
Other Service
Construction
Real Estate
Agri/Mining
Info & Communication
Professional, Scientific & Tech
Accommodation/Food
Manufacturing
Health/Social Work
Arts
Wholesale/Retail
Transport
Energy
Admin & Support Services
Education
Finance/Insurance
AVERAGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN SCALEUPS, BY ECONOMIC SECTOR (2016, SIC SECTION)
0
200
400
600
Turnover per employee ( '000)
Education
Accommodation/Food
Health/Social Work
Other Service
Admin & Support Services
Arts
Real Estate
Transport
Manufacturing
Professional, Scientific & Tech
Info & Communication
Construction
Wholesale/Retail
Agri/Mining/Energy/Water
UK Average
Scaleups
PRODUCTIVITY BY SECTOR  SCALEUPS AND UK AVERAGE
Productivity by sector 
The sectoral data allow us to analyse the relative productivity of scaleups against the average 
firm in each sector, using the turnover per employee as a proxy of productivity.1 The figure 
below shows that scaleups are more productive than the average firm in almost every sector 
of the economy. In construction and the combined sector for agriculture, mining, energy 
and water scaleups are twice as productive as the average firm, and in 11 out of 13 sectors 
scaleups were at least 10 per cent more productive than average. 
Source: UK average figures from ONS Business Population Estimates 2016, scaleup figures from ONS 2016 
high growth enterprise data. 
Notes: Financial sector excluded as UK wide financial sector turnover data was censored in the ONS business 
population estimates used. The agriculture, mining, energy and water sectors were aggregated to make like-for-
like comparisons between the two data sources.
1  Turnover per employee 
is an imperfect proxy 
for productivity, as it 
does not account for 
differences in profitability 
between firms. However, 
ONS data does not 
measure profitability of 
firms, so it is not possible 
to compare on this basis. 
By controlling for the 
sector of the economy in 
which the firm operates, 
large differences in 
business operations are 
accounted for. 
31
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Local level 
There is significant variation at a local level, looking at the 38 English LEPs, Scotland, Wales 
and Northern Ireland. The figure below shows the breakdown for the number of scaleups 
per 100k population, and the average annual change in this figure from 2013-16. In 2016, 
there was a median of 50 scaleups in each area, and there has been a median increase of 4 
scaleups per year on average from 2013-2016. The relative 'cold spots' nationally are the 
Black Country and Tees Valley, the only LEPs to have a growth in scaleups of less than one 
per 100k population. Several regions have had a high average growth rate in the number 
of scaleups per 100k population, including Hertfordshire, Gloucestershire, Cornwall, New 
Anglia and the West of England.
An interactive visualisation of this data is available on the ScaleUp Institute website,  
enabling interrogation across all local authorities, LEPs and regions of the United Kingdom.  
Please visit www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk for further details.
-2
0
2
4
6
8
Change	in	Scaleups	per	100k	population	per	annum	2013-2016
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
Scaleups	per	100k,	201649.9
3.9
44.8
3.1
Scaleup	Growth	2013-16	(All	Regions	and	LEPs)
LEP
Black	Country
Buckinghamshire	Tham
Cheshire	and	Warringt
Coast	to	Capital
Cornwall	and	Isles	of	Sc
Coventry	and	Warwick
Cumbria
Derby,	Derbyshire,	Not
Dorset
Enterprise	M3
Gloucestershire
Greater	Birmingham	an
Greater	Cambridge	and
Greater	Lincolnshire
Greater	Manchester
Heart	of	the	South	Wes
Hertfordshire
Humber
Lancashire
Leeds	City	Region
Leicester	and	Leicester
Liverpool	City	Region
London
New	Anglia
North	East
Northern	Ireland
Oxfordshire
Scotland
Sheffield	City	Region
Solent
South	East
South	East	Midlands
Stoke-on-Trent	and	Sta
CHANGE IN SCALEUPS PER 100K POPULATION PER ANNUM 2013-16
SCALEUPS PER  100K, 2016SCALEUP GROWTH 2013-16, LEPS, SCOTLAND, WALES & NORTHERN IRELAND
Notes: Solid lines indicate median values for the UK, dashed lines indicate median values from the previous year.
32
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
Notes: Where LEPs overlap, the average of the two LEPs is shown.
This geographic variation is also highlighted in the maps below, which show the number of 
scaleups per 100k at a LEP/country level across the UK, where areas of a darker shade of 
green have a higher number of scaleups relative to their population. Cheshire & Warrington, 
London and areas on the M3/M4 corridor stand out as having a particularly high number 
of scaleups per 100k population. The north of England has seen positive changes in scaleup 
density since last year, along with the east of England, Wales and Cornwall.
MAP OF SCALEUPS PER 100K, BY LEP/AREA
Scaleups per 100k 
population 2015
Scaleups per 100k 
population 2016
2015
2016
33
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Notes: Where LEPs overlap, the average of the two LEPs is shown.
MAP OF AVERAGE ANNUAL CHANGE IN SCALEUPS PER 100K, BY LEP/AREA
Avg. annual growth 
scaleups per 100k 
population 2013-15 
0 2 4 6
Avg. annual growth 
scaleups per 100k 
population 2013-16 
0 2 4 6
2015
2016
Particularly encouraging is that despite the high variation across the UK, most regions have 
seen their growth rate accelerate since 2015. The maps below show the relative growth 
rates of scaleups across the UK, where regions shaded in darker green have exhibited a high 
growth in the number of scaleups relative to their population over the last 4 years. Broad 
areas of the UK have performed well on this measure, with the South West particularly 
high, alongside Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the East of England. In the last year, 
the Midlands has seen a material increase in the growth rate, beginning a catch-up with 
surrounding areas of the UK. 
34
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
To examine these trends in more detail, the table opposite shows how the average annual 
change in scaleups has progressed, highlighting that of the 41 UK regions, 34 have seen 
their growth rate increase in the last year, including eight of the nine regional 'cold-spots' 
identified in last year's ScaleUp Review. 
LOCAL GROWTH RATES IN NUMBER OF SCALEUPS PER 100K POPULATION, 2013-15 AND 2013-16
Avg. annual change in scaleups 
Local Area
2013-16
2013-15
Rate of growth 
+/-
Change in 
growth rate
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
6.3
4.3
+
2.1
West of England
6.0
5.7
+
0.2
Northern Ireland
5.7
4.5
+
1.2
Gloucestershire
5.5
2.8
+
2.6
Hertfordshire
5.3
2.3
+
3.1
New Anglia
5.3
4.2
+
1.0
York, North Yorkshire and East Riding
5.0
4.5
+
0.5
London
4.8
4.1
+
0.8
Heart of the South West
4.7
4.1
+
0.6
Greater Lincolnshire
4.6
4.5
+
0.1
Greater Cambridge and Greater 
Peterborough
4.5
3.7
+
0.8
Solent
4.5
3.9
+
0.5
Wales
4.4
4.3
+
0.1
Enterprise M3
4.3
4.9
-
-0.6
Sheffield City Region
4.3
3.1
+
1.2
Coast to Capital
4.1
3.9
+
0.2
Greater Manchester
4.0
3.1
+
0.9
Scotland
4.0
4.9
-
-0.9
Cheshire and Warrington
3.9
3.3
+
0.6
South East
3.9
3.3
+
0.6
Lancashire
3.9
2.1
+
1.8
Oxfordshire
3.7
0.6
+
3.1
Buckinghamshire Thames Valley
3.4
-0.6
+
4.1
D2N2
3.4
3.7
-
-0.3
Cumbria
3.4
3.5
-
-0.2
Humber
3.2
1.8
+
1.3
Thames Valley Berkshire
3.2
4.4
-
-1.2
Worcestershire
3.1
-1.1
+
4.3
Leeds City Region
3.1
2.1
+
1.0
Liverpool City Region
3.0
2.7
+
0.3
The Marches
3.0
2.4
+
0.6
Swindon and Wiltshire
2.8
2.6
+
0.3
North East
2.8
2.2
+
0.6
Coventry and Warwickshire
2.2
-0.8
+
3.0
Leicester and Leicestershire
2.0
0.2
+
1.8
Dorset
1.8
2.3
-
-0.5
South East Midlands
1.8
-0.7
+
2.5
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire
1.8
0.5
+
1.2
Greater Birmingham and Solihull
1.5
-0.3
+
1.8
Tees Valley
0.4
1.4
-
-1.0
Black Country
-0.1
-2.6
+
2.5
35
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Local authority district level 
Looking at a local authority area further highlights the regional disparities across the UK. 
There was a median increase in the number of employment scaleups per 100k population 
of 0.22 annually from 2013-16, but this median figure hides the wide variation. 181 local 
authorities saw a decline in the number of employment scaleups per 100k population over 
the period, whereas 74 authorities saw an average annual increase of more than 2 scaleups 
per 100k population. 
The number of turnover scaleups continues to strengthen, now representing a median increase 
of 3.6 scaleups per 100k population per year, also with significant variation among local 
authorities. Norwich has experienced a growth in turnover scaleups averaging more than 15 per 
100k population per year, the greatest of any local authority outside of London. Across the 
UK, the median number of turnover scaleups is much higher than the number of UK scaleups, 
with 38.9 per 100k population, more than double the figure for employment scaleups. 
The table opposite highlights the twenty local authorities which had the highest scaleup density 
and growth. London features strongly, with local authorities in London representing eight of 
the ten highest authorities by scaleup density and five by scaleup growth; however there is also 
a presence from many areas of the UK, including Scotland, Yorkshire, East England and Surrey. 
CHANGE IN SCALEUPS PER 100K POPULATION PER ANNUM 2013-16
SCALEUPS PER  100K, 2016SCALEUP GROWTH 2013-16 (ALL LOCAL AUTHORITIES)
Notes: Horizontal and vertical lines indicate median values for the UK, per measure. Seven outlying authorities 
with greater than 100 scaleups per 100k population are not shown to aid readability, all of these local authorities 
are within London. 
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
Change in Scaleups  per 1 0k population per annum 2013-16
-50
-25
0
25
50
75
100
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
18.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleup Growth for Turnover  or  Employment , 2013-16
 (All ocal Author it ies)
LE P
All
Local Author ity Distr
Aberdeen City
Aberdeenshire
Adur
Allerdale
Amber Valley
Angus
Argyll & Bute
Arun
As hfi eld
As hford
Aylesbury Vale
Babergh
Barking and Dagenha
Barnet
Barnsley
Barrow-in-Furnes s
Basildon
Basingstoke and Dea
Bass et law
Bath and North East 
Bedford
Bexley
Birmingham
Blaby
Blackburn with Darw
Blackpool
Blaenau Gwent
Bols over
Bolton
Boston
36
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
Employment growth 
Turnover
KEY
The ScaleUp Institute, with ONS, will continue to analyse this data and provide a further 
update in December 2018 when the 2017 longitudinal datasets are made available. Preliminary 
analysis of 'snapshot' data from March 2017 gives an early indication that the encouraging 
trend in the number of scaleups is likely to continue. In the future, we hope this data is released 
on a much more frequent basis so that we can more readily respond and act on emerging rather 
than historic trends. 
The ScaleUp Institute's overarching goal is to narrow local disparity over time and see the 
trend in movement of local areas progress upwards. Monitoring scaleup indicators enables us 
to evaluate and roll out interventions that work and to roll back those interventions that do not 
work. Using a consistent framework allows us to compare like for like, enabling us to learn what 
works best in one area and establishing if it could be useful elsewhere. It also helps in prioritising 
where resources, investment and particular focus will be of value.
This ONS data also emphasises the importance of getting broader, more 'real-time' 
information from sources such as HMRC. Our review, with Beauhurst, of 'visible' scaleups 
from Companies House data to create the ScaleUp Index  summarised overleaf  comes 
from those filing accounts. However, given reporting thresholds, many scaling businesses do 
not yet file such reports and are not 'on the radar', which limits effective, timely engagement. 
Improved data access has been a key theme in our engagement with the ScaleUp Taskforce 
and one of its major recommendations. This is now being taken forward in joint work between 
the ScaleUp Institute and the Government including Cabinet Office, HMRC, and BEIS, 
including pilots on use of HMRC data to reach the leaders of scaling businesses at a local level. 
This joint work is welcomed and we hope leads to a future scaleup register that is more detailed 
and accessible across the public and private sectors. This remains a priority in our work with 
Government.
TOP LOCAL AUTHORITIES FOR SCALEUP DENSITY AND GROWTH
Local Authority
Scaleups per 100k 
population (2016)
City of London
7712
Westminster
479
Camden
240
Islington
155
Hammersmith and Fulham
128
Kensington and Chelsea
128
Southwark
125
South Bucks
101
Hackney
97
North Warwickshire
95
Winchester
94
South Cambridgeshire
86
Shetland Islands
86
Tower Hamlets
85
Wycombe
85
Watford
83
Hertsmere
82
Stratford-on-Avon
82
Cotswold
82
Waverley
81
Local Authority
Change in scaleups 
per 100k population 
per annum (2013-16)
City of London
21
Southwark
16
Hammersmith and Fulham
13
Midlothian
13
Norwich
13
Waverley
12
Harrogate
12
Derbyshire Dales
12
Islington
11
Chorley
11
New Forest
11
Ipswich
11
Maldon
10
Conwy
10
Brighton and Hove
10
Christchurch
10
Cheltenham
10
Hackney
10
Richmondshire
9
Stratford-on-Avon
9
DENSITY
GROWTH
37
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38
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
VISIBLE SCALEUP GROUPS
11,581
visible scaling legal entities 
examined
7,161
legal entities excluded
 
(charities, PLCs, foreign HQ, 
duplicate subsidiaries)
4,420
unique scaleup businesses
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
1bn
2bn
3bn
1,256m2,747m639m755m867m879m912m72
86
77
89
72
55
66
658
347
318
278
241
Property/land development
Distribution
Builders
Misc. manufacturing & engineering
Food & drink processors
2,948M
1,849M
1,546M
1,530M
1,230M
BestWay Wholesale
State Oil
Motor Fuel Group
Wates
Rontec
25,122
18,607
4,988
4,506
4,187
BestWay Wholesale
The Staing Group
The Siamo Group
Exclusive Contract Services
WGC
South East
Leeds City Region
Greater Manchester
Coast to Capital
Enterprise M3
125
129
186
209
243
METHODOLOGY
TOP SECTORS BY NUMBER OF 
VISIBLE SCALEUPS
TOP VISIBLE SCALEUPS 
BY EMPLOYEE COUNT
TOP VISIBLE SCALEUPS 
BY TURNOVER
TOP LEPS BY NUMBER OF 
VISIBLE SCALEUPS
EQUITY INVESTMENT INTO VISIBLE SCALEUPS OVER TIME
Based on Companies House data, excluding charitable and third sector scaleups and listed 
companies, which will be subject to separate analysis. Data analysed by Beauhurst.
39
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4,420
number of visible scaleups
74m
IUK grant funding
47%
scaling 2+ years
164
female-led visible scaleups
687
visible scaleups using equity
23%
scaling  3+ years
Camden
97
City of London
148
Westminster
182
Birmingham
66 
Leeds
71 
Manchester
50 
Cheshire East
42 
Draper
Esprit
BGF
TOP EQUITY INVESTORS BY DEALS INTO VISIBLE SCALEUPS   01/11/2011  31/08/2018
KEY FIGURES    01/11/2011  31/08/2018
VISIBLE SCALEUPS IN LONDON 
BY LOCAL AUTHORITY
VISIBLE SCALEUPS IN BRITAIN 
BY LOCAL AUTHORITY
Index 
Ventures
Accel 
Partners
Balderton 
Capital
Lloyds 
Devel op me nt 
Capital
14
14
14
19
72
17
In the following pages we focus on the survey responses from the scaleup business leaders 
whose companies are cumulatively generating 6bn in turnover. Not only are they fast-
growing and confident, they are sizeable and often well-established companies. They are two 
times more likely to be innovative than large companies and they outperform their peers in 
the provision of apprenticeships. 
The 2018 ScaleUp Survey provides detailed and comprehensive insight into the issues that 
the 514 scaleups regard as vital to their future growth and development.
The key issues and barriers faced remain consistent, but a striking aspect of this year's survey 
is the continuing rise in importance placed upon access to markets both at home and abroad. 
This now now ranks almost equally with access to talent as the key barrier to the continued 
growth of the nation's scaleups. 
514
SCALEUP BUSINESSES 
MORE PRODUCTIVE THAN 
OTHER FIRMS, AND TWICE 
AS LIKELY TO BE INNOVATIVE 
AND EXPORTERS THAN 
LARGER FIRMS 
 
OUTPERFORMING THEIR 
PEERS IN GOOD CORPORATE 
CITIZENSHIP WITH 
FOUR IN TEN OFFERING 
APPRENTICESHIPS 
COMPARED TO TWO IN TEN 
FOR TYPICAL UK FIRM
PLANNING TO SCALE  
AGAIN IN 2019 GENERATING 
1.5BN MORE TURNOVER 
AND 7,000 MORE JOBS  IN 
SPITE OF OVERWHELMINGLY 
CITING BREXIT AS A 
NEGATIVE EFFECT
STILL CONSIDER TO  
BE UNDER-SERVED  
BY THE ECOSYSTEM  
YET HUNGRY TO  
EXPORT AND  
COLLABORATE  
MORE
190k
REVENUE PER EMPLOYEE
6bn
REVENUE IN TURNOVER
THESE SCALEUPS ARE:
2018 Scaleup leaders' views
2018's ScaleUp Survey was completed by 514 scaleup CEOs. 
It provides insight into the views of our most ambitious 
scaling businesses from a diverse set of sectors cross the 
country  89% of whom expect to grow even further in 
2019 in spite of their expectations that Brexit will have an 
overwhelmingly negative effect. 
40
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
The top challenges
1. Access to talent  whether that is the social and technical 
skills of their workforce, the ability to recruit from overseas 
or having the talent to secure international business, 
scaleups have consistently highlighted the need to be able 
to attract the right skills and experience as the biggest 
challenge to their future growth. In 2018 eight out of ten 
single this out as the most significant barrier- slightly down 
on 2017. 
2. Access to markets  for the second year running, access 
to markets is identified as the second most important 
hurdle to growth. Significantly this year, it is ranked almost 
equal with the talent challenge. Many scaleups already 
do business with large corporates and/or government and 
other public sector bodies, but survey respondents cite 
similar barriers to gaining further work with both groups  
primarily the complexity of the procurement process, and 
the ability to find out about opportunities to bid.  
 
Two-thirds of scaleups are involved in international trade 
 placing them firmly in the vanguard of the UK's trade 
ambitions  and, among those who currently do not, 
more than a quarter plan to start doing so. The two key 
barriers cited here are a lack of people experienced at 
winning overseas sales and the inability to find appropriate 
overseas partners.
3. Building leadership capacity  while this is the third most 
important issue for scaleups, it is viewed as slightly less of 
a barrier than in recent years. Scaleups are focused on  
 
developing their leadership capability and capacity.  
They want solutions for leadership development 
delivered at a local level, with local access to mentors 
and peers who have the experience of growing a business, 
as well as surrounding universities and business schools. 
From the public sector they want easier access to public 
sector funding for innovation and R&D, general business 
support, Growth Hubs and Innovate UK. This includes 
two-thirds wanting practical relationship management 
support and two thirds wanting HMRC data better 
harnessed to link them to private and public sector 
offerings on an opt in basis. When force-ranked, peer-to-
peer networks are seen as the most vital support.
4. Finance and risk capital  while access to finance is not 
seen as the main obstacle to their growth, a notable four 
in ten scaleups do not feel they currently have the right 
amount of funding in place for their current ambitions. 
Three-quarters of scaleups rely on external finance to 
support their growth, drawing it from a wide variety of 
sources. Regional disparities continue to be noticeable, 
with scaleups in London and the South East much more 
likely to be using equity finance than those elsewhere. 
Reservations about the use of equity finance remain as 
regards its unsuitability, fears of having to 'give up control' 
or a simple lack of knowledge.
5. Infrastructure  (space to grow, digital capacity) remains 
consistently cited as a growth barrier by scaling businesses, 
and is an issue that has to be considered alongside other 
barriers as a complement to a thriving scaleup ecosystem.
Scaleup aspirations remain high  eight in ten scaleups are expecting to scale again 
next year  but half are worried about the future of the UK as a place for doing 
business and only four out of ten feel there is sufficient support from the private 
and public sectors currently available to them. It is imperative that we continue our 
focus on developing local scaleup ecosystems, remove the barriers to their growth and 
respond positively and energetically to the needs of UK scaleups.
The desire for a more proactive relationship with the public sector is an important aspect 
that has been revealed in this year's survey. Two-thirds of scaleups stated that a named single 
point of contact as a local relationship manager would improve their route through to national 
government and private sector initiatives designed to foster growth. Four out of ten exporters 
wanted this service specifically from the Department of International Trade. The majority of 
scaleups also want an information hub specific to scaleup needs detailing the support available 
to them which SUI will develop in 2018 with public and private sector partners.
Locally rooted solutions remain the most valued by scaleups, reiterating the need for 
national offerings whether public or private to have a local nexus. 
41
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THE 2018 SCALEUP SURVEY  
AT A GLANCE
THEY ARE HIGHLY PRODUCTIVE 
AVERAGING 
        187,000 
TURNOVER PER EMPLOYEE
These scaleups came from across all 
regions and sectors:
SCALEUP BUSINESSES 
GENERATING
514
IN TURNOVER
6bn
THEY REMAIN  
AMBITIOUS
 62%  
EXPECT TO ACHIEVE 20%+ 
TURNOVER GROWTH IN THE 
COMING YEAR
 41%  
OF SCALEUPS EXPECT TO 
ACHIEVE 20%+ EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH IN THE NEXT YEAR
THEY ARE HIGHLY 
INNOVATIVE
79%  
HAVE INTRODUCED A NEW/
IMPROVED PRODUCT, 
SERVICE OR PROCESS IN 
THE LAST THREE YEARS
 2x  
THE INNOVATION RATE OF 
LARGE FIRMS
THEY ARE GOOD 
CORPORATE CITIZENS
 2/3 (64%)  
OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO 
YOUNG PEOPLE THROUGH:
 2x 
AS MANY SCALEUPS  
OFFER APPRENTICESHIPS  
AS TYPICAL FIRMS
61% 
EMPLOY STAFF  
FROM THE EU AND 
35%
EMPLOY STAFF FROM 
OUTSIDE THE EU
APPRENTICESHIPS (38)
INTERNSHIPS (44%)
WORK EXPERIENCE (51%)
54% 
EXPORT
43% 
IMPORT
59% 
ARE ENGAGED 
IN TRADE WITH 
THE EU 
53% 
ARE ENGAGED 
IN TRADE 
OUTSIDE THE EU
THEY ARE 
INTERNATIONAL 
TWO THIRDS OF  
SCALEUPS ARE  
INVOLVED IN 
INTERNATIONAL  
TRADE
THEY HAVE, OR HAVE ASPIRATIONS TO GAIN, LARGE 
CORPORATES AND GOVERNMENT AS CLIENTS
SELL INTO LOCAL OR NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
6 IN 10 SCALEUPS (55%)
2 IN 10 (24%)
SELL INTO LARGE CORPORATES AND
A QUARTER OF 
THOSE NOT 
CURRENTLY 
SELLING INTO 
EITHER LARGE 
CORPORATES OR 
GOVERNMENT 
HAVE ASPIRATIONS 
TO DO SO
SECTION TITLE
42
CHAPTER ONE
Key challenges
The key factors that will allow scaleups to continue to grow are:
The key sources of future help to grow are LOCAL:
Scaleups would also like easier access to Government resources of:
Growth Hubs
Innovate UK 
45%
34%
33%
31%
Peer  networks
Local universities and 
business schools 
Local leadership 
development programmes
55%
38%
35%
LOOKING FORWARD: HIGH AMBITIONS TO GROW BUT CONCERN THE UK WILL BECOME 
HARDER TO SCALE IN WITH LIMITED SUPPORT AND BARRIERS TO BE ADDRESSED
80%
Access to talent
79%
Access to 
UK markets
55%
Leadership 
development 
and training
63%
Access to 
infrastructure / 
premises
48%
Access to 
international 
markets
44%
Access to right 
bank / equity 
finance
Scaleups know they are doing well  63% agree that they are 
outperforming their peers. But four out of ten feel there is little support 
for businesses like them (40%) and half have concerns about whether 
the UK will continue to be a good place to do business (48%).
Two-thirds 
scaleups would like a single point of contact 
to act as a relationship manager to support 
access to services
TALENT
Key future skills for scaleup employees are critical 
thinking (64%) and a service orientation (44%). 7 in 
10 with overseas sta say it is vital/very important 
they can continue to bring in this talent.
INTERNATIONAL MARKETS
Scaleups are already doing business across the world, and 
want to do more in regions such as the Middle East, 
Australia, Latin America and the Asian Pacific region. Key 
barriers to international trade are access to markets and 
partners overseas (31%) and having the sta with the right 
skills to win overseas sales (31%). A dedicated export 
relationship management approach is valued.
FINANCE
Three quarters of scaleups are using external finance (75%), 
but 4 out of 10 do not feel they have the right finance in 
place for their business. A quarter (25%) are currently using 
equity finance and 8% plan to use it in the near future. The 
rest (67%) cite a fear of losing control, thinking it is not a 
suitable form of finance, or not really knowing much about 
equity finance as their reasons for not using this funding.
MARKETS
Selling into both government and large corporates is made 
more complicated by complex procurement processes 
(50%), the time it takes to win a contract (36%) and being 
able to spot relevant contracts to bid for (36%). A 
relationship management approach is valued. 
LEADERSHIP
Scaleups are looking for support from people who know 
what it is like to grow a business, whether as employees 
(46%), a network of peers (36%) or as non-exec 
directors (27%). They also want to develop their existing 
leadership team (57%).
INFRASTRUCTURE
Infrastructure remains a critical component to get right 
for our fast growing companies, particularly scaleup 
space. The infrastructure challenge is complementary to 
other challenges. Scaleups are seeking much greater 
university support for space and R&D facilities.
However, when asked to force rank their top 3 priorities, talent and markets remained in first and second place but
bank/equity finance moved up to joint 3rd with leadership ahead of infrastructure.
Public sector funding for 
R&D and innovation
General business support 
from government
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
43
 
Scaleup Survey 2018
 
This report focuses on the views of 514 scaleup CEOs.  
They are ambitious businesses: six out of ten (62%) expect 
more than 20% turnover growth in the next year; while four 
out of ten (41%) expect more than 20% growth in their 
employee count. Two out of ten scaleups (18%) expect their 
turnover to grow by more than 50% in the next year, and one  
in ten (10%) expect that growth in their employee numbers.
Looking at the way they have achieved their growth, one in three (34%) say that they have 
had periods of good growth, with periods of stability in between, with steady and consistent 
growth for 28% of scaleups, and one in four scaleups (26%) having grown dramatically year 
on year.
62% OF SCALEUPS EXPECT TURNOVER TO GROW BY 20% OR MORE IN THE NEXT 
YEAR, COMPARED TO 41% EXPECTING SUCH GROWTH IN EMPLOYEES 
TURNOVER
22%
18%
18%
19%
11%
1%
10%
Not grow/prefer not to say
Up to 10%
More than 10%
More than 20%
More than 30%
More than 40%
More than 50%
13%
9%
16%
23%
14%
7%
18%
EMPLOYEES
Scaleups remain optimistic about their own growth, despite 
having predominantly negative views on the likely outcome of 
the Brexit negotiations for their business
These forecasts of high growth contrast with their opinions of Brexit: looking ahead to March 
2019, most scaleups believe that Brexit will have a negative impact on their businesses, with 
only one in eight (12%) thinking that it will have a positive effect. 
Despite this, they remain optimistic, with 96% confident that they will achieve their growth 
ambitions. Four out of ten scaleups (37%) are very confident that they will achieve their 
growth targets and a further 59% are fairly confident. 
44
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
Scaleups are well established and can be sizeable businesses
 52% of scaleups have been trading for 10 years or more
 10% have a turnover in excess of 25 million
 28% have more than 50 employees
 
Scaleups are highly innovative
Scaleups are significantly more likely to be innovative than the typical firm. Eight out of 
ten scaleups (79%) introduced a new or significantly improved product, process or service 
in the last three years, while seven out of ten (68%) invested in areas such as internal 
R&D/training. This shows their heightened focus on innovation which contrasts sharply to 
the broader business population, as reflected in the 2017 UK Innovation Survey, which 
estimated that only three in ten (30%) firms had recently introduced new products/
processes/services, and only four in ten (39%) large firms. 
SCALEUPS ARE TWO TIMES MORE LIKELY THAN LARGE FIRMS TO BE INNOVATIVE
Source: Figures for large firms (250+ employees) and all firms are taken from the UK Innovation Survey 2017
MOST SCALEUPS EXPECT BREXIT WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THEIR BUSINESS
All Firms
Large Firms
Scaleups
79%
39%
30%
PERCENTAGE INTRODUCING A NEW OR SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED PRODUCT/SERVICE IN THE LAST THREE YEARS
58%
19%
12%
11%
Don't know
Positive
No eect
Negative
EXPECTED EFFECT OF BREXIT NEGOTIATIONS ON THEIR BUSINESS
45
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Scaleups value relationship management and being identified  
'put on the map'
For the first time we asked scaleups what they would want to improve their ability to engage 
with government resources. Two-thirds of scaleups (64%) stated that a named single point of 
contact as a relationship manager without improve their relationship with the public sector.  
The majority (57%) of scaleups also supported the concept of a specific ScaleUp website 
detailing the support available to them.
These scaleups are happy to be identified on a public record, with two-thirds (66%) stating 
that their scaleup status should be shared on an opt-in basis.  
SCALEUPS ARE FOUND ACROSS THE UK, AND BROADLY IN LINE WITH THE 
LOCATION OF UK BUSINESSES OVERALL 
The scaleups surveyed came from all sectors and locations of the economy, with the greatest 
number of responses from professional and scientific scaleups, alongside manufacturing 
firms and information and communication firms.
SCALEUPS ARE ACROSS ALL SECTORS
1.0%
1.6%
2.1%
2.3%
2.9%
3.1%
3.3%
3.5%
4.7%
4.9%
5.8%
6.8%
10.9%
12.3%
17.3%
17.5%
Other
Real Estate
Admin & Support Services
Transport
Agri/Mining
Education
Accommodation/Food
Arts
Finance/Insurance
Health/Social Work
Construction
Wholesale/Retail
Info & Communication
Other Services
Manufacturing
Professional, Scientific & Tech
SECTORS OF SCALEUP BUSINESSES, SIC SECTION
0.8%
1.4%
3.3%
6.2%
6.2%
8.6%
9.4%
9.6%
9.9%
12.1%
14.6%
17.9%
Wales
Northern Ireland
Yorkshire and Humberside
East Anglia
Scotland
East Midlands
North/North East
South West
West Midlands
North West
South East
London
LOCATION OF SCALEUP BUSINESSES
Two-thirds of 
scaleups stated 
that a named single 
point of contact 
as a relationship 
manager would 
improve their 
relationship with 
the public sector
46
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
 
Talent and skills 
The vital ingredient
Access to talent remains the biggest challenge that scaleups 
face. 80% of scaleups said that access to talent was vital or 
very important to their business continuing to grow. Scaleups 
consistently show good corporate citizenship  outperforming 
their peers in apprenticeships and offering internships and 
work experience. 
Scaleups employ a mix of graduates (70%), post-graduates (52%) and school leavers 
(36%). In addition, two thirds of scaleups (64%) offer opportunities to younger people 
through work experience (51%), apprenticeships (38%) and both UK and international 
internships (33% and 11% respectively). 
Scaleups are good corporate citizens  more likely to offer 
apprenticeships and willing to do more if there were easier 
school/university connections
The Department for Education estimates that 18% of all UK firms offer apprenticeships, 
which would imply that the proportion of scaleups offering apprenticeships is more than 
double the proportion of all UK firms.
Among those who do not currently offer apprenticeships1, the most substantial barriers 
related to finding suitable candidates (47% did not know where to get good candidates 
from, 31% did not have good enough links with universities or schools) and having work 
for them to do (52% stated that they didn't have suitable work, 48% said they were not 
large enough to have the resources to accommodate apprenticeships). Those who do not 
currently offer work experience identified very similar barriers. 
SOCIAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS ARE THE PRIMARY DEMANDS OF GRADUATES 
AND SCHOOL LEAVERS
1%
11%
12%
40%
36%
Finance skills
Management skills
Business skills
Technical skills
Social skills
24%
58%
62%
71%
80%
IMPORTANT SKILLS FOR SCHOOL LEAVERS AND GRADUATES
TOP 1
TOP 32
1  Employer Perspectives 
Survey 2016, Department 
for Education
2 The ScaleUp survey was 
conducted both online 
and over the phone. 
For phone interviews, 
respondents were asked to 
rate the importance on a 
1-10 scale. In these cases, 
a "top 3" response is taken 
to be any score of 8-10. 
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Technical and social skills were most likely to be nominated as the top skills required by 
graduate and school leavers (40% of scaleups chose technical skills as the most important 
with 36% choosing social skills). 80% of scaleups included social skills in their top three, 
followed by 71% choosing technical skills and 62% choosing business skills.
When scaleups were asked about the importance of a range of future skills that employees 
are likely to need, they ranked critical thinking as the most important, with 28% of scaleups 
nominating it as the top priority and 64% including it in their top three. This was followed by 
service orientation (anticipating, recognising and meeting others' needs) which was named 
as one of the top three factors by 44% of scaleups. Cognitive flexibility was the third most 
important skill, with 39% of scaleups naming it as one of their top three. 
FOR FUTURE SKILLS, SCALEUPS THINK CRITICAL THINKING AND A SERVICE 
ORIENTATION WILL BE MOST NECESSARY
Scaleups have an international employee base, with two-thirds (64%) of scaleups employing 
people from overseas: 61% employ staff from the EU and 35% employ staff from outside the 
EU. This does not preclude their local employment though, all scaleups hire staff from the 
UK as well. 
Of the scaleups who employ overseas staff, two-thirds say that it is vital or very important 
that they can continue to bring in talent from overseas (66% for EU staff and 69% for other 
overseas staff). Half of all exporting scaleups (50%) say that it is vital or very important to 
have a fast-track visa system when hiring people and talent from overseas.
13%
30%
30%
31%
32%
32%
34%
39%
47%
64%
Negotiation
People management
Complex problem solving
Creativity
Judgement and decision making
Coordinating with others
Emotional intelligence
Cognitive flexibility
Service orientation
Critical thinking
1%
8%
13%
8%
7%
6%
6%
7%
15%
28%
KEY FUTURE SKILLS  MOST POPULAR MENTIONS
TOP 1
TOP 32
48
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
19%
25%
36%
36%
50%
Having correct finance in place
Time taken to get paid
Time taken to win a contract
Finding out about opportunities to bid
Complex procurement process
13%
17%
32%
41%
46%
KEY BARRIERS TO WORKING MORE WITH GOVERNMENT AND LARGE CORPORATES
LARGE CORPORATES
GOVERNMENT
 
Access to markets 
A growing challenge
Many scaleups already do business with large corporates, 
government and/or export, and want to do more as scaleups try 
to expand into new markets both within the UK and abroad, the 
importance they place on access to markets has risen significantly.
For the second year running, access to markets is the second most important factor for 
their growth, but this year it almost equals the talent challenge, with 79% identifying it as 
vital or very important.
Large corporates and government
Large corporates and government already play a role for scaleups. Three quarters of 
scaleups sell, or have aspirations to sell, to large corporates and government:
 Six out of ten scaleups (55%) sell into large corporates directly, and 28% of scaleups 
are part of a supply chain to large corporates.
 One in eight scaleups (13%) sell directly to the UK government, one in five (20%) sell 
to local government, and one in seven (15%) are part of a supply chain that sells to the 
UK government.
 One in four scaleups (26%) have aspirations to sell to large corporates or government 
in the future.  
The key barriers to working more with either large corporates or government are the same; 
relating primarily to the complexity of the procurement process, as well as the ability to 
find out about opportunities to bid.
COMPLEX PROCUREMENT PROCESSES AND FINDING OPPORTUNITIES TO BID 
PREVENT SCALEUPS WORKING MORE WITH BOTH LARGE CORPORATES AND 
GOVERNMENT
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Trading internationally
Most scaleups (64%) are involved in international trade:
 54% export (50% to the EU and 44% outside the EU).
 43% import (37% from the EU and 33% from outside the EU).
 Overall, 59% are involved in some trade to/from the EU and a similar proportion (53%) 
trade outside the EU.
 Significant numbers of scaleups export to markets across the globe, including: Africa, 
the Middle East, Asia, Australia and Latin America. 
Among scaleups not currently trading internationally, 27% plan to start doing so, 16% plan 
to start trading to the EU and 18% plan to start trading outside of the EU. This means that, 
consistent with last year, we are seeing a strong pattern that 7 out of 10 scaleups would be 
international businesses  a significant prize to the UK's export aspirations.
Among scaleups currently exporting, they are likely to be doing so in the EU (92%) , 
North America (59%) but increasingly are developing a footprint in the Middle East (42%), 
Asia (38%), Australia/Pacific region (37%) and Africa (22%). These are also key future 
markets among exporters and would-be exporters. 
EU AND NORTH AMERICA ARE KEY MARKETS BUT THERE IS CLEAR ACTIVITY 
AND APPETITE TO DO MORE IN MORE DIVERSE MARKETS SUCH AS ASIA, 
AFRICA AND INDIA
Among those already exporting the main barriers to exporting more are threefold: Having 
the people/talent to win overseas sales (31%), Not being able to find partners overseas to 
work with (31%), and Not knowing how the Brexit negotiations will unfold (30%). The 
scaleups who are not already exporting see limited access to customers overseas as their 
main barrier, identified by 16% of them.
19%
21%
22%
37%
38%
42%
46%
59%
92%
Latin America
Indian subcontinent
Africa
Australia/Pacific region
Other parts of Asia
Middle East
Other parts of Europe outside EU
North America
EU
30%
34%
28%
51%
54%
48%
58%
79%
89%
Latin America
Indian subcontinent
Africa
Australian/Pacific region
Other parts of Asia
Middle East
Other parts of Europe outside EU
North America
EU
MARKETS FOR EXPORTERS AND FUTURE EXPORTERS, FOR SCALEUPS ALREADY EXPORTING  
OR LOOKING TO EXPORT IN THE FUTURE
NOW
FUTURE
50
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
SCALEUPS WOULD EXPORT MORE IF THEY HAD THE TALENT TO WIN OVERSEAS 
SALES, ALONGSIDE FINDING SUITABLE PARTNERS
Breaking down the barriers to exporting
Looking at what would help these scaleups export more, half of scaleups (52%) wanted 
better introductions to buyers overseas (either from the public sector or corporates/
financiers) and 4 out of 10 (40%) wanted a single point of contact with the Department for 
International Trade (DIT) in the UK. 
SCALEUPS WANT BETTER INTRODUCTIONS TO BUYERS OVERSEAS, AS WELL AS A 
SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT AT DIT
4%
4%
5%
7%
8%
9%
10%
13%
13%
15%
17%
26%
30%
31%
31%
Meeting quality standards
Having to oer long credit terms to secure a sale
The local support in overseas markets is poor quality
Not getting paid on time
Too much competition in overseas markets
Being invited on trade missions
Having the right finance in place
Not being seen as a credible supplier
The exchange rate with sterling
Language or cultural barriers
Finding local support overseas
Limited access to customers overseas
Not knowing how the Brexit negotiations will unfold
Access to partners overseas to work with
Having the people/talent to win overseas sales
3%
4%
3%
5%
5%
8%
7%
8%
3%
10%
12%
16%
13%
12%
12%
KEY BARRIERS TO OVERSEAS TRADE
EXPORTING SCALEUPS
SCALEUPS WHO DO NOT  
CURRENTLY EXPORT
MOST VALUABLE TYPE OF EXPORT SUPPORT, AMONG SCALEUPS EXPORTING OR WANTING TO EXPORT
19%
28%
33%
35%
40%
52%
A local DIT hub/export peer group
Greater bespoke market insights
More tailored scaleup export trade missions
More info on trade missions and market opportunities
Single point of contact in DIT UK
Better introductions to buyers overseas
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Leadership
Building leadership capacity remains one of the most important 
issues for scaleups, although it has been slightly less of a barrier 
in recent years. In 2018, 55% of scaleups identified it as a vital 
or very important factor in enabling their business to grow.
Scaleups want solutions for leadership development at a local level. 
They want local access to leaders and peers with experience of growing a business, as well as 
surrounding universities and business schools. They also want easier access to public sector 
funding for innovation and R&D, general business support, Growth Hubs and Innovate UK. 
Scaleups are focused on developing their leadership capability and capacity. More than 
half of scaleups included developing the leadership and management skills of the senior 
team in their top three factors supporting growth. They want local support, as recruiting 
people with experience of growing a business into the leadership team and access to a 
network of peers who are growing/have grown are rated as more important in supporting 
their growth than private sector led-support (11%) or support from larger corporates within 
the supply chain (16%). 
Access to peer-to-peer networks is the most likely form of support to be rated vital or 
very important to help scaleups grow their business further (55%), followed by support 
from local business schools and universities (39%). 35% consider professional advisers an 
important resource. 
DEVELOPING THE SKILLS OF THE EXISTING LEADERSHIP TEAM IS THE PRIORITY OF 
SCALEUPS INCREASING THEIR LEADERSHIP CAPACITY, ALONGSIDE PEER-TO-PEER 
NETWORKS AND EFFECTIVE HIRING
26%
27%
36%
46%
57%
Access to mentoring
Access to non-exec directors
Access to a network of peers who are growing/have grown
Recruit people with experience of growing a business
Developing the leadership and management skills of the senior team
7%
8%
11%
20%
28%
FACTORS SUPPORTING GROWTH  MOST POPULAR MENTIONS
TOP 1
TOP 3
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THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
Mentors are a vital resource
Mentors continue to be an important resource for scaleups. More than half of scaleups have 
a mentor (55%) and more than nine out of ten of those who have a mentor valued their 
input. The main reasons why scaleup leaders did not have a mentor were the lack of a need 
(27%) and not knowing where or how to find one (24%). 
Scaleups were most likely to say that they would welcome easier access to public sector 
funding for R&D and innovation (42%). One in three scaleups would like easier access to 
general business support from local or national government, Innovate UK or Growth Hubs.
EASIER ACCESS TO PUBLIC SECTOR FUNDING IS CRUCIAL FOR SCALEUPS, 
AS WELL AS EASIER ACCESS TO BUSINESS SUPPORT, GROWTH HUBS AND 
INNOVATE UK
FORMS OF SUPPORT SCALEUPS WOULD LIKE EASIER ACCESS TO
12%
13%
23%
24%
24%
27%
28%
32%
33%
34%
42%
UKEF
Catapults
Visas
British Business Bank
DIT
Procurement contracts
LEPs
Growth Hubs
Innovate UK
General business support from local or national government
Public sector funding for innovation and R&D
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Access to finance
Scaleups are likely to be using a range of forms of external 
finance and while access to finance was not seen as the key 
issue holding them back, significantly four out of ten scaleups 
do not feel they currently have the right amount of funding in 
place for their current ambitions.
The regional disparities continue to be noticeable, with scaleups in London and the South 
East much more likely to be using equity finance than those elsewhere.
Most scaleups rely on external finance to support their growth (74%). This consists of a 
wide variety of sources, including overdrafts or loans (40%), leasing/hire purchase (28%), 
cash injections from friends, family or directors (25%) among others. 44% of scaleups think 
that their business does not have the right amount and type of funding in place to support 
their current ambitions.  
SCALEUPS RELY ON MANY FORMS OF EXTERNAL FINANCE, WITH ONLY 24% ONLY 
RELYING ON INTERNAL FINANCING
Those who do not use finance, or do not feel they have the right amount available to them 
cite not wanting to give up control of the business (29%), finance coming with too many 
terms (24%), or a lack of collateral to provide (22%). Education about finance may also be 
helpful  17% stated that they don't know anything about equity finance.
Looking at their use of equity finance:
 Equity finance is currently used by one in four scaleups (25%)
 A further 8% plan to use it in the near future
 17% don't think it is suitable for their current business
 14% are reluctant to give up control 
26%
5%
6%
8%
13%
14%
17%
23%
25%
28%
40%
No funding
Something else
Crowd funding
EU funding
UK Govt funding
Invoice finance
Trade credit
Third party equity
Friends and family/directors
Leasing/ hire purchase
Overdrafts, credit cards or loans
EXTERNAL FINANCING USED
54
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
ATTITUDES ON EQUITY FINANCE VARY CONSIDERABLY ACROSS FIRMS 
 
Scaleups in London and the South East are much more likely to be using equity finance 
(36% vs 18%) than those based elsewhere, who are less likely to feel that equity finance is 
not suitable for their business (13% vs 21%).
This strongly suggests that there is much more work to do to drive up knowledge and 
understanding of growth capital, which remains a key focus of our work with the British 
Business Bank and private sector.
10%
17%
3%
6%
17%
14%
8%
25%
Other
Don't know anything about this
Wouldn't know where to start
Equity investors too short term
Not suitable for us
Reluctant to give up control
Plan to use in near future
Using it currently
ATTITUDES TO EQUITY FINANCE
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Looking forward
While scaleup aspirations remain high, there remains concern 
over sufficient support and the UK being a good location for 
doing business in the future, reinforcing the importance of the 
public and private sector addressing these businesses and their 
needs in a segmented and coordinated manner. 
 
Looking forward, access to markets and customers in the UK has become an increasingly 
important focus for scaleups. It now ranks almost equally with access to talent as the key 
barrier to the continued growth of the nation's scaleups.
SCALEUPS VIEW ACCESS TO TALENT AND ACCESS TO UK MARKETS AS THE MOST 
IMPORTANT BARRIERS TO THEIR CONTINUED GROWTH
When forced to choose a single factor, access to talent stands out as the primary barrier 
closely followed by access to markets, with the recognition that leadership development is 
likely factored into the demand for talent and skills when scaleups were forced to choose a 
single factor. 
21%
23%
36%
37%
39%
44%
46%
48%
55%
63%
79%
80%
Access to government procurement tenders
Access to equity finance
Access to larger corporates in supply chains
Access to external support and advice
Access to public sector support and R&D funding
Access to the right bank finance for the business
Access to tax breaks
Access to markets and customers internationally
Leadership development
Access to infrastructure/premises and broadband
Access to markets and customers in the UK
Access to talent
IMPORTANT FACTORS IN BUSINESS GROWING, VITAL/VERY IMPORTANT
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THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
ACCESS TO TALENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BARRIER TO GROWTH IN FOUR OUT OF 
TEN SCALEUPS, WITH ACCESS TO MARKETS CHOSEN BY THREE OUT OF TEN SCALEUPS
Looking at their attitudes, scaleups are aware that they are outperforming their peers 
(63%). Furthermore they remain ambitious; seven out of ten scaleups (69%) think it is 
realistic to expect 20%+ growth every year.
7 IN 10 SCALEUPS THINK 20%+ ANNUAL GROWTH IS REALISTIC, BUT HALF ARE 
WORRIED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE UK FOR DOING BUSINESS AND 4 IN 10 FEEL 
THERE IS LITTLE SUPPORT AVAILABLE 
 
Reflecting on the business environment, half (48%) have concerns about the UK being a 
good location for doing business in the future. It is reassuring that there has been a decline 
in the proportion of scaleups who feel that there is little support available (from 47% in 
2017 to 40% in 2018), but it still is significant cause for concern that four out of ten of our 
fastest growing businesses do not see sufficient support to available to them.
There is some support (44%) for the view that most of the money and advice is in London 
and the South East - which highlights the regional disparities that exist.
4%
4%
4%
5%
8%
9%
18%
40%
Access to infrastructure
Access to private equity
Access to larger corporates in supply chain
Leadership development and training
Access to international markets
Access to bank finance
Access to UK markets
Access to talent
IMPORTANT FACTORS IN BUSINESS GROWING, TOP RANKED
31%
35%
40%
44%
48%
51%
63%
It is not realistic to expect 20%+ growth every year
It is harder to grow the business now than in the past
I feel like there is very little support available for businesses like ours
I feel that most of the money/business advice is provided in London/South East
I worry whether the UK will be a good location for a business in the future
It is very hard to plan for growth, you have to respond well to opportunities
I think we are outperforming our peers
ATTITUDES TO GROWTH  % AGREE
view access to 
markets as their 
number one 
barrier to growth
30%
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The SME finance monitor 2018  
The scaleup perspective 
In 2018 we have worked again with our banking partners and 
BVA BDRC to assess what our SME scaleups' concerns and 
issues are.
In this process through the first half of 2018 we have interviewed 1,819 scaleup CEOs, from 
across the country and sectors. This diverse group of scaleups mirror the views held by 
respondents to our 2018 Scaleup Survey. 
In the SME Monitor review Scaleup SME CEOs were more likely to identify recruiting and 
retaining staff as a key barrier to their growth than their peers (10% vs 6%), more likely to 
trade internationally (20% vs 13%) and more likely to have innovated (42% vs 31%). 
Scaleups in the SME Finance Monitor are ambitious  the majority are planning to grow 
again in 2019, and looking ahead to the next year are also more likely to pursue growth 
opportunities than their peers: 
MORE LIKELY TO TAKE ON MORE STAFF
27%
14%
Not Scaleups
Scaleups
58
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
MORE LIKELY TO INVEST IN A NEW PLANT OR MACHINERY
MORE LIKELY TO HAVE INNOVATED 
 
These results reinforce the characteristics of scaleup leaders: they are more ambitious, 
international and innovative than their peers, with higher growth and scaling aspirations. Given 
these dynamics it reinforces the importance of segmentation when looking at the UK business 
and SME landscape, ensuring that scaleups are always treated as a cohort in their own right.
22%
13%
Not Scaleups
Scaleups
42%
31%
Not Scaleups
Scaleups
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The scaleup support landscape 
Mapping the maze
 
Scaling companies can benefit from, and are hungry for, 
appropriate programmes designed to break down the barriers 
that they face. But in a sea of business support offerings many 
scaleups find it difficult to identify programmes that are specific 
to their needs. For a time-poor, fast-growing scaleup, it is often 
very difficult to determine what programmes really work.
To help them, the ScaleUp Institute endorses programmes and initiatives which can 
demonstrate that their support provides measurable benefits for scaleups. These are detailed 
in Chapter 2 of our report. 
This year, Innovate UK and the ScaleUp Institute have also been working collaboratively 
with Arup and the London School of Economics to map all the support that purports to be 
available to high-growth businesses. This is in order to gain a holistic picture of the available 
programmes which specifically target scaleup and scaling businesses (those on the pathway 
to scaleup) and those programmes which are designed more generally for SMEs but which 
may have some scaling element to them.
Using an online survey, we gathered responses from a wide range of UK sources. The survey 
focused on existing programmes in the marketplace  whether public, education or private 
sector led  which address the core challenges faced by scaleups: talent acquisition; building 
leadership capacity; access to markets; finance and infrastructure. 
Key statistics
The review uncovered 219 programmes designed to address 'growing [scaling] pains'.  
Of these we found:
 37 programmes have been endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute, 25 have been designated 
'one to watch', and a further 80 programmes are designed to target scaleups/scaling firms
 Four in ten programmes (37%) are general growth business programmes, with some 
element catering to scaling businesses.
 77 of these programmes are private-sector led, 49 education sector-led and 91 are public 
led, including hybrids of public and private local initiatives led by the Local Enterprise 
Partnership or regional authorities.
 The majority are delivered at a local level with 142 local, 6 multi-regional, 63 national 
and 8 international. The region with the most programmes is the East Midlands, with 30 
programmes recorded.
 Significantly, of the 219 programmes reported, 1 in 3 are currently co-funded by the 
European Regional Development Fund.  
Notably more than 60% of the programmes for scaling businesses have been established 
in the last three years. Very few have existed for more than ten years. Not only does this 
reflect the historic dearth of support for scaleups, it also demonstrates the role and impact 
of the ScaleUp Institute in its focus and training through the Driving Economic Growth 
programme. It also reinforces the ongoing role for the ScaleUp Institute in assessing which 
programmes work  and which do not.
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THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
Improving scaleup support requires local engagement and 
aligned private and public sector policy
The exercise reinforces the views of our scaleup leaders on what is 'missing' to break down their 
barriers, including the regional disparities. It emphasises the vital work remaining to be done if 
we are to ensure that every scaleup business, in every part of the country, has the right access 
to the tools to fuel their growth.
It also highlights the need to further consider the manner in which we can address the gaps 
in scaleup specific interventions and what the priorities of the Shared Prosperity Fund and 
Comprehensive Spending Review should be.
Those implementing the recent Budget announcements on leadership, networks and 
mentoring should carefully consider the evidence in this review and, in light of it, the 
proportion of spend assigned towards scaling firms. The ScaleUp Institute recommends that 
a significant proportion be given to scaleup interventions, building on those that have most 
impact and ensuring there is meaningful coverage in every local area. The Government should 
ensure that scaleups are a key segment in all interventions.
The results, which are summarised below, have been enlightening and give us all a great deal of 
food for thought as we consider our drive to become a scaleup nation and close the scaleup gap.
There are significant gaps in programmes addressing scaleup 
barriers to growth, notably in access to markets
 It is clear that there are very few purely scaleup/scaling focused interventions  
and very clear regional and local gaps in offerings. There are few bespoke offerings  
for this segment.
 There are substantial gaps in addressing the two barriers of access to talent and access 
to markets, which have been consistently cited (including in our 2018 survey) as major 
challenges to scaling firms.
 More than half of all the mapped support programmes focus on leadership 
development, peer networks or leadership capacity building.
 Only 10% of the mapped support programmes are designed to help scaleups to access 
public or private procurement.
 Only 7% offer office space / hubs that focus on the needs of scaleups.
 
THE SCALEUP CHALLENGES SOUGHT TO BE ADDRESSED BY  
PROGRAMMES MAPPED
6 8 12
7 63
7 8 6
10
19
9
14
16
14
20
27
15
9
31
22
28
39
19
24
40
36
31
32
39
30
51
36
0
50
100
150
Number of programmes
Other
Oce space/hubs
Procurement support
Corporate collab support
Support in international markets
Access to talent and skills
Support for R&D
Access to peer to peer networks
Skills training
Financial support / access
Leadership development/capacity
ScaleUp Institu
One to Watch
Scaling firm foc
General with sc
6 8 12
7 63
7 8 6
10
19
9
14
16
14
20
27
15
9
31
22
28
39
19
24
40
36
31
32
39
30
51
36
0
50
100
150
Number of programmes
Other
Oce space/hubs
Procurement s
port
Corporate collab support
Support in international markets
Access to talent and skills
Support for R&D
Access to peer to peer networks
Skills training
Financial support / access
Leadership development/capacity
ScaleUp Institute Endorsed/
One to Watch
Scaling firm focus
General with scaling elements
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Programmes are often delivered at no cost to the participating business, while those that 
do charge have a range of fees from 500 to around 15,000. 23% of the programmes are 
accessed by simple referral with the majority (73%) requiring a formal application process. 
Very few undertake an interview process. 
 In addition, most programmes reach a relatively small number of scaling businesses at 
any one time, with the majority (53%) catering for scaling businesses in cohorts of up 
to 35 businesses and 4 in 10 (37%) focused on cohorts of fewer than 20. 
 This means that many thousands of scaling businesses, which are driving economic 
growth and jobs, are missing out on fundamental engagement with the public, private 
and education sectors. In terms of overcoming barriers to growth, this is an enormous 
missed opportunity.
 69% of the programmes are sector neutral. This is encouraging given the range of 
sectors in which scaleups are found and that peer learning occurs across sectors.
 Of those with a sectoral focus, programmes are primarily targeting firms in technology, 
scientific and manufacturing sectors.
 6 in 10 programmes (62%) have no particular focus on attracting innovation-led 
businesses or using that as an assessment criteria to gain entry to a programme. This 
absence of innovation focus is surprising, given that scaling businesses are twice as 
likely as their peers to be innovative. It is a metric that the ScaleUp Institute believes is 
a 'must have' for spotting a high potential scaling business. It also highlights the need for 
such agencies as Innovate UK to continue a targeted focus on such firms.
MOST PROGRAMMES HAVE NO SECTORAL FOCUS, WITH TECHNOLOGY, SCIENTIFIC 
AND MANUFACTURING THE MOST COMMON FOCUS AMONG THOSE THAT DO
 
 
 
 
 While most programmes are intended to increase revenues for participating businesses, 
alongside job creation, productivity and regional growth, many could not provide 
detailed evidence to show actual impact of results.
 This reinforces the need for rigour in analysis of outcomes from programmes. Where 
public funding is involved, a much better assessment of the impacts and return on 
investment is required so that public funds can be spent and targeted towards impactful 
programmes providing scaleup outcomes and aligned to the most effective. 
No sector focus
69%
Technology & digital
12%
Engineering & Manufacturing
6%
Agriculture/Food Technology
2%
Health & Life Sciences
3%
Environmental
3%
Other
5%
62
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
CHAPTER ONE
THE PROGRAMMES' PRIMARY AIMS
 
 
 Notes: Percentages sum to more than 100 because some programmes had multiple objectives
While undoubtedly there are programmes we did not identify with this exercise, this review 
is the first of its kind and provides a critical baseline to better understand the growth support 
landscape and the gaps in provision that exist. As the ScaleUp Institute continues with its 
'case study'analysis and endorsement of impactful programmes, this review provides a rich 
data source to interrogate further and better understand what does  and does not  work.
 Although more programmes focused on scaleup 
businesses have emerged, considerable local and 
regional disparities persist. Segmentation and 
coverage remains vital.
 Progress is being made in getting more targeted 
engagement with scaleups through programmes 
that deal with the challenges in talent, leadership 
and finance. This needs to continue. Significantly, 
both the public and private sectors need to do more 
for scaleups to address the challenge of access to 
markets.
 Quantity is not quality. As scaleup programmes 
evolve we must be sure they are truly impactful and 
add value to our scaling businesses. This is a role the 
ScaleUp Institute will continue to pursue with rigour. 
With the rich data now uncovered further analysis will 
take place in 2019.
 Universities and business schools are playing a key 
role in the evolving scaleup support landscape. These 
entities have played an important role in closing the 
local scaleup gap and in 2019 we will be undertaking 
more work to showcase what is being undertaken and 
sharing good practices.
 Banks, advisory and technology firms are gearing 
up their scaleup focus and we would like to see this 
mirrored in other sectors. 
 While we welcome the additional Government spend 
towards leadership, peer networks and mentoring, which 
builds on a range of our insights, it will now be crucial to 
ensure a sufficient proportion of the spend is assigned 
towards scaleups and programmes with impact. How 
the Shared Prosperity Fund and Comprehensive 
Spending Review develop will be crucial.
 As more scaleup programmes emerge, the more difficult 
it is for scaling companies to navigate the landscape 
and to gauge the quality of these programmes. In 
order to aid understanding, further analysis and impact 
assessment, the ScaleUp Institute is making the 
results of this support mapping available online, as an 
interactive tool for the ecosystem and for businesses 
to self report, and assess programme quality and 
outcomes. We will also continue our work with Innovate 
UK and our Evidence Committee to analyse the efficacy 
of these programmes and to identify any others.
 
Innovate UK, the ScaleUp Institute and the British 
Business Bank also intend to work together with 
the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial 
Strategy (BEIS) to develop an effective online scaleup 
hub that brings together the public, education and 
private sector initiatives with proven scaleup impact. This 
is an important service that scaling businesses are keen 
to see provided. It should also provide useful insights as 
we move forward.
Key conclusions and next steps
20%
13%
14%
16%
19%
21%
35%
44%
44%
74%
0
20
40
60
80
Percent of programmes
Other
Corporate/Government collaboration
Attraction of talent/skills
Industry/University collaboration
Sectoral development
Increase internationalisation
Increasing productivity
Regional Growth
Job creation
Revenue growth for businesses
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1
NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES BY REGION
64
 62 
SUI ENDORSED  
/ ONE TO WATCH 
80  
GENERAL WITH  
SCALING ELEMENTS
77  
SCALING  
FIRM FOCUS
TOTAL NUMBER 
OF PROGRAMMES
UK & INTERNATIONAL
MULTIPLE REGIONS
UK WIDE
 6
64
1 IN 3
PROGRAMMES 
FUNDED BY ERDF
8
219
CHAPTER ONE
30
EAST MIDLANDS
25
EAST OF ENGLAND
14
SCOTLAND
17
SOUTH  
EAST
9
9
7
NORTH EAST
SOUTH WEST
NORTH WEST
21
WEST  
MIDLANDS
YORKSHIRE AND THE HUMBER
THE SCALEUP BUSINESS LANDSCAPE
9
65
NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES  
BY DELIVERY ORGANISATION
77
PRIVATE
49
UNIVERSITY/
BUSINESS 
SCHOOL/
RESEARCH 
INSTITUTE
67
PUBLIC
8
BRITISH 
BUSINESS 
BANK
8
HYBRID 
10
INNOVATE 
UK
NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES  
BY TYPE OF SUPPORT PROVIDED
SUI ENDORSED/ONE TO WATCH            SCALING FIRM FOCUS            GENERAL WITH SCALING ELEMENTS
Leadership development/capacity building
Financial support / access
Skills training (e.g. digital marketing, 
other types of internal training)
Access to peer to peer networks
Support for research and development 
(R&D) and/or innovation
Support to enter international markets
Access to corporate collaboration
Other
Support to access public/private sector procurement
Office space/hubs that focus on scaleups
Access to talent and skills  
(e.g. connecting scaleups with education providers)
117
102
100
86
62
62
44
38
26
21
16
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
66
CHAPTER THREE
SECTION TITLE
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Chapter Two
Leading programmes breaking  
down the barriers for scaleups
68
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
Leading programmes 
breaking down the  
barriers for scaleups 
  
The 2018 Scaleup Survey has demonstrated yet again 
that scaleup business leaders share the same needs. 
They are looking for the right talent to strengthen their 
workforces and scale even further and faster, the chance 
to share and learn from successful peers to overcome 
challenges and help shape their strategies and wider 
access to markets at home and overseas.
They also need access to finance that is 'patient' and 'smart' to meet their ambitions to 
scale and innovate and want to operate in supportive but flexible environments in which 
they can grow. For many that means an environment where they can learn from the 
similar experiences of others and develop through collaboration.
Private, public and education sector players are getting the message and developing an 
increasing number of initiatives and programmes to meet the specific needs of scaleups. 
As more data and information about fast-growing businesses becomes available they 
are developing more proactive engagement models with scaling businesses. However, 
the reality is that many scaleup leaders, with the intensive effort required to run their 
companies have neither the time or resources to identify or search out the programmes 
that will make a real difference to their business.
It is a central part of the ScaleUp Institute's mission to identify what is working well in 
both national and local programmes to share emerging best practice and insights. We 
provide the information so that scaleup leaders can focus on building their business.
Our commitment is that we will only highlight exemplar programmes that have been 
able to provide evidence that demonstrates a measurable impact in dealing with issues 
faced by scaleups.
Our historical approach has been to endorse well-evidenced programmes that have proof 
that they are making a significant impact. We also seek out new programmes which look 
promising but where not enough time has yet passed to receive our endorsement. These are 
described as 'ones to watch' to keep them on our radar. We will not endorse any programme 
without having researched and verified the evidence supporting the claims made.
The main focus of this chapter of the Review is to describe these newly-endorsed case 
studies, highlight 'ones to watch' and review the progress of those endorsed in 2016 and 
69
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2017. As well as featuring these programmes we also include a number of practical lessons 
and insights from key ecosystem players working in this field.
In 2017 we identified that a significant element of most of the case studies was the 
valuable role played by account managers. We continue to recognise the importance of 
account managers and the need to train those carrying out this role in the specific needs 
of scaleup business leaders which are dramatically different from those of startups, SMEs 
or large enterprises. We also point to the successful pilot of a Scaleup Enabler based in 
Bristol's Engine Shed in helping to draw together a supportive ecosystem for the region's 
fast-growing residents and beyond.
Another important element of successful programmes is the role of the mentor who 
can help business leaders find solutions to challenges and barriers, develop successful 
strategies and source funding. In its valuable list of lessons learnt the Lazaridis Institute has 
highlighted the importance of matching the right mentor to the business leader.
The Mayor of London's International Business Programme continues to be a significant 
initiative mentoring and involving scaleups in overseas missions trade missions to Europe, 
US and beyond. We would like to see other City and Metro Mayors replicating its 
approach to help their local scaleups access new markets and customers.
For raising aspirations and developing skills for the future, we now endorse the Careers 
& Enterprise Company, which is focusing action on areas where young people are most 
in need of careers support and has 2,000 CEO and business leaders as Volunteer 
Enterprise Advisers working with 2,000 schools and colleges. We also feature Generator 
Digital Scale-up for its excellent talent development support to creative digital and tech 
businesses in the North of England. 
Scaleup leaders cite executive education and leadership training as a priority for them, as 
well as better access to universities and business schools. We have turned the spotlight on 
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Venture Mentoring Service which is supporting 
alumni and staff of this world-famous institution with ideas for innovative business and 
propose it as a model for UK universities. We are also pleased to see that programmes we 
have endorsed in previous years such as Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, the 
London Stock Exchange ELITE and the British Library's Innovating for Growth continue 
to grow their connections and reach.
Financial institutions are increasingly turning attention to scaling businesses and their 
need for patient capital. The number of offerings for scaling businesses is developing and 
providing a diverse range of funds, very often backed up with the specialist support that 
ambitious scaleup leaders are seeking. Regional disparities still exist but by highlighting the 
various finance programmes available we hope it provide insight to scaleups, as well as the 
finance community on what more can be leveraged and undertaken.
Finally, we focus on exemplar infrastructure projects that are providing flexible but often 
sophisticated hubs which scaleups with similar interests and challenges can work in, grow 
in and collaborate to develop ideas and overcome challenges. In 2018 we consider the 
impact that life science hubs such as Alderley Park and the Babraham Research Campus 
are having on scaleups.
In the following pages, we describe the case studies in more detail. The ScaleUp Institute 
is always looking to expand this directory of recommended programmes for scaleups and 
welcomes suggestions of further well-evidenced and high-impact initiatives.
NEW CASE STUDIES FOR 2018
CURRENTLY ENDORSED CASE STUDIES 
Careers & Enterprise Company
Generator Digital Scale-up
Freeformers
Founders4Schools
Google Digital Garage
LifeSkills, created with Barclays
Teach First: Careers Leader Programme
MIT: Venture Mentoring Service
Vistage
British Library: Innovating for Growth
Cranfield School of Management:  
Business Growth Programme
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK
London Stock Exchange ELITE
The Supper Club
Cambridge Network: School for Scale-Ups
Entrepreneurs' Forum: Scale-up Leaders' Academy
Lazaridis Scale-Up Program
The Platinum Group
Productivity through People
Strathclyde Business School: Growth Advantage 
Programme
Corporate Stars
Go to Grow: Mayor of London's  
International Business Programme
Sharing in Growth (SiG)
Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK)
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
LEADERSHIP
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
ONE TO WATCH
ONES TO WATCH
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DAccel
Balderton Capital
Crowdcube
Draper Esprit
Eight Roads
Index Ventures
IP Group, including Touchstone Innovations
LDC
Notion
Partech
Santander Growth Capital Breakthrough programme 
Woodford Investment Management
Barclays: Venture Debt
BGF
British Business Bank:  
Enterprise Capital Fund
Octopus Titan VCT
Alderley Park
Babraham Research Campus
Barclays Eagle Labs
Cambridge Cluster Map
Engine Shed
Google Campus
FCA Regulatory Sandbox
Level39
NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator
MIT: Venture Mentoring Service
Endeavour
Manizales Mas
Scale-up Milwaukee
Lazaridis Scale-Up Program
FINANCE
INFRASTRUCTURE
INTERNATIONAL
ONES TO WATCH
ONESTO WATCH
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D70
CHAPTER TWO
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
Case studies 
New and endorsed
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Concern about the UK's skills gap and the impact this has on 
scaleup ambitions remains stubbornly the major issue for the 
leaders of fast-growing business.  
For the fifth consecutive year in our Scaleup 
Survey, the challenge to find and develop 
the right talent and skills is viewed by scaleup 
leaders as the single most significant barrier 
to growth. Tackling this challenge and building 
a national pipeline of talent and modern skills 
remains a priority which will only be solved if 
the ecosystem works collaboratively together 
to address it.
It is against this backdrop that we highlight 
in 2018 exemplars that harness business 
leaders to schools and colleges to encourage 
the students to develop the skills relevant 
to our scaling businesses needs, as well as 
the continuing role corporates, charities and 
teaching entities have in raising the skills bar. 
We also highlight programmes addressing 
specific sector needs with notably this year a 
focus on the creative industries.
In 2018 we endorse the Careers & Enterprise 
Company which in 2017 was identified 
as 'One to Watch'. The organisation has 
attracted 2,000 volunteer Enterprise 
Advisers, 60% of whom are at CEO or 
senior management level. These Advisers 
work directly with school and college leaders 
to develop employer engagement plans and 
support local businesses to equip young 
people with vital skills. These volunteers are 
enthusing the next generation and motivating 
them to make the curriculum choices that 
will support careers in our current and future 
scaleup businesses.
Ofsted has found that careers guidance 
within schools is improving. It sees evidence 
of integrated, coherent and effective careers 
strategies in more schools, with more 
frequent opportunities for pupils to access 
workshops, themed events, work experience 
and contact with employers.1 
This improving picture is reflected in the 
continued expansion of the exemplar 
Founders4Schools which has seen a 50% 
increase in educators using its service and 
a greater than 100% increase in student-
employer encounters per 1,000 students.
Teach First has also recognised the 
importance of skilling up careers leaders in 
the nation's schools. Its pilot Careers Leader 
programme produced good results and strong 
feedback. Teach First is now planning to roll 
out the programme more widely and features 
in our 'one to watch' category as we evaluate 
the progress it makes.
In 2018 social skills are cited by 80% of 
scaleups as being in their top three skills 
required of graduates and school leavers. So 
we are pleased that LifeSkills is continuing its 
excellent work helping to equip young people 
with the skills they need for the world of work 
in the 21st century. Since 2013 more than 
6 million young people have benefited from 
the interactive tools including a virtual work 
experience that the programme provides.
With technical/ digital skills remaining so 
vital it is essential that there continues to be 
expansion in programmes such as Google 
Digital Garage and Freeformers which 
remain notable in their reach.
Scaling up in the creative sector has a 
multitude of challenges and we endorse 
Generator Digital as an excellent example 
of how a mixture of interim talent infill, 
alongside mentoring, coaching, experts and 
peer group learning can support a specific 
sector.
We are convinced that these exemplar 
programmes offer a strong foundation for 
improving the skills and work readiness of 
the UK workforce  we encourage others to 
work with these schemes, learn from them 
and emulate their approaches. We need to 
relentlessly continue the focus across the 
private and public sector if we are to make 
further inroads to close the skills gap that is 
holding back scaleup growth.
NEW CASE  
STUDIES  
FOR 2018
CURRENTLY  
ENDORSED  
CASE STUDIES 
ONES TO  
WATCH
ONE TO 
WATCH
Careers & Enterprise 
Company
Generator Digital  
Scale-up
Freeformers
Founders4Schools
Google Digital Garage
LifeSkills, created  
with Barclays
Teach First: Careers 
Leader Programme
1  https://educationinspection.blog.gov.
uk/2018/06/12/building-confidence-
encouraging-aspiration/
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LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
Talent and Skills
CAREERS & ENTERPRISE  
COMPANY
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
Established in 2015, The Careers & Enterprise Company links 
schools and colleges to employers and helps them to deliver 
world class careers support for all young people. Funded by the 
Department of Education, it also unlocks resources from LEPs 
and other sources. 
The Careers & Enterprise Company approach 
is based on research that shows quality 
careers and enterprise programmes can 
improve young people's ability to make career 
decisions and increase their employability and 
earning potential in later life.
One of their key roles is to connect local 
employers with schools via its network of 
Enterprise Advisers  senior volunteers from the 
world of business. Enterprise Advisors are based 
in and co-funded by LEPs, which work with the 
private, education and local public sectors.
The Careers & Enterprise Company has a 
successful record in attracting volunteers, 
recruiting over 2,000 volunteer Enterprise 
Advisers  56% female/44% male, with 60% 
at CEO or senior management level  from a 
diverse range of businesses. Enterprise Advisers 
work closely with a local school or college 
leaders to develop a practical careers plan.
In addition, the Careers & Enterprise 
Company works with "cornerstone 
employers" in each of 12 Government-
identified Opportunity Areas of low social 
mobility throughout England, where local 
educators, employers, voluntary and 
community organisations collaborate to 
improve outcomes.
Cornerstone Employers range from large to 
small, operating at a local or national level. 
They work with their networks and the wider 
business community to ensure that all schools 
and colleges in the areas have access to an 
Enterprise Adviser and all young people at least 
four meaningful encounters with businesses.
Across the country, more than 2,000 schools 
have signed up to the Network and receive 
resources, digital tools and training support. 
The Careers & Enterprise Company has 
seen a 50% increase in employer encounters 
among schools and colleges in the Network 
and schools are working with three new 
employers on average.
Members of the Network value the 
opportunity to showcase their business/sector 
and develop useful skills: 80% of Enterprise 
Advisors say they are satisfied with their role 
and would recommend it to others.
To date, the Careers & Enterprise Company 
has invested 19m in the Enterprise Adviser 
Network and 14m has supported careers/
enterprise and mentoring programmes 
working directly with schools and colleges 
through its Investment Fund. Independent 
evaluation of the first 5m fund launched in 
2015 has shown the programmes reached 
380,000 young people  with 75% targeted 
in "cold spot" areas. Over 7,800 employers 
engaged with the projects  45% were new 
relationships arising directly from the funding.
If you are a scaling business leader put yourself and your business on 
the map for engaging with the UK's future talent by connecting with 
the Careers & Enterprise Company.
"Careers and enterprise 
education is not only 
important in preparing young 
people for the world of work. It 
is also an essential and central 
part of raising standards. The 
Careers & Enterprise Company 
provides a national platform 
to make this happen, bringing 
schools and businesses 
together to provide students 
with their entitlement to skills 
acquisition, engagement with 
employers and inspiration to 
engage with their studies."
NICK BOWEN, PRINCIPAL, 
HORIZON COMMUNITY 
COLLEGE, BARNSLEY 
"Bridging the gap between the 
world of education and the 
world of work is a priority for 
business communities hungry 
for new recruits at every level. 
The Company's work with local 
partners to promote greater 
engagement between business 
and education is crucial to 
preparing the workforce of  
the future." 
DR ADAM MARSHALL, DIRECTOR 
GENERAL OF THE BRITISH 
CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
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SCHOOLS AND 
COLLEGES 
PARTICIPATING
VOLUNTEER ENTERPRISE 
ADVISERS
 INCREASE IN EMPLOYER 
ENCOUNTERS AMONG 
NETWORK SCHOOLS AND 
COLLEGES
FIRST 5M 
 FUND REACHED 
380,000  
YOUNG PEOPLE  
AND ENGAGED  
7,800  
EMPLOYERS (45%  
NEW RELATIONSHIPS)
>2,000
>2,000
50%
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IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
SECTOR FOCUS
Generator is a leading creative digital sector specialist 
development agency in the North of England. It has been 
supporting business growth and talent development for over  
25 years  originally with a focus on the music sector  
 offering a series of services for entrepreneurs. 
In 2015 Generator brought together the 
strongest elements of existing support into a 
12-month programme  "Generator Digital 
Scale-up"  specifically for scaling businesses 
showing promise of growth but little 
understanding of how to remove barriers and 
make further progress. 
Generator begins the programme with a full 
diagnostic to identify the scaling business' 
objectives and needs. A scaleup 'relationship 
director' then works with the business over 
the year; businesses meet regularly with 
mentors to set objectives and review progress. 
Scaleup are given guidance on strategy, 
processes and resourcing, while leadership 
needs are at the heart of the programme's 
coaching programme.
A key element of the programme is the 
access to interim directors who can help 
the scaling business in areas of need such 
as finance, sales and marketing as they 
grow and evolve their operating models. 
The interim directors are chosen for their 
broad experience and the ability to share it 
effectively. Scaleups are supported to improve 
their financial management, to access the 
finance they need to sustain further growth 
and to increase their revenue. Finance 
directors works alongside the business to 
prepare for investment that will lead to 
further growth. In addition, Generator works 
closely with the Department for International 
Trade in the North to identify opportunities 
for businesses overseas. 
An important part of the approach is to 
bring businesses on the programme together 
as a cohort of ten, to encourage peer-
to-peer discussion and also to attend a 
range of masterclasses on subjects ranging 
from leadership to access to finance. 
Participants are also offered membership of 
the Generator-run Digital Union, a major 
network of creative digital and tech businesses 
in the North East of England which provides 
opportunities for networking collaboration as 
well as assistance with PR, sector campaigns 
and tender alerts.
Generator has worked with a number  
of businesses that have scaled between  
200% and 300% within two years of  
coming to them.
Scaling up in the creative sector has a multitude of challenges and we 
think this is an excellent example of how a mixture of interim talent 
infill, alongside mentoring, coaching, experts and peer group learning 
can support a specific sector. It has the potential to be scaled further 
across the creative sector throughout the UK and others in the 
creative sector can learn from this model.
Working with the Generator 
team helped us create a 
clear route to market and a 
more rigorous approach to 
identifying and qualifying new 
business prospects. 
DAYKIN AND STOREY
Having access to proven 
and experienced business 
professionals has given us 
insight into what is required to 
get our company to the next 
level. The format of regular 
workshops and reviews has 
given us the dedicated time 
and space to get our strategic 
thinking in order, time which 
is often de-prioritised when 
focussed on the day-to-day.
CONSULT AND DESIGN 
The mentors always listen and 
... helped us to streamline our 
goals and targets. We have 
been able to fulfil the overseas 
orders we were struggling to 
meet and growth has been a 
remarkable 480% in turnover 
since engaging with the Scale-
Up Programme.
DOODLE
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
EN
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ACTION
REPORTED EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH AMONG 30 
PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES
ON AVERAGE  
EMPLOYEE GROWTH  
HAS INCREASED BY  
230%  
IN THESE BUSINESSES
DIGITAL UNION 
 GIVE ACCESS TO  
500  
BUSINESS CONTACTS  
IN NORTH EAST
53% 
REPORTED EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH AMONG 30 
PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES
420
GENERATOR  
DIGITAL SCALE-UP 
GEARING UP THE CREATIVE SECTOR
CREATIVE
DIGITAL
TECH
74
CHAPTER TWO
ONE TO 
WATCH
Teach First
Getting Teachers 'match fit' for business to build a generation of 
Careers Leaders connecting future talent to opportunities
Since September 2018 Teach First has been rolling 
out a Careers Leader programme, successfully piloted 
in 2015/16. The intention is to work with around 130 
schools this academic year, bringing in new schools and 
careers leaders in each subsequent year.
 
The programme is based on research 
originally commissioned from the 
University of Derby exploring the role of 
teachers in the delivery of high-quality 
career and employability learning which 
stressed the importance of developing 
the role of the careers leader in schools 
and making sure these leaders have the 
business knowledge necessary to impart 
careers guidance.
Teach First designed a training regime, 
initially for a pilot with 15 schools, which 
allowed participating teachers to develop 
their leadership skills and knowledge 
of career and employability learning 
and to transfer this knowledge to other 
teachers in their schools. Subsequent 
evaluation by the University of Derby 
evidenced that schools taking part in 
the programme reported a growth in 
competency in careers practice and 
there were increases in the number of 
encounters with employers and pupils' 
experience of workplaces. All 15 schools 
had written career programmes at the 
end of the initiative. Teacher participants 
were positive about the support received 
from careers providers, employers and 
peers on the course.
As a consequence of this excellent initial 
impact Teach First is now rolling the 
programme out to 130 schools and is 
continuing to integrate an element of 
careers education in its Summer Institute 
in order to ensure trainee teachers 
are aware of the need to consider and 
champion careers education from day 
one in their schools. 
In our 2017 Annual Review we called 
for a sustained focus to be put into 
building teaching capacity to ensure the 
continual learning of teachers in evolving 
business skills and careers opportunities. 
We are therefore very encouraged by 
this programme rollout by Teach First 
and look forward to tracking its further 
progress.
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Updates on currently endorsed  
case studies
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Established in 2012 and now operating in 12 countries, 
the workforce technology company Freeformers helps 
companies to develop the digital skills, behaviours and 
talent required to be successful. They have a dual approach 
that combines training within companies and external 
training preparing young people for the workplace.
The 'Freeformers Adopt' programme transforms a 
business from within by helping staff develop a digital 
mindset. Following a digital skills audit that is linked to 
the challenges of an individual business, Freeformers 
provides a blend of training, technology and consultancy 
services. The Digital Pulse online measurement tool then 
helps a business to measure its growth mindset over 
time. Company leaders are offered an Elite programme 
that combines a digital personal training coach to 
encourage the leadership team to be more progressive 
and forward thinking.
The company has now trained 60,000 front line staff. 
4,235 young people have also benefited from their work.
LifeSkills, created with Barclays
LifeSkills has been running since 2013, helping to equip 
young people with the skills they need for the world of 
work in the 21st century. During that time more than 6 
million young people have participated in the programme 
and over 84% of UK secondary schools, 66% of UK 
further education colleges, and 74% of universities have 
registered for the programme.
The programme brings together educators, businesses, 
young people and their parents and provides interactive 
tools for young people to learn in their own time or with 
their parents through a dedicated parents section. It 
includes a virtual work experience tool to allow young 
people to experience a day in the life of a business.
LifeSkills is independently evaluated annually to assess 
its impact. The 2017 evaluation found that 88% of 
participants felt more positive about the future, 86% felt 
more motivated to do better in academic and vocational 
studies, 85% felt better prepared to make future career 
decisions and 71% felt they now had higher ambitions and 
aspirations. 96% of teachers rated the resources as good 
or very good.
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DTALENT AND 
SKILLS
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
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LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
Founders4Schools
Used by students, employers and educators in more 
than 300 local authority areas throughout England and 
Scotland, Founders4Schools builds smart connections 
between companies and students aged 6-24.
As an EdTech charity F4S works nationally and locally 
with more than 2,000 organisations to connect 
business volunteers with teachers and students in their 
community. The charity's work-experience service 
Workfinder  available on mobile phones  puts the 
young person at the centre of the search process and 
enables them to secure experience with growing firms in 
their communities.
To date F4S has supported 215,975 students, business 
volunteers have given 10,414 hours and created 656,625 
student-employer encounters. In its 2017-2018 Annual 
Report the charity reported a 50% increase in educators 
using its service and a greater than 100% increase in 
student-employer encounters per 1,000 students.
A recent innovation on the charity's website showcases 
the number of hours put in by business leaders who are 
volunteering in their areas to celebrate local community 
"Change Agents" and allow local authorities to track 
activity in their areas.
Through digital integration with the Careers & Enterprise 
Company government officials have access to detailed 
database that charts student-employer encounters and 
allows them to analyse learner attainment in schools 
where students have met 10 business leaders in the past 
six months compared to those that have not.
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
Google Digital Garage
Google Digital Garage is working to improve the digital 
capability of UK businesses and individuals with free skills 
training and coaching. Guidance provided ranges from 
how to use online tools and social media to maps and 
data analytics.
More than 300,000 people have been trained through 
the Google programme. This is delivered via:
 
High Street Digital Garage training shops open 
for up to one year in major city centres  hubs are 
currently open in Edinburgh and Manchester;
 
Bus tours visiting towns and villages across the 
country, delivering day-long face-to-face training;
 
Pop-ups and bespoke tours such as the Digital 
Garage Coastal Tour which helped hospitality and 
tourism businesses in 15 seaside towns use online 
tools to grow their businesses and the Market Town 
Digital Garage Tour which visited 12 towns;
 
Online training offering users the choice to train 
in topics of interest or complete the whole online 
course for a certification from Google and IAB 
Europe.
Independent research has shown that as a result of the 
programme 88% of participants made changes to the 
way they run their businesses online; almost half (49%) 
had seen an increase in website visitor numbers and a 
third (32%) had experienced an increase in customer 
numbers.
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
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SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Scaleups continue to highlight their need for employees with the right skills 
and experience as their number one barrier to growth. However, there are ways 
we can raise aspirations and develop the skills of the future workforce. 
Building a talent pipeline
ScaleUp Insights1
Provide encounters. 
Scaleup leaders can connect to a local school through the Founders4Schools (F4S) platform. To date, business volunteers 
have given 10,414 hours and created 656,625 student-employer encounters, giving careers talks or participating in 
activities such as mock interviews and CV workshops. "I would encourage any scaleup that is not connected to F4S to do 
so," says Claudia Harris, CEO of the Careers & Enterprise Company.
2
Rethink work experience. 
The conventional format of two weeks' work experience in the summer "is not necessarily the highest impact way to support 
a young person," says Claudia Harris. There are other ways to provide insight into work, through multiple exposure to 
different workplaces or through social interaction. More than six million young people have benefited from the interactive 
tools provided by the Lifeskills programme, which includes a virtual work experience tool. Arranging appropriate work 
placements has been made easier through innovations such as F4S' Workfinder app.
3
Focus on the local ecosystem.
Know your local priorities, and target resources accordingly. Connect employers with schools and colleges in a local network 
to identify opportunities for engagement and open the eyes of pupils to local opportunities in scaling businesses. A city-to-
city, local-to-local approach shows significant results as exemplified by F4S. In one project in Stirling, Scotland, a 10-fold 
increase in student-employer encounters brokered on a monthly basis was recorded.
4 Commit senior resources.
Involvement of CEOs and senior managers adds credibility and weight to employer-school engagement plans and 
demonstrates the organisation's commitment to growing skills and talent.
5
Use free tools. 
Google Digital Garage provides free training and coaching on a range of digital skills and online tools. More than 300,000 
people have been trained through the Google programme; as a result, 88 per cent of participants made changes to the 
way they run their businesses online; almost half (49%) saw an increase in website visitor numbers and a third (32%) 
experienced an increase in customer numbers.
6
Let the young teach the old.
Workforce technology company Freeformers helps companies to develop its digital skills, behaviours and talent with a dual 
approach that combines training within companies and external training that prepares young people for the workplace. The 
'Freeformers Adopt' programme transforms a business from within by helping staff develop a digital mindset. Freeformers 
Pulse offers self  and  peer assessment, while Freeformers Learn allows employees to access  coaching and  digital  learning . "A 
digital future doesn't mean everyone relying on a bunch of hipsters, but a system where older employees learn from younger, 
tech-savvy workers is essential in order for companies to adapt to fit evolving working practices," says Gi Fernando, founder 
of Freeformers.
7
Be confident about schools' capacity and appetite to work with you. 
"There is now a clear standard of excellence in careers education, which there has not been before," says Claudia Harris. 
"That standard includes an expectation of much closer working between the worlds of education and work, and an 
expectation that every school has a person responsible for making this happen, which we never had before."
78
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
The leaders of UK's scaleup companies continue to cite the 
importance of building leadership capacity to support the  
growth of their businesses.
Critically they want locally delivered 
solutions that enable better access to  
local peer-to-peer networks; they value 
highly local leadership development 
programmes and access to local universities 
and business schools.
A number of well-established programmes 
are maintaining their success in equipping 
scaleup businesses with the practical tools 
to develop personal and group leadership. In 
our 2018 survey we again find that peer-to-
peer networks are the form of support that 
scaleups most frequently cite as vital or very 
important to their continued growth (55%). 
In this year's Review we have endorsed 
Vistage which has been running private 
peer advisory groups globally since 1955. In 
the UK, Vistage currently supports nearly 
1,500 business leaders with an approach 
based on carefully selecting members and 
then linking them locally in an advisory 
group led by an experienced Chair recruited 
for their business background and scaleup 
knowledge. The group comes together for 
a day each month during which they solve 
challenges and evaluate opportunities. The 
Supper Club, endorsed in 2017, continues 
also to extend its peer to peer offering, 
through regional activities working with 
local areas and a series of expert guides 
based on peer learning.
A shared characteristic of many of the 
successful programmes we identify is the 
link with an academic organisation. This 
year, two of our featured case studies come 
directly from world-class North American 
universities. The MIT Venture Mentoring 
Service was specifically set up to help 
mobilise the university's graduates, faculty 
and staff to start and scale innovative 
companies, using a structured approach to 
mentoring and its ability to call upon a pool 
of its CEO and business leader alumni to 
help those starting and scaling ventures. 
We endorse its work which provides an 
attractive model for UK universities  
to adopt.
In this year's Scaleup Survey, input of 
mentors is highly valued by 93% of all 
scaleup leaders who have one. Those 
who do not have a mentor identified not 
knowing where or how to find one as a 
main reason. There is a clear opportunity 
for universities to use their networks to 
provide more mentors to local scaleups, as 
in the MIT example. We see the provision 
of mentors as a feature in existing endorsed 
programmes. We are also encouraged by 
the use of mentors in the Manchester 
University initiative (see chapter 3), which 
others could emulate. 
The Lazaridis Institute at Canada's Wilfrid 
Laurier University is at an early stage in the 
implementation of its scaleup programme 
and has been influenced by the work of 
the ScaleUp Institute. Lazaridis has already 
developed some powerful insights and 
learnings into what makes a successful 
programme for scaleups, stressing that 
networks are the basic currency for 
scaleups. It also highlights how scaleup 
leaders are looking for practical education 
delivered by industry experts and the value 
of bringing together leadership teams to 
work through strategies and challenges. 
We will watch their progress with great 
interest and encourage their learnings to be 
a mantra for everyone involved in delivering 
scaleup leadership schemes.
We will also be watching the progress 
of Productivity through People (PtP) 
which has completed a pilot involving two 
cohorts in the North West with Lancaster 
University Management School and is being 
expanded to Scotland, the South West, 
North East, Midlands and London, working 
with a series of academic institutions. 
PtP puts a particular focus on businesses 
in supply chains with larger companies, 
NEW CASE  
STUDIES  
FOR 2018
CURRENTLY  
ENDORSED  
CASE STUDIES 
MIT: Venture Mentoring 
Service 
Vistage
British Library: Innovating 
for Growth
Cranfield School of 
Management: Business 
Growth Programme
Goldman Sachs 10,000 
Small Businesses UK
London Stock Exchange 
ELITE
The Supper Club
ONES TO  
WATCH
ONE TO 
WATCH
Cambridge Network: 
School for Scaleups
(CHAPTER 3)
Entrepreneurs' Forum: 
Scale-up Leaders' 
Academy
(CHAPTER 3)
Lazaridis Scale-Up 
Program 
The Platinum Group
(CHAPTER 3)
Productivity through 
People
Strathclyde Business 
School: Growth 
Advantage Programme
79
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Leadership
thereby helping to address some of the 
'access to markets' challenges raised by 
scaleups. It begins with a benchmark 
assessment which delegates use to assess 
their business practices against the best 
in class and which forms a focus for the 
coaching, action learning and mentoring 
offered to delegates.
Programmes that we have highlighted 
in previous years, are also a testament 
to the value of structured education 
for scaleup leaders involving academic 
organisations and continue to achieve 
valuable benefits for participants. More 
than 1,400 businesses have now graduated 
from the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small 
Businesses UK programme, benefiting 
from the combination of networking, peer 
learning and rigorous business education 
delivered jointly with a group of UK 
universities. Graduates are three times 
more likely to create jobs than other UK 
small businesses and three-quarters have 
created a high-performance culture in 
their companies. The UK cohorts of the 
London Stock Exchange Elite programme 
have raised 3bn to date and now have 
access to private capital through its own 
funding platform. The Cranfield Business 
Growth Programme, which we endorsed 
in 2017, continues to go from strength to 
strength; on average, participants achieve 
profits growth year on year of 41% and 
increase sales by 21%. The British Library's 
Innovating for Growth programme 
continues to improve its highly effective 
reach into a truly diverse community of 
scaleup leaders, in the last financial year 
51% of the participants were female-led 
businesses and 51% were Black, Asian and 
Minority Ethnic-led (BAME) businesses.
Other programmes that we highlighted 
last year  Strathclyde Business School's 
Growth Advantage Programme, Cambridge 
Network's School for Scaleups, the 
Entrepreneurs' Forum Scale-up Leaders' 
Academy, and the Platinum Group  all 
continue their important work, providing 
opportunities for leaders of scaling 
businesses to develop their leadership skills 
and to overcome their growth challenges by 
engaging with peers and being supported by 
mentors and coaches.
These scaleup leadership exemplars 
highlight the range of high-impact 
programmes on offer to scaling businesses 
as well as emerging initiatives. When 
combined, they are making a difference 
to closing the UK's scaleup gap. The 
continued existence and development of 
such programmes at local level, as well as 
stronger links between local and national 
offerings, remains important for continuing 
to address the needs of our fastest growing 
businesses.
80
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
VISTAGE
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
Vistage has been running private peer advisory groups for 
MDs/CEOs and Executives throughout the world since 1955. 
Worldwide, Vistage currently supports over 22,000 business 
leaders; in the UK the number is nearly 1,500.
At the core of the Vistage approach is the 
peer advisory group. Members are carefully 
selected and invited to join each locally-based 
peer advisory group. They meet monthly 
for a whole day with a dozen other business 
leaders led by a Vistage Chair, who acts as 
group facilitator and coach and are recruited 
for their business background, scaleup 
knowledge and experience. A Vistage Chair 
has on average 21 years of MD/CEO or P&L 
ownership experience and undergoes at least 
126 hours of specific training before they 
start to support members. 
From the start Vistage developed an 
approach for group meetings that allow 
members to help each other solve challenges, 
evaluate opportunities and explore effective 
strategies in a safe and confidential 
environment. The group and the Chair then 
hold each other to account for delivering on 
the commitments made. 
In addition to the benefits of the peer group, 
members also have access to expert speakers 
and thought leaders presenting within a 
small group setting, monthly private one-to-
one coaching/mentoring sessions with the 
Chair, and networks to build connections 
based specific industries or special interests. 
Furthermore, online resources containing the 
knowledge and insight of the international 
Vistage community plus wider research, tools 
and data are available through My Vistage.
A 2017 analysis revealed that companies 
that joined Vistage over the past five years 
had grown 220% faster than equivalent 
companies. The feedback from members is 
very positive  88% of UK CEO members 
state that Vistage is more valuable than any 
other source available to them to increase 
their knowledge and ability to excel and one-
third of new members are a direct result of 
referrals from existing members.
A purpose-built peer advisory group, with group commitment, is 
at the heart of Vistage coupled with a business chair who has been 
on the 'scaling' journey and has the knowledge and experience to 
impart. Others can learn from the Vistage structure, the active 
matching of scaleups to appropriate peers, mentors and experts and 
its measurement of impact and continuous learning.
Vistage has changed my 
approach completely, I now 
see myself as a leader  I feel 
that my job is to lead and grow 
my team. 
TOM HIGGINS, CHIEF EXECUTIVE 
OFFICER, GOLD-I LTD. 
I could easily attribute 10% 
growth to things I have 
implemented because of 
Vistage that I didn't do before
ANDREW STELLAKIS, MANAGING 
DIRECTOR, Q2Q LTD.
You get an opportunity to 
run ideas past people with no 
vested interests which I think 
is fantastic. 
MURRAY MCCALL, MANAGING 
PARTNER, ANDERSON 
STRATHERN.
Vistage is a great and cost-
effective way to have a non-
executive team around you.
IAN ROSEWELL, MANAGING 
DIRECTOR, PROCUREMENT 
INTERNATIONAL LTD.
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
CALL TO  
ACTION
ANNUAL JOB  
CREATION
8,450
EVENTS
30
UK-WIDE PA
AVERAGE  
REVENUE GROWTH 
23%
122  
ACCREDITED EXPERT 
SPEAKERS/THOUGHT 
LEADERS WITHIN THE UK
SCALEUPS:
35% 
OF UK VISTAGE MEMBERS 
ARE SCALEUPS WITH A 
FURTHER 20% ACTIVELY 
PLANNING TO SCALE
INTERNATIONAL 
COMMUNITY OF  
MEMBERS
22,000  
(UK 1,500)
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SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Update on currently endorsed  
case studies
The Supper Club: Peer-to-Peer Networks
The Supper Club is an exclusive membership community 
of high-growth founders and CEOs who are supported 
through all stages of the entrepreneur lifecycle. 
Members learn from their peers and specialist advisers 
at over 200 events a year, while dedicated member 
managers provide year-round support and connections.
Since 2003 it has enabled thousands of scaling 
entrepreneurs from all industries to realise their 
potential. The average growth of members is 34% year 
on year with sales ranging from 1m to 500m. The 
total value of investments into businesses in 2017 was 
1.2billion, ranging from management buyouts to private 
equity investment. 
In 2017 The Supper Club launched a national campaign 
to inspire the wider scaleup community with a series of 
guides, using insights from nearly 3,000 peer learning 
events. Tips for success and practical advice are available 
in two guides: Talent Tactics  to help founders recruit 
and build top-performing teams  and Way to Grow  
to increase awareness and understanding of different 
funding options and how to use them to accelerate scale.
To support scaleup leaders unable to attend regular 
events in London but who value the content and 
connections of the network, The Supper Club has 
introduced a range of new membership options and is 
expanding outside of London with regional activities in 
cities including Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester.
LEADERSHIP
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LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
Productivity through People
Supply chain collaboration to foster leadership development, 
scale and productivity
Productivity through People (PtP) is a programme 
designed to spread better working practices by 
encouraging stronger business collaboration, building 
industry networks and showcasing productivity exemplars.
The 12-month programme was first 
piloted in the North West between a 
collaboration of manufacturing partners 
BAE Systems, Rolls Royce and Siemens 
with Lancaster University. Launched in 
January 2017, the focus has been mainly 
on SME businesses in manufacturing and 
engineering but it is starting to extend to 
other sectors. The long-term objective is 
to build a National PtP Network involving 
a broader range of regional delivery and 
industry partners and PtP is now being 
expanded to other parts of the country 
including Scotland, South West, North 
East, Midlands and London.
The programme is built around three 
anchors: leadership, strategy and change, 
and culture. It begins with a benchmark 
assessment which enables the business 
leaders to assess their business practices 
against the best in class. It also forms a 
focus for the coaching, action learning and 
mentoring offered to business participants. 
This assessment is repeated at the end to 
track progress and the distance travelled by 
delegates during the programme. 
An important part of the programme is 
industrial visits which are designed to inspire 
the business leaders about the potential 
of developing innovative practices in their 
own company. Peer networking is another 
strong element and the programme has 
been specifically designed to enable the 
formation of a strong peer group among the 
delegates. Modules include action learning 
sets, shadowing and exchanges to optimise 
opportunities for the delegates to exchange 
best practice, share ideas and issues and to 
visit each other's businesses. 
PtP has supported 37 businesses in the first 
two cohorts; its impact will be measured 
12-18 months after they have completed 
the programme.
ScaleUp Institute research has shown that 
scaleups actively seek better collaboration 
in supply chains from the private sector 
and support from academia. PtP has the 
opportunity to facilitate this engagement on 
a more active and effective scale  we will 
be monitoring its progress with interest and 
specifically its outcomes and alignment to 
scaling businesses.
Strathclyde Business School
Growth Advantage Programme
The Growth Advantage Programme (GAP) is designed 
to deliver relevant, accessible and practical learning for 
the leaders of ambitious businesses in Scotland looking 
to scale up. 
It combines world-class executive 
education with the power of peer 
learning. Importantly, GAP graduates 
continue to support each other and 
are actively involved in sharing their 
experiences with succeeding cohorts 
of GAP participants as part of the 
Growth Advantage Club. Launched in 
2015, GAP is aimed at businesses with a 
minimum 1m turnover with real growth 
ambitions.
Over ten months, carefully selected 
participants attend a one-day 
orientation and four two-day workshops 
under a common theme: Creating a 
Growth Advantage. Participants learn 
the practical application of research 
on growing businesses, while garnering 
inspiration from their peers and guest 
speakers. Learning is supported and 
reinforced through access to closed 
online communications platforms and 
a series of specialist masterclasses 
dealing with issues facing subgroups 
of participants. While the core design 
of GAP has remained consistent since 
launch, the delivery team have been 
responsive to feedback from scaleup 
leaders to enhance sessions and improve 
their usefulness, for example introducing 
a session on the strategic use of IP.
GAP also provides access to project 
support from Hunter Centre for 
Entrepreneurship undergraduates and 
MBA students, product design resource 
from the Engineering Faculty, the use 
of the University Careers Service, and 
the sourcing of interns via the Santander 
Universities Internship Scheme.
Since 2015 53 companies have 
completed the programme. They had an 
average turnover of 2.1m when they 
commenced the course and at the end 
each company projected average sales of 
almost 5.1m within three years  nearly 
2.5 times greater on average. Total 
employment is projected to grow from 
1,325 to over 2,800.
ONE TO 
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ONE TO 
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SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
MIT VENTURE  
MENTORING SERVICE 
MOBILISING STUDENTS, STAFF AND ALUMNI  
TO START AND SCALE BUSINESSES
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Venture 
Mentoring Service (VMS) was founded in 2000 after two 
successful MIT-affiliated serial entrepreneurs proposed and 
were asked to develop a programme to remedy a gap in how the 
university supported emerging entrepreneurial ventures.  
The programme, which provides a model 
that other universities can follow, is freely 
available to MIT students, alumni and staff 
with ideas that they would like to turn into 
businesses. The entrepreneur and the venture 
must both be based in the greater Boston area 
and participants are expected to commit to 
a sustained relationship with VMS as well as 
be professional, open and responsive to the 
volunteer mentors who work with them. 
VMS matches both prospective and experienced 
entrepreneurs with skilled volunteer mentors. 
Participants meet initially with two mentors for a 
wide-ranging discussion so they gain as complete 
a picture as possible and identify the most critical 
action areas. Subsequently, a team mentoring 
approach is used with groups of 3-4 mentors 
who are continually tailored to each mentee's 
challenges. Meeting frequency and length of 
participation are up to the mentee who receives 
support in sessions that provide practical, day-
to-day professional advice and coaching.  
 
Mentors are selected based on their relevant 
experience and their careers represent a 
wide range of, such as founders, CEOs, chief 
technical officers, or executives of companies. 
They give support across a broad range of 
business activity including product development, 
marketing, intellectual property law, finance, 
human resources and business management. 
VMS mentors contribute over 12,000 hours a 
year.
The message to participants is that the 
mentoring services are educational only. All 
business decisions remain under the full control 
of the participating founder.
VMS complements and works cooperatively 
with the numerous other MIT centres and 
programmes promoting entrepreneurship and 
offering resources to encourage the formation 
of new businesses and R&D. 
A 2015 impact report underscored the 
substantial economic impact of MIT's alumni 
entrepreneurs who have founded 30,200 active 
companies that have created 4.6 million jobs and 
generate annual revenues of nearly $2 trillion. 
MIT VMS has created an Outreach Training 
Programme to share its practices, experiences 
and methods to other universities and  
economic development organisations across  
the US and worldwide.
All UK universities, colleges and business schools should consider 
this model and its learnings; there are significant opportunities for 
the education sector to establish similar alumni mentor schemes 
and help businesses on their growth journeys, particularly given 
the significance scaleup leaders place on access to universities and 
business schools and high quality mentors.
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
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165  
EXPERIENCED 
MENTORS 
1,450  
BUSINESSES 
ASSISTED 
2,500  
PARTICIPANT 
ENTREPRENEURS 
OVER
$1.44bn 
IN EXTERNAL FINANCE  
RAISED BY PARTICIPANTS OF  
VMS VENTURES
OVER
"When I first heard about VMS, I was 
immediately attracted by the fact 
that it is structured as an educational 
journey for the entrepreneur. The focus 
on education and learning, combined 
with the brilliant feature of group 
mentoring, leads to a unique, effective 
and highly productive experience, for 
both mentee and mentor." 
CATHERINE IACOBO,  
VMS MENTOR 
"It is no exaggeration to say that VMS' 
supportsupport was instrumental in 
helping us avoid major mistakes in 
the early stages of our growth. Now 
that we are bigger, the VMS mentor 
team provides an invaluable source 
of outside expertise both from a 
functional perspective (HR, strategy, 
financing, product development) and an 
industry insight perspective. On several 
occasions, the VMS team has also 
helped us identify and recruit the talent 
we needed to hit our growth objectives.  
COGITO 
"VMS' mentors have been a steadfast 
source of insight for KGS through many 
years of evolution and growth. We can 
always trust that the VMS mentors, and 
the VMS program, have the interest of 
the MIT founders and the company at 
heart, and not ulterior business motives. 
VMS has been and continues to be a 
guiding force in our business"
KGS BUILDINGS, LLC
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CHAPTER TWO
Running for two years, the Lazaridis Scale-Up 
Program is the flagship of the Lazaridis Institute for 
the Management of Technology Enterprises, based at 
Canada's Wilfrid Laurier University. 
It has been designed to help Canada's 
most promising growth-stage tech 
companies build their businesses to 
globally competitive size.
Ten companies from across Canada are 
selected for each 6-month programme; 
ideally they have been founded within 
the previous three to five years and have 
recognised a minimum $1m revenue in 
the past year. Participants meet one 
weekend a month in different cities.  
A significant element of the programme 
is that CEOs must commit to taking 
part in each and bringing an additional 
participant from their companies.  
The Lazaridis Institute has identified 
that this is one of the critical success 
factors of the programme; executives 
who involve their senior leadership team 
get the most out of the programme. 
Alongside this, the Lazaridis Institute 
has identified nine further lessons from 
building a scaleup programme. These are 
featured as an Insight below.
The programme lays a strong stress on 
using industry experts to build aware, 
self-confident leadership. Weekends 
are facilitated by experts in critical 
areas such as recruitment, product 
development and global growth.  
The programme culminates in five  
days of meetings in Silicon Valley.
Cohort companies receive 12 months 
of support from sector and functional 
specialists and 120 individual hours with 
a mentor who has scaled a business 
internationally and is chosen to meet 
each company's current challenges. 
All companies in the first cohort 
have reported increased revenues, 
80% increased jobs, 90% increased 
productivity, 90% received external 
finance, 90% increased exports.
Others can learn from the lessons Lazaridis lays out when 
creating and developing a scaleup programme. How we also 
connect peer scaleups with each other on an international 
basis is a future focus for SUI with its partners.
1
Scaleups are not startups. The language they use, their 
time horizons and their challenges are different  make 
sure you tailor your content, language and focus.
2
Scaleups want to solve immediate problems and bypass 
future ones. Their busy leaders have little patience for 
theory.
3
A programme must help participants work on  not in 
 their company. There is huge value in the time spent 
stepping back and viewing the bigger picture, and away 
from the daily fires that they face in the office.
4
Get the best out of the programme by involving 
members of the senior leadership team. They maximise 
the learning, can brainstorm in the moment, and are are 
ready to make decisions or change direction faster.
5
Don't under-estimate the importance of the peer 
network. Bring together diverse companies at the 
same stage of growth and they will make incredible 
connections. (BUT do not include competitors within 
the same cohort.)
6
Partner with accelerators to find participant companies 
at the right growth stage. A scaleup programme will help 
their graduates be even more successful  and that's a 
win for everybody.
7
The right mentors are vital  and they can't be one-size-
fits-all. The mentors in the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program 
are chosen not only for each company but for the 
particular challenges that the company is currently facing. 
We don't use the same mentors each year. It's crucial that 
mentors have actually scaled a business, usually in the 
same industry as the company that they are mentoring.
8
Sessions should be led by industry experts who 
have scaled businesses internationally. We don't use 
consultants or academic faculty members.
9
Networks are the basic currency of everything we do. 
Leverage partnerships to expand your network quickly, 
but make an ongoing commitment to building your own 
networks at the same time.
10
Get a commitment for participating companies  
up front that they will report back on key metrics for a 
set period of time. It is much harder to chase the data 
afterwards.
 INSIGHTS FROM CANADA:  
Lessons on building a scaleup programme
KIM MOROUNEY, MANAGING DIRECTOR, LAZARIDIS INSTITUTE
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Lazaridis Scale-Up Program
Canadian Insights 
ONE TO 
WATCH
Updates on currently endorsed  
case studies
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Launched in 2012, Innovating for Growth is a three-
month programme, delivered one-to-one and through 
workshops. It has been designed and delivered by the 
British Library Business and Intellectual Property Centre 
(BIPC) and a number of private sector partners.
BIPC has a 12-year track record in supporting 
entrepreneurs to start and run successful businesses; 
to date, over 750,000 people have used the centre. 
Independent research shows that businesses that use 
their services are four times more likely to be successful 
and sustainable than the national average.
The Innovating for Growth programme specifically 
helps owners of businesses trading for more than a year 
and with aspirations to grow their business through 
innovation to make the most of the British Library's 
expertise in IP management and customised  
business research. 
Each owner is paired with an Account Manager who 
oversees the engagement, acts as a counsellor and 
refers participants to relevant services. Post completion 
participants undertake regular reviews to track progress 
and measure outcomes as well as becoming members of 
the "Growth Club," offering events, peer-to-peer support 
and networking. 
BIPC now has an alumni network of over 430 scaling 
businesses; some are acting as mentors to the next 
generation of high growth potential scaleups. Notably, 
in the last financial year 51% of the participants were 
female-led businesses and 51% were Black, Asian and 
Minority Ethnic-led businesses.
Cranfield School of Management:  
Business Growth Programme
Cranfield's Business Growth Programme (BGP) has been 
offering leadership development for ambitious owner-
managed businesses with the potential for growth since 
1988. The programme was endorsed in the 2017 Review 
for demonstrating the value of linking scaleup leaders with 
peers in both the classroom and the business.
Typical participants have been operating for at least three 
years, with turnover now set between 0.5m and 20m. 
More than 2,500 business leaders have completed the 
nine-month programme participating in modules held over 
four weekends. Between these they develop their strategy 
and make immediate improvements.
Each participant is allocated a business counsellor, who 
works with them and visits the business. After the final 
module they present their strategy to a panel of BGP 
and independent advisers. Participants leave with a robust 
and rigorous business growth plan, which is reviewed for 
progress three months later.
Alumni can join regionally-run BGP Clubs providing 
a network of support and mentoring. Alumni also 'give 
back' to the programme by sharing their experiences with 
current participants, providing funding and scholarships as 
well as mentoring new entrants.
Analysis of the programme shows participants grow their 
businesses faster than their peers. On average revenue 
growth is 19% a year, profits grow year on year by 41% and 
sales increase by 21%.
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London Stock Exchange ELITE
ELITE is an ecosystem and platform helping the most 
ambitious private companies to scale up, structure 
for the next stages of growth and access capital. It 
was established to link scaleups with industry experts, 
corporate advisory and investor communities.
Companies become part of a vibrant community 
of founders, fast growing business leaders, advisers, 
investors and key stakeholders. ELITE provides 
structured training through an 18-month programme 
to give scaleup leaders the insights and tools to act 
strategically about their growth and investment.
The initiative started in Italy in 2012, expanding to the 
UK (in 2014) and further internationally. To date, ELITE 
has helped nearly 1,000 companies from 32 countries to 
scale up, connect to the right network and access capital. 
ELITE also offers support to companies raising private 
capital through its own funding platform that provides 
access to a range of professional investors.
ELITE companies have raised in excess of 8bn (over 
3bn in the UK alone) and 19 are listed on public 
markets (5 in the UK).
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK
Since 2010 Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK 
(10KSB UK) has helped accelerate the growth of high-
potential small businesses through practically-focused 
business and management education. More than 1,400 
businesses have now graduated from the programme.   
Competitively-selected businesses are offered over 100 
hours of education  both online and residential  fully-
funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Delivered in 
partnership with UK universities1, the programme offers 
networking and peer learning opportunities in addition to 
high quality, applied business learning.   
Studies of the impact of 10KSB UK show that alumni 
are three times more likely to create jobs than other 
UK small businesses, and grow revenue at 81% per year. 
77% increase the training opportunities provided to 
staff, 64% launch a new product or service in the year 
after completing the programme, and 70% seek external 
financing. 
In June 2018, independent research on the productivity 
of 10KSB UK graduates showed 75% have created a 
high-performance culture, 77% attribute a change in the 
leadership style to participation in the programme, and 
89% seek external partners. The result is a major impact 
on productivity: participants demonstrate an additional 
22% increase in productivity after completing the 
programme, compared to a control group of similar high-
growth UK small businesses. 
1 Oxford University Sad Business School, Aston University Centre for Growth, Leeds 
University Business School, and Manchester Metropolitan University Business School.
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The leadership mentality  
John Morris
Scaling and learning go together. A company can only successfully navigate and 
sustain high growth if it is a learning organisation, in which its leaders embrace 
new ideas, techniques and tools, and constantly develop their own skills and 
those of their workforce. It's exciting to see the strength of the hunger to learn 
among the UK's scaleups. In this year's Scaleup Survey, more than half of 
scaleups cite "developing the leadership and management skills of the senior 
team" as one of their top three factors supporting growth.
This year, I have had the privilege to chair the ScaleUp 
Institute's Leadership Capacity committee. Our main 
objective is to identify programmes across the UK that 
make a real, evidential impact in this regard. So in my 
case, chairing and learning go together.
My preconception had been that all leadership 
programmes were much the same. The British 
Library's Innovating for Growth, with its broad reach 
among women, ethnic minorities, and disabled people, 
was a revelation to me. It demonstrates that there 
is both space and need for a variety of programmes 
 because our thousands of scaleups come in many 
different shapes and sizes. Their leaders have different 
beliefs and values, different back stories and priorities, 
and different measures of success.
To reflect this, a variety of mechanisms, forums and 
interventions are required that will enable scaleup 
leaders to achieve their growth objectives and 
outcomes.
Such a variety should apply to peer networks, which 
are so important for many scaleups. As the Scaleup 
Survey shows, access to peer-to-peer networks is 
the most likely form of support to be rated "vital" or 
"very important" to help scaleups grow their business 
further. Our scaleup ecosystems should harbour peer 
networks that vary in cost and time commitments, 
from which scaleups can choose.
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At a local level, there is more to be done. I am 
hopeful that we will soon be recognising and 
praising local programmes that are world-class in 
their design, delivery and impact. 
Many leadership programmes and peer networks tend 
to focus on the CEO or founder. That is both logical  
and a good start. It's encouraging that some also have 
mechanisms for providing access to similar leadership 
and talent development tools for their management 
teams. This is an issue that we have taken seriously at 
Smith and Williamson. We have collaborated with the 
ScaleUp Institute on a scaleup benchmark to enable 
companies to see how they fare against their peers. 
And this year, we launched our Scaleup Diagnostic 
tool, which helps management teams  not just the 
CEO  to identify strategic strengths and weaknesses 
that may need to be addressed in order to scale up 
successfully. By gaining different views of the business, 
this tool provides a mechanism for a business to 
understand both its ambition and readiness to scale.
At a local level, there is more to be done. I am hopeful 
that we will soon be recognising and praising local 
programmes that are world-class in their design, 
delivery and impact. This year, I attended the ScaleUp 
Institute's third Driving Economic Growth course in 
Leeds. I would love to see a genuinely local programme 
emerge from this course which can stand on its own 
terms as an outstanding example of an initiative 
fostering scaleup leadership development.
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Innovate UK/EEN Scaleup Pilot Programme
Maxine Adam
The Innovate UK Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Pilot Scaleup 
Programme started in July 2017 and will end in December 2018. Jointly 
funded by Innovate UK and the European Commission, and created and 
delivered by EEN, the Scaleup Pilot Programme has been an ambitious 
initiative aimed at an ambitious group of companies.
Recognising that support ecosystems needed to 
be as responsive and agile as scaleup companies 
themselves and also that innovative companies have 
particular needs, its starting point was to put a group 
of innovative scaling companies at the centre, creating 
an adaptable service offer around them, from which 
support, targeted and tailored to their specific needs, 
could be drawn.
Shaping and driving the model is a team of eight high-
calibre scaleup directors who operate together as a 
'scaleup board' and provide each of the companies on 
the programme with a matrix of skills and connectivity. 
A single director provides each company with one 
point of contact but is drawing upon the collective 
resources of the board.
The scaleup directors help the companies to structure 
for global growth and collaboration and work with them 
to understand and address the particular set of needs 
that each company faces on their scaling journey.
It is a unique model for Innovate UK in how to 
deliver intensive support for innovative high-growth 
companies.
Selection criteria
Admission onto the Scaleup Pilot Programme was a 
rigorous and highly selective process. Drawing from 
an initial long list of approximately 1,200 companies, 
comprising the pool of companies who had received 
support through the Innovate 2 Succeed programme, 
Horizon 2020 or international collaboration support.
Following a process including local peer review panels, 
leading to invitations to submit expressions of interest 
for evaluation, 59 companies were carefully selected 
for individual visits by one of the pilot's scaleup 
directors. The directors' reports were assessed by the 
scaleup board, which then identified and selected 29 
companies for inclusion in the full programme.
We looked for innovative, ambitious, high-growth 
oriented companies who were already on their scaling 
journey, whose innovations and/or business models 
had the potential to disrupt an existing market, and 
who were establishing or already implementing their 
international markets strategy. They had to have a 
verified business plan and a commitment to implement 
it. They had to have the potential to achieve compound 
annual growth rates (CAGR) in the range of 60-100% 
or more. In other words, they had the potential to 
make the leap to become large  but were in need of 
help to structure themselves for global growth, finding 
the right talent and accessing growth funding.
Team of scaleup directors
The scaleup board was central to our approach. It was 
a unique model.
The experience and skills of the eight directors 
covered areas such as finance, M&A, international 
markets, supply chains and IP. They also came from 
different industry sectors.
Each scaleup director performs a relationship manager 
role; they are "on call," providing each company 
with a single point of contact but critically access 
to the collective resources of the board. However 
experienced, no one person can provide a high-growth 
business with all the answers to its particular set of 
needs on their scaling journey  but a virtual board 
can. The scaleup director can leverage the support and 
international connections available through the wider 
Innovate UK family including EEN.
Over the period, via structured site visits and ongoing 
discussions, the scaleup directors help their companies to 
address their scaleup challenges and to harness enablers. 
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In addition, a Strategic Advisory Board, providing 
input from Innovate UK monitored the overall 
progress of the programme. 
Participants
The scaleup companies on the pilot programme 
covered seven UK regions and six key industry sectors. 
They were all scaling with a mix of pre-revenue, early-
stage and established enterprises.
Lessons to date
The Scaleup Pilot Programme concludes in 
December 2018 and a formal evaluation of its 
impact will be conducted in 2019. What we have 
learned to date is indicative, not definitive. But it is 
most definitely exciting.
We found the challenges specific to each scaleup 
company and its management team could be grouped 
into six common themes: international markets, 
talent acquisition, accessing finance, leadership and 
mentoring, intellectual property, workspace and internal 
systems. Of these, the companies highlighted access to 
internationalisation, finance and successful exploitation 
of innovation as the most important areas where they 
needed support, together with responsive intervention 
to help them accelerate their scaleup journey.
Participants have not simply been the recipients of 
support; the scaleup directors have been a critical 
friend to them in their thinking and approaches. A 
number of the companies have adopted new strategies 
as a result of interventions from the scaleup board.
The companies on the programme have gained from 
interaction with their peers. Within the timeline of the 
pilot, two peer-to-peer events were held, to facilitate 
collaboration and networking between the companies 
as well as gain knowledge input from Innovate UK 
and make broader connections with members of the 
Strategic Advisory Board.
As a result of the programme, the companies have 
been exposed and connected to the breadth of offers 
available across the Innovate UK family, other public 
and private sector programmes, and to each other.
At the time of writing, approximately 100 sessions 
have been organised with the participating companies 
to support them on their strategies around talent 
acquisition, market expansion, funding, IP and 
infrastructure. Approximately eight out of ten 
ScaleUp Insights91
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North East 
3%
North West 
21%
ICT 
37%
Manufacturing 
22%
London 
24%
West Midlands 
7%
South West 
24%
South East 
14%
Environment 
14%
Healthcare 
10%
Food & Drink 
14%
Creative 
3%
East of England 
7%
companies have engaged with new stakeholders 
who were identified and introduced by the scaleup 
directors.
The results over such a short pilot period are striking: 
 9.4m in funding rounds have been secured and a 
further 14.5m is in progress  a combined total 
of 23.9m.
 Nine companies have secured new international 
collaboration agreements or established their 
presence in international markets.
 Nine IP audits and valuations have been 
conducted with a commercial value identified  
of 4.5m.
 
165 new jobs have been created during the pilot 
and a further 141 are projected in 2019  a total 
of 306 jobs. This equates to an average growth of 
over 40% in job numbers across the pilot cohort.
 
While it is too early to calculate economic impact, 
translating the job growth alone suggests a potential 
impact on the UK economy of approx 8.4m and a 
benefit of 27 for every 1 invested in the Scaleup 
Pilot Programme.
The future
Many businesses have the ambition to scale, but it is 
not easy for a high-potential business to become a 
high-performing world-beater. Innovate UK will work 
with approximately 3,000 businesses each year, our 
aim  utilising resources from across the Innovate 
UK family and our experience of the Scale Up Pilot 
programme  is for more of these companies to 
become scaleups.
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As a result of the programme, the companies 
have been exposed and connected to the breadth 
of offers available across the Innovate UK family
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CURRENTLY  
ENDORSED  
CASE STUDIES 
Go to Grow: Mayor of 
London's International 
Business Programme
Sharing in Growth (SiG)
Silicon Valley Comes to 
the UK (SVC2UK)
Expanding into new domestic and international markets has been 
an increasingly important issue for scaleups in recent years, scaleups 
are hungry to export despite the uncertainty of Brexit. 
Exporting remains one of the main enablers  
of scaling, leading companies to innovate, 
access new markets and develop new 
management models.
In the 2018 Scaleup Survey, exporters 
identified three major barriers to exporting 
more: access to customers and partners 
overseas, having the right people to win 
overseas sales, and uncertainty regarding the 
outcome of Brexit negotiations.
To break down these barriers, scaleups want 
more effective support: half of current and 
aspiring exporters wanted better introductions 
to buyers overseas and four in ten wanted a 
single point of contact with the Department 
for International Trade in the UK.
These findings reinforce the value and 
importance of trade missions that are tailored 
around the needs of scaleups. The 2014 
Scaleup Report noted that trade missions 
to other countries should include more 
scaleup companies.Through such missions, 
scaleup leaders can be introduced to relevant 
connections and potential partners as well as 
build up their peer networks. Their growth 
intentions and objectives for participating on a 
trade mission are very different from startups 
or large, established corporates.
Participation on trade missions with genuine 
stature and credibility is critical for scaleups, 
helping them open the right doors and 
secure high-level access  as the endorsed 
Mayor of London's International Business 
Programme, Go to Grow, attests. This 
programme demonstrates how other UK City 
Mayors can help their local scaleups in their 
international growth and should be emulated 
by others. Silicon Valley Comes to the UK 
(SVC2UK) continues its work improving the 
relationships between US and UK scaleups, 
running a Female Founders trade mission to 
San Francisco in May 2018. 
Procurement and collaboration 
The 2018 Scaleup Survey highlighted that three 
quarters of scaleups sell, or have aspirations to 
sell, to large corporates or government. But 
they face barriers in their desire to do this - with 
half of scaleups citing a complex procurement 
process as holding them back from selling more, 
and four in ten finding it difficult to find out 
about opportunities to bid.
This year the ScaleUp Institute has worked 
with Tussell to create the first visible Scaleup 
Public Procurement Index, highlighting the 
visible scaleups already working with local 
and national government and showing the 
authorities who are effectively engaging with 
the scaleup ecosystem.
Corporate collaboration is an important 
step in improving the procurement process: 
sharing information on how scaling businesses 
can improve their ability and opportunity to 
connect with larger buyers and more easily 
integrate into their supply chain is essential. 
We highlight some of the essential attributes 
of the companies seen as exemplars in the 
manner in which they work with fast-growing 
companies and from whom others can learn. 
With Nesta we also offer insight into how 
corporates and scaleups can maximise the 
benefits of collaboration through considering a 
number of critical questions.
We also revisit the Sharing in Growth initiative 
set up by the aerospace industry as an example 
of a scheme that provides concentrated 
training and development over four years, 
targeted at raising the performance of UK 
aerospace suppliers (with at least 10m 
turnover) to world-class standards. The 
programme is consistently tackling the barriers 
to growth by providing training and support in 
leadership, strategy, manufacturing processes 
and business planning. 90% of sampled 
companies who participated in the initiative 
have made significant changes to their vision, 
mission and values, and have defined product 
market groups.
Access to markets
Corporate and Scaleup 
Collaboration Exemplars
ScaleUp InsightsScaling businesses benefit enormously from corporate collaboration. But it is 
not a one-way benefit because large companies are increasingly recognising that 
working with fast-growing companies helps promote innovation and gives them 
access to new technologies.
More large corporates have begun to explore the 
potential of collaboration with scaling businesses 
but identifying what works best and ensures the 
most impact remains important to deliver the 
most beneficial partnerships. Tackling established 
thinking and internal barriers that hold back effective 
collaboration requires significant effort.
The ScaleUp Institute has continued its relationship 
with Nesta to identify and celebrate those corporates 
whose behaviours and procedures are making a real 
difference to effective partnership-building. Held two 
years ago for the first time, 25 companies were named 
as Europe's Corporate Stars  with 14 of the 25 either 
having significant headquarters or major operations in 
the UK.
In 2017 the approach was refined to identify 
12 trailblazers from more than 100 nominees 
with another 24 recognised as Open Innovation 
Challengers. At the award ceremony in December 
2017 specific awards were also made to companies 
for their accelerator programmes, procurement 
behaviours, M&A activity and innovative approaches.
Firms with significant UK operations continued to 
feature strongly in the exemplars:
 Telfonica, Virgin, Cisco, Mastercard and 
Unilever Foundry were among the top 12 stars.
 Telfonica also featured alongside Enel and 
Iberdrola in the procurement awards.
 Aviva, Barclays (Barclays Accelerator, powered 
by Techstars), BBC Worldwide, Google (for 
entrepreneurs), Microsoft, Nestle, Pfizer, Philips, 
RBS, and Shell were included as ones to watch in 
the Open Innovation Challenger category. 
 Barclays (Barclays Accelerator, powered by 
Techstars), Mastercard (Start Path) and Philips 
(Health Works) were recognised with the 
Accelerator Award.
 Microsoft and Google were celebrated for their 
work on ecosystems.
 
Alongside the awards Nesta published a detailed 
report identifying key components of the leading 
firms' collaboration effort based on analysis of 31 
of the 36 leading companies chosen because their 
headquarters are in Europe. This analysis identified 
that 84% had a dedicated innovation unit with just 
over half running an accelerator; 87% undertook 
innovative procurement from scaleups in 2017, 
commercially engaging with an average of 10 
businesses each. In addition, 71% had actively invested 
in scaling businesses and 61% were active in growing 
businesses' M&A.
Senior level engagement is important, the report 
found. Among those with an open innovation 
unit, 33% report directly to the CEO or Board of 
Directors, 38% report to other C-suite executives, 
and the rest, 29%, report to non C-level executives 
such as the Head of Innovation or Executive Vice 
President. Six out of ten exemplar corporates now 
have either a digital Chief Innovation Officer or Chief 
Digital Officer.
Procurement, which provides a major challenge for 
large firms working with young scaling businesses that 
often have special needs, was another focus for the 
analysis. The majority of exemplar corporates that 
engage in procurement with early stage scaleups (24 
out of 27) report having set up at least one 'friendly' 
procedure. These range from 67% having a "fast-
track" option, 48% have special legal templates, 33% 
have dedicated procedures and 26% carry out "other" 
practices such as providing preferential payment 
conditions and having a full-time person to help 
scaleups through the procurement process. 
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Analysis of how the 31 foster an internal entrepreneurial 
culture demonstrated the value of hiring entrepreneurs, 
with this approach favoured by 19 firms. Other 
approaches included giving in-house entrepreneurs 
(intrapreneurs) time with C-suite executives to seek 
advice and exposing employees to innovation via 
missions and incentive programmes to tech hotspots 
such as Silicon Valley, as well as holding internal 
competitions/contests to encourage employees to 
develop ideas. 
Focus on UK firms 
Telfonica was lauded as a great example of digital 
transformation making significant efforts to integrate 
scaling businesses into the firm. The scale and vision 
of their OpenFuture programme was described as a 
sign that open innovation is at the core of Telfonica's 
strategy.
Virgin was again highlighted as a corporate able to 
ingrain entrepreneurship within its culture. This is 
reflected in its corporate values and internal KPIs. 
All Virgin companies engage with scaling businesses 
via different programmes, often supported by Virgin 
StartUp  a dedicated entity focused on supporting 
small innovative businesses.
A Cisco partnership with Mishipay, a company that 
provides theft-proof scan, pay and leave shopping 
solutions was highlighted in the 2017 report. After 
winning University College London's Bright Ideas awards 
Mishipay became a Cisco Solutions Partner and its 
product was deployed in beta trials for retailers, earning 
a host of awards.
In addition, Cisco has introduced the company to clients 
such as Media Markt Saturn, the largest consumer 
electronics retailer in Europe, and is developing joint 
solution with them. Mishipay built the first way-finding 
feature in its app using Cisco CMX to be deployed live 
by Cisco in a real showroom environment
Awards for 2018 are now being considered and the 
winners will be announced in December.
The ScaleUp Institute has continued its 
relationship with Nesta to identify and  
celebrate those corporates whose behaviours  
and procedures are making a real difference  
to effective partnership-building
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ScaleUp InsightsDESIGNING YOUR PROGRAMME CHECKLIST
EXPLANATION 
Do you know why you want to work with scaleups? (e.g. 
innovating brands, entering new markets, solving business 
specific problems; changing your culture, CSR, etc.) 
Clarity of purpose aids internal communication, promotes 
coherent strategy and helps identify the most appropriate 
mechanism for engagement.
Given the objectives, scale and scope, which collaborative 
mechanisms have you considered?
One off events (i.e. competitions such as hackathons);
Sharing resources (i.e. free tools, coworking spaces); 
Accelerator, incubator hub 
Business support (e.g. Mentoring; leadership and talent 
support);
Partnerships (e.g. product co-development, collaborative 
R&D, procurement);
Structured procurement process with fast growing  
firms/growth SMEs in supply chain
Investments (e.g. corporate venturing);
Acquisitions (i.e. acqui-hire and buying growing businesses)?
Different modes of engagement suit different purposes 
and require different resource commitments from each 
partner.
Have you considered instituting a dedicated 
innovation/'collaboration' unit (with its own budget)?
Separate units may help insulate early stage fast growing 
businesses (as well as internally generated innovations), and 
prevent stifling by corporate processes
If so, do you have a plan to ensure that the activities of this 
unit align with broader corporate goals?
Separate units can sometimes be counterproductive, as 
independence can give rise to new silos, create rivalries and 
deepen divisions with the rest of the organisation.
Does it have a Board level sponsorship?
The most effective programmes have Board level 
engagement and are monitored at that level.
How will you measure impact and how will you report 
impact and benchmark this to others?
The most effective programmes agree impact assessment 
and benchmarking.
IMPLEMENTING YOUR PROGRAMME
EXPLANATION 
When in the year does the Board review the degree to 
which your company is procuring from/collaborating with 
scaleups
Innovation almost always entails taking risks and rethinking 
processes. Senior buy in is crucial in making clear what is 
acceptable and communicating a sense of urgency.
Has this been communicated to different business units?
Handovers between business units are common failure 
points, especially when units have conflicting internal goals.
Do you have a scaleup procurement/ collaboration 
champion in each business?
Do you have a dedicated point of contact for enquiries  
from scaleups?
For small firms, everything has a huge opportunity cost. 
Difficulties in finding the right contact are often enough to 
prevent scaleups from engaging.
Do you have a account manager for those you are  
working with?
Is it clearly signposted on your website?
If yes, does that person have decision-making powers, or 
close proximity to those who do?
A quick 'no' is much better for small firms than a 
protracted 'maybe'.
7 A checklist for those who are starting out, refreshing and/or considering their collaboration model.
Corporate collaboration checklist
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CHAPTER TWO
The checklist was produced by the ScaleUp Institute in partnrship with Nesta and their European Partners in 2017.
For more details: http://www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/ 
Do you have a fast-track procurement service for fast/high 
growth firms?
Many fast growing companies face a 'catch 22' with 
procurement, since they are often required to show  
track record or ISO certification, but cannot gain this 
without customers.
Do you have a specialised legal team or legal templates?
Many corporate legal teams are great at dealing with large 
firms, but don't recognise that smaller firms have unique 
needs. For small firms, legal costs can be a major barrier  
in themselves.
Do you use standardised agreements for intellectual 
property?
IP is a common sticking point, especially for collaborative 
research. Templates like the Lambert model agreements 
simplify the negotiation.
Have you hired entrepreneurs to manage your scaleup 
programmes, and included entrepreneurial metrics in your 
recruitment process?
An innovative internal culture starts with the staff, but 
recruitment often tends towards 'safe pairs of hands'. 
Experienced entrepreneurs and those that have scaled 
businesses before, better understand the needs of scaleups.
MEASURING & SUSTAINING YOUR PROGRAMME
EXPLANATION 
Do you have a succession plan for account managers?
Business relationships often take longer than the duration 
of someone in a given role. Changes in staff are a common 
mode of failure.
Do you monitor what proportion of your company's total 
procurement (volume and/or value) is from scaleups?
Volumes speak volumes!
Do you publish this in your annual report?
Publicly acknowledging collaboration sends a strong signal 
to partners and competitors alike.
Do you know how long it typically takes to register as a new 
supplier with you?
Timescales are very different for corporates and scaleups. 
Long and complex procedures burn scaleups' precious time 
which could be better dedicated to the business.
Do you know how long it typically takes to pay suppliers?
Slow payment kills growing companies.
Do you assess your processes and fast-track policies for 
'scaleup friendliness'?
Formalised process may be efficient for day-to-day 
business but often hamper exploration of new ideas.
CHANGING YOUR CORPORATE CULTURE TO BE 
MORE RECEPTIVE TOWARDS SCALEUPS
EXPLANATION 
Do you incentivise entrepreneurial behaviour through KPIs 
and related bonuses?
Employees respond to incentives. Even if they see the 
potential for improved products or services, most will  
focus on their immediate job description unless there is 
suitable reward.
How do you encourage learning from failure, in a way which 
does not penalise measured risk taking?
Promoting the safe sharing of failure stories is a key ingredient 
in combatting a corporate culture of risk aversion and building 
an entrepreneurial mindset among employees.
Do you employ a dedicated scaleup manager/champion?
Scaleup champions can be a great way to cut across 
internal silos, and provide advice to staff about where to 
take their ideas.
Do staff treat risk as something to be minimised or  
actively managed?
Not innovating is a lot riskier than innovating. Innovations 
always entails risk. An attitude which treats this as purely 
negative will kill innovation.
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Updates on currently endorsed  
case studies
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Mayor of London's International Business Programme
Since launching in February 2016, the Mayor's 
International Business Programme has supported 
more than 500 of London's high growth businesses in 
their international expansion. Each quarter, 50 leading 
businesses in the tech, life sciences, urban and creative 
sectors are accepted to join the programme. Participant 
companies gain access to bespoke support for one year in 
the form of mentoring, workshops, access to corporates, 
international trade missions and advice. 
To date, the programme has supported companies to 
create 789 new jobs, close deals totalling 49m and 
raise investment to the tune of 133m. A recent cohort 
survey showed that more than 86% of the companies 
created new jobs in 2017; of these companies, 54% 
signed new deals and 56% entered new markets in the 
past year.
Through international trade missions, companies have 
been able to scope out markets such as China, India 
and the USA  gaining access to key decision makers at 
corporates, investors and influencers. This May a group of 
15 leaders of London's fastest-growing women-led tech 
companies headed to Silicon Valley in the USA as part of 
the Mayor's #BehindEveryGreatCity campaign. Other 
missions included Atlanta, Madrid and Toronto. Further 
missions are planned to Germany, Nashville and China.
Sharing in Growth (SiG):  
Action through supply chains
Established by industry in 2013, Sharing in Growth 
(SiG) helps aerospace supply chain companies to 
improve their productivity and competitiveness and be 
better placed to win a share of continued growth in the 
global aerospace market.
Companies on the programme have already have secured 
more than 2.5 billion in contracts  equivalent to 4,500 
high-value jobs. SiG has provided the necessary support 
to achieve this from its own 120-strong team of business 
coaches as well as a network of global experts including the 
University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing, 
Deloitte and the National Physical Laboratory. Backed by 
aerospace prime customers including Rolls-Royce, BAE 
Systems, Airbus and Boeing, SiG has delivered more than 
2.5 million hours of support to 63 companies, helping to 
skill up around 11,000 employees.
SiG focuses on creating competitive capability by 
developing the people and the processes they use. As fast-
growing companies need access to knowledge, expertise 
and coaching to move through their stage of growth, each 
programme reflects detailed knowledge of the individual 
business context and is delivered on site. Tailored support 
lasts up to four years, is scaled to a company's ambition 
and recognises that the needs of a smaller, evolving 
company are vastly different from a multi-site corporate.
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CHAPTER TWO
Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK)
Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK) provides 
a series of invitation-only events that bring together 
investors, serial entrepreneurs, students, policymakers 
and first-time CEOs with serial entrepreneurs and 
investors from the US and the UK. It is designed to 
improve the ecosystem for entrepreneurship in the UK, 
Europe and beyond and drive sustainable growth by 
helping promising CEOs in their scaling journey, inspire 
students, and foster relationships with Silicon Valley and 
the UK.
In May 2018, SVC2UK ran its fourth Female Founders 
trade mission to San Francisco and Silicon Valley for 15 
of London's female-led scaleups. The 3-day programme 
to build relationships included a reception, tours of 
Facebook and Instagram's HQs, speed mentoring and 
roundtables with founders and senior figures from Silicon 
Valley.
SVC2UK hosts a summit every November; Silicon 
Valley and UK leaders in entrepreneurship lead 
workshops, masterclasses and lectures, with the aim to 
debate, discuss, create and fund today's most disruptive 
technologies to change our world in the years to come. 
SVC2UK is run out of London & Partners, a not-for-
profit public-private partnership, funded by the Mayor 
of London and a network of commercial partners.
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CHAPTER TWO
NEW CASE  
STUDIES  
FOR 2018
CURRENTLY  
ENDORSED  
CASE STUDIES 
Accel
Balderton Capital
Crowdcube
Draper Esprit
Eight Roads*
Index Ventures
IP Group, including 
Touchstone Innovations
LDC
Notion
Partech*
Santander Growth Capital 
Fund Breakthrough 
programme*
Woodford Investment 
Management
Barclays: Venture Debt
BGF
British Business Bank: 
Enterprise Capital Fund
Octopus Titan VCT
The ecosystem for growth capital continues to improve but the 
UK must continue to expand the pool of patient finance available 
to scaling businesses across the country and address the regional 
disparities, awareness and depth issues that persist.  
Findings from the Scaleup Survey in 2018 
suggest that while 74 per cent of scaleups 
rely on external finance to support growth, 
four out of ten scaleups do not have the 
right funding in place to fulfil their current 
ambitions.
In our analysis of 'visible scaleups' with 
Beauhurst, we have identified those equity, 
debt and mezzanine investors who have 
been the most active in supporting scaleups 
between the period of 2011 to 2018. We 
feature these as our case studies for 2018. 
All of them have demonstrated commitment 
to financing scaleups through successive 
rounds and they are institutions about which 
scaleups should be more knowledgeable. We 
hope to see more new models of funding 
emerging from the Patient Capital Review.
The breadth of these case studies 
demonstrates there can be no single 
route to finance for scaleups. A blend of 
complementary sources of UK-based long-
term capital, all of whom have the capacity 
to participate in follow-on rounds and to add 
value by bringing knowledge, networks and 
expertise along with their funding, is vital.
Seven of our case studies are VC firms  
Balderton Capital, Accel, Index Ventures, 
Notion, Partech, Eight Roads. (Draper 
Esprit is also a VC firm but one that 
is publicly listed on the London Stock 
Exchange, and so we consider it with 
other institutional funds). They reflect 
the emergence of VC investors who are 
consistently supporting the scaling up of 
companies and provide exemplars of how 
the wider VC industry has the potential and 
capacity to provide support to all stages of 
scaleup growth. Some of the firms, such 
as Partech and Eight Roads, have a global 
mandate; others, such as Balderton, Accel 
and Index, invest in UK scaleups from funds 
with a Europe-wide focus. The Octopus 
Titan VCT, endorsed in 2017, continues to 
grow in size and increase its annual number 
of investments; it also offers structured 
support for the international growth 
strategies of its portfolio companies  more 
than 60 per cent of its portfolio companies 
have a presence outside of the UK.1 It is an 
exemplar of how VCT investors can provide 
knowledge and resources as well as finance. 
These investors are mainly tech-focused 
and we need to consider how to develop 
pools of capital for all sectors as well as their 
greater disbursement throughout the UK's 
regions  this is a key element of the British 
Business Bank's mission. 
We have previously endorsed two 
programmes provided by banks: the 
provision of venture debt, as exemplified by 
Barclays, and the Santander Breakthrough 
Growth programme. The varied capability 
of the principal banks to support scaleups 
is underlined by our endorsement this year 
of LDC, the private equity arm of Lloyds 
Banking Group, as a result of the firm's 
ongoing active investment in UK scaling 
companies. First formed in 1981, LDC 
invests in growing businesses from all sectors 
via a regional network of nine offices.
Institutional funds, either investment trusts 
or publicly quoted firms in their own right, 
form another important part of the funding 
landscape for scaleups. The emergence of 
these patient capital institutions  as well 
as the creation of British Patient Capital 
by the British Business Bank  creates a 
fresh source of institutional investment with 
time horizons that are less constrained by 
the life of a particular fund. This year we 
endorse Draper Esprit, which has received a 
30m investment from the British Patient 
Capital programme, Woodford Investment 
Management and the IP Group (which 
acquired Touchstone Innovations in 2017).
Finance
*Female Founders focus
1 http://www.growthbusiness.co.uk/
octopus-group-simon-rogerson-and-
chris-hulatt-2554307/
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A newer asset class  equity crowdfunding 
 has emerged over the past decade as 
an alternative finance option for scaling 
companies. This is reflected in the number 
of companies that Beauhurst data has 
identified as being supported via the 
Crowdcube platform. The growth of such 
platforms, along with the fostering of 
fintech companies in the FCA's regulatory 
"Sandbox," demonstrates the level of 
innovation in finance from which scaleups 
can benefit.
It is important that this growing number 
of diverse funding sources leads to greater 
allocation to companies with higher levels of 
gender diversity. Financing and supporting 
more female scaleup role models will 
encourage more women to scale up their 
businesses the Santander programme has 
expanded its offer, notably including a 
Women in Business programme to provide 
networking opportunities, mentoring and 
events specifically for female entrepreneurs. 
Research conducted by Beauhurst for our 
Female Founders Index highlight how some 
of these endorsed firms  such Partech 
and Eight Roads  also demonstrate 
their support of and investment in female 
founders. 
The British Business Bank (BBB) provides a 
model of how public sector finance can work 
with  and not crowd out  private sector 
finance in order to develop far bigger pools 
of capital in the UK and encourage more 
investors willing and able to provide ongoing 
rounds of follow-on or scaleup finance.
In 2017, we featured the BBB's Enterprise 
Capital Fund (ECF) programme as a case 
study. The investment capacity of this 
programme has now increased to more than 
1.2bn, with 28 funds facilitating finance to 
more than 470 businesses (as at end June 
2018). In addition, the BBB has amplified 
its support of scaleups with the launches this 
year of British Patient Capital, the Managed 
Funds programme, and a Knowledge Hub for 
scaleups to identify and attract appropriate 
growth capital.
One of our original case studies, BGF, has 
continued to grow its support of scaleups. 
It has invested 1.7bn and backed 250 
growth companies with 430m of follow-on 
funding and has 14 offices including opening 
in Ireland in 2017 with a 250m fund to 
support growing Irish businesses.
Scaleups continue to emphasise that it is not 
just cash that they seek from the financial 
community. They want smart money which 
brings knowledge and support along with 
it. The nature of that additional backing is 
taking many forms.
A more plural and diverse finance market 
requires strong and clear education for 
scaleup leaders about the growth finance 
options that are available.
Stephen Welton
CEO, BGF
They say change is the only constant and looking back at the last year or so, 
that has certainly been the case. While on one side, technological progress 
is transforming our lives, creating new industries and with them, a wealth of 
opportunities  on the other side, we are navigating increasingly uncertain 
waters. As we head towards Britain's exit from the EU in 2019, an exact vision 
of the future is hard to imagine.
One might naturally assume that such uncertainty 
would be bad for business. But as we've seen at 
BGF over the past 12 months, entrepreneurs and 
scaleup business leaders across the country, while 
acknowledging its impact, are determined to make the 
most of the opportunities it might present.
In 2018, BGF has on average made one investment 
per week, bringing our overall investment to more 
than 1.7bn across 250 companies.
A time of great transformation 
The business environment is evolving, even down to 
the very ways we define success. There seems to be 
a renewed confidence in the impact that innovative, 
scaling businesses can have on the world around them. 
Leaders are striving to make a positive difference to 
society and power progress in the UK.
Indeed, innovation and supporting R&D have been a 
clear focus for the government, as seen in its Industrial 
Strategy and the new deals being brokered to support 
Britain's prowess in emerging areas, such as artificial 
intelligence (AI). 
 
Our technology success
Britain's tech industry is certainly flying. The latest 
reports from TechNation suggest that the digital tech 
sector grew 2.6 times quicker than the rest of the 
economy between 2016 and 2017.
This growth is reflected across many of BGF's 
portfolio businesses, in particular our earlier stage 
group, which is in large part driven by digital. Take 
for example Trouva, which is creating an online 
marketplace for global bricks-and-mortar boutiques.
But we must not forget that fast growth  and the 
progress it brings with it  is not merely seen in the 
technology sector.
I can say with confidence that the bright sparks of 
innovation and productivity can be seen vividly from all 
sectors. From manufacturing and energy, to business 
services, hospitality and healthcare, we are a nation of 
passionate and ambitious creators.
The importance of diversity
For the UK to build a sustainable economy, it must 
create and support a diversity of businesses across all 
regions. We can't put all of our eggs in one basket and 
with such a wide-range of skills and talent in every 
corner of the country, there is no reason we should. 
Having more strings to our bow will bring resilience 
and will help us to meet any economic hurdles that 
this age of uncertainty might throw up.
It is critical, on a finance and growth capital basis, 
to be close to our scaling businesses. We need to 
build a nationwide approach, with more investment 
needed on the ground and a renewed focus on making 
Patient Capital a reality by crowding in institutional 
funds to support Britain's scaleups. The future may 
be uncertain, but one thing is clear  with such an 
inspiring crop of innovative, scaling companies, based 
in all corners of the UK  the future is bright.            
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ACCEL
BALDERTON CAPITAL
Accel is an early and growth-stage VC firm which has a number of funds  
including the $500m Accel London V Fund which is focused on Series A  
and B investments in Europe and Israel. 
Typically investing between $5-$10m in Series A or B 
first-round investments, Accel invests on average $15m per 
company over time; the average size of the investment rounds 
into UK companies in which it has participated since 2011 is 
17.4m.
During this period, the fund has provided follow-on investments 
for 13 of the 27 UK companies that it has backed, averaging 
1.85 investments per company. For more than half (56%) of 
the companies, Accel was the first institutional investor.
Accel contributed to ten equity investments into six unique 
scaleups in rounds worth a total of 277m.
The fund invests in technology companies globally, with a 
focus on the US, UK and India. Of the 50 investments made 
by Accel since the start of 2011, 49 have been into London-
based companies.
Balderton Capital focuses on Series A investments into European technology 
companies but also provides growth capital to companies at venture and growth stage. 
Balderton typically invests between $1-$20m; the average size 
of the investment rounds into UK companies in which it has 
participated since 2011 is 10.5m. During this period, the fund 
has provided follow-on investments for 20 of the 37 unique 
UK companies that it has backed. Balderton has contributed to 
11 investments into six unique UK scaleups since 2011 worth a 
total of 222m.
The fund primarily invests in businesses based in Europe but 
has invested in US and Asian businesses. It focuses on markets 
such as technology, e-commerce, software, communications, 
security, semiconductors, consumer services, media and 
financial services. It does not invest in life sciences or cleantech.
Describing itself as investing in European founders with global 
ambitions, Balderton organises hundreds of networking events 
across Europe each year, designed to connect companies with 
mentors, board members and customers. It provides advice 
on talent acquisition and global expansion. In October 2018 
Balderton launched Liquidity I, a new $145m fund dedicated 
to buying equity stakes from early shareholders in European-
founded, high growth, scaleup technology companies.
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
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DIMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
27 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
48%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
2%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
27
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
37 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
54%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
8%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
37
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
CROWDCUBE
DRAPER ESPRIT
Crowdcube operates an online crowdfunding platform on which businesses pitch to 
receive investment. The fund focuses on seed and early-stage businesses due to average 
size of capital provided, although businesses at any stage are eligible. 
Crowdcube typically invests between 250,000-1m, with 
funding available as equity investment or mini-bonds, with the 
average size of its investment into UK companies since 2011 
being 648,000. During this period, the fund has provided 
follow-on investments for 62 of the 543 UK companies 
that it has backed. Crowdcube has contributed to ten equity 
investments into six UK scaleups since 2011 worth a total of 
13.2m; it has also facilitated two debt funding deals totaling 
12.3m for the scaleup BrewDog.
Crowdcube exclusively invests in UK companies and has offices 
in Exeter and London. It provides companies that raise funds 
via the platform with access to a help centre and a campaigns 
team, access to a network of founders, and support with 
marketing and investor relations.
Draper Esprit invests in seed, venture and growth-stage companies based in Europe.  
The firm typically invests between $500,000-$20m; the 
average size of the investment rounds into UK companies in 
which it has participated since 2011 being 9.15m. During this 
period, the fund has provided follow-on investments for 12 
of the 33 unique UK companies that it has backed. Draper 
Esprit has contributed to 15 investments into seven unique UK 
scaleups since 2011 worth a total of 146m. 
Founded in 2006, the fund invests throughout Europe, 
with offices in London, Dublin and Cambridge. It invests 
in technology-based businesses and those in e-commerce, 
digital media and online publishing. It focuses on companies in 
electronics, software, internet, medtech and mobile.  
The average number of deals per annum, including follow-on 
rounds, is 20.
21 of the 52 investments made into UK companies by Draper 
Esprit since 2011 have been outside of London. The firm 
describes growth investing as its core business and emphasises 
that as a publicly listed VC fund it is not constrained by the 
limited partnership model of a time-limited fund, saying: "we 
have a balance sheet, a longer view, and the staying power to 
back teams to reach their full potential."
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
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FOR 
SCALEUPS
543 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
11%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
46%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
40
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
33  
COMPANIES 
BACKED
36%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
21%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
19
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
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CHAPTER TWO
INDEX VENTURES
IP GROUP, INCLUDING 
TOUCHSTONE INNOVATIONS
Index Ventures is a multi-stage VC firm, making equity investments at seed, venture 
and growth stage. 
The firm focuses on life sciences, medical technology, digital 
media, e-commerce and software and invests in companies 
based in the US, Europe and Israel. It announced new venture 
and growth funds amounting to $1.65bn in June 2018.
Index typically invests between $100,000-$2m in seed-stage 
companies and up to 50m for growth-stage companies; the 
average size of the investment rounds into UK companies in 
which it has participated since 2011 is 11.9m. 
During this period, the fund has provided follow-on 
investments for 25 of the 57 UK companies that it has backed. 
Index has contributed to 17 investments into UK scaleups since 
2011 worth a total of 386m.
IP Group is an FTSE-250 listed IP commercialisation company whose funds provide 
venture capital to spin-out companies from its university partnerships. 
IP Group owns several funds, including Touchstone Innovations 
(which was acquired in October 2017), Parkwalk Advisors, 
and stakes in Oxford Sciences Innovation and Cambridge 
Innovation Capital.
IP Group invests in spin-outs from UK universities and some 
US universities. The great majority of investments  88%  
made by IP Group have been into companies in local areas 
of the UK other than London. Its subsidiary Touchstone 
Innovations focuses on companies developing research 
originating from the UK's "Golden Triangle" (i.e Oxford, 
Cambridge, London). 
The funds invest at seed, venture and growth stages and assist 
companies with the commercialisation of their new products 
and services, with technology transfer, IP licensing and 
protection. The funds continue to invest in portfolio companies 
as they scale. The firm has a long-term partnership model 
with UK universities and developed an approach to supporting 
businesses from "cradle to maturity," including assistance with 
executive search and recruitment and raising growth stage 
capital from co-investors.
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
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DIMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
57 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
44%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
13%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
41
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
TOUCHSTONE
IP GROUP
50/76 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
58%/32%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
66%/88%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
23/17
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
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LDC
NOTION
LDC is the private equity arm of Lloyds Banking Group and has been an active investor 
in UK companies since 1981. 
It makes equity investments between 2-100m to companies 
who can demonstrate minimum revenues of 5m with profits 
of 1m and a two-year profits history. The average size of its 
investment since 2011 is 15.9m.
LDC has contributed to 12 investments into scaleup 
companies since 2011, worth a total of 193m. Of the 39 
investments made by LDC, 32 have been to companies based 
outside of London.
The firm invests solely in UK companies and has nine offices 
around UK, including Aberdeen, Manchester, Bristol, 
Edinburgh and Birmingham. Portfolio companies are provided 
with sector-specific guidance, access to an executive network, 
and peer network opportunities with other portfolio companies.
Notion specialises in making seed and Series A investments but has an $80m growth fund 
to provide later-stage follow-on capital for portfolio companies. The fund invests exclusively 
in the B2B and SaaS sectors. Notion is located in London and invests across Europe. 
The firm typically invests between 250,000-5m, the 
average size of the investment rounds into UK companies 
in which it has participated since 2011 is 6.73m. During 
this period, the fund has provided follow-on investments for 
16 of the 33 UK companies that it has backed. Notion has 
contributed to nine investments into UK scaleups since 2011 
worth a total of 108m.
Of the 59 investments made by the firm since the start of 
2011, 21 have been to companies based outside of London.
The fund offers knowledge, resources and pro-active support 
to its portfolio companies through its venture platform. This 
fosters active collaboration among its portfolio companies, 
shares knowledge to create "a powerful collective intelligence," 
and creates a network with "deep domain expertise." The 
founders say that their strategy is "to be the investor we wish 
we'd had."
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
EN
DORSEDEN
D
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S
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DEN
DORSEDEN
D
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S
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DIMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
37  
COMPANIES 
BACKED
5%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
82%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
35
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
33 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
48%
 FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
36%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
28
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
106
CHAPTER TWO
WOODFORD INVESTMENT 
MANAGEMENT
Woodford manages the Woodford Equity Income Fund and the Woodford Patient 
Capital Fund; between them, they provide equity investment for venture and growth 
finance, R&D and working capital. The Equity Income Fund is limited to up to ten per 
cent in unquoted securities and the Patient Capital Fund is limited up to 80 per cent. 
Beauhurst research indicates that Woodford's funds typically 
invest between 2m-40m, with the average size of deals 
being 32.7m. The funds invest in several other patient capital 
vehicles which invest in scaleups, including Draper Esprit and 
IP Group.
The funds have provided follow-on investments for 16 of 
the 32 companies it has backed since 2011. Of the 54 
investments, 34 have been to companies based outside of 
London. It has contributed to nine deals into scaleups since 
2011, worth 266m.
The firm has offices in Oxford and Exeter and invests mostly in 
UK businesses. The company vision is to provide patient capital 
to support young businesses "through to commercialisation 
and fulfillment of their long-term potential." The firms says 
that it aims to invest in businesses "with the potential to 
become the FTSE 350 companies of the future."
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
EN
DORSEDEN
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O
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S
E
DIMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
32 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
50%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
63%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
27
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
107
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EIGHT ROADS
Eight Roads provides venture and growth-stage capital, investing in fast-growing technology 
companies across the enterprise, consumer, fintech and healthcare IT sectors. It looks for 
businesses within a revenue band of 1-5m showing year-on-year growth of 100 per cent 
and for those with revenues exceeding 5m whose growth is at least 30 per cent. 
The fund has its head office in London and other offices in 
Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai, Mumbai, Tokyo, Hamilton, 
Boston and Stockholm. Eight Roads invests in companies 
based in Europe, US, India and China. It has backed 14 UK 
companies since 2011 and provided follow-on funding for 
three of them. Out of all these investments, the majority 
have been into London-based companies. The average size 
of the investment rounds into UK companies in which it has 
participated since 2011 is 32.4m, compared to 29.1m for all 
companies internationally.
The firm says that it aims to provide ambitious founders 
with scaleup guidance and business-building experience 
to help them "beat the odds" and that "with the right help 
the European ecosystem can systematically create $10bn-
plus global tech businesses." Eight Roads is one of the 
funds showing a track record on investing in scaleup female 
founders or co-founders, investing for example in MADE and 
Notonthehighstreet, to name just a couple.
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
EN
DORSEDEN
D
O
R
S
E
DIMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
14 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
21%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
12%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
13
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
Four per cent of visible scaleups have at 
least one female founder. As part of the 
inaugural Scaleup Female Founders Index, 
the ScaleUp Institute identified the top 
funders by number of fundraisings for 
deals into scaleups with at least one  
female founder. 
 
In total, 414m has been invested into female founded 
scaleups since 2011. The top investor is Eight Roads Ventures 
which contributed to 5 deals worth 121m. Other newly 
endorsed case studies with a track record in backing female 
founder scaleups include Partech Ventures with 2 deals 
worth 79m; and Santander Growth Capital Breakthrough 
Programme with 3 deals worth 15m.
No female founder
Female founder
4%
96%
VISIBLE SCALEUPS IN 2017 WITH AT LEAST ONE FEMAILE FOUNDER
Female founders & finance
108
CHAPTER TWO
PARTECH
SANTANDER GROWTH CAPITAL 
BREAKTHROUGH PROGRAMME
Partech makes equity investments at seed, venture and growth stage, operating 
through five funds. The firm focuses on tech and digital businesses. 
The funds make around 45 new investments annually on a 
global basis, with a particular focus on the US and Europe. The 
funds have made 17 investments into UK companies, of which 
12 were into London-based companies. During this period, 
the funds have provided follow-on investments for four of the 
scaling companies that they have backed. The average size 
of the investment rounds into UK companies in which it has 
participated since 2011 is 11m compared to 10.3m for all 
companies internationally.
In support of its portfolio companies, Partech provides 
coaching on strategy, operations, executive hiring, board 
structure, as well as preparation for M&A and build-ups. The 
firm also provides peer networking opportunities through its 
global portfolio.
Partech, itself having a female managing director and CFO, is 
one of the funds showing a track record of investing in female 
scaleup founders.
Santander Breakthrough Growth Capital provides growth-stage capital through a 
mezzanine loan offer, typically between 500,000 to 5m, which can work alongside 
additional senior debt facilities. 
The funding, which targets companies that are growing at 
scaleup rates, has participated in 22 fundraisings totalling 
76.4m. It is a national fund; five of the 22 investments have 
been into London-based companies.
A range of additional support is offered by the Breakthrough 
programme. This includes expertise to companies that are 
expanding internationally, providing commercial contacts 
and market knowledge to companies looking to export or 
open offices abroad. Businesses are connected with an online 
network of founders and business leaders, and regional peer 
group roundtables are also organised. The programme also 
runs a number of 'Access the Buyer' events, leadership 
masterclasses, a series of network and mentoring events 
focused on female business leaders, and support for internships. 
The Growth Capital Fund has provided follow-on finance for 
three of the 19 unique companies it has backed since 2011. It 
is one of the growth capital vehicles showing a track record on 
investing in scaleup female founders.
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
For further information about the programme:  
scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
EN
DORSEDEN
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S
E
DEN
DORSEDEN
D
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S
E
DIMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
11 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
36%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
29%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
6
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
19 
COMPANIES 
BACKED
16%
FOLLOW-ON  
INVESTMENTS
77%
INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE  
OF LONDON
20
GROWTH-STAGE  
INVESTMENTS
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Updates on currently endorsed  
case studies
EN
DORSEDEN
D
O
R
S
E
DBritish Business Bank: Enterprise Capital Fund
The Enterprise Capital Funds (ECF) programme is 
a significant part of the UK venture capital industry 
now with 28 funds facilitating finance to more than 
470 growing businesses. It aims to increase the supply 
of equity to UK growth companies and to lower the 
barriers to entry for fund managers looking to operate 
in the VC market.
The British Business Bank  the UK's national economic 
development bank  invests alongside venture capital 
funds on terms that improve the outcome for private 
investors when those funds are successful. It does this 
to encourage venture capital funds to operate in a part 
of the market where smaller businesses are not able to 
access the growth capital they need.
Enterprise Capital Funds are managed by experienced 
fund managers from a variety of backgrounds  including 
teams from the venture capital industry as well as serial 
entrepreneurs with a history of success in building early 
stage UK companies.
From inception to June 2018 more than 1.2 billion 
(including third party funding) has been committed 
through the ECF programme.
In 2017/18 the British Business Bank also developed a 
new British Patient Capital programme, providing up to 
7.5bn of finance and designed to support high growth 
potential innovative UK businesses in accessing the long-
term financing they require to scale up and launched the 
250m Midlands Engine Investment Fund to support 
businesses across the region.
EN
DORSEDEN
D
O
R
S
E
DFINANCE
BGF
BGF is the most active and influential investor in small 
and mid-sized businesses in the UK, with 2.5bn to 
support a range of growing companies  early stage, 
growth stage and quoted  across every region and 
sector of the economy. BGF opened in Ireland last year 
and has an additional 250m to support Irish businesses 
on a similar growth path.
BGF makes long-term equity capital investments in 
return for a minority stake in the companies it backs. 
Initial investments are typically between 1m-10m 
followed by significant follow-on funding as required. 
BGF is a minority, non-controlling equity partner with 
a patient outlook, based on shared long-term goals with 
the management teams it backs.
With a specialist internal team of over 150 people, 
combined with an international network of business 
leaders, sector experts, and board-level non-executives, 
BGF has a unique platform and capability to support 
growing UK and Irish businesses. This is further 
reinforced through dedicated in-house support with 
chair and senior executive selection and appointments 
provided by its Talent Network, now some 5,000 strong.
BGF invests off its own balance sheet allowing it to 
offer flexible investment structures with a mix of equity 
and loan notes as appropriate. BGF can also provide 
equity release for existing shareholders, and funding 
to support acquisitive and organic growth strategies at 
home and abroad.
EN
DORSEDEN
D
O
R
S
E
DFINANCE
110
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
Octopus Titan VCT
Octopus Titan is the UK's largest Venture Capital Trust 
with 120m raised last year and 600m in assets under 
management. The 2017 ScaleUp Review identified it 
as an exemplar of how the wider VCT industry has the 
potential and capacity to provide assistance to all stages 
of scaleup growth.
 Typically investing 1-5m in a first round investment 
the Trust has the capability to follow its investments up 
to 20m. It has built a portfolio of approximately 60 of 
the UK's fastest-growing tech-enabled businesses with 
the potential for significant growth. 
Octopus offers rapidly scaling businesses access to 
follow-on funding to promote significant growth, 
enabling high-growth companies to scale without the 
distraction or delay of seeking other funding sources 
whenever required. The firm's wider network of Venture 
Partners provides hands-on help, practical advice and 
professional connections to other portfolio companies 
and industry experts both in the UK and overseas. 
Octopus has itself set up a New York office and 
collaborates with key partners in Singapore and Shanghai 
to help companies cope test and enter new markets.
Octopus is working with other leading organisations in 
the finance community, including the British Private 
Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) and 
the Venture Capital Trust Association to champion 
entrepreneurship and scaleup.
Over recent years Octopus investment has enabled 
businesses to become part of some of the largest 
businesses in the world including Google, Amazon, 
Twitter and Microsoft.
EN
DORSEDEN
D
O
R
S
E
DFINANCE
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112
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
Sam Smith  
CEO, finnCap and female scaleup founder
The pool of capital available to scaling private businesses has deepened 
significantly in recent years. The landscape has completely changed. For today's 
scaling businesses this is very good news. We track the number of fundraising 
rounds between 2m-25m  they have risen steadily.
Worldwide record low interest rates have been a key 
factor, as this has driven both private and institutional 
investors to look further afield for yield and to move 
into private investment opportunities.
This means that many more public market institutions 
will now look at private deals. In 2011, 173 institutional 
investors deployed capital in private deals; in 2017, 
it was 315. Not only does this deepen the pool of 
capital but it also brings different types and styles of 
investors. 
The rise of patient capital institutions such as BGF and 
Woodford  as well as the creation of British Patient 
Capital by the British Business Bank  is creating a 
cohort of institutional investors whose time horizons, 
unlike VC and private equity firms, are unconstrained 
by the life of a particular fund. 
Investment in early-stage growing businesses 
will continue to increase. This is partly due to the 
Chancellor's decision to double the limit on EIS 
investment, both in terms of the limits of how much 
investors can invest and how much EIS investment 
companies can receive, and to make changes to 
VCT rules in order to encourage investment in 
entrepreneurial knowledge-intensive companies.
These changes will result in further growth in 
tax-driven funds, all seeking great investment 
opportunities in the private capital landscape. A middle 
tier of finance for scaleups is emerging, comprising 
many disparate players. They range from family 
offices and VCTs to entrepreneurs who have sold their 
businesses but now want to be active investors.
In addition, the long-established de facto options for 
scaling companies  VC and private equity firms  
have amassed considerable financial firepower (the 
so-called "dry powder") and they continue to look for 
great scaling businesses in which to invest.
ScaleUp Insights
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the question today is not so much about access 
to capital, but rather access to the right kind of 
capital which is best suited to your business
The public markets not only offer entrepreneurs 
access to capital and a broader shareholder base but 
also the ability to stay in control of their company. Far 
from viewing an IPO as an exit, it is another step on 
the growth ladder.
So for private scaling companies, the options are broad 
and extensive. While this widening and deepening 
pool of capital is positive for scaleups, it does create a 
more confusing marketplace. It is hugely important for 
each scaleup to find the right investors  those whose 
investment hypothesis is aligned to the vision and 
strategy of the company. In an increasingly large and 
complex market, that is difficult.
For scaleups, the question today is not so much about 
access to capital, but rather access to the right kind 
of capital which is best suited to your business. Yet a 
great number of companies, particularly female-led 
businesses, simply don't try to raise growth capital.
There are many reasons for this, many of which relate 
to confidence and ambition. We are trying to fuel 
this ambition. We launched Ambition Nation to fuel 
growth among UK companies by telling stories of 
ambition to entrepreneurs and also providing them 
with better knowledge of the financial landscape. 
We want to encourage more people to grow their 
businesses and to access the right form of growth 
capital to help them achieve that.
In building finnCap, my barrier has always been about 
getting comfortable with the next stage of growth. If 
you are comfortable, the more likely you are to do it. 
To get comfortable and to gain that vital confidence, 
you have to meet people who have done it. Until you 
see what is possible and get comfortable with that, you 
won't get out of your comfort zone.
It's all about lighting ambition and refreshing people's 
bigger picture thinking. We have to encourage the 
mindset that people can build a 100m company 
 and if they can do that, then it could be a 1bn 
company. After all, it's easier to go from 200m to 
1bn than it is from nought to 2m.
Entrepreneurs need to have the confidence to grow, 
and to hear stories of how they could potentially 
increase the size of their company ten times. It is 
all about planting the vision and making people feel 
comfortable with the risks they are taking.
As a subset of Ambition Nation, we are focusing on 
developing this "think big, be bigger" approach among 
female founders. Many of them don't want to raise 
funds. Few of them go out on the road to do so, and 
fewer of them actually get money. But while there 
are both push and pull factors at work, we know that 
demystifying finance is at the crux of this problem.
There's a general point: financiers and entrepreneurs 
can often talk in different languages. Entrepreneurs 
want to get comfort on and understand issues such 
as the potential loss of control; financiers will focus 
on the numbers and financial ratios. And the other 
key point is that the world of finance remains very 
male-dominated. There's also a shortage of role 
models of female CEOs who have been there and 
done it  who have tackled the challenges of growth 
and have raised money. 
Things are starting to shift  the push is definitely 
there. There is no shortage of female-led growing 
businesses and it's vital to keep building that pipeline. 
Steps are being taken to encourage more female angel 
investors and VC partners. Funds have been launched 
that will allocate more to companies with higher 
levels of gender diversity. Having more role models 
will exponentially encourage more women to scale up 
their businesses. I'm confident that we will make huge 
strides over the next few years.
Social businesses account for a large and growing portion of 
the UK business sector, comprising a range of enterprises 
focused on responding to complex and challenging community, 
environmental and broader societal concerns. In 2018, the 
ScaleUp Institute, in partnership with Barclays, has been looking 
more intensively at this under-researched sector of the economy.
Social businesses are not always perceived to be high growth but there are many that are 
actively scaling.
Not only are they growing their revenues and employee numbers rapidly, they are making 
profits which are then being reinvested to further their social goals and increase their reach. 
They are not necessarily just operating within their local communities but are active players 
on a national and international scale. These social scaleups are driven by ambitious leaders 
and are delivering innovative solutions.
The research draws from the findings of our Annual Scaleup Survey, in-depth interviews 
with a number of social business leaders and an extensive literature review. It demonstrates 
that social scaleups face a number of challenges to their growth.
They cite talent and skills as their principal issue, reflecting the concerns of the wider scaleup 
population. However, access to finance is seen to be a greater challenge to social scaleups 
than for their fast-growing peers in other sectors of the economy.
The findings will be published in Winter 2018 and will discuss the characteristics of social 
scaleups, the challenges they face and help to break down the barriers to their scaling up and 
the social impact of their activities.
This report will shed light upon this diverse group, whose scaleup ambitions are not always 
recognised. It will explore in more detail their challenges in access to finance and provide 
insights to the finance community, policymakers and ecosystem to act upon.
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LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER TWO
ScaleUp InsightsSocial Scaleups
115
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116
CHAPTER TWO
NEW CASE  
STUDIES  
FOR 2018
CURRENTLY  
ENDORSED  
CASE STUDIES 
Alderley Park
Babraham Research 
Campus
Barclays Eagle Labs
Cambridge Cluster Map
Engine Shed
Google Campus
Scaleups are by their very nature fast-growing and agile companies 
and they have a huge appetite for high-quality infrastructure that 
is flexible and can help them expand. 
Access to the right locally based infrastructure is consistently 
ranked as a significant barrier to scaling businesses, alongside the 
need in that environment for connection to peer networks, talent, 
expertise and investors.
A striking characteristic of this year's 
endorsed exemplar programmes is the 
ongoing emergence of innovative hubs, 
some of which are sector specific, to meet 
scaleup needs at a local level that go beyond 
just a premises solution. They harness access 
to research facilities, technical expertise, 
mentorship and peer-to-peer groups.
In the 2018 Review we highlight the work 
of two hubs Alderley Park and Babraham 
Research Campus that are pioneering 
this approach in the field of life sciences. 
Alderley Park, based at the former 
AstraZeneca R&D facility, offers over 
one million square feet of state-of-art 
office and lab space to businesses in the 
life sciences sector. It provides end-to-
end support for companies, from startup 
to scaleup, supporting the challenge of 
developing products for universities, 
hospitals and institutes as well as corporates 
including connecting businesses to an 
investor base. The Babraham Research 
Campus is co-located with the Babraham 
Institute, a world-leading research institute 
in life sciences, in order to bring research 
and business together. Funded by the 
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences 
Research Council, the site provides 
laboratory and office facilities, with a 
supportive and well networked community 
to new and scaling companies. This again 
includes connections to investors, buyers, 
peers and mentors.
We also this year draw attention to the 
way in which the banking sector, Barclays 
Eagle Labs, and Natwest Entrepreneur 
Accelerator (one to watch) is stepping 
up to address the challenges the 
scaleup community face with bespoke 
infrastructure that provides a range of 
interconnected services to foster scaleup 
growth. Barclays Eagle Labs  our third 
endorsed initiative  offers scaling 
businesses offices and co-working spaces 
alongside a mix of facilities, workshops 
and events with experts to help them 
grow. Support includes mentors and wider 
connections through the Barclays network 
enabling introductions to suppliers and 
buyers within the UK market. Barclays also 
importantly has as part of this a dedicated 
high-growth relationship management 
team who work with these businesses 
across their finance, international and day-
to-day cash management/treasury needs.
Finally, we turn attention to the public 
sector and the role of a regulator in fostering 
innovation as we watch with interest the 
evolution of the FCA Sandbox and the role 
it is playing in providing an infrastructure to 
help growing financial services firms break 
down regulatory barriers and test out their 
business models. We believe this model 
would work in other regulatory sectors and is 
one others should seek to emulate.
Infrastructure
ONES TO  
WATCH
ONE TO 
WATCH
FCA Regulatory Sandbox
Level39
NatWest Entrepreneur 
Accelerator
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Alongside these initiatives we continue 
to see previously endorsed programmes 
evolving their offerings with:
 Google Campus London now offering 
a four-month Residency Programme 
with personalised support and access to 
Google resources for globally-minded 
growth-stage companies.
 Engine Shed, Bristol, now planning to 
expand to two new sites and further 
embedding a ScaleUp Enabler role to 
facilitate connections and opportunities 
across the city and beyond.
 the Cambridge Cluster Map continuing 
to harness data from national and local 
sources to provide details of all local 
scaleups enabling potential employees, 
customers and investors to identify 
growth opportunities. 
Much can be learnt from each of these 
endorsed and ones to watch initiatives 
as other localities build their industrial 
strategies, seek to put scaleups on the 
map and corporates, financiers, institutes, 
science parks, etc., consider further how 
they can repurpose and evolve space to build 
a comprehensive infrastructure for scaling 
firms that offers end to end solutions to 
their challenges.
CHAPTER 2  LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER 3  WHAT IS THE BROADER LANDSCAPE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR SCALEUPS
CHAPTER 3  WHAT IS THE BROADER LANDSCAPE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR SCALEUPS
LEADING PROGRAMMES BREAKING 
WN THE BARRIERS FOR SCALEUPS
BARCLAYS EAGLE LABS
DEVELOPING SKILLS FACTORIES TO AID  
PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH
EN
DORSEDEN
D
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S
E
DBarclays Eagle Labs aim to become skills factories for the 
UK. Now running for more than two years, they offer scaling 
businesses offices and co-working spaces alongside a mix of 
facilities, workshops and events with experts to help them scale. 
Support includes mentors and wider connections through the 
Barclays network enabling introductions to suppliers and buyers 
within the UK market. 
During 2017 Eagle Labs reached 65,000 
individuals, including corporates, schools and 
businesses and more than 130 businesses 
attended an accelerator activity hosted or run 
by a Lab.
There are currently 18 Labs spread across the 
country, including sites in Wales, Scotland, 
Northern Ireland, London, the South, the 
Midlands, the North, the East of England  
with two venues within Cambridge  and the 
Channel Islands. The Notting Hill Lab is a 
partnership with the Law Society to support 
emerging Law and RegTech businesses 
develop new products. Member businesses 
have access to and licence to use the entire 
Lab Network.
Each Eagle Lab has:
 An in-house Engineer with the role and 
capability to support businesses develop 
physical and digital prototypes;
 High Growth Business Managers who 
can provide scaling businesses with 
access to financing options; and,
 Local specialist partners such as the 
Judge Business School in Cambridge and 
Edinburgh's CodeBase to build capability. 
The aim is to have at least 22 UK Eagle Labs 
by the end of 2018 and there are plans to 
develop an international presence, to support 
scaleups access international markets, talent, 
supply chains and capital.
A significant element of the approach is to 
encourage collaborative innovation through 
peer-to-peer networking and to support this 
the Labs organise structured workshops. By 
the end of 2018 Eagle Labs will have an online 
connector platform allowing easy and in-time 
access to all residents. The Labs also help 
develop the skills of the wider community 
providing skills sessions for young people and 
training in cyber security.
"I don't think we could have 
scaled our team successfully 
without Eagle Labs' support 
and we a very proud to be the 
first graduates of Chesterton 
Road, Cambridge." 
VISHAL CHATRATH, CEO, 
PROWLER.IO
"Where the Eagle Lab has 
really helped is the support 
from people who really 
understand our business and 
what we're trying to achieve. 
Because Barclays understands 
where we are trying to get 
to, the process is much more 
collaborative." 
 JERRY KRYLOVE, CORNER 
WEARABLES, SALFORD LAB
"Sure Chill is a fast-
growing company with a 
groundbreaking technology 
that is changing the way 
people cool around the world. 
Currently in a state of rapid 
growth, we needed a location 
that was agile enough to suit 
our expansion with state of 
the art facilities to continue 
our innovative product 
development."  
NIGEL SAUNDERS, CEO, SURE 
CHILL, CARDIFF LAB.
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
The power of hubs and connected scaleup space that places scaling 
businesses together allowing collaboration; peer networking and 
connections to investors, mentors and talent has impactful results. 
Other corporates can learn from the models deployed in endorsed 
case studies and consider how they adopt such strategies and 
practical solutions.
CALL TO  
ACTION
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
1,200 
ENTREPRENEURS 
SUPPORTED
205 
JOBS CREATED  
IN 2017
474 
LAB  
RESIDENTS
18 
SITES
18m 
REVENUE RAISED 
IN 2017
118
CHAPTER TWO
Launched in March 2018, this initiative builds upon a 
previous three-year partnership with Entrepreneurial 
Sparks and is defined by three key features: community, 
coaching and networks. 
The target is to reach 5,000 
entrepreneurs in 2018. Founders 
from all sectors are offered a 
personalised journey, working with 
their Entrepreneurial Acceleration 
Manager to identify areas of the 
Accelerator that offer the most value 
to them. The Accelerator is based on 
two programmes:
 Pre-Acceleration  a 3-month 
series of physical and digital 
content and workshops for early 
stage entrepreneurs; and,
 Acceleration  this core 
programme offers up to 18 months 
of fully-funded office space in 
12 Accelerator Hubs, a tailored 
learning journey with 12 learning 
topics, one-to-one coaching and 
access to partners and mentors. 
As part of this a bespoke Fintech 
Accelerator has been launched 
at the Edinburgh, Bristol, 
Manchester and London Hubs.
The Hubs host a monthly 'Meet Up' 
with specific learning content and the 
opportunity to network with fellow 
founders and key players in the local 
ecosystem. A local Development 
Manager in each Hub works to 
coordinate with local stakeholders 
to provide expertise and support to 
the businesses. Each hub has strong 
working relationships with their local 
universities and higher education 
bodies, including the Universities of 
Sussex, Brighton, Birmingham, Aston, 
Ulster and Queen's University Belfast.
In the Entrepreneurial Sparks format, 
the programme helped over 3,000 
businesses in their scaling journey with 
participant businesses raising 255m in 
investment and creating 8,096 jobs.
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NatWest Entrepreneur 
Accelerator
More than money  the finance industry providing space and 
guidance at the scaling phase
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ALDERLEY PARK
MAKING SCIENCE PARKS WORK FOR SCALEUPS
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Acquired by Bruntwood in 2014 and currently undergoing  
a 160m investment, Alderley Park is home to the 
internationally-recognised Mereside bioscience campus  
managed by Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP). 
As well as providing over 1m sq ft of state-of-
art office and lab space to businesses in the 
life sciences sector, the site provides support 
for companies, from startup to scaleup, 
supporting the development of products for 
universities, hospitals and institutes as well as 
corporates.
All companies on site have access to Alderley 
Park's flexible infrastructure and scientific 
services, which allows them to start small 
(such as a hot desk or single lab bench) and 
then to expand as their business develops and 
grows. There are now 65 physical companies 
on site, the number having grown from 16 in 
2013 and over 1,200 employees compared to 
47 in the first year.
Following participation in the DEG course 
in 2018, the Alderley Park biotech business 
support service  the Accelerator, powered 
by BioCity  developed a specific Scale-
Up Programme to support rapid growth. 
Through bespoke one-to-one engagement 
and expertise both onsite and offsite, 
companies are supported with leadership 
skills and development, access to finance 
options and international markets. Other 
services available relate to raising company 
profiles and acquiring the right talent and 
skills through the site's engagement with 
universities. Structured support is also 
available for biotech startups at Alderley 
Park with a focused Pre-Accelerator and 
Accelerator programme.
Early in its development, Alderley Park 
recognised the importance of mentoring 
and the significant impact a small number of 
entrepreneurs, business angels and venture 
capitalists could have on the growth of the 
site and the companies based there. In 2014 
an Expert Mentor Network was established 
building on the links with senior industry 
leaders who wanted to contribute to the site's 
future success. Currently there are over 200 
mentors within the network, all of whom 
are fully integrated into the programmes, 
providing unique access to global pharma 
leaders and their networks, as well as senior 
finance and business executives. Regular 
network events are also held during which 
companies can ask the mentors for support in 
specific areas of business. For scaleups access 
to markets and funding support have been 
particular asks.
"The three co-founding 
directors attended the first 
Bio-entrepreneur bootcamp 
before becoming one of 
the first tenants with a 
hot desk. Today, our niche 
contract clinical research 
organisation helps a growing 
portfolio of local, national 
and international life science 
clients to transform their 
promising molecules into 
valued medicines. This 
success has allowed us to 
expand to a team of 48 
people and move into a 
2,800sq foot office suite." 
STEVE MCCONCHIE,  
CEO APTUSCLINICAL
"From a practical perspective, 
Alderley Park understands 
that small, lab-based, growing 
companies need to have 
space that they can grow 
into. Alderley Analytical has 
benefited from this approach 
on two occasions. Without this 
approach we would not have 
been able to attain our current 
level of growth and would 
have had to turn work away 
 letting down our customers 
and shareholders." 
ELIZABETH THOMAS, CEO 
ALDERLEY ANALYTICAL
Science parks and similar centres have tremendous opportunity to 
work across their local communities to step up engagement with 
scaling businesses. Alderley Park is a prime example of what can be 
achieved at a science park through effective collaboration from which 
others can learn. We look forward to seeing more exemplars in 2019.
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
CALL TO  
ACTION
65 
RESIDENT  
COMPANIES
>1,200 
EMPLOYEES
21m 
FINANCE RAISED 
IN 2018
>200 
SENIOR INDUSTRY  
LEADERS
2 
ONSITE  
VENTURE FUNDS
SECTOR FOCUS
LIFE SCIENCES
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CHAPTER TWO
BABRAHAM  
RESEARCH CAMPUS
PROVIDING A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENT FOR  
LIFE-SCIENCE SCALEUPS TO FLOURISH AND GROW
IMPACT 
FOR 
SCALEUPS
The Babraham Research Campus is home to 59 life science 
companies, co-located with the Babraham Institute, a world-
leading research institute in life sciences. World-class research 
and business come together in a campus environment to 
promote innovation and strengthen links between academia  
and the commercial world. 
Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological 
Sciences Research Council, the site provides 
laboratory and office facilities, with a 
supportive and well networked community to 
both startup and scaleup companies.
Campus companies have varying funding 
streams and structures, from those funded 
by grants and customer revenues, to those 
funded by venture capital and larger pharma 
deals. Others are traded on the public 
markets. They are translating UK science 
from ideas into products, services and 
therapies, creating new jobs, and attracting 
inward investment.
Over 500m has been invested into these 
companies through equity and corporate deals 
post January 2015, and since 2017 campus 
companies have raised an additional 308m, 
most of which originating from outside the 
UK. Several of the companies on campus 
have grown rapidly and are expected to be 
among the leading life science companies of 
the future.
A central element of the success of 
Babraham Research Campus is that the site 
brings together like-minded organisations 
with a common culture, working in the 
same industries and sharing experiences 
and resources. Members of the campus 
have access to the science laboratories and 
offices on short-term tenancies, with the 
opportunity to grow into larger space as the 
company evolves, and specialist scientific 
facilities via the Babraham Institute. In 
addition, companies can access consultancy, 
specialist equipment, skills training and 
leadership capacity-building through the 
Accelerate@Babraham programme which 
includes mentoring schemes.
The site hosts a number of Venture Capital 
investors and each year there is a Babraham 
Investor Conference which brings investors 
and companies seeking investment together. 
Campus companies are offered numerous 
networking events including "show and tell" 
sessions for major pharmaceutical companies 
and investors.
Increasingly, the challenge for the campus 
is to support companies that started on site, 
but which have grown and are in scaleup 
stage. The need to provide additional space 
for fast growing companies has led to the 
announcement of two investments to build 
scaleup space.
Babraham truly creates a space to grow with enablers on site in a 
coordinated and effective way  others can learn and emulate the 
practices here as you set up or develop a local hub  no matter the 
region, sector or facility. Valuable insights and lessons to be had.  
"Babraham is a unique bio-
incubator environment, set in 
an inspiring landscape, that 
provides an immeasurable 
service to the Cambridge 
Biotechnology phenomenon"
CHRIS TORRANCE, PHD, CEO, 
PHOREMOST LTD
"Every company on site 
benefits enormously from the 
proximity of the cutting edge 
Institute and the efforts that 
the campus make to enable 
interaction between both 
academic and commercial 
groups." 
DR. PETER PACK, CEO, 
CRESCENDO
For further information about the programme: scaleupinstitute.org.uk/scale-up-programmes/
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59 
COMPANIES  
PARTICIPATING
308m
ACCESS TO FINANCE  
SINCE 2017
1,027 
STAFF EMPLOYED
339%
 INCREASE SINCE 2011
SECTOR FOCUS
LIFE SCIENCES
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Science lessons
ScaleUp InsightsThe strategies being successfully adopted by Babraham Research Campus in 
Cambridge and Alderley Park in Cheshire hold lessons not just for the life 
sciences industry  but for all UK scaleup ecosystems.
Recognise that growth is not continuous 
The particular challenges of how to scale up a business 
in the life sciences sector has been recognised by 
the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy, which has set a 
strategic goal of creating, in the next ten years, four UK 
companies with a market capitalisation of at least 20bn.
Their growth comes in jumps and leaps rather than in a 
neat linear fashion. The inflection points are decidedly 
non-trivial; to make the next step in its scaling path, a 
life sciences company will require fresh finance, larger 
facilities, additional clinical expertise and an infusion 
of new commercial talent  all at the same time. "In 
this industry, there are always 'big gulp' moments for 
the board," says Andy Richards, biotech entrepreneur 
and investor and a board member of Babraham 
Research Campus, "but in a truly vibrant cluster, these 
discontinuities can be smoothed."
Understand your tenants  and help curate their 
growth 
One aspect that marks out these campuses is that 
they regularly review progress with their companies 
and this is linked to a suite of business growth services, 
primarily through an extensive events programme that 
can cover finance, talent acquisition, market access, 
organisational design and leadership.
"Most science parks focus on incubation and early-
stage businesses," says Anne Dornan, Head of 
Innovation at Manchester Science Partnerships 
(MSP). "Our model at MSP is to support businesses 
at every stage of the lifecycle, creating a very diverse 
and ever expanding portfolio. We know our companies' 
business plans, their growth objectives, and target 
milestones, when they are going through a major 
fund-raise or recruitment round, or are about to land 
a big contract. Working closely with our customers 
in a proactive way ensures they can access the right 
support resources at the right time to help meet their 
growth ambitions."
"It is critical to have a 360-view of a company," says 
Ned Wakeman, Director of Alderley Park Accelerator, 
powered by BioCity. "You have to understand the 
company's business when it arrives here. You need to 
help them understand with whom they might they 
collaborate, or sell their services. Each business has to 
know why their presence on the Park will be additive 
for them, the community and the ecosystem  and 
how they can better grow and develop their business 
by being here. Our job is to help attract, create, and 
scale those businesses here through direct support 
on a one-on-one level with domain and business 
experts, to structured programmes (early-stage 
and scaleup), boot camps, commercial workshops, 
on-site conferences, as well as providing access or 
introductions to the site's scientific services."
Babraham offers access to consultancy, specialist 
equipment, skills training and leadership capacity-
building through its Accelerate@Babraham 
programme.
Be flexible about property 
Facilities can be a real challenge for life sciences 
companies. Their growth requires constant changes 
to their infrastructure requirements, in terms of 
laboratories and offices. They may require access to 
specialist scientific facilities for short periods. It's an 
ever-changing jigsaw puzzle. So flexibility is built into 
terms, license agreements and access to specialist 
scientific services and facilities; "we want to ensure 
that companies can move easily and seamlessly 
through our portfolio, with security of access to 
specialist services, so that we are always enabling their 
growth," says Anne Dornan.
Alderley Park's infrastructure allows companies to 
start as a hot desk or single lab bench and to expand as 
their business develops. There are now 65 companies 
on site, the number having grown from 16 in 2013, 
now with over 1,200 employees compared to 47 in the 
first year.
The 59 life science companies on the Babraham 
campus have access to the science laboratories and 
offices on short-term tenancies, with the opportunity 
to grow into larger space as the company evolves, and 
specialist scientific facilities.
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Build a community that shares things 
Both Babraham and Alderley Park work hard on 
community building. The co-location of companies 
can be hugely influential and additive but relationships 
between businesses have to be built. "Science parks 
can be sterile places," observes Andy Richards. "You 
have to be very pro-active to get people to fit in and 
work together."
"Building the buildings is easy," says Anne Dornan. 
"It's building a successful and sustainable business 
community that can be hard."
So collaboration is built into the DNA of the 
campuses. "Collaboration is essential: it takes 100 
skill-sets to develop a drug  but a biotech could have 
only three people," Wakeman cites an oft-repeated 
saying, "and it is important to catalyse relationships 
both locally and nationally."
Be a talent magnet 
For Babraham, the proximity of Cambridge and 
its dense network of expertise is vital. It is an 
environment, Andy Richards notes, in which 
world-class specialists will have their portfolios of 
projects. "For example, you can secure a top clinical 
development person for one day per week, if they are 
excited by your project."
Develop leaders 
Access to finance may be a major challenge for 
companies but, says Anne Dornan, "the main thing 
that many need is talent." Especially for companies 
with an academic and scientific background, this can 
often mean help with building an experienced business 
management team, and recruitment of key board 
members.
Provide mentors 
The provision of mentors is "absolutely critical," says 
Ned Wakeman. Soon after it started operations, 
Alderley Park established an Expert Mentor Network 
to build on the links with senior leaders within the 
industry who wanted to contribute to the Park's 
future success. The Expert Mentor Network is based 
on a philosophy of giving something back. "This is not 
a route for people to seek out investments, non-
executive directorships or consultancy assignments," 
says Wakeman. "It is only for people who are 
interested in supporting the companies."
Attract investors 
More than 500m has been invested into Babraham 
Research Campus companies through equity and 
corporate deals since January 2015. From 2017, 
campus companies have raised an additional 308m, 
the majority of which originated from outside the UK. 
"There has been a noticeable shift in the quality of 
investors," says Andy Richards. "They are more global, 
more patient and bigger ticket."
Build strong corporate relationships 
Babraham and Alderley Park represent two sides of 
the same corporate coin. The pharmaceuticals giant 
AstraZeneca departed from Alderley Park as part 
of its decision to relocate its global headquarters to 
Cambridge.
So Alderley Park is the site of numerous spin-outs 
from AstraZeneca, often started by experienced 
executives who did not want to move to Cambridge. 
Strong commercial relationships have been maintained 
with the pharma giant  according to Ned Wakeman, 
at least half a dozen companies on site have done 
commercial deals with AstraZeneca.
At Cambridge, Babraham is feeling the benefits of 
AstraZeneca's arrival. "It is the marriage of growth 
within the environs of a global life sciences company," 
says Andy Richards. One impact is on the breadth of 
available talent: geographical proximity means that 
AstraZeneca executives can take up board positions on 
local companies as well as bring their own networks of 
international talent into the ecosystem.
Measure the impact 
"The success of MSP's portfolio of companies  in 
terms of revenue and asset growth, employees, 
investment in R&D, numbers of new products taken 
to market and levels of internationalisation  are all 
vital economic performance indicators," says Anne 
Dornan. "Our shareholders and wider stakeholders 
want to see economic impact." 
Multiple stakeholders are a source of strength for 
these ecosystems 
A "triple helix" partnership of public, private and 
academic shareholders has always been "a key 
defining feature" of MSP. This combination includes 
universities, city and county councils, the NHS, and 
private sector property company Bruntwood. MSP 
has retained this broad partnership structure since its 
formation in 1984.
Babraham Research Campus is jointly owned by the 
Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research 
Council (UKRI) and the Babraham Institute, which 
has the status of a postgraduate department within 
the University of Cambridge. "Ownership is important 
as it does drive motivation," says Andy Richards. "For 
the Babraham Campus the motivation is the long term 
health of the bioscience cluster and the companies 
within it."
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FCA Regulatory Sandbox
Breaking down regulatory barriers
Located at the Financial Conduct Authority's London 
headquarters, the FCA Sandbox provides an environment 
for firms to test innovative products, services, business 
models and delivery mechanisms in the real market  
with real consumers.
The FCA Sandbox provides support  
to innovative firms regardless of  
their size or maturity and accepts 
applications from firms based 
internationally; however, the business 
must intend to operate within the UK 
financial services market.
Qualifying firms must be looking to 
deliver innovation that is either regulated 
business or supports regulated businesses 
in the UK financial services market. 
Their innovation must offer benefits to 
consumers  either directly or through 
heightened competition  and be  
ready to test.
The FCA Sandbox's support to 
businesses includes the opportunity 
to test developed technologies, assess 
commercial viability and pricing strategy 
and develop their business models in 
response to the testing. Firms also have 
access to FCA regulatory expertise.
Launched in June 2016 the  
programme has had three cohorts, 
involving 60 firms, 70% London  
based. Most participants have a  
retail finance background with  
others in general insurance,  
pensions and retirement income,  
retail investments and lending  
and wholesale. 
Initially the programme has attracted 
startups, however the FCA Sandbox has 
the potential to support scaling up by 
reducing the time and cost of getting 
innovative ideas to market (90% in 
cohort 1 are progressing towards a wide 
market launch) and helping to attract 
investment (40% in cohort  
1 received investment during or  
following their test).
Level39
Level39 is an innovation space in the heart of London's 
Canary Wharf with a focus on supporting early-stage 
businesses from fintech, cybersecurity, AI, data, 
blockchain, smart cities and retail technology sectors to 
grow and transitioning them into scaleup stage.
More than 200 companies have 
benefited from membership which 
includes a high-quality infrastructure as 
well as structured access to investors, 
mentors and business experts. Level39 
has strong connections with executive 
education provided by Fintech Circle 
and CFTE (the Centre for Finance, 
Technology and Entrepreneurship) 
and informal support from the UCL 
School of Management one floor below. 
Level39 has 200 mentors on its roster, 
formed of finance executives and former 
entrepreneurs providing regular advice. 
Mentors also connect members to 
procurement departments and leads 
within financial institutions.
Since Level39 opened in March 2013 
it has hosted 1,500 events, provided 
92 hours of seminars and workshops, 
organised 520 hours of mentoring and 
126 investor meetings. It has formal 
partnerships with China, Korea, Japan, 
Norway and the UK Government and 
informal partnerships with financial 
institutions and corporates globally. 
Members are encouraged to work with 
one another, buy from one another, and 
collaborate. Level39 members raised 
more than $150m in finance in 2016 
and almost $100m in 2017.
An immediate measurement of success 
is a member company outgrowing 
Level39 and taking commercial office 
space elsewhere in Canary Wharf and 
beyond. Companies that have done 
this include: Revolut, Digital Shadows, 
Motive Partners, Behavox and Loot.
ONE TO 
WATCH
Others can learn from how this centralised regulatory and governing body is opening up to 
innovation and streamlining processes to reduce and remove barriers for scaling companies in 
financial services. We hope other industry, and public sector, regulatory bodies will learn from this 
and seek to evolve similar schemes to progress access to markets, so vital to scaling up.
ONE TO 
WATCH
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CHAPTER TWO
Updates on currently endorsed  
case studies
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Engine Shed, launched in December 2013, is a 
collaboration between Bristol City Council and the 
University of Bristol designed to generate and encourage 
innovation through collaboration and networks. In the 
past year the hub, based in Brunel's historic building, has 
provided flexible accommodation for 300 companies and 
hosted around 29,000 visitors to events and meetings.
Engine Shed hosts the SETsquared Bristol Incubator 
which supports 83 fast-growth technology businesses and 
Oracle Startup Cloud Accelerator whose latest cohort 
had 50% female founders. Investors in Residence help 
scaleups explore investment options and an Angel Hub, 
in partnership with UK British Angels Association, brings 
them together with potential investors.
Supporting scaleups is a central part of the mission and 
in June 2017 the hub joined forces with West of England 
LEP piloting a 'Scale Up Enabler' role to develop the 
broader scaleup ecosystem. The appointment has been 
confirmed as a full-time Engine Shed post. In 2018 the 
Hub launched a new Entrepreneurial Outreach service 
with local partners to bring the established business 
support ecosystem into under-represented communities. 
Engine Shed also welcomes school pupils and staff to learn 
about current STEM careers.
Engine Shed 2 and 3 are both currently in the planning 
stages and delivery is on track for Engine Shed 2 in 2020 
and Engine Shed 3 in 2022.
Google Campus
Campus London is Google's physical space for ambitious 
businesses. It is operated by Google for Entrepreneurs 
whose mission is to connect growing young global 
companies to resources and to each other to work on 
today's challenges.
The hub is based in a seven-storey building in East 
London and offers a diverse and connected community 
alongside world-class education for entrepreneurs, 
including weekly mentoring sessions.
Globally-minded growth-stage startups can now 
apply for a four-month Campus Residency that offers 
personalised support and access to Google resources. 
Campus Experts Summits bring together an experienced 
group of Google mentors from across the world for two 
weeks of hands-on problem solving.
Since opening in 2012, Campus London businesses have 
created over 4,189 jobs and raised more than 194m in 
funding. Campus London has over 90,000 registered 
members; 40% female and from more than 160 
countries.
Campus was started in London but has now scaled to six 
cities  Tel Aviv, Seoul, Madrid, Warsaw, Berlin and So 
Paulo. On a global level, businesses from the Campus 
network have created over 15k new jobs and raised more 
than $792m since 2012. Last year Google supported 
members of Campuses around the world to host more 
than 4,200 events for fellow entrepreneurs.
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The power of place and space
ScaleUp InsightsCreating a physical environment in which scaleups can thrive is not just about 
the provision of property. It's about fostering a campus mentality, in which 
many ingredients are mixed to create a vibrant scaleup culture.
Space to grow  
All too often, scaling companies have had to adapt to the 
physical space available. At places such as Babraham and 
Alderley Park, the physical space flexes to the growth 
of the enterprise: companies can start at a single desk, 
gain access to laboratories and offices on short-term 
tenancies, with the opportunity to grow into larger space 
and specialist scientific facilities as the company evolves.
An energetic environment 
Thriving hubs are super-busy places. Engine Shed, based 
in Brunel's historic building in Bristol, provided flexible 
accommodation for 300 companies and hosted around 
29,000 visitors to events and meetings in the past year.
A learning environment 
Education is a key role of a successful hub; activities 
can range from international conferences to specialist 
workshops, seminars and peer group meet-ups. Barclays 
Eagle Labs describes itself as "a skills factory for UK 
businesses."
End-to-end support 
Structured programmes for scaleups are becoming 
a central part of the offer at life sciences parks. At 
Babraham, companies can access consultancy, specialist 
equipment, skills training, leadership capacity-building 
and mentoring through the Accelerate@Babraham 
programme. Alderley Park has developed a structured 
scaleup programme.  
At Google Campus, globally-minded growth-
stage startups can apply for a four-month Campus 
Residency that offers personalised support and access 
to Google resources. Campus Experts Summits bring 
an experienced group of Google mentors from across 
the world for two weeks of hands-on problem solving. 
Barclays Eagle Labs provide a venue  as well as a source 
of participants  for the bank's scaleup programme.
Numerous, committed, local mentors 
The Expert Mentor Network at Alderley Park builds 
on its links with senior industry leaders who want to 
contribute to the site's future success. The mentors are 
not expected to invest, seek non-executive directorships 
or consultancies with the businesses that they mentor, 
emphasising that this is a place in which successful 
individuals can give back.
Expertise on tap 
The support service at Alderley Park  Accelerator, 
powered by BioCity  consists a team of eight with deep 
business and domain expertise (including M&A, capital 
raising, R&D leadership) who roll up their sleeves and 
work directly with companies on site.
Each Barclays Eagle Lab has an in-house engineer 
with the role and capability to support businesses 
develop physical and digital prototypes. They also use 
local specialist partners (e.g. Judge Business School 
in Cambridge and CodeBase in Edinburgh) to build 
capabilities.
Finance on the doorstep 
Investor days and conferences, which bring companies 
and investors together, are regular fare for all hubs. 
More than 500m has been invested in Babraham's 
campus companies since 2015  through equity and 
corporate deals. 
Finance and advice can also be available on site. 
Alderley Park has two on-site venture funds and 
on-site financiers; Babraham also hosts a number of 
VC funds, such as Medicxi Ventures. Bristol's Engine 
Shed has Investors in Residence who help scaleups 
explore investment options and hosts an Angel Hub in 
partnership with UK Business Angels Association. Each 
Barclays Eagle Lab has a high-growth business manager 
to provide scaling businesses with access to financing 
options; members of the Cambridge Eagle Lab raised 
more than 108m in finance in 2017.
Strong peer networks 
Successful hubs seek to support collaborative innovation 
by fostering peer-to-peer networks, workshops and 
seminars. Barclays Eagle Labs is building an online 
connector platform to enable easy, in-time access for all 
its resident companies.
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Direct market connections 
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Sandbox is 
located in its London headquarters and provides an 
environment for firms to test innovative products, 
services, business models and delivery mechanisms in the 
real market with real consumers. Support also includes 
the opportunity to test developed technologies, assess 
commercial viability and pricing strategy and develop 
their business models in response to the testing. Firms 
also have access to FCA regulatory expertise.
At Alderley Park, a former R&D site for AstraZeneca, 
dozens of companies have spun out of the 
pharmaceuticals giant and nearly every company on site 
has hired out of the corporation  demonstrating the 
value of a "leaky corporate." 
Close to academia.  
Strong links to universities play a vital role. Babraham 
Research Campus is co-located with the world-leading 
life sciences research institute Babraham Institute. 
Engine Shed is a collaboration between Bristol City 
Council and the University of Bristol. 
.and to schools 
Alderley Park runs graduate events and provides 
sandwich student and work experience placements. As 
part of a wider programme of activity, the NatWest 
Entrepreneur Accelerator supports 12 all-girls state 
schools near to each of its Accelerator Hubs, providing 
access to its network of experienced mentors and 
entrepreneurs.
A key player in the local ecosystem...  
Engine Shed and West of England LEP have created 
a full-time post of 'Scale Up Enabler' to develop the 
broader scaleup ecosystem. The hub has launched an 
Entrepreneurial Outreach service with local partners to 
bring the established business support ecosystem into 
under-represented communities. 
...with a deep understanding of local environment 
The Cambridge Cluster Map database now covers 
14 local authorities, identifying 49,000 companies 
based in the wider Cambridge region with a combined 
employment of 458,000 and turnover at 77bn. 
Enhanced information showing the location of 
employment is being used to inform the modelling of 
local housing and transport infrastructure needs.
A window onto the world 
The promotion of inward investment and developing 
opportunities for collaboration and access to 
international customers plays an important role. Places 
such as Alderley Park and Babraham exploit their 
growing international reputations by regularly hosting 
visits from biotech companies from Asia, Europe and 
North America.
Strong social connections 
The campus mentality extends to services and benefits 
that are focused on individuals and their families. The site 
at Alderley Park has a full-service gym and a dedicated 
specialist company, ClubAZ, whose role is to run events 
and help build an on-site culture  from family fun days 
to film premieres to cycling weekends.
Successful hubs seek to support collaborative 
innovation by fostering peer-to-peer networks, 
workshops and seminars
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Chapter Three
The local scaleup ecosystem
In 2016, the ScaleUp Institute, with the support of Goldman Sachs 
10,000 Small Businesses UK and Innovate UK, introduced the 'Driving 
Local Economic Growth through Scaleup Ecosystems' (DEG) course 
 led by Professor Daniel Isenberg of Babson College. The course 
empowers LEPs, cities, universities and Growth Hubs from across 
England, as well as participants from Northern Ireland and Scotland, 
to better serve scaleup businesses by developing local ecosystems that 
enable faster growth. 
The original workshops were highly successful and, in 2018, with the 
additional support of the British Business Bank, we were delighted to 
run the third programme at Leeds University for an additional cohort 
of 64 local ecosystem leaders. This course built upon the first two held 
in 2016 in Birmingham and Manchester and brings the total number 
of leaders engaged with the DEG executive education programme to 
more than 200.
Each cohort has taken part in interactive lectures, exercises and case 
study discussions, developing plans for removing the barriers faced  
by scaleups in their communities. Participants gain an understanding  
of global best practice to identify scaleups and remove systemic 
barriers from their path. Participants use examples to develop  
practical solutions for their local community and a scaleup plan to 
implement and benchmark progress against. The Government has  
since encouraged LEPs to include scaleups in their Strategic  
Economic Plans.
NORTHERN IRELAND: 
TAILORED SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES WITH 
RELATIONSHIP 
MANAGEMENT
MANCHESTER UNIVERSITY: 
SCALE UP FORUM 
POWERING LOCAL PEER-TO-
PEER NETWORKS
LIVERPOOL: SCALEUP MBA
THE MARCHES: 
SECTOR SPECIFIC 
PROGRAMMES FOR CYBER 
AND RURAL SCALEUPS
WORCESTERSHIRE: 
SMART BOARDS AND PEER 
GROUPS FOR SCALEUPS
WEST OF ENGLAND: 
SCALEUP ENABLER 
CONVENING THE REGION'S 
SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE: 
INSPIRE ELITE PROGRAMME
Location, location, location
Driving UK economic growth through  
scaleup ecosystems 
 
Scaleup leaders want locally-rooted solutions to help them break down 
their barriers to growth. A local environment that provides resources to 
address scaling pains in access to talent, leadership, markets, finance and 
infrastructure is central to nurturing the UK's fastest growing companies.
KEY TO 
EXEMPLARS 
2018 
2017 
THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
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Since taking part in these three courses, many of 
the participants have made progress developing and 
implementing plans to improve their local ecosystems 
for scaleup businesses. It is encouraging to see bespoke 
scaleup initiatives evolving including: scaleup enablers 
and relationship managers, scaleup MBAs, scaleup 
peer groups and scaleup leadership academies. It is 
also promising to see universities and business schools 
engage in these initiatives, alongside the collaboration of 
the public and private sectors. 
In 2018, we review the progress made by 17 areas, 
all of whom we have trained. We believe that each 
provides an interesting model of engagement and 
activity from which others can learn and be inspired 
to shape their local scaleup plans. We will continue 
to monitor these for impact and will seek to feature 
them as endorsed case studies in future years.
We give an overview of the scaleup plans and 
programmes across all local areas in the UK in Annex 1.
SCOTLAND: CAN DO SCALE
SCALEUP NORTH EAST AND THE 
SCALEUP LEADERS' ACADEMY
TEES VALLEY: LEAP 50 
PROGRAMME
LEEDS: SCALEUP CONCIERGE
GREATER MANCHESTER: 
SPARK2SCALE AND 
GREATERCONNECTED TAILORED 
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES FOR 
LEADING SECTORS
GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND 
SOLIHULL: SCALEUP SERVICES 
POWERED BY DEDICATED 
ACCOUNT MANAGERS 
GREATER CAMBRIDGE:  
SCHOOL FOR SCALEUPS
THAMES VALLEY BERKSHIRE: 
SCALEUP BERKSHIRE
SOUTHEAST: SCALEUP ASHFORD 
POWERING A HUB FOR GROWTH
COAST TO CAPITAL: SCALEUP 
ESCALATOR PROGRAMME
Harness the power of local learning.   
As "anchor institutions," universities and business schools can help scaleups 
address many of their barriers to growth and, through access to their facilities, 
research and teaching expertise, and student talent, can play a key role in 
the creation of a strong local scaleup ecosystem. They are running a growing 
number of scaleup programmes, particularly in the areas of leadership 
development and growth strategies.  
Engage local leaders in the ecosystem.  
Galvanising local leaders  from the CEOs of corporations, university vice-
chancellors, secondary school headmasters and governors to City Mayors, City 
Council members and the media  and engaging them with the scaleup agenda, 
are vital. The West of England's ScaleUp Enabler is a role model to emulate. 
Identify and celebrate scaleups.  
Much is already being done to identify and highlight local high-growth 
companies. The Cambridge Cluster Map is a vital data tool for growth 
companies to attract talent, customers and investors  and to understand the 
area's wider economic development. We are seeing advances in areas such 
as the West of England, where its Scaleup Generator details both visible and 
'invisible' scaleups and various of support services available in the local area. 
Focus on peer networks.  
Peer-to-peer networks help scaleups to share knowledge and experiences, and 
provide opportunities for collaboration, learning and mutual support. We are 
encouraged by the high level of enthusiasm among LEPs and Growth Hubs 
to promote and develop them at the local level; this year we look at a new 
network established by Manchester University. A key point: truly successful 
peer networks flourish by having dedicated account management.
Account managers do make a difference.  
Account managers help scaleup leaders to navigate available and relevant 
public and private sector programmes and can streamline their engagement 
with multiple bodies. Scottish Enterprise has a well-evidenced account 
management approach. We are seeing this role emerge as a key feature in new 
programmes.
Forge a local-national nexus.  
Local ecosystem players must be able to prepare and introduce their scaleups 
to national programmes  such as Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses 
UK, the London Stock Exchange ELITE, or bodies such as Innovate UK  at 
appropriate points in their growth cycle. Having such a local-national nexus 
creates a virtuous circle of growth. 
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THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
Learnings from local ecosystems
Play to local growth strengths.  
Many LEPs are adopting sector-specific approaches to their scaleup programmes, building 
on a close understanding of the local economy, strong networks and data insights. 
Meet their challenges with a suite of solutions.  
Five major areas present challenges to scaleups  access to talent and skills, leadership 
capacity, access to markets, finance and flexible infrastructure. To help scaleups effectively 
at a local level, a suite of solutions is required to overcome these challenges. 
Be selective and assess impact constantly.  
Helping scaleup leaders is not effectively achieved through a scattergun process. Successful 
local programmes apply clear and disciplined filters when assessing the businesses to admit 
into their cohorts. Profiling and eligibility screening are important for the selection of 
companies; a peer-to-peer network must include true peers. 
Measure your impact and outcomes.  
These are still early days but there is an encouraging emphasis on the measurement of 
impacts and outcomes for scaleup programmes. The Inspire Network in Swindon and 
Wiltshire is collecting data from its initial "diagnostic" meetings with companies to use as 
a baseline; it then follows up with one-to-one visits to update that data, which is stored on 
bespoke CRM systems for regular review. Newcastle University is measuring the impact of 
the scaleup programmes in the North East. The ScaleUp Institute will continually monitor 
benchmarks to apply rigorous assessment to what is really impactful and will report on 
these in coming years.
Images taken at DEG
 20
18
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ScaleUp Insights
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
The Coast to Capital Escalator Programme has been designed to 
offer dedicated support for scaleup business owners and decision 
makers. The LEP shaped the Programme based on learnings from 
the ScaleUp Institute and the highly successful international 
escalator programmes highlighted in DEG. Founders will be given 
the opportunity to join a time bound growth programme that 
will accelerate the development of their businesses by focusing 
specifically on the barriers to growth that they are experiencing.
The chosen approach is to combine topical thought leaders, expert facilitation and peer-
to-peer discussion to achieve solutions. Over six months, the cohorts will meet monthly, 
taking part in professionally-delivered sessions examining the barriers and developing 
appropriate solutions. At the end of the programme businesses are allocated a dedicated 
Account Manager from the Coast to Capital Growth Hub to support their long-term 
sustainable growth, as well as invited to join an exclusive alumni programme.
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Coast to Capital LEP has an ambitious vision to become the 
most dynamic non-city region in England and has recognised the 
importance of scaleups to achieve this. In order to promote the 
growth of scaleups the Growth Hub is leading the development 
of a dedicated Escalator Programme, aiming to support and 
sustain the growth of up to 100 scaleup businesses every year.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 1,005 scaleups in the Coast to Capital LEP: 410 are 
classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 820 are classified as scaleups due 
to rapid growth in their turnover and 225 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 4.13 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 per 
100,000 of population. 
The LEP moved quickly to establish its programme after attending the Driving Economic Growth 
Course in May 2018. Participating in the course gave the Coast to Capital team the insight and 
knowhow to understand this group of businesses and, importantly, recognise the specific barriers to 
growth they experience and the added value the ecosystem can offer to support them.
An issue for the LEP is identifying scaleups, so Coast to Capital used the research from the ScaleUp 
Institute and Beauhurst to help overcome this challenge as well as mobilising stakeholders across the 
region to come forward and identify local scaleups. Stakeholders are playing a significant role in helping 
the LEP deliver its programme for scaleups.
COAST TO CAPITAL EXEMPLAR
MOBILISING THE SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
134
CHAPTER THREE
Impact and results so far
The LEP will fully evaluate the programme after the first pilot working with the ScaleUp Institute.
Lessons learned
Coast to Capital has already drawn on the lessons shared during the DEG programme and scaleup 
practices around the world.
Future plans
After the first six-month programme pilot, the LEP is aiming to make the Escalator Programme part 
of the ongoing support provided by the Coast to Capital Growth Hub. The intention is for the Alumni 
Programme to offer long-term engagement and support the development of a scaleup community.
The LEP will collect success stories and promote them across multiple channels to publicise the impact 
of the programme and raise the ambitions of the area's businesses.
Growing businesses can also receive a day of specialist support from an expert in a 
relevant field from the Growth Champion Network funded by the Growth Hub to 
overcome a specific barrier to their growth.
At the end of the programme businesses are 
allocated a dedicated Accounts Manager from 
the Coast to Capital Growth Hub to support their 
long-term sustainable growth.
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Scaleups by Density: Mixed
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 7 of the 14 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 9 of the 14 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Mixed
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 10 of the 14 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 8 of the 14 local authorities4 
are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the local environment.
Local Authorities located within the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP have a 
moderate density of scaleups, and the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that most 
of the local authorities showed a decrease in the number of scaleup businesses, while few 
showed an increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth 
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1   Adur, Arun, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, 
Horsham, Lewes, Mole Valley.
2  Adur, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, 
Crawley, Horsham, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, 
Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge.
3  Adur, Arun, Brighton and Hove, Chichester, 
Croydon, Epsom and Ewell, Horsham, Lewes, 
Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead.
4  Arun, Chichester, Croydon, Horsham, 
Lewes, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Reigate and 
Banstead.
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THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
"So many of our new 
plans and strategies 
have come from 
conversations with 
people in the ecosystem 
who provide a new 
perspective and an 
experienced view of how 
we can scale up what 
we do. It has created 
a confidence in the 
leadership team to be 
more ambitious in our 
scaleup plans and has 
enabled us to work on 
the business with a team 
of trusted advisors."
ZANDRA MOORE, CEO, 
PANINTELLIGENCE
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Scaleups in Leeds City Region are benefitting from a bespoke 
'scaleup concierge' service bringing together the ecosystem 
and increasing awareness of the programmes available to help 
businesses scale.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 1,520 scaleups in the Leeds City Region LEP: 600 are 
classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 1,255 are classified as scaleups due 
to rapid growth in their turnover and 335 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 3.07 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Complete Resourcing has stepped into the role of connecting the existing dots of scaleup support already 
being provided in the region but not visible enough and often delivered as individual services. The vision has 
been to ensure each part of the ecosystem helps the other through the provision of a "concierge" service. 
This new service has built upon the collaborative culture of the Leeds City Region and avoided the need to 
reinvent the wheel and develop new programmes.
LEEDS CITY REGION EXEMPLAR
SCALEUP CONCIERGE: ENTREPRENEURIAL AND CORPORATE ECOSYSTEMS 
COMBINING FOR SCALEUPS
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
A number of scaleup programmes already exist in the region, such as 
the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, the PwC Scale-
up programme and Growth 365. Grant Thornton currently provides 
Growth 365 to business leaders of ambitious and successful firms 
helping them develop the vision, advice and insights to put plans 
into action but is working with Complete Resourcing to develop a 
proposition for companies at the start off their scaleup journey.  
The LEP itself has two scaleup projects:
 The Strategic Business Growth Programme provides one-to-one advice, 
financial support towards capital investment that will accelerate growth, and 
specialist workshops.
 The AD:VENTURE programme offers a comprehensive and innovative mix of 
tailored business support to boost growth and develop businesses in their early 
years.
The challenge is that businesses often don't know exactly what they offer, how they will 
benefit from them, or where to find them and this is where Complete Resourcing is 
making a difference. Although it is early days, the scaleup concierge is encouraging more 
companies to work together, seeing events become more coordinated and finding more 
people and businesses are wanting to become involved.
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SECTION TITLE
"Scaling up is much 
less daunting when 
you're being helped 
by someone who has 
already done it but 
many companies on 
their journey don't have 
access to the network 
of advice they need. 
The Leeds ecosystem 
helps companies make 
valuable connections 
and offers them a way 
of navigating the local 
landscape of advice."
RICHELLE SCHUSTER, 
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, 
GROWTH 365
Impact and results so far
A big impact is that more people are seeing Leeds as a vibrant business community for high growth and 
there is improved visibility of the wide range of support available.
Lessons learned
Complete Resourcing has understood to build an ecosystem it has to reach beyond just the local 
business and support services community and look to engage the social, cultural, leisure and public 
sector in order to build a vibrant business environment that people want the region to have.
Future plans
Complete Resourcing is developing some structured projects to provide bespoke support to local 
scaleups. These will be based focused collaboration, directing companies to the best of what already 
exists, ensuring maximum impact to each scaleup business.
As a result a number of structured elements are starting to emerge from these 
collaborations. Complete Resourcing has organised a number of workshops with 
companies to look at how to build world-class teams and improve productivity and Mills 
& Reeve  early joiners of the ecosystem  have now organised regular informal peer 
evenings  one example of how the community has started to just do things without 
going through a programme.
The scaleup concierge is encouraging more 
companies to work together, seeing events become 
more coordinated and finding more people and 
businesses are wanting to become involved. 
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THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Good
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 6 of the 10 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 6 of the 10 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Good
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 6 of the 10 local authorities3 are below the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 6 of the 10 local authorities4 
are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the local environment.
Local Authorities located within the Leeds City Region LEP have a good density of 
scaleups, but the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that few of the local authorities 
showed a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, but few also showed 
an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, 
Leeds, York.
2  Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, 
York.
3  Barnsley, Bradford, Craven, Leeds, Selby, 
Wakefield.
4  Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, 
Leeds, Wakefield.
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Scaling in Leeds 
Gordon Bateman, Managing Director,  
Complete Resourcing
Eighteen months ago, I was asked for my view of the scaleup 
landscape in Leeds. But although my business is based in Leeds 
and focused on helping to scale businesses, we had no clients in 
the city. I didn't know; it was embarrassing
We started to do some digging around. It was amazing 
what we discovered  and how easily we found it. 
There were some really exciting scaleups dotted all 
over the city. There were two in our office block. 
It soon became clear that Leeds had all the component 
parts in place to support scaleups. But the component 
parts weren't connected and the scaleups in the city 
region didn't know about the component parts.
At the same time, I attended the Driving Economic 
Growth course in Manchester. I was struck by Dan 
Isenberg's phrase  "build an ecosystem, not a farm." 
We had to connect what already existed in the city. 
All it took was to make some phone calls  to 
corporates, investors, banks, professional services 
firms, companies that had scaled up  for the network 
to begin. 
Up to now, the network has been principally about 
connecting dots. It is not about creating new products 
for scaleups; it is about each member of the network 
connecting scaleups to existing products and services 
which are already in place but about which they were 
unaware. 
It doesn't have a name and nobody owns it. But 
there are clear rules of engagement: members can't 
poach clients or make heavy sales pitches. They have 
to support each other and recognise that most of 
the work they do is for free. We share information 
about everyone at each meeting. The core of this 
is collaboration, building awareness and knowledge 
among the group so we are all aware of what others in 
the network can do for scaleups. By building awareness 
among the group, we create knowledge that feeds into 
action and informal cross-fertilisation. 
So if one of the members meets a company founder 
with the mindset to scale, we will introduce them 
to others in the network. It won't be because the 
company is demonstrating certain levels of turnover 
growth, or because of their technology or their 
business plan  but because we can see that they 
have the drive and proven capability. In other words, 
network members listen to scaleups and point them 
to other members who may be able to solve their 
problems.
It creates a virtuous circle. For example, large 
corporates want access to innovation and to acquire 
new customers who are growing fast; scaleups, on 
the other had, want access to corporates as potential 
clients. 
The network is a genuine mix. Membership is 
non-exclusive; for example, it includes Leeds 
University Business School's centre for executive 
and professional education, the Yorkshire & Humber 
Academic Health Science Network, the Leeds City 
Region LEP, but it also has five accountancy firms, 
four law firms and several large technology corporates. 
It now comprises about 70 organisations and there is 
no shortage of people who want to be part of it. There 
are others who don't want to share  and they don't 
play. There has been no marketing or promotion of the 
network, nor has there been a penny of expenditure 
on its delivery. It doesn't need a website or PR. To 
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THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
Large corporates want access to innovation 
and to acquire new customers who are growing 
fast; scaleups, on the other had, want access to 
corporates as potential clients. 
date, my firm has handled its administration. It has 
happened by osmosis and it looks and feels impromptu 
 and that's one good reason why companies trust it.
In April this year, I attended the DEG in Leeds which 
helped to develop our plans for the future. There is 
a project in the pipeline and things are constantly 
evolving. 
We have now mapped the intentions of most of our 
network members. Of course, their motivations 
differ. Commercial organisations see the potential 
for deal flow and gaining greater brand recognition. 
Social enterprises want to generate greater levels of 
economic activity within all parts of the community. 
The public sector has a variety of objectives, such 
as attracting inward investment and creating 
employment. But these differing objectives are aligned 
and complement each other. We can get both hearts 
and minds behind this.
The other powerful outcome from DEG is that we are 
now able to give stronger articulation to the question 
of "why scaleups?" The public sector is often asked 
whether it should support companies that are already 
growing; corporates find it hard to justify focusing on a 
small number of emerging companies. 
As the network has not cost anything and is not 
funded, we have not yet felt the need to measure it 
but we are beginning to collate information about the 
number of member introductions to scaleups.
We had thought of an ecosystem as something that 
co-ordinated support services and helped to grow 
a number of businesses  like a virtual accelerator. 
We had envisaged a concierge service, which would 
require appointing an individual to understand the full 
picture and connect with everyone. But actually, the 
whole network is the concierge. Having a connected 
ecosystem means that you know who, how and where 
to call to find the right support. 
The real output is to make Leeds a great place to scale 
a business, and to get more people to think that it is 
good to grow a business.
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SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
In January the Business School launched the Scale Up Forum to provide a 
peer-to-peer network for businesses at all stages of the scaleup journey to  
explore shared challenges and how different scaleup leaders overcome them.
Participants have been recruited via a number of means. Some members were already 
engaged with the University, others have been identified using the ScaleUp Institute and 
Beauhurst data sets, or via referrals from the ScaleUp Institute or the Business Growth 
Hub. Once a member joins the network, the organisers ask them to refer another 
scaleup business, which is helping to grow the network further. The Forum currently has 
25 members, which has grown from the original ten.
A Forum event typically begins with a Business School academic giving a thought 
leadership overview of the chosen topic to kick off the discussion. The roundtable 
discussions are chaired by one of the scaleup members. The opening event focused on 
the challenges faced by scaling companies and how successful companies in the North 
West are tackling barriers to growth. Other topics include talent recruitment and 
retention, building leadership capability and strategies to reach new customers.
"Enjoyed a good 
evening with the 
Alliance Manchester 
Business School 
attending the Scale 
Up Forum. Some 
really bright ideas 
and interesting 
conversation for me to 
take consider further."
PHIL POWELL,  
MATRIX TELEMATICS 
"Delighted to be 
running and chairing 
the third Scale Up 
Forum, run by the 
Alliance Manchester 
Business School. Great 
opportunity from Prof 
Andrew James to build 
on the momentum and 
support fast growing 
businesses in the 
North."
BRENDAN FATCHETT, 
CEO, 365 RESPONSE
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Fast-growing companies face particular challenges to scale to the 
next stage. Alliance Manchester Business School is offering its 
internationally-recognised talent, skills and knowledge to support 
scaleups in a peer-to-peer initiative that helps business leaders 
share experiences and lessons to mutual business benefit.
Background
Manchester University's Alliance Manchester Business School had an ambition to support 
scaleups on their growth journeys and overcome their obstacles to growth. Participating in the 
Driving Economic Growth course helped faculty members to understand their position within the 
innovation ecosystem and the value of peer-to-peer networks.
Impact and results so far
The main objective for Alliance Manchester Business School is to support the North West business 
ecosystem. Engagement between the Forum members and the University has also led to one 
Knowledge Transfer Partnership and some graduate recruitment.
Lessons learned
Experience has shown that initial recruitment is best targeted at scaleups that have an existing 
relationship with the University of Manchester and then using those businesses and others in the 
Business School's network to help refer other scaleups. Keeping the Forum events informal leads to a 
more open and shared discussion; it works best if a a Scale Up Forum member chairs the discussion, 
reflecting the Forum's aim to be a peer-to-peer network run by scaleups, for scaleups
Future plans
Alliance Manchester Business School intends to continue to grow the membership of the Scale Up 
Forum and work with the Business Growth Hub and LEP to maximise the benefits of the Scale Up 
Forum to the regional business ecosystem.
ALLIANCE MANCHESTER BUSINESS 
SCHOOL EXEMPLAR
SCALE UP FORUM: THE POWER OF PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING WITH 
ACADEMIC BACKING
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PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Greater Manchester LEP and Growth Hub have focused 
efforts on priority scaleup sectors identified in the Science and 
Innovation Audit. This highlighted the area's core strengths in 
health innovation and advanced materials, along with fast growth 
opportunities linked to the future potential of digital, energy, 
and industrial biotechnology. The LEP is also working to escalate 
sustainable growth in the food and drink sector.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 1,490 scaleups in the Greater Manchester LEP: 570 are 
classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 1,245 are classified as scaleups due 
to rapid growth in their turnover and 325 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 4.04 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Following the 2016 DEG course in 2017, the LEP established a Task and Finish Group to consider how best 
to help local firms scale up. The Group reported that while there was awareness of the potential of scaleups 
to the economy, there would be real value in Greater Manchester partners collectively identifying this as a 
shared priority and overall ambition, so that the message filters through consistently at all levels.
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
Since 2017 scaleups in the Greater Manchester area have been 
offered a range of programmes aligned in the main to the priority 
sectors identified, these programmes are:
 Spark2Scale, a six-month programme to escalate sustainable and 
comprehensive growth among scaling businesses led by a team of four business 
advisers who help participants on a one-to-one basis. Six masterclasses on 
relevant subjects and peer-to-peer learning sessions with industry experts 
equip scaleups with analysis and modelling tools to develop the most effective 
business growth strategy.
 Greater Connected, a scaleup programme for the digital, creative and tech 
sectors now running for over 18 months. The next stage is a new export service 
launched in October 2018, Greater Connected Amplify, this nine-month 
programme for the senior leaders of the most innovative and global of the 
Greater Connected alumni is designed to provide three full cohorts over 
the next three years, supporting the senior leaderships of 45 businesses to 
implement their business plans. 
GREATER MANCHESTER EXEMPLAR
POWERING UP SCALEUP SECTORS: TAILORED PROGRAMMES FOCUSED ON 
DIGITAL, TECHNOLOGICAL AND LIFE SCIENCE
SPARK2SCALE
Cross-sector programme:
STEP INTO HEALTHCARE
GREATER CONNECTED
RECIPE4SUCCESS
143
Impact and results so far
 Spark2Scale  95 companies have completed the programme since March 2017 and results show 
it has led to the creation of new jobs and products and an increase in turnover.
 Greater Connected has now supported more than 150 scaleups; currently the programme has 
produced 56 new jobs and 7 new products, with a continuing pipeline.
 STEP into Healthcare  over 50 companies have participated in five cohorts; several 
participating companies are in discussion with NHS procurement teams with some securing trials 
of their products or services.
 Recipe4Success  70 companies have completed the programme and a number of candidates 
have acquired new listings with major buyers, including Tesco, Morrisons and Holiday Inn. The 
programme has led to the creation of new food and drink products, more jobs, over 2m in sales 
and the creation of new collaborations.
Lessons learned
A key lesson of the STEP into Healthcare programme is that the number of Greater Manchester-
based innovative life sciences companies with potential for scaling is small. As a result the programme 
may be extended to support companies with innovative products and services relevant to the NHS  
but not in the life sciences sector.
Greater Connected has found that "the experience is equally as important as the content". Customer 
feedback is that space to interact directly with advisers on a one-to-one basis, both before and after 
the programme, allows for principles and theory imparted to be applied with real results and is one of 
the main keys to unlocking the scalability of the majority of businesses with the highest potential.
Future plans
Spark2Scale has been adapted to focus more on leadership, personal and sales development. Positive 
feedback on the importance of a peer-to-peer network to scaleups' continued growth and development 
has led to the creation of an alumni network. The LEP has also collaborated with the University of 
Salford to run a specific graduate/student focused Spark2Scale programme, due to pilot Autumn 2018.
The Business Growth Hub is planning to expand Greater Connected beyond 2018 and evolve the 
programme as sector challenges change. A major focus in 2019 will be the successful delivery of the 
Greater Connected Amplify pilot.
The 2019 Recipe4Success programme is scheduled for a January start with continued support from 
Morrisons.
 STEP into Healthcare, a repeatable cohort programme for health and life 
science scaleups. This provides four sessions of extensive support to health and 
life science scaleups including access to networks and workshops with industry 
experts on relevant subjects as well as market access opportunities.
 Recipe4Success is a six-month programme to support growth in the food 
and drinks sector, providing masterclasses and skills workshops with industry 
experts, Manchester Metropolitan University and the Department for 
International Trade and culminates in a Meet the Buyer opportunity. The 
programme is led by a specialist business adviser who supports the participants 
on a one-to-one basis.
"Greater Connected 
gave me a lot of ideas 
about how to tailor our 
sales messages and 
how to build a senior 
management team. 
We have already met 
a couple of the other 
companies to discuss 
collaboration, which is 
crucial for all of us to 
build our business."
NICK BLACK, CHIEF 
COMMERCIAL OFFICER 
APADMI
144
THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
The Task and Finish Group reported there would 
be real value in Greater Manchester partners 
collectively identifying the potential of scaleups to 
the economy as a shared priority 
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Moderate
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 5 of the 10 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 5 of the 10 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Good
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 6 of the 10 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 6 of the 10 local authoritie4 
are above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the local environment.
Local Authorities located within the Greater Manchester LEP have a moderate-low 
density of scaleups, but the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that few of the local 
authorities showed a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while 
most showed an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Stockport, 
Trafford.
2  Bolton, Manchester, Salford, Stockport, 
Trafford.
3  Bolton, Manchester, Stockport, Tameside, 
Trafford, Wigan.
4  Bolton, Manchester, Oldham, Stockport, 
Tameside, Trafford.
Scaleups per 100k, 2016145
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146
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
Invest NI aims to help more of its customers to grow faster and succeed 
by supporting them to drive higher levels of innovation, increase 
competitiveness and increase exports and as a result create more jobs.
Key features of the Scaling Programme include: 
 Access to world-class leadership, business development and coaching 
programmes targeted at the Managing Director/Senior Management Team;
 Increased face-to-face contact with Invest NI Client Managers;
 Account development planning;
 Support to remove barriers to growth.
"The Scaling L4G 
Course cohort group 
has been very helpful 
as a group working 
like a board you could 
never afford to share 
and help solve common 
business issues."
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, 
INVEST NI SCALING 
CLIENT
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI) has a strategic focus 
on growth companies. It has taken a tailored multi-channel 
approach, which recognises the need to encourage companies 
onto and up a pathway to innovation, growth and exports. Invest 
NI works with around 1,900 growth companies, including 
scaleup and scaling firms, engaging with them through a one-
to-one relationship. This group of companies employs over 
100,000 people and delivers around 16bn of sales annually 
outside Northern Ireland.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 905 scaleups in Northern Ireland: 340 are classified 
as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 730 are classified as scaleups due to 
rapid growth in their turnover and 165 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 5.72 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Invest NI aims to be seen as a trusted business partner of choice. It works closely with growth 
companies to understand their aspirations better, identify their growth potential and pinpoint where its 
support can unlock any constraints.
Companies across Northern Ireland are supported by self-serve online tools and one-to-many 
engagement. Physical resources are being focused on high potential startups, pre-scaling and scaling 
companies. Ambitious companies achieving 20% growth per annum and a minimum turnover of 
10m are offered a tailored Scaling Programme. 
NORTHERN IRELAND EXEMPLAR
TAILORED SCALEUP PROGRAMMES WITH RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
CHAPTER THREE
"The Scaling Initiative 
has been excellent for 
my company ... the 1:1 
support and enhanced 
focus has allowed 
our Invest NI Client 
Manager to really get to 
know our business and 
the opportunities and 
challenges we face."
CHIEF EXECUTIVE, 
INVEST NI SCALING 
CLIENT
Impact and results so far
A review of Invest NI's scaling programme showed that: 
 Companies found Invest NI more proactive and responsive and appreciated the partnership 
approach with Invest NI.
 Businesses were challenged to deliver growth.
 Participants were more capable of generating growth  having developed confidence, honed 
strategy, as well as developing structure, skills and operations.
 Businesses in the programme experienced on average 20.1% growth on the previous year.
Future plans
Invest NI will continue to work with partners to deliver a comprehensive action plan that encourages 
and supports businesses to accelerate their growth and ensure they can access the necessary finance. 
Invest NI's ambition is to double the number of participating companies in the Scaling Programme.
Other Invest NI activities that support scaleups include:
 Supporting those customers with the greatest growth potential to increase 
employment and ensure they can access the skills required to realise their 
ambitions. 
 Prioritising R&D and innovation support towards projects that have a clear link 
to exports and ensuring that the research base is aligned to sectors, clusters 
and niches of strength. 
 Working with universities and local and international partners to stimulate 
clustering and collaboration. 
 Developing and increasing the export intensity of local companies to deliver 
sales growth beyond Northern Ireland.
Invest NI also partners with Enterprise Ireland (EI) to offer EI's Leadership 4 Growth 
(L4G) Programme to Northern Ireland companies. Participation on this programme 
enables businesses to be part of an international programme and work with a cohort of 
scaleups from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
Key features of the Scaling Programme include 
access to world-class leadership, business 
development and coaching programmes targeted at 
the Managing Director/Senior Management Team. 
147
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Scaleups by Density: Moderate
Northern Ireland has a marginally below median density of scaleups measured by employment 
growth (18.3 scaleups per 100k population compared to the UK median of 18.6) and a marginally 
above median density of scaleups measured by turnover growth (39.2 scaleups per 100k population 
compared to the UK median of 39.0).
Scaleup Trends over time: Moderate
Northern Ireland is above the median in terms of improving the density of scaleups by employment in 
their community (+2.2 scaleups per year per 100k population on average compared to the UK median 
of +0.2) and above the median for scaleups by turnover (+4.6 scaleups per year per 100k population 
on average compared to the UK median of +3.6).
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for Northern Ireland.
Due to the ONS changing the boundaries of Local Authorities within Northern Ireland, 
it is not possible to examine the figures at a local authority level. The analysis below 
examines the scaleup density and growth trends for Northern Ireland as a whole.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
SECTION TITLE
148
THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
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"Our involvement with 
Scale Up Ashford has 
been invaluable. The 
team have provided an 
expert sounding board 
which has encouraged 
and reassured us 
that investing in our 
business was the right 
thing to do."
CLIVE WILSON, MD, 
AES PRECISION 
ENGINEERING
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Ashford Borough Council and Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce 
are working in partnership to deliver a programme giving tailored, 
intensive support and extensive networks to a group of carefully 
selected companies to help them grow their business, deliver more 
jobs and create a 15% increase in gross added value.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 2,020 scaleups in the South East LEP: 730 are classified as 
scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 1,690 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in 
their turnover and 400 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 3.89 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
The core of the Scale Up Ashford programme was conceived at the Driving Economic Growth course, which 
also shaped the partners' ideas of how to apply it practically. The initial programme was designed as a testing 
ground to assess if intensive interventions with high-growth businesses could create more jobs and boost the 
companies economically in a more sustainable way than regular business support.
Using the both the chamber's and council's knowledge base of local businesses an original list of 36 business 
was selected. These businesses were sounded out about participating in the programme and the willing 
participants were interviewed by a business adviser for their suitability to participate in the pilot, potential 
for growth and willingness to take on board new ideas. Eventually, six companies from various sectors were 
selected for the first cohort.
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
Scale Up Ashford provides a six-month bespoke programme of support 
beginning with a workshop for the entire cohort to introduce the 
programme and its concepts. Following the workshop the business 
coach holds an exploratory meeting with the individual businesses to 
conduct a survey and identify issues within the business which leads to a 
tailored plan of activity and targets/goals. 
Participants then receive intensive support with the business coach visiting them 
on a monthly basis to offer advice, support and planning to meet monthly goals 
and programme goals. Company progress against goals is monitored via a software 
programme that allows easy visual reference.
Programme participants can also draw on the resources of the Chamber, the Growth 
Hub and the Council to help resolve issues such as funding, infrastructure and regulation. 
The programme ends with a workshop involving the next cohort to discuss outcomes.
The second cohort involving 10 businesses began the programme at the end of 
May 2018.
SOUTH EAST EXEMPLAR
SCALE UP ASHFORD: POWERING A HUB FOR GROWTH
149
"Our business has 
blossomed as a result 
of taking part in Scale 
Up Ashford. Having an 
external source come 
in and look objectively 
at the way we run our 
company and offer 
recommendations on 
how to grow was the best 
thing we took away."
JONTI HOBBS, MD, 
MEDASH SIGNS
Impact and results so far
All six companies in the first cohort completed the programme creating 17 new full-time jobs during 
the six months plus another 43 as a result of programme-related actions. Turnover of the six increased 
on average by 21% and the participating businesses had invested 500,000 in new plant and 
machinery and secured 20,000 of grant funding.
Lessons learned
Some lessons were learned as a result of the pilot, including the need to be able to source large-
scale funding for growing businesses and the importance of building more structured peer-to-peer 
networking into the programme. The cohort did begin trading with each other and using each other's 
expertise but more could have been built in to facilitate this.
Though the programme was well publicised it could have benefitted from more continuous publicity 
but a decision was taken to proceed cautiously due to it being a pilot project.
Future plans
A third cohort is planned for 2019 and looks likely to include 10 new businesses, though a part-funding 
element may be introduced to the programme to make it more sustainable.
Due to the success of the programme, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce has also been asked to 
run similar programmes in Folkestone and Hythe District and West Kent (Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and 
Malling and Tunbridge Wells) with ScaleUp West Kent launched October 2018.
150
THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
Participants receive intensive support with the 
business coach visiting them on a monthly basis 
to offer advice, support and planning to meet 
monthly goals and programme goals. 
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Moderate
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 16 of the 32 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 16 of the 32 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Mixed
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 21 of the 32 local authorities3 are below the median in terms 
of improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 19 of the 32 local 
authorities4 are above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for the South East LEP.
Local Authorities located within the South East LEP have a moderate density of scaleups, 
and the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that some of the local authorities showed a 
below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while others showed an above 
median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Ashford, Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, 
Colchester, Dartford, Epping Forest, Lewes, 
Maidstone, Maldon, Rother, Sevenoaks, 
Tendring, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge 
Wells, Uttlesford.
2  Ashford, Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, 
Chelmsford, Colchester, Dartford, Dover, 
Epping Forest, Harlow, Maidstone, Maldon, 
Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge 
Wells, Uttlesford.
3  Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Canterbury, 
Castle Point, Dartford, Dover, Eastbourne, 
Epping Forest, Gravesham, Harlow, Hastings, 
Maidstone, Rochford, Sevenoaks, Shepway, 
Southend-on-Sea, Swale, Thurrock, 
Tonbridge and Malling, Wealden.
4  Basildon, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, 
Colchester, Dartford, Dover, Epping Forest, 
Harlow, Maidstone, Maldon, Rochford, 
Rother, Sevenoaks, Tendring, Thanet, 
Tonbridge and Malling, Tunbridge Wells, 
Uttlesford.
151
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SECTION TITLE
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
Launched in 2018, the fully-funded programme begins with a two-
day residential to induct participants to the programme and kick 
start their learning experience. This is followed by around 12 one-
day workshops hosted either at Teeside University's Middlesbrough 
campus or the Centre for Professional Executive Development 
in Darlington. It is designed to provide knowledge, experience 
and personal leadership development alongside practical ways of 
unlocking barriers to growth. The aim is to enable business leaders 
to meet the challenge of accelerating business growth while at the 
same time leading and managing it successfully.
Eleven companies are involved in the initial cohort with the programme designed and 
tailored to meet their specific needs and respond to the diverse businesses represented. 
Participants are receiving support and training from number of experienced 
professionals with track records of working with and developing high growth scalable 
businesses. They take away actions from each intensive learning intervention and are 
encouraged to implement new ideas in their businesses.
Peer-to-peer learning is also another significant element of the programme as LEAP 50 
participants work with their cohort members and are encouraged to share experiences 
and knowledge. The Digital City SCALE Programme is a three-month programme 
"LEAP 50 is an essential 
initiative to identify and 
assist those companies 
best placed to expand, 
which will help deliver 
jobs and boost our 
economy. I look 
forward to continuing 
our partnership with 
Teesside University and 
hearing of all the success 
stories this project will 
undoubtedly bring."
BEN HOUCHEN,  
TEES VALLEY MAYOR
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Research from the ScaleUp Institute has driven a new approach 
to support growing firms in the Tees Valley region. The result is a 
new initiative to help ambitious firms grow to their full potential 
led by Teeside University.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 230 scaleups in the Tees Valley LEP: 95 are classified 
as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 195 are classified as scaleups due to rapid 
growth in their turnover and 60 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and turnover 
simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 0.42 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) responded positively to the ScaleUp Institute's finding that 
scaleups in its area were not capitalising on the opportunity to grow further. The Authority worked 
with Teeside University to develop LEAP 50 an imaginative offer focusing on the barriers that scaleup 
businesses can face.
TEES VALLEY COMBINED AUTHORITY 
EXEMPLAR
WORKING WITH TEESIDE UNIVERSITY TO SUPPORT CEOS WITH STRONG 
AMBITIONS
152
CHAPTER THREE
"LEAP 50 places 
companies at the 
heart of an experience 
designed to accelerate 
business growth and 
contribute to the 
economic ecosystem of 
the Tees Valley."
MERYL LEVINGTON, 
ASSOCIATE DEAN 
(ENTERPRISE 
AND BUSINESS 
ENGAGEMENT), 
TEESSIDE UNIVERSITY 
BUSINESS SCHOOL
Impact and results so far
The various initiatives undertaken at Teeside University, including LEAP 50 and Digital City, have been 
recognised by the university winning the Improving the Business Environment category in the 2018 
Enterprising Britain Awards.
Future plans
The LEAP 50 programme has the aim of helping at least 50 ambitious Tees Valley businesses take the 
next steps to growth.
for ambitious business owners in the digital and technology sectors. The programme 
involves implementing processes and systems to ensure that the company has the 
capability to grow, with a focus on strategy formation, people & leadership, intellectual 
property development and finance. After each session a dedicated business mentor 
helps participants to formulate a bespoke action plan. Importantly, participants work 
alongside like-minded peers giving them the opportunity to learn from each other and 
share knowledge, ideas and experience.
Growing companies can also benefit from the Growth Fund administered by Tees 
Business Compass. This offers funding for projects such as consultancy support 
for developing digital and online strategies, business planning and help to improve 
business processes.
Other initiatives on offer in Tees Valley include: 
 Launchpad  providing advice, support and co-working and office space to 
early-stage companies with potential for high growth.
 Innovate Tees Valley  to help businesses build innovation capacity for entry 
into new markets and sectors with new products and services.
 National Horizons Centre  a 22.3m bioscience facility, delivered with TVCA 
and support from the ERDF, to address the specific needs of businesses 
operating in the bio-industries.
The Programme is designed to provide 
knowledge, experience and personal leadership 
development alongside practical ways of 
unlocking barriers to growth. 
153
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-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Needs improvement
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 4 of the 5 local authorities1 have a below median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and all of the 5 local authorities2 have a below median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Needs improvement
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 3 of the 5 local authorities3 are below the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 3 of the 5 local authorities4 
are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for the Tees Valley LEP].
Local Authorities located within the Tees Valley LEP have a low density of scaleups, and 
the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that most of the local authorities showed a 
below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while few showed an above 
median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Darlington, Middlesbrough, Redcar and 
Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees.
2  Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, 
Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton-on-Tees.
3  Darlington, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-
Tees.
4  Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, 
Stockton-on-Tees.
154
THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
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"We now have all our 
ideas, forecasts and 
action plans down 
on paper and have 
checklists that can be 
referred to and ticked 
off when completed."
GUY TOMLINSON, 
NEMESIS UK 
PERFORMANCE 
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
WORCESTERSHIRE
EXEMPLAR
FROM STARTUP TO SCALEUP  RESETTING THE DIAL
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
BizSmart  a private sector business support contractor  is 
delivering the Worcestershire Business Growth Programme  a 
comprehensive 12 month programme with monthly tutorials and 
exercises. In addition, BizSmart provides an in-depth analysis 
of business performance and benchmarking against statistically 
proven drivers of value. BizSmart also provides SmartBoards which 
deliver peer-to-peer networking for growth and scaleup companies 
supported by business experts. 
Picking up the importance of 'hubs' and the impact they can have on growth the 
Worcestershire LEP recently launched its very own dedicated technology accelerator 
called 'BetaDen' for entrepreneurs and scale up businesses. Co-located with one of 
the UK's first 5G testbeds at the Malvern Hills Science Park, it is building companies 
at the forefront of testing and developing future technologies. The testbed provides a 
revolutionary platform for businesses to develop next-generation technology, such as 
the internet of things and industry 4.0. BetaDen will offer entrepreneurs, startups and 
scaleup businesses a package of business support including free office space, mentorship 
from selected experts, access to Worcestershire's 5G testbed advice and proof of 
concept funds.
Worcestershire's vision to create a connected, creative and dynamic 
economy has driven a new strategic approach that has put focus 
on business growth. The LEP is working with partners including 
local government, the University of Worcester, Herefordshire 
and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce and business support 
delivery bodies to identify and support potential scaleups.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 340 scaleups in the Worcestershire LEP: 110 are classified as 
scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 290 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in 
their turnover and 60 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 3.13 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 per 
100,000 of population. 
Despite having a number of high-growth companies such as GTech and Gymshark within the region, the 
Worcestershire area has demonstrated a relatively poor performance in terms of business growth and 
entrepreneurship when compared to other LEP areas. Participating in the Driving Economic Growth 
through Scaleup Ecosystems course encouraged the LEP and its partners to review the existing approach 
and challenges to growth.
155
"The support we 
have had from 
Worcestershire 
County Council and 
the Worcestershire 
Business Accelerator 
Programme has 
helped us to achieve 
significant growth over 
the past two to three 
years. The increase 
in sales volumes can 
be attributed to the 
training we were 
steered towards. The 
main result is that the 
assistance we received 
through BizSmart has 
helped us to employ 
more staff and expand 
further into other 
markets and countries."
DAVID LYNES, 
FOUNDER OF 
UNIQUE IQ 
Impact and results so far
The Enterprising Worcestershire Growth Programme has supported over 100 companies and Bizsmart 
have a number of SmartBoards running providing growth and development to scaleup companies in 
Worcestershire.
BetaDen's first cohort was launched in October 2018 with seven companies supported by the 
programme. The second cohort will commence in May 2019.
Lessons learned
BizSmart continues to develop and refine its product to businesses. It is recognised that business 
owners and managers want to go at different speeds in dealing with the strategic direction of scaling a 
business alongside the urgency of here and now delivery.
Future plans
Worcestershire will continue to identify the resource to ensure the county's scaling businesses have 
a joined up approach to their needs between the private and public sector. We consider it vital that 
we create an effective 'escalator' of connected support with a holistic scaleup programme where 
we provide an entry and landing point locally while also harnessing in impactful national scaleup 
programmes to our local scaleup needs.
The LEP's ambition is to prove that the BetaDen model works and then roll out to all locations across 
the county making it financially sustainable.
156
THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
Participating in the Driving Economic Growth 
through Scaleup Ecosystems course encouraged 
the LEP and its partners to review the existing 
approach and challenges to growth.
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Good
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 3 of the 6 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 5 of the 6 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Needs improvement
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 6 of the 6 local authorities3 are below the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 3 of the 6 local authorities4 
are above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for Worcestershire LEP.
Local Authorities located within the Worcestershire LEP have a good density of scaleups, 
but the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that most of the local authorities showed 
a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while few showed an above 
median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1 Bromsgrove, Redditch, Worcester.
2  Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, 
Worcester, Wychavon.
3  Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Redditch, 
Worcester, Wychavon, Wyre Forest.
4 Bromsgrove, Malvern Hills, Wychavon.
157
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SECTION TITLE
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP has used its knowledge 
of local scaleups to provide a diverse range of programmes to 
support sustainable business growth.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 940 scaleups in the Greater Birmingham and Solihull 
LEP: 355 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 765 are classified 
as scaleups due to rapid growth in their turnover and 180 are scaleups that are increasing both 
employment and turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 1.53 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 per 
100,000 of population. 
Since its activities were highlighted in the 2017 Review the LEP has been focusing on innovating the 
ecosystem to fuel scaleup growth. The intention is to continue to build upon a solid foundation of support 
that underpins sustainable business growth.
GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL 
EXEMPLAR
SCALEUP SERVICES POWERED BY DEDICATED ACCOUNT MANAGERS
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
The Growth Hub has introduced a new scaleup service under the banner 
'Scale Up Your Business To The Next Level' with a strong account 
manager approach. This includes a series of scaleup workshops with 
Aston Centre for Growth based on the success of the pilot held in 2017. 
Each workshop also includes a follow-on clinic, where business can gain 
direct support on the actions they decide to take to grow their business. 
The aim is to support up to 100 potential scaleup business leaders 
through this scheme.
In addition, the Scaleup service brings together in one place both private and public 
sector scaleup offerings, on a coordinated basis. It offers connections to both national, 
regional and local solutions covering the key barriers to scaling up this includes linkages 
to Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, PwC Scale Midlands Programme and 
London Stock Exchange's ELITE programme.
The LEP is also developing new initiatives to increase access to funding, including holding 
a series of targeted 'Investment Readiness Workshops' in partnership with VC firm 
Midven and the NatWest Accelerator.
With an Access to Finance adviser and Finance Portal in place the LEP is also developing 
a new Regional Angel Investment Hub, working in partnership with the UK Business 
Angels Association. A 'hub and spoke' model will be designed to connect angel investors, 
the Midlands Engine Investment Fund and corporate financiers to scaling businesses 
across the region. The aim is to to unlock over 50m in new angel monies, to help tackle 
the equity funding gap in the region, at the same time as building capacity in potential 
and existing high growth businesses.
158
CHAPTER THREE
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159
Impact and results so far
Between 1st April 2017  31st March 2018, 674 businesses have received intensive account-managed 
support that is focused on unlocking their scale up potential.
Future plans
In the Spring of 2019 the LEP will launch a new scaleup accelerator programme focused on helping 
30 businesses to experience accelerated growth of 20% or more within a six-month period. Using a 
peer-to-peer learning format, businesses will be supported to deal with a range of scaleup challenges 
and receive coaching support from industry partners.
Other projects supported by the Growth Hub include a two-year extension of the 
Inclusive Growth Project, in partnership with the Centre of Research into Ethnic 
Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME) at the University Of Birmingham. The original 
pilot aimed at providing support to businesses based within diverse communities that do 
not traditionally access mainstream support. The pilot supported over 200 businesses at 
various stages of development but with a specific aim to generate future engagement of 
those with scaleup potential into the more bespoke scaleup programme offer.
The Growth Hub has introduced a new scaleup 
service under the banner 'Scale Up Your Business 
To The Next Level' with a strong account 
manager approach. 
The Platinum Group was formed in January 
2012 by the Black Country Chamber of 
Commerce. The original network covered 
committed and senior leaders from the 
Black Country's high value manufacturing, 
automotive, logistics, freight & distribution 
sectors. A second cohort for service sector 
companies was launched in 2016.
Members meet to share knowledge, new 
ideas and best practice, as well as working 
collectively to promote the region and 
tackle the challenges holding it back. 
A feature of the programme is that it 
involves as many layers of an organisation 
as possible to ensure the benefits spread 
beyond the managing director or owners. 
Senior teams also have access to the 
Strategic Leadership Programme, an 
intensive leadership and development 
programme run over nine months 
including six full-day workshops and six 
one-to-one sessions.
The Platinum Group facilitates the 
events, agrees the content and sources 
the speakers but they are hosted by the 
business members and often followed by 
an opportunity to tour the premises or 
hear about new developments. The Group 
has helped members to access funding 
and worked with partners to provide 
access to infrastructure.
There are presently 25 members in the 
current cohort of The Platinum Group 
covering the manufacturing, logistics 
and freight sectors. The Platinum Group 
Service Sector now has 13 members. The 
Platinum Group has seen a number of 
success stories including one member 
growing its workforce from 15 to 140 
employees over the last five years. Another 
example is a member that increased 
turnover growth by 155% in four years and 
another where they have set up their own 
training academy to improve the pipeline 
of apprentices working with the business 
and upskill existing staff.
The Platinum Group
ONE TO 
WATCH
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
SECTION TITLE
Scaleups by Density: Moderate 
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 5 of the 9 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 5 of the 9 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Needs improvement 
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 7 of the 9 local authorities3 are below the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 7 of the 9 local authorities4 
are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the local environment.
Local Authorities located within the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP have a 
moderate density of scaleups, and the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that most 
of the local authorities showed a decrease in the number of scaleup businesses, while few 
showed an increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Bromsgrove, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, 
Tamworth.
2  Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, 
Redditch, Solihull.
3  Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, 
East Staffordshire, Redditch, Tamworth, 
Wyre Forest.
4  Birmingham, Cannock Chase, East 
Staffordshire, Lichfield, Redditch, Tamworth, 
Wyre Forest.
160
THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Cambridge Network used its lengthy experience working with 
scaling businesses in the Cambridge area to build a bespoke 
programme developing leadership skills for CEOs and senior 
teams in scaleup  the School for Scale-ups. The content was 
designed with input from successful leaders in high-growth 
companies and was further refined after the Driving Economic 
Growth course in 2016. This is one of a number of organisations 
offering a specialist leadership programme for scaling businesses. 
Others in the Cambridge area include Barclays Eagle Labs and 
Babraham Research Campus featured in Chapter 2.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 855 scaleups in the Greater Cambridge and Greater 
Peterborough LEP: 335 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 705 
are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their turnover and 185 are scaleups that are 
increasing both employment and turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 4.54 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
The School for Scale-Ups Programme has been specifically designed to improve leadership and respond 
to skills challenges identified in the ScaleUp Report. The core programme is delivered by experienced 
business trainers who have supported Cambridge Network members successfully through scaling.
GREATER CAMBRIDGE, GREATER 
PETERBOROUGH EXEMPLAR
SCHOOL FOR SCALE-UPS: DEVELOPED BY SCALEUPS FOR SCALEUPS
The programme is open to all high-
growth businesses and social enterprises 
and has a guiding principle that growth 
demands leadership at all levels so 
staff in operational roles are welcome 
alongside senior teams.
It runs as active learning with a cohort of 
12 delegates meeting face-to-face every 
six weeks for a formal training workshop 
with an experienced trainer. The cohort 
works together over 14 months with 
modules focusing on a different aspect of 
leadership skills. A Cambridge Network 
representative works with trainers 
and delegates throughout the process 
and delegates can call upon addition 
training, coaching or mentoring. Access 
to finance is discussed and is indirectly 
benefited by improved communication 
and confidence of the leaders as well 
as introductions to business angels and 
different funding models.
On completion of the course, scaleup 
leaders benefit from the Cambridge 
Network CEO group which acts as 'the 
board you cannot afford' on a continuing 
basis. To date the programme has 
successfully developed three cohorts.
Cambridge Network:  
School for Scaleups
ONE TO 
WATCH
161
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"The training is 
excellent. Cambridge 
Network is helping with 
connections and advice 
for our investment in 
the UK."
GERALD HORHAN, 
FOUNDER AND CEO, 
INVESTMENT PUNK 
ACADEMY
"The exposure to other 
small companies has 
opened my eyes to the 
problems other people 
are facing, which I think 
in time may help create 
additional business 
opportunities for BBT or 
improve our offering."
DAN COLE, BABRAHAM 
BIOSCIENCE 
TECHNOLOGIES
Impact and results so far
The businesses participating in the programme are growing fast. One of the first cohort  Raspberry Pi 
has grown from 30 to 130 people and tripled profit to 10m. In the most recent cohort one company 
has raised $10m and is doubling its team, another has grown its workforce from 65 to 150 and raised 
$50m new funding. As an estimate, revenues have more than doubled for the aggregate of businesses 
since they participated in the School for Scaleups.
Lessons learned
Delegates value the close relationship with peers as a major strength of the programme and the 
dynamic of the group changes per cohort based on the participants. Diversity in the group makes it 
more successful and is a useful experience for some of the delegates.
The Network has learned to keep pre/post work to a minimum as delegates are all under pressure and 
prioritise business demands; content has to be high impact and directly practical to their needs.
Future plans
The aim for School for Scale-Ups is to continue spreading word further afield as the model will work 
in many more places than just Cambridge. The Cambridge Network will also review stakeholder 
experiences to uncover specific learnings of what makes the most difference. Places are on offer now 
for the next cohort which will start in early 2019.
SECTION TITLE
162
THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
The School for Scale-ups runs as active learning 
with a cohort of 12 delegates meeting face-to-face 
every six weeks for a formal training workshop 
with an experienced trainer. 
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Scaleups by Density: Good
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 8 of the 12 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 9 of the 12 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Good
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 9 of the 12 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 7 of the 12 local authorities4 
are above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the local environment.
Local Authorities located within the Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough LEP 
have a good density of scaleups, and furthermore the trend between 2013 and 2016 
reveals that few of the local authorities showed a below median change in the number of 
scaleup businesses, while most showed an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Cambridge, Huntingdonshire, King's Lynn 
and West Norfolk, North Hertfordshire, 
Peterborough, Rutland, South 
Cambridgeshire, Uttlesford.
2  Cambridge, Huntingdonshire, King's Lynn 
and West Norfolk, North Hertfordshire, 
Peterborough, Rutland, South 
Cambridgeshire, St Edmundsbury, Uttlesford.
3  Cambridge, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, King's 
Lynn and West Norfolk, North Hertfordshire, 
Peterborough, Rutland, St Edmundsbury, 
Uttlesford.
4  Huntingdonshire, King's Lynn and West 
Norfolk, North Hertfordshire, Peterborough, 
Rutland, South Cambridgeshire, Uttlesford.
163
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
Liverpool City Region is home to the UK's first dedicated Scale 
Up MBA which is delivered by Liverpool John Moores University's 
Business School. The rationale of an MBA fits well with scaleup 
businesses. This programme focuses on areas businesses should 
investigate to support scaleup potential. These areas combine the key 
management disciplines with recent national research on the drivers 
of scaling. The MBA Business ScaleUp is structured in four phases:
 Phase 1 Accelerating Business Growth  provides an intensive focused range 
of interventions aimed at realising the potential of growth within businesses.
 Phase 2 Developing the Business for Scale  brings together the different 
strands of scaling up a business investigated in phase 1 and considers how 
they integrate in order to develop a business. The focus is on the business 
development needs and strategies for accelerated growth.
 Phase 3 Leadership Strategies to Enable Growth  emphasises individual 
leadership and the importance of equipping other leaders within the 
organisation to enable growth. 
"Even at this early stage 
[of the Scaleup MBA 
course] there are lots of 
things relating to day to 
day work that will prove 
beneficial. I definitely 
think it was a good move 
for the business."
KAREN REILLY, 
DIRECTOR OF HAYES & 
FINCH LTD
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
The Liverpool City Region (LCR) LEP has developed a strong 
network to further advance the scaleup agenda in the LCR. 
Working with partners in the private sector and particularly 
the local universities, LCR has developed the first dedicated 
Scale Up MBA which is delivered by Liverpool John Moores 
University's Business School.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 610 scaleups in the Liverpool City Region LEP: 205 are 
classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 515 are classified as scaleups due 
to rapid growth in their turnover and 110 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 3.01 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Liverpool City Region recognises that scaleups are already playing an important role in helping the 
area to reach its full potential. LCR has worked hard to generate high level political buy in as what 
has become apparent is the need for very specific and targeted provision rather than a generic 
scaleup support programme. To generate buy in the LEP has outlined the benefits and evidence that 
demonstrate the value of bespoke services for scaling businesses.
LIVERPOOL CITY REGION EXEMPLAR
SCALE UP MBA AND LEP LEADERSHIP 
164
CHAPTER THREE
Future plans
A comprehensive overview and upgrade of the LCR Growth Hub is currently underway which will 
result in a dedicated account management model designed to focus on higher growth and scaleups. 
The development and delivery of a scaleup accelerator network is expected to have a transformational 
effect of the scaleup agenda in the region.
 Phase 4 Business Growth Project  brings the strands together into a 
significant project aimed at impacting the business.
In addition the LCR Growth Hub continues to develop its scaleup offering for the region 
with the following components to it: 
 Dedicated account management
 Mentoring network
 Peer-to-peer scaleup business group
 Leadership and management development
 Targeted growth diagnostic.
The network and programme offering will also seek to integrate with nationally 
significant programmes including ELITE and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small 
Businesses UK.
The John Moores MBA programme focuses on 
areas businesses should investigate to support 
scaleup potential. These areas combine the key 
management disciplines with recent national 
research on the drivers of scaling.
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165
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Needs improvement
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 4 of the 6 local authorities 1 have a below median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 4 of the 6 local authorities2 have a below median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Needs improvement
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 6 of the 6 local authorities3 are below the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 3 of the 6 local authorities4 
are above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for Liverpool City Region.
Local Authorities located within the Liverpool City Region LEP have a low density 
of scaleups, and the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that only two of the local 
authorities showed a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, although 
few showed an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1 Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens, Wirral.
2 Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral.
3  Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. 
Helens, Wirral.
4 Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral.
SECTION TITLE
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CHAPTER THREE
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167
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
The Marches LEP continues to work closely with partners and 
neighbouring LEPs to deliver a range of programmes. The Midlands 
Engine Investment Fund  a collaboration between the British 
Business Bank and ten regional LEPs  has extended its offering 
and improving access to finance for scaling businesses. Originally 
providing debt and business loan funds, equity and proof of concept 
funds were added in February 2018.
The Agri Tech West Alliance involving the Marches, Stoke & Staffordshire, 
Cheshire & Warrington and Worcestershire LEPs has been broadened to include 
business, Further Education and Higher Education representatives and a Strategic 
Board has been established to drive and develop the partnership's work programme. 
Its online hub went live in July 2018 to highlight the sector, to signpost scaleups to 
relevant areas of business support across the partnership and to encourage the use 
of growth hubs by rural and land-based businesses.
Since June 2017 around 100 business leaders have been supported with coaching 
and mentoring through the Start2Great and SmarterGrowth programmes and a 
further 40 enterprises in their initial stages have been supported to grow. Another 
40 have either completed or are currently undertaking the programme for more 
established businesses.
"Our aspiration was 
to grow the business 
both domestically and 
internationally; however, 
to do so, we needed to 
invest heavily in our 
own manufacturing 
capability. Securing 
the loan from BCRS 
Business Loans, through 
the Midlands Engine 
Investment Fund, was 
crucial in making this 
happen."
TIM HUGHES, 
MANAGING DIRECTOR, 
MOTIV TRAILERS 
LIMITED
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
The Marches is building a track record of supporting cutting-
edge companies and institutions in its area with a particular 
focus on agri-tech, defence and security, including the rapidly-
emerging area of cyber security.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 330 scaleups in the Marches LEP: 130 are classified 
as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 265 are classified as scaleups due to rapid 
growth in their turnover and 65 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and turnover 
simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 2.96 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
The region has the fourth-highest concentration of employment within the defence and security 
sector of any LEP, with the 72-hectare Hereford Enterprise Zone home to over 200 advanced 
manufacturing, defence and security businesses. The LEP is now part of the new Cyber Resilience 
Alliance involving Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Swindon & Wiltshire LEPs which is working 
with Maryland in the USA.
THE MARCHES EXEMPLAR
SUPPORTING INNOVATION IN CYBER AND RURAL SCALEUP SECTOR AND 
COMBINING LEP CLUSTER NETWORKS
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Impact and results so far
Businesses from the Marches have benefitted from funding offered by a number of schemes. Up to 
March this year they were awarded nearly 1.8m of funding under the Business Growth Programme, 
creating nearly 200 jobs. The Manufacturing Growth Programme has helped more than 50 businesses 
with nearly 70,000 of grants.
Future plans
Aston University and Harper Adams University are supporting delivery of the Agri-tech Growth and 
Resources for Innovation project which assists Marches-based businesses to innovate and develop new 
products and services to exploit growing market opportunities. The project will support 90 businesses 
in the region over 3 years and to date has worked with 32 companies with both short one-to-one 
assists and longer-term innovation development collaborations.
The proposed Cyber Security Centre being developed by the University of Wolverhampton in 
Hereford will provide research capability in cyber supply chain resilience and education and training 
facilities. It will link the best of cyber research with business-led activities to commercialise new 
innovations, develop skills and create a world class cyber security capability in the UK.
The Business Growth Programme is a 33m fund which consists of four strands 
of business support; namely the Business Development Programme, the Business 
Innovation Programme, the Green Bridge Supply Chain Programme and the HS2 
project. It is delivered by Birmingham City Council in partnership with the Marches 
LEP and LEPs in Greater Birmingham & Solihull and Stoke and Staffordshire. The 
Manufacturing Growth Programme supports SME manufacturers to grow by 
identifying, understanding and removing barriers to growth in the Marches and the 
West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, parts of the East Midlands, South East and 
East of England.
SECTION TITLE
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THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
The Marches LEP continues to work closely with 
partners and neighbouring LEPs to deliver a 
range of programmes.
-1 0
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Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
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1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Needs improvement
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 2 of the 3 local authorities1 have a below median density of scaleups measured by 
employment growth and 2 of the 3 local authorities2 have a below median density of scaleups measured 
by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Mixed
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 2 of the 3 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 2 of the 3 local authorities4 
are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the local environment.
ocal Authorities located within the Marches LEP have a low density of scaleups, and the 
trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that some of the local authorities showed a below 
median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while others showed an above median 
increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1 Herefordshire, Telford and Wrekin.
2 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
3 Herefordshire, Shropshire.
4 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin.
169
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
As the 2017 Annual Review identified, the North East has a clear 
strategic plan to increase the density of scaleup businesses in its 
region by 50% by 2024. To do so it has created ScaleUp North 
East, a tailored package of business support and intensive account 
management. ScaleUp North East will work with the existing 
community of scaleup firms to ensure their future growth and, 
importantly, focus on identifying businesses with scaleup potential 
to help them overcome any barriers to growth. It also includes 
the Scale-up Leaders' Academy run by the Entrepreneurs' Forum 
which continues to go from strength to strength.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 780 scaleups in the North East LEP: 305 are classified as 
scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 645 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in 
their turnover and 170 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 2.77 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 per 
100,000 of population. 
North East LEP has put a major focus on building the scaleup ecosystem in its region, reaching out to 
organisations and service providers. Over 60 organisations have become referral providers working closely 
with customers and networks to identify scaleup firms and signpost them to the ScaleUp North East 
programme. In addition, solutions providers with evidence of a track record with scaling business have 
been identified and the LEP continues to work closely with the Entrepreneurs' Forum Scale-up Leaders' 
Academy and other bodies such as the High Growth Mentoring Programme.
NORTH EAST EXEMPLAR
TRUSTED ACCOUNT MANAGERS WORKING WITH SCALEUPS ON A BESPOKE 
PACKAGE OF SUPPORT TO MEET AMBITIOUS TARGET FOR HIGH GROWTH 
COMPANIES
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
North East LEP has recognised the importance of using expertise 
to tackle specific problems faced by scaleups. ScaleUp Partners or 
Directors  with proven expertise in scaling  have been recruited 
to work as account managers to businesses on the ScaleUp North 
East programme.
Every scaleup business on the programme works their Partner on a bespoke 
action plan that directly reflects the nature of their business needs. The aim is to 
support 675 scaling companies produce action plans by December 2020. Initial 
assessments focus on the five barriers to growth identified by the ScaleUp Institute: 
talent and skills, markets, leadership capacity, finance and infrastructure. The action 
plan identifies two or three key challenges which can be overcome to improve the
"Being on the 
programme and 
benefiting from our 
ScaleUp Partner's 
invaluable support and 
advice has put us at the 
forefront of our target 
market. Our ScaleUp 
Partner introduced us 
to staffing agencies 
which has eliminated 
previous recruitment 
issues and the financial 
injection we have 
received has impacted 
extremely positively 
on the business and 
enabled us to invest in 
our further scaling."
TOM TODD, 
OPERATIONS 
DIRECTOR, THE WHEEL 
COMPANY
"The Gazelles approach 
used throughout the 
Scale-up Academy is 
clear and very focused. 
The combination of 
taught content and peer 
discussion has been 
very powerful, and has 
meant that I've gained 
practical tips that we've 
implemented pretty 
quickly and relatively 
easily."
GILL BURGESS, 
MANAGING DIRECTOR 
OF R//EVOLUTION
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CHAPTER THREE
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SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Impact and results so far
ScaleUp North East was launched in January 2018 and 90 businesses (65% of those that applied) 
are currently working on ScaleUp Action Plans and the programme is forecasting the first cohort of 
companies will create more than 500 new and better jobs.
Lessons learned
A key element of the programme is that ScaleUp Partners develop deep, trusting and long-term 
relationships with existing scaleup businesses as well as those with scaleup potential.
Future plans
The ScaleUp North East online hub is to become the main point of engagement for companies interested in 
finding out more about the programme. It will capture all enquiries through an Expression of Interest form. 
The plan is also to use the digital platform to offer elements of future delivery to the scaleup community.
North East LEP is also planning an annual ScaleUp Summit to supplement monthly events.
ability to scale successfully and matches these to a series of interventions or 
opportunities, such as specialist workshops, access to growth mentoring, leadership 
development, access to financial assistance or product development.
The programme also offers a series of peer-to-peer events to strengthen the scaleup 
community by sharing knowledge and experience based around specific themes.
Every scaleup business on the ScaleUp North 
East Programme works their Partner on a 
bespoke action plan that directly reflects the 
nature of their business needs. 
"The Scale-up Leader's 
Academy is a fantastic, 
thought-provoking and 
insightful programme 
for fast growing 
business leaders. 
The Entrepreneurs' 
Forum have created 
an environment where 
it has been possible to 
meet, work and learn 
with a group of like-
minded individuals over 
a sustained period of 
time. The impact has 
been immediate and is 
on-going!"
RICHARD LANE, 
CO-FOUNDER OF 
DURHAMLANE
The Scale-up Leaders' Academy offers a 
programme of support dedicated to helping 
high-growth business owners prepare to 
scale up their companies faster through 
a mix of events, coaching, peer-to-peer 
mentoring and action-based learning. The 
aim is to support companies to develop a 
clear strategic plan.
The Academy  organised by Newcastle's 
Entrepreneurs' Forum  announced its 
third cohort will commence in January 
2019. Participants must be running 
established and fast-growing companies 
with at least ten members of staff to join 
the Academy. They must agree to commit 
to at least two actions during each scaleup 
coaching session and workshop that they 
will implement and report back to the 
group on.
Academy students take part in a seven-
month programme, which includes 
workshops on leadership, building brands 
and world-class teams, sales and getting 
investor ready. Each participant is matched 
with an experienced entrepreneur who 
provides peer-to-peer mentoring support. 
Coaching subjects include strategy and 
planning, implementation and finance 
for growth. Academy alumni continue to 
receive support and inspiration after the 
programme ends.
Newcastle University has examined 
the progress of nine of the twelve 
companies who joined the first cohort in 
February 2017. Total forecast turnover 
has increased by 66.37% (an average 
of 668,413 per company), forecast 
operating profit has risen by 71.66%. Eight 
companies completed its second cohort in 
July 2018, an evaluation of this cohort is 
currently underway.
Entrepreneurs' Forum:  
Scale-up Leaders' Academy
ONE TO 
WATCH
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Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
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Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
SECTION TITLE
Scaleups by Density: Needs improvement
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 5 of the 7 local authorities1 have a below median density of scaleups measured by 
employment growth and 5 of the 7 local authorities2 have a below median density of scaleups measured 
by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Moderate
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 5 of the 7 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 5 of the 7 local authorities4 
are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for North East LEP.
Local Authorities located within the North East LEP have a low density of scaleups, and 
the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that some of the local authorities showed a 
decrease in the number of scaleup businesses, while others showed an increase in scaleup 
density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  County Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne, 
North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland.
2  County Durham, North Tyneside, 
Northumberland, South Tyneside, 
Sunderland.
3  Gateshead, Newcastle upon Tyne, North 
Tyneside, Northumberland, Sunderland.
4  Gateshead, North Tyneside, Northumberland, 
South Tyneside, Sunderland.
"Taking ideas from 
the programme and 
other business leaders, 
and applying them 
to Animmersion, has 
definitely influenced 
our growth. The coached 
sessions helped us to 
stay focused on the 
key issues, rather than 
getting dragged into the 
detail, and we now have 
a clear plan that isn't 
overly technical, but 
has true scale-ability. 
We've identified a cost-
effective framework that 
will hopefully allow us 
to triple turnover in the 
next five years, without 
having to re-evaluate 
plans at every stage."
DOMINIC LUSARDI, 
CO-FOUNDER OF 
ANIMMERSION
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SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
CAN DO Scale is working to create an environment in which ambitious 
entrepreneurs have the skills and connections to grow to scale and are 
provided with appropriate levels of support and challenge from the 
ecosystem. Collaboration between public and private sectors is a priority 
and a major focus is on scaling businesses' leadership teams.
Important initiatives include Strathclyde Business School's Growth Advantage 
Programme, the ScaleUp Scotland leadership programme and the 'Scale' summer 
school run by SE, HIE and the Scottish Funding Council as well as a range of executive 
education designed to meet the needs of scaling companies. 
SE and HIE  as the Scottish Government's economic development agencies  
continue to enhance their assistance to companies through programmes such as the 
Entrepreneurship Development Programme with MIT. SE and HIE directly deliver a 
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
In Scotland, there is now a clear recognition among the key 
players across the public and the private sectors that scaleups 
are critically important to Scotland's economic future. This 
consensus has been brought together under the banner of the 
CAN DO Scale Movement. It includes the Scottish Government 
and its economic agencies, banks and investors, business 
schools, advisory community and other entrepreneurial support 
organisations.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 2,425 scaleups in Scotland: 910 are classified as 
scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 1,940 are classified as scaleups due to rapid 
growth in their turnover and 425 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 4.04 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Entrepreneurial Scotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have 
established a Scaling Ecosystem group. This brings together private sector intermediaries to discuss the 
scaleup landscape, increase awareness of support and ensure a smooth referral mechanism in order to 
increase the number of scaleups engaged across the system.
This group was instrumental in hosting Scotland's First Scaleup Summit in November 2017 which 
attracted over 140 attendees from businesses, professional advisers and investors as well the Scotland 
CAN DO Scale partners.
SCOTLAND EXEMPLAR
CAN DO SCALE: COMBINING SCALEUP FORCES  PUBLIC AND PRIVATE 
SECTOR PARTNERS COLLABORATE TO BRING BENEFITS TO SCALEUPS 
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Impact and results so far
 SE's Start2Scale service currently works with 180 companies but has ambition to grow this to 250 
during 2018/19. SE is in the processing of building up its existing team of 17 Account Managers to 21.
 Between June 2014 and March 2017 SE's portfolio of scaling companies (10m+) has grown 
from 17 to 60 and by end of 2018/19 aims to reach 100.
 
130 companies are currently in the scaling pipeline.
Lessons learned
Businesses continue to request stronger support on accelerating international sales, talent attraction 
and development, and raising ambition of scaleups in relation to their investment needs. The enterprise 
agencies are focused on tailoring support to meet these needs.
Future plans
 SE has an ambition to increase the portfolio of the Start2Scale service from 180 to 250 and 
specifically grow the number of scaling companies from 60 to 100 during 2018/19. Work will 
continue to develop the service so that the customer journey is integrated and seamless.
 Scotland CAN DO Scale is continuing to work on widening the involvement of stakeholders 
to include banks and the advisory community and developing a communications plan to boost 
engagement and raise the profile of scaleup companies. Key groups have been working on aligning 
the leadership/executive education provision and establishing consistent measurement criteria as 
well as consistent communications. 
 Piloting additional scaling services to help accelerate growth  the London Stock Exchange ELITE 
programme is building a Scottish cohort.
 Participating in the HMRC data pilot to identify scaleups not already engaged with the 
enterprise agencies.
variety of services and programmes to over 2,500 companies through a comprehensive 
account management service that provides strategic engagement and access to a wide 
range of specialists, products and services.
Businesses receive support to access talent, infrastructure and investment as well 
opportunities to develop their leadership capacity and develop new international 
markets. This support is provided directly and through collaboration with private 
partners. This one-to-one service is underpinned by access to themed networking 
events, masterclasses, coaching programmes and tailored learning journeys. These are 
delivered in a way that encourages peer-to-peer support with the sharing of challenges, 
experiences and learning.
Lack of capacity and experience in the senior leadership team can hold back the speed 
of growth of a business and SE responds to this gap with the scaling executive education 
programme. These programmes are delivered by world-renowned business schools held 
at Strategic Retreats. Targeted at scaling companies with 10m+ turnover, these retreats 
often result in positive behavioural change and improved strategic thinking. There are also 
opportunities for pipeline scaling companies to attend providing valuable peer-to-peer 
networking opportunities and access to best practice academic thinking and toolkits.
Scaleups also receive help in accessing international markets through Scottish 
Development International and guidance on accessing and raising the right finance 
through Scottish Investment Bank to support growth. In particular, scaleups within the 
Start2Scale service are projecting around 175m of investment will be required over the 
next 12-24 months to help achieve their growth ambitions.
2018 saw the establishment of a new ScaleUp Scotland programme delivered by 
Entrepreneurial Scotland in partnership with The Hunter Foundation and Scottish 
Government. The first cohort comprises the leaders of 19 businesses who meet every 
6 weeks for a day and a half with established entrepreneurs, content experts and most 
importantly each other.
SECTION TITLE
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CHAPTER THREE
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Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
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Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
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SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Scaleups by Density: Needs improvement
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in Scotland stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 22 of the 32 local authorities1 have a below median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 23 of the 32 local authorities2 have a below median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Moderate
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 17 of the 32 local authorities3 are above the median in terms 
of improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 17 of the 32 local 
authorities4 are below the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for Scotland.
Local Authorities located within the Scotland LEP have a moderate-low density of 
scaleups, and the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that some of the local authorities 
showed a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while others showed 
an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Angus, Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, 
East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East 
Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Eilean Siar, 
Falkirk, Fife, Inverclyde, Moray, North 
Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney 
Islands, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire, 
Scottish Borders The, South Ayrshire, South 
Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire.
2  Aberdeenshire, Angus, Clackmannanshire, 
Dumfries & Galloway, Dundee City, East 
Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, 
East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Fife, Highland, 
Inverclyde, Moray, North Ayrshire, North 
Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, Renfrewshire, 
Scottish Borders The, South Ayrshire, South 
Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, West 
Lothian.
3  Argyll & Bute, Dumfries & Galloway, Dundee 
City, East Ayrshire, East Lothian, East 
Renfrewshire, Edinburgh , Fife, Glasgow 
City, Highland, Inverclyde, Midlothian, North 
Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth & Kinross, 
Renfrewshire, West Lothian.
4  Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Angus, 
Dundee City, East Ayrshire, East 
Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar, Fife, Highland, 
Moray, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, 
Scottish Borders The, Shetland Islands, 
South Ayrshire, West Dunbartonshire, West 
Lothian.
175
SECTION TITLE
"Growing businesses 
that are successful don't 
have time to sort out 
a lot of pressures and 
it's good to talk. It's 
been a hand-holding 
operation; it's lonely at 
the top and to be put in 
touch with other people 
who are at the top of 
their businesses is a 
good support."
DOMINIC LEWIS-
BARCLAY, MD, 
WENTWORTH 
WOODEN PUZZLES LTD
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Swindon and Wiltshire LEP is continuing to emphasise scaling 
businesses as an important cohort to strengthen the local 
economy. The LEP works in partnership with Inspire  a local 
Chamber of Commerce organisation  to provide intensive 
support to scaleups, creating a 3-5 year strategy for growth 
through the Inspire Elite Programme. Inspire has now launched a 
similar programme in the Bristol area.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 335 scaleups in the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP: 135 are 
classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 280 are classified as scaleups due 
to rapid growth in their turnover and 80 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 2.84 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Inspire Elite has now been delivering intensive support over the past two years to more than 135 businesses. 
It is a model based on one-to-one support, peer-to-peer networks and a strong ecosystem involving a 
carefully selected but wide-ranging group of more than 60 partner organisations.
Inspire has invested in ongoing training and development for the client-facing team to ensure strong 
in-house diagnostic skills and to create a highly professional and proactive culture. The Account Manager 
continues to play a key role in the programme.
SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE EXEMPLAR
THE INSPIRE ELITE PROGRAMME, PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKS AND EFFECTIVE 
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
The Inspire Elite Programme continues to focus on a combination 
of peer-to-peer networking  now involving 150 businesses  and 
education, intensive support through workshops, one-to-one advice 
and senior management team mentoring and a signposting service 
to all publicly funded programmes and commercial expertise. Inspire 
Elite is working to help scaleups overcome the key challenges by 
providing an in-house recruitment service to members  including 
supporting interviews if required, and guidance on developing a 
successful distribution strategy. 
Inspire has also partnered with Goldman Sachs to introduce members to the 10,000 
Small Businesses UK programme. Around one third of members have now been through 
this programme. Further leadership programmes are provided through the University of 
West of England, Weston College and other commercial training and coaching providers 
to build an offer which can be bespoke to a member's needs and requirements.
176
CHAPTER THREE
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
"What we've done is put 
together a business plan 
with business objectives 
which we hadn't really 
been doing before. It's 
given us structure."
JACKIE PARKER, BM, 
BOA OCCUPATIONAL 
HEALTH SERVICES
Impact and results so far
The number of businesses supported by Inspire Elite has increased by 47 over the past year, a total of 
130 of Elite participants are pursuing a growth strategy and there are 54 alumni of the Goldman Sachs 
10,000 Small Businesses UK programme.
Inspire Elite has made 577 referrals: 36% to public sector bodies and 64% to private sector
Lessons learned
 
Inspire Elite has learned that the real needs of ambitious business owners go beyond the scope 
provided within the current support landscape. As a result Inspire Elite has created a trusted 
ecosystem for strategy development/implementation with quarterly development meetings, 
peer-to-peer knowledge sharing and education which is available to growing businesses in the 
long term.
 
It is hard to keep finding subjects which are relevant for all members so now the programme is 
now divided into three streams to allow selection of relevant topics by attendees.
 Different skill sets are required for recruiting new members to the group and providing ongoing 
support. Inspire Elite now has a team of Client Relationship Managers providing ongoing support 
and a separate team of "recruiters".
Future plans
Inspire Elite has now established in Bristol and recently recruited an Account Manager to lead work 
with scaleups in the area. The plan is to launch the programme in Heart of the South West LEP 
(covering Plymouth, Exeter and Taunton) in 2019.
It has partnership arrangements with mainstream banks and other financial institutions, 
referring members to the most appropriate source of funding and with the Enterprise 
Network to help businesses find suitable accommodation across the county.
A key element of the programme is an opportunity to help scaling businesses develop 
clear business strategies for growth. Businesses are offered guidance on developing a 
strategy, often followed by workshops with the whole management team. Inspire Elite 
has found businesses are keen to be pushed into action on delivering their strategy, so 
has instituted a regular progress call with the dedicated account managers.
Inspire has invested in ongoing training and 
development for its client-facing team to ensure 
strong in-house diagnostic skills and to create a 
highly professional and proactive culture. 
177
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Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
SECTION TITLE
Scaleups by Density: Moderate
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to the 
rest of the UK: Wiltshire has an above median density of scaleups measured by employment growth 
and by turnover growth, with Swindon below the median on both measures.
Scaleup Trends over time: Moderate
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: Wiltshire is above the median in terms of improving the 
density of scaleups by employment and also by turnover, Swindon however is below the median for 
employment and turnover scaleups.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for Swindon and Wiltshire.
Local Authorities located within the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP have a moderate 
density of scaleups, and the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that one of the local 
authorities showed a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, while the 
other showed an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
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THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
179
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
An account management service connects potential and existing 
scaleups to relevant and specialist services. As is the long-established 
norm for an economy such as TVB, the ScaleUp Berkshire 
Programme brokers the support for scaleups rather than deliver it 
directly. A ScaleUp Berkshire Advisory Group comprising the LEP, 
Business Growth Hub, Henley Business School, Biz United and 
business leaders from the sub-region will guide the programme and 
review sustainability over time in order to make recommendations to 
the LEP.
"The importance of 
supporting our mid-
sized companies, many 
of whom are scale-ups 
at the core of the UK 
economy, is becoming 
better understood. 
The much needed 
support network and 
infrastructure that 
is being launched in 
Berkshire will shorten 
the learning curve for 
these aspiring high 
growth companies."
CHRIS DODSON, 
CHAIRMAN BUSINESS 
UNITED, MORTIMER 
TECHNOLOGY 
GROUP AND SCALEUP 
BERKSHIRE ADVISORY 
GROUP
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
Thames Valley Berkshire (TVB) LEP used a year-long project 
including one-to-one interviews with a range of scaleups 
to review the specific needs of high-growth businesses in 
its area. The findings were mapped against existing support 
to identify gaps in the Berkshire scaleup ecosystem and in 
September 2018 ScaleUp Berkshire was launched to close 
those gaps. Managed through the Berkshire Business Growth 
Hub, the programme which is aimed at ambitious businesses 
with a turnover greater than 1m. It brings together a range 
of dedicated scaleup offerings into a single, clear and highly 
visible service. This includes private and public providers, 
for example the Berkshire Business Growth Hub, Funding 
Escalator and Henley Business School.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 580 scaleups in the Thames Valley Berkshire LEP: 250 
are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 460 are classified as scaleups 
due to rapid growth in their turnover and 130 are scaleups that are increasing both employment 
and turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 3.15 per 100,000 of population per year, which is below the median of +3.56 per 
100,000 of population. 
Following participation in the Driving Economic Growth course TVB LEP and partners wanted to do 
more to improve the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The chosen approach is to help scaling businesses 
achieve their full growth potential by bringing visibility and connectivity to scaleup activity and business 
support available in Berkshire.
THAMES VALLEY BERKSHIRE EXEMPLAR
SCALEUP BERKSHIRE
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"The ScaleUp 
Berkshire programme 
aims to help the local 
scaleup community 
grow by enabling 
scaleups to access 
specialist services, 
share knowledge 
between peers, 
connect with partners 
and source funding."
JUREK SIKORSKI, 
EXECUTIVE 
DIRECTOR OF 
HENLEY CENTRE FOR 
ENTREPRENEURSHIP 
AND SCALEUP 
BERKSHIRE ADVISORY 
GROUP MEMBER
"This programme is 
aimed at providing 
practical help and 
introductions to scaleup 
leadership teams. I wish 
it had been there when 
Fairsail was scaling up."
ADAM HALE, 
CHAIRMAN OF 
DEVOPSGROUP, BOARD 
MEMBER TECH NATION, 
FORMER CEO FAIRSAIL 
AND MEMBER, SCALEUP 
BERKSHIRE ADVISORY 
GROUP
Impact and results so far [or expected]
Early indications since launch are that there is high demand for the service and several cohorts now 
building which we will highlight in 2019.
Lessons learned
Working closely with scaleup businesses has enabled TVB to fill gaps in the current provision of advice 
and support.
The LEP will continue to maintain this map of live scaleup support in Berkshire.
Future plans
The ScaleUp Berkshire programme will be rolled out over 2018-2020 with plans to recruit and account 
manage a minimum of 25 existing and potential Berkshire scaleups per year.
The Advisory Group will review sustainability over time and make recommendations to the LEP so that 
the programme has longevity beyond the initial 2-year period of BEIS funding.
TVB LEP has used its database of existing and potential scaleup companies, developed 
via a variety of sources, to identify around 185 potential participant businesses to be 
targeted for the programme. In addition, via an HMRC pilot exercise, the LEP is 
targeting a further cohort of businesses that have scaled in the past 3 years.
The new fully-funded programme:
 pinpoints the scaleup services and support available locally and nationally and 
connects businesses to relevant support to help them grow faster.
 Provides one-to-one account management support to help businesses develop 
their strategy.
 Connects businesses to tools to implement and monitor their business strategy.
Introduces businesses to other local scaleup leaders to share ideas, learn what works and 
build mutually beneficial relationships.
A new micro-site includes links to core offers from ScaleUp Berkshire consortium partners, 
a list of relevant events as well as case studies to inspire businesses to scale and grow.
Skills agenda
TVB has worked with Founders4Schools (F4S) through the Careers & Enterprise 
Company to connect schools and colleges with businesses in the local area. Around 
400 local business leaders are now listed on the F4S website and 55 business leaders 
have volunteered 446 hours of their time to visit classrooms or to host work experience 
placements in Thames Valley Berkshire.
Twelve Thames Valley Berkshire schools have used the service and there have been 
9,150 student encounters with F4S' volunteers.
SECTION TITLE
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THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
ScaleUp Berkshire brings together a range of 
dedicated scaleup offerings into a single, clear and 
highly visible service. 
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Scaleups by Density: Excellent
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: 5 of the 6 local authorities 1 have an above median density of scaleups measured 
by employment growth and 5 of the 6 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups 
measured by turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Good
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: 3 of the 6 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and 4 of the 6 local authorities4 
are above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges for Thames Valley Berkshire LEP.
Local Authorities located within the TVB LEP have an excellent density of scaleups, and 
furthermore the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that few of the local authorities 
showed a decrease in the number of scaleup businesses, while most showed an increase in 
scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor 
and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
2  Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor 
and Maidenhead, Wokingham.
3  Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and 
Maidenhead.
4  Reading, West Berkshire, Windsor and 
Maidenhead, Wokingham.
181
"Working with the 
Scaleup Enabler 
allowed us to unlock 
new relationships and 
increase awareness 
and applications."
JONATHAN HOLLIS, 
COMMERCIAL 
INNOVATION, PWC
PARTICIPATING 
SECTORS
Working with a diverse 
range of sectors including:
The West of England has taken the initiative in creating a 
Scaleup Enabler role to bring together the region's vibrant and 
diverse ecosystem to increase the opportunities for scaleups. The 
role  piloted for a year  has now been made permanent and 
the continuing priority is to drive investment, inspiration and 
invigoration of the scaleup ecosystem.
Background
ONS data for 2016 shows that there are 715 scaleups in the West of England LEP: 295 are 
classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 605 are classified as scaleups due 
to rapid growth in their turnover and 185 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and 
turnover simultaneously.
The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2013 to 2016 the density of scaleups 
has increased by 5.97 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.56 
per 100,000 of population. 
Participants from the West of England attended the DEG course in 2016 using learnings as a catalyst 
for action in the local area. A diverse ecosystem exists in the LEP and following a review of the region's 
needs a strategic decision was taken to 'enable' the potential of the scaleup ecosystem rather than 
create and deliver a new programme.
The appointment of the "Scaleup Enabler" working jointly between Engine Shed and the LEP 
has driven increased interest in this significant group of businesses and helped to ensure that the 
support provided by the public and private sectors responds directly to the challenges that growing 
companies face.
WEST OF ENGLAND EXEMPLAR
CONVENING THE REGION'S SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
SCALEUP PROGRAMMES 
A number of programmes operate in the LEP, including the locally 
delivered: Business West Scale-up Hub; Innovation for Growth; PwC 
SCALE; SETsquared Scale-up Programme; Entrepreneurial Spark 
SCALE; Inspire Elite; Innovate2Succeed; and, Scaleup 4 Growth 
(launches Nov 2018).
Additionally national programmes also provide services to local scaleups including: 
Barclays Scale-up Programme; Cranfield's Business Growth Programme; Goldman 
Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK; London Stock Exchange ELITE; Oracle Scaleup 
Ecosystem; and, TechCity UpScale.
These have all been mapped on a Scaleup Generator. 1
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"The availability of 
scaleup space has 
changed significantly 
over the last 12 months. 
The Scaleup Enabler's 
proactive approach has 
helped move this issue 
up the regional agenda, 
as a result we have now 
developed the range 
of available options to 
ensure that the regions 
scaleups are not limited 
by available space."
ELAINE MCKECHNIE, 
CENTRE DIRECTOR, 
FUTURE SPACE, UWE 
NORTHGATE
Impact and results so far
Over 700 scaleup businesses have been identified and 53 scaleup meetings held to explore the 
challenges such companies face. More than 30 applications have been received to join the Bristol 
Angel Hub, a community of investors committed to sharing good practice and invigorating the local 
investment ecosystem. Working with the community, the number of data points on the Scaleup 
Generator has quadrupled and functionality is growing.
Lessons learned
Being an honest broker, without institutional impediments or objectives has supported the 
developments in the West of England.
Developing and building earned trust; creating an environment of collaboration where actions are 
pursued quickly and risk taking is encouraged are all elements of the approach of the Scaleup Enabler 
and Engine Shed.
The Scaleup Enabler:
In the first year in post the Scaleup Enabler focused on three themes repeatedly raised 
by scaleup founders in the West of England: the lack of grow-on space in the region, 
the disproportionate amount of time spent courting potential investors and the need to 
build leadership capability and capacity. 
In response to these challenges, the Scaleup Enabler delivered a variety of peer events 
and contributed to programme design and creation as well as promoting the needs of 
scaleups through blog posts and articles.
Three key developments in 2018 are:
 Scaleup Generator  an ecosystem support map which identifies over 400 
organisations, programmes and services. The information is organised according to 
the challenges reported by scaleup founders and can be accessed online.
 Scaleup Company Map  highlighting over 800 scaling businesses both those that 
are scaleups and those that are on the journey "aspiring." 
 Work to improve understanding across public and private sectors of what a scaleup 
is, the exact nature of the challenges that they face and the gaps in support. 
This work was not intended to deliver a programme or service in itself, but to act as 
a catalyst to help others deliver the services needed by the scaleup community. For 
example, in part due to the Scaleup Enabler's work in amplifying the 'space' constraints,  
three new multi-occupancy spaces have come onto the market in Bristol to meet the 
infrastructure challenge.
The appointment of a Scaleup Enabler has driven 
increased interest in scaleups and helped to ensure 
that the support provided  responds directly to the 
challenges that growing companies face.
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SECTION TITLE
Future plans
West of England have made a number of commitments to respond to the challenges identified by 
scaleups in the region:
 To invigorate the investment ecosystem in the region and improve access to finance  the LEP 
will continue to run a Quarterly Investment Briefing bringing investors together and facilitate the 
Investor In Residence service at Engine Shed.
 To inspire founders and aspiring scaleups through briefing events and a growing bank of case 
studies and supporting peer-to-peer networks.
 To invigorate and build the profile of the region as a home for successful scaleup companies the 
LEP will share resources, data and maps to while gathering intelligence to minimise duplication 
and maximise collaboration; support will be made more accessible.
The British Business Bank will bring new support to the West of England through the recruitment of a 
regional team.
CHAPTER THREE
THE L CAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
-1 0
-5
0
5
1 0
1 5
Cha ng e  in Sca leups  per  1 00k popula t ion per  a nnum 201 3-1 6
-50
-25
0
25
50
7 5
1 00
Scaleups per 100k, 201638.96
1 8.62
3.59
0.22
Scaleups by Density: Excellent
The vertical axis of this matrix shows where local authorities located in this LEP stand compared to 
the rest of the UK: all 4 local authorities1 have an above median density of scaleups measured by 
employment growth and all 4 local authorities2 have an above median density of scaleups measured by 
turnover growth.
Scaleup Trends over time: Excellent
The horizontal axis of this matrix shows whether the density of scaleups has increased or decreased 
over time relative to the rest of the UK: all 4 local authorities3 are above the median in terms of 
improving the density of scaleups by employment in their community and all 4 local authorities4 are 
above the median for scaleups by turnover.
The ScaleUp Institute will continue to monitor this closely in the coming years to track whether the 
initiatives described above move the dial in the right direction for increasing the density of scaleups.
For the detailed analysis behind this please refer to www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
Scaleups per 100k, 2016Change in ScaleUps per 100k population per annum 2013-16
LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS
According to ScaleUp Institute analysis of data received 
directly from ONS for years 2013-2016, the following 
picture emerges on the West of England LEP.
Local Authorities located within the West of England LEP have an excellent density of 
scaleups, and furthermore the trend between 2013 and 2016 reveals that none of the 
local authorities showed a below median change in the number of scaleup businesses, 
while all showed an above median increase in scaleup density.
Data used on this page is taken from the IDBR 2013-2015. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics 
Code of Practice and associated Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent 
disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Turnover  
Employment growth
KEY
FOOTNOTES
1  Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, North 
Somerset, South Gloucestershire.
2  Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, 
North Somerset, South Gloucestershire.
3  Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, 
North Somerset, South Gloucestershire.
4  Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, 
North Somerset, South Gloucestershire.
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Key learnings from universities 
and business schools
ScaleUp InsightsThe role
It is evident that as "anchor institutions," 
universities and business schools can help scaleups 
address many of their barriers to growth. 
As deliverers of education, their students also 
represent an important pipeline for talent for 
scaleups. "Universities can connect into the 
local scaleup ecosystem by ensuring students 
get exposure to local scaleup companies through 
curricular and extra-curricular activities, such 
as internships, live projects, guest speaking and 
mentoring," says Fiona Whitehurst.  
"A great role that business schools can play is 
connecting ambitious, confident entrepreneurs 
to talented individuals," says Eleanor Shaw. 
"We can help plug the skills gaps that prevent 
them from realising their scaling ambitions. And 
that's not just our student population, it is about 
connecting them across the ecosystem."
They provide leadership programmes for 
scaleups, both as partners of national 
programmes and as providers of their own 
courses. 
Their academics provide expertise and 
specialist knowledge and can engage and 
include scaleup businesses in research projects 
and knowledge exchange initiatives. Campus 
facilities can be made available, such as 
incubation space, specialist equipment and 
laboratories. "Universities are in a great position 
to support businesses as they contain experts 
in almost every facet of education, not just 
the management and administration side of 
business, but often the technical expertise in key 
departments as well," says Sarah Underwood.
As permanent features on the local landscape, 
these institutions also offer stability. 
"Universities do not come and go with a change 
in government," says Sarah Underwood. 
This means that they have relationships with 
many other partners  all of whom have a 
role in fostering the local scaleup ecosystem 
 and can forge relationships across a wide 
range of players. "The beauty of the role of 
the business school is its neutrality," notes 
Stephanie Hussels. "Business schools are honest 
brokers. They are trusted brands delivering 
trusted programmes  and they are not going 
anywhere," says Mark Hart.
They are also a source of many potential 
scaleups, both through the formation and 
growth of student enterprises and from spin-
outs led by faculty members. "In a world where 
everything is online, it's important to have 
physical spaces where interaction can happen," 
says Peter Tufano. 
One "major game changer" has been the 
establishment of the kitemark Small Business 
Charter (SBC), says Mark Hart. To achieve an 
SBC award, business schools undergo a rigorous 
assessment to determine the effectiveness 
of their business support, entrepreneurship 
 CONTRIBUTORS:
Dr Fiona Whitehurst, 
Newcastle University 
Business School
Professor Mark Hart, 
Aston Business School
Peter Tufano,  
Dean, Sad Business 
School
Professor Sarah 
Underwood,  
Leeds University 
Business School
Dr Stephanie Hussels, 
Cranfield School of 
Management
Professor  
Eleanor Shaw, 
Strathclyde Business 
School
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THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
CHAPTER THREE
Business schools are honest brokers. They are 
trusted brands delivering trusted programmes  
and they are not going anywhere
education and engagement with their local economy. 
The first set of accreditations were issued in 2014 and 
there are now 35 SBC-accredited business schools 
across the UK which have directly supported more 
than 18,750 small businesses. According to the SBC's 
2018 Impact Statement, a principal benefit of the 
award for business schools is that it "acts as a catalyst 
for collaboration with other stakeholders within the 
business support ecosystem."
The engagement
There is no single route map for these institutions in 
the way in which they engage with, and foster, their 
local ecosystems  but the number of initiatives has 
increased in 2018. 
This year, Manchester University's Alliance 
Manchester Business School has launched the 
Scale Up Forum to provide a peer-to-peer network 
for scaling businesses to explore shared challenges 
and how different scaleup leaders overcome them. 
Teesside University has launched LEAP 50, a 
programme delivered by the University and the Tees 
Valley Combined Authority, to help at least 50 Tees 
Valley companies in their scaling journey. Liverpool 
John Moores University Liverpool Business School has 
designed and launched an MBA Scale-Ups Masters 
level degree apprenticeship in conjunction with the 
Chartered Management Institute to help businesses 
to achieve growth. Aston Business School is a strategic 
partner with the Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP 
working with its Growth Hub to deliver a range of 
scaleup services.
For the Sad Business School, a primary mode of 
engagement with scaleups is through the Goldman 
Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme, in 
which it is a principal academic partner. "It is the best 
way for us to focus our resources on some of the best 
ventures in the country," says Peter Tufano. "We can 
work with them to develop their skills so that they can 
move to the next level." 
"We look to help businesses at every stage of their 
growth," says Mark Hart of Aston. The school is a 
strategic partner in the local Growth Hub and runs 
its own programme for small business growth as 
well as Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK.  
"We know what connections are needed and can 
demonstrate that we are part of the wider ecosystem. 
We pay very serious attention to this."
"Entrepreneurship and innovation is a core priority 
for the university," says Strathclyde's Eleanor Shaw. 
"It is not restricted to the business school. When an 
entrepreneur comes onto the Growth Advantage 
Programme they don't just engage with the business 
school. That might be their opening into the university 
but we work with them to facilitate introductions to 
the wider innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem 
at Strathclyde." 
The challenges
Getting scaleups to engage with universities remains a 
challenge, believes Sarah Underwood of Leeds. "This is 
partly because there is confusion or misunderstanding 
about what universities can, or will, do to help. 
Universities can, and should, do more to get out 
beyond the limits of the campus and find ways to 
better interact with the business community." 
Perceptions can be changed by working with 
trusted parties to help convince entrepreneurs 
that universities are open places that they come 
to, says Strathclyde's Eleanor Shaw. For example, 
Strathclyde Business School has an 'open door' 
policy which welcomes key partners onto campus 
including CBI Scotland, the ScaleUp Institute, 
Founders4Schools and the Scottish Chamber of 
Commerce. With a growing programme of events and 
now being in the fourth year of running its Growth 
Advantage Programme, she believes that Strathclyde's 
connectivity is developing at pace. "We are getting 
real traction with this but it has not happened 
overnight."
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"We need to do more to identify champions who 
can catalyse students and staff to engage with the 
scaleup agenda," says Newcastle's Fiona Whitehurst, 
"and we need to work with partners  in our case 
the Entrepreneurs' Forum and North East LEP 
 to highlight the potential for engagement with 
universities."
Awareness remains a challenge. "There is still plenty of 
ignorance about what courses are available and about 
how this can help them," says Stephanie Hussels. "I 
am always amazed at this."
For many scaleups, it is simply a matter of committing 
the time and/or the budget. "It is tough to ask business 
owners to commit 100 hours in a year," notes Aston's 
Mark Hart. "Businesses can see the value once they 
have been on the courses but baulk at the upfront 
commitment of time and money."
 
The future
"Doors are starting to open for scaleup businesses 
to access courses, advice and networks that can 
be instrumental in helping them to grow," says 
Sarah Underwood. Leeds University is currently 
implementing a number of physical developments on 
its campus and developing new educational courses for 
scaleups.
"We want to make it easy for the external community 
to engage with us," says Eleanor Shaw. Strathclyde 
Business School has joined with Glasgow City Council 
to develop a growth programme  Innovation GAP 
 for companies on the council's Tontine business 
accelerator. With a physical location in Glasgow 
city centre, Tontine and Strathclyde will work 
closely together, with other key partners in Glasgow 
City Innovation District to help innovation-driven 
enterprises grow to scale.
Others are expanding their reach. "Cranfield has 
had a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem for many 
years," says Stephanie Hussels. "We are now looking 
to replicate this more widely in the region; we are 
engaging more with incubators in places such as 
Milton Keynes and Bedford." In December, Barclays 
Eagle Labs will open its first campus site at Cranfield. 
Universities and business schools recognise that 
working with scaleups should not be a one-off 
intervention. For example, companies are returning to 
the Cranfield Business Growth Programme to prepare 
themselves for a new phase of growth. 
THE LOCAL SCALEUP ECOSYSTEM
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Chapter Four
Shaping policy to foster UK scaleups:  
Breaking down barriers
Shaping policy to  
foster UK scaleups 
  
The UK scaleup policy landscape has continued to evolve 
across 2018 with further impetus from the private, 
education and public sectors to address the scaleup gap. 
The value that scaling businesses bring to all parts of 
the UK and to local economies is broadly recognised. 
Scaleup needs are becoming embedded into local 
economic strategies and solutions. Now, we must 
monitor results, to ensure good intent leads to impactful 
outcomes and that no community is left behind.
For the ScaleUp Institute, 2018 has been a year of building upon the good work already 
underway to ensure policy intent is translated into effective outcomes. We continue 
to advance a national scaleup action plan through education and significant local 
engagement, monitoring what exists and sharing insights on impactful actions around the 
country to ensure we have a joined up ecosystem for addressing the barriers to scaling up.
An effective segmentation of the UK business population, and a client-centric approach 
to solutions for scaling firms, must be at the heart of ongoing policy intervention and 
developments.
We have consistently emphasised the need to address scaleup leadership capacity 
through peer-to-peer networks and effective mentoring, as well as recommended specific 
interventions to break down barriers facing scaleups in relation to talent, procurement, 
exports and innovation, finance and infrastructure. 
As we reflect on taking action to close these scaleup gaps, we can see progress on many 
of our past recommendations, notably in leadership, finance and local policy alignment 
towards scaling businesses. However, there remains a long way to go as regards closing 
down the UK's scaleup talent and market access gaps; the latter of which is rising in 
criticality.
The 2018 Policy Milestones
In 2018 we recognise that there have been some key scaleup policy milestones reached 
(outlined overleaf) which have been borne out of the evidence and learnings the ScaleUp 
Institute has fostered over recent years and from our work with the Scaleup Taskforce.
It is clear that we are on a journey which is gaining momentum, but we have not yet 
reached the finish line in the scaleup race  the execution of these policy initiatives now 
needs to translate to meaningful scaleup outcomes. As we assess where we are it remains 
clear that:
CHAPTER FOUR
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SHAPING POLICY TO FOSTER UK SCALEUPS: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
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We are far from solving the talent shortage which affects scaleup businesses. We must 
work closely with schools, universities and business schools to close the talent gap and 
develop a fast track 'scaleup visa' process to enable our scaling businesses, who are major 
innovators and exporters, to access the talent they need to fuel their growth.
While an Export Strategy has been launched, which is welcomed, the delivery of the new, 
enhanced International Trade Adviser Service must, at home and abroad, provide the 
results to scaleups that they want to see in relation to market opportunities, connection 
to buyers, market insights and bespoke trade missions, including replicating what has been 
undertaken to great effect with the Mayoral Go to Grow programme in London.
In relation to procurement, the policy announcements in April must translate to better 
engagement with, and buying from, scaling business across central Government and every 
local area. Procurement champions and meet the buyer events need to connect better 
with emerging local scaleup hubs and programmes exemplified in Chapters 2 and 3.
As the leadership announcements within the 2018 Budget move in to implementation, it 
should be ensured that the spend in relation to peer networks and mentoring  so valued 
by scaling businesses  and the creation of the Small Business Leadership programme  
have suitable allocations towards scaleup companies.
On the finance side, the private and public sector collaboration between British Business 
Bank (BBB) and financiers needs to continue at pace to deliver more localised equity, as 
well as more patient capital from institutional investors. The awareness of and connection 
to growth capital solutions needs to also continue, building on the good work currently 
underway in the Finance Hub, launched in June, and the Relationship Manager network at 
BBB now under development.
At a place level  every local area needs to turn their Strategic Economic Plans into 
effective Local Industrial Strategies which place scaleups at their heart. This means making 
sure infrastructure is scaleup fit and local programmes and initiatives that address scaleup 
barriers are built upon including the championing of scaleups, putting them on the map 
and coordinating their relationship in more holistic manner across the public, education 
and private sectors. We recognise the strategic alignment to scaleups in the devolved 
nations of Scotland and Northern Ireland, and will continue to work with them as they 
evolve their scaleup ecosystems.
Underpinning all of this is data and segmentation  while encouraging progress 
continues to be made with Government, this must move ahead at pace in 2019, with the 
introduction of legislation if required, if we are to spot scaleups early and lean in quickly 
to these businesses. Evidence shows the timeliness of interventions is crucial if we are to 
optimise our scaling businesses greatest potential. It is also essential that we crowd in and 
build upon what works, while at the same time closing the gap on any under-served areas. 
This work should be collaborative with the private and education sectors.
These policy initiatives, alongside the continuing role of a Ministerial Scaleup Champion, 
provide a strong foundation for further progress. We need to continue to make sure that 
the UK can rise in the ranks to lead our international peers and make the UK the leading 
scaleup nation and counter any Brexit headwinds. Challenges to UK scaleups predate the 
current 'Brexit' focus and yet remain. They are within the power of the UK to fix. 
In this context the work of the ScaleUp Institute is a critical as ever in guiding our 
response to closing the scaleup gap.
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An ecosystem fit for scaling and productivity
Productivity is a complex issue. There is no silver bullet. But, key to shifting the dial on UK 
productivity, is a sharper, better segmentation of the business landscape and the provision 
of bespoke solutions for our most productive scaling firms.
The outcomes of the Productivity Review must build upon what works, and ensure that 
places lacking in services, and under-served by current programmes, are better provided for. 
As we consider the Comprehensive Spending Review and evolution of the Shared Prosperity 
Fund no gaps can be allowed to arise should EU support no longer be accessible.
 The Industrial Strategy White Paper, including the 
ScaleUp Taskforce, with the ambition of making 
the UK the best place to start and grow a business 
at its core. This has five foundations, each directly 
linked to key scaleup needs and challenges People; 
Places; the Business Environment; Innovation, and 
Infrastructure. It takes forward many of the prior 
recommendations of the ScaleUp Institute and those 
of the Scaleup Taskforce.
 The Patient Capital Review outlining a suite of 
actions to be taken to improve the availability of, and 
access to, appropriate finance for scaling businesses. 
Implementation is now under way with additional 
funding allocated to the British Business Bank who 
have also established a network of regional managers; 
the launch of British Patient Capital in June 2018; 
the development of additional regional funds through 
British Business Bank, working with the private 
sector; and, the launch of a finance hub (on which 
the ScaleUp Institute was a collaboration partner). 
 Improvements in Public Procurement announced in 
April 2018, including expansion of Contracts Finder 
to include all contracts above 10,000 and requiring 
companies working on large government contracts 
to advertise subcontracting opportunities; requiring 
prime suppliers to report their spend on government 
contracts; and, the appointment of Ministerial 
Procurement Champions in every department and 
within major Government suppliers.
 The new Export Strategy launched in August 2018 
placing emphasis on high potential scaleup businesses 
as a clear segment, and developing a programme of 
active peer networks as well as targeted initiatives for 
high potential scaling firms.
 Alignment of funding for LEPs/ Growth Hubs to 
services for scaling businesses and the creation of 
the role of relationship managers to better connect 
public and private sector offerings to local scaleups. 
This builds on the requirement across England for 
every LEP to embed scaleups in their Strategic 
Economic Plans and emerging Local Industrial 
Strategies. 
 The Budget 2018 builds upon each of these areas 
and has at its heart the importance of ensuring the 
UK is the best place in the world to start and scale a 
business. The Budget details further actions intended 
to increase management capability, smooth access to 
apprentices for growing firms, improve firms' access 
to finance, and support innovation.
PUBLIC POLICY MILESTONES
The ScaleUp Institute will continue its mission to maintain focus on our ambitious scaling 
businesses. Three key principles will remain, guiding our input into and evaluation of policy 
interventions:
1. Data and building upon what works: All interventions should be data driven and 
measurable. Continued funding to initiatives should only occur where impact can 
be evidenced.
2. Segmentation: Businesses are not homogeneous  scaling business must be 
treated as a separate segment with bespoke solutions.
3. Client centric and local: Scaleups value locally delivered solutions  even when 
a programme is national. In a growing company, time is a scarce commodity 
and community level engagement is essential, alongside active relationship 
management.
These principles should be used as a foundation for efforts to overcome the challenges which 
scaleups have continually identified to their growth. We will continue to champion them.
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The ScaleUp Institute: Driving the 
productivity agenda, local solutions, 
and ensuring implementation through 
parliamentary engagement 
This year ScaleUp Institute has appeared, by invitation, 
twice at the House of Lords EU Internal Market Sub 
Committee. We were also delighted to host the BEIS 
Select Committee, at our offices in the Digital Catapult, 
for a session of their Small Business and Productivity 
Inquiry.
In each of these we were able to clearly impart our 
scaleup imperatives.
Key scaleup messages across each of 
these sessions:
 The UK's scaleup challenge of being 13th in the world 
at growing a business significantly predates Brexit 
and the challenges to scaling up continue to persist.
 It is in the UK's own gift  and hands  to fix these 
challenges through the national policy agenda and 
greater collaboration between the public, private and 
education sectors.
 We need to harness our resources more effectively 
towards scaleup businesses, and double down on 
efforts to address their needs in talent, leadership, 
market access, finance and infrastructure. Building 
on what works and as impact, making sure no 
community is left behind.
 Now more than ever the UK must 'turbocharge' 
engagement with scaleups and the solutions available 
to our scaleup 'growth heroes' and make sure we 
continue to make strides to close the scaleup gap by:
 Identifying scaleup businesses sooner through 
effective use of our datasets, specifically harnessing 
HMRC data to enable engagement. The progress 
being made on this needs to be accelerated, and if 
required, legislation should be passed to enable a full 
scaleup register to be created.
 Ensuring our education sector prioritises engagement 
with local scaling businesses, and is able to equip all 
students with the skills of today and tomorrow. It is 
important to link scaleups, schools and colleges to 
the local skills agenda by having scaleup leaders on 
the boards of LEPs and education bodies, and skills 
and business boards. 
 Higher Education Institutions should also support 
scaleups by ensuring that they can easily access 
student projects, research facilities and graduates.
 Developing a 'client centric', scaleup Relationship 
Management approach to scaleup businesses, 
harnessing and aligning resources towards them 
in a coordinated manner whether this be in the 
private or education sectors, and building upon local 
infrastructure and solutions which exist and are 
proven to work. This must be rooted in local areas, 
but measured to a national standard.
 Continuing to align UK export and innovation 
strategies towards scaleups and dial up the intensity 
of interaction with them. Ensure research and 
innovation under UKRI is closely connected to 
scaling businesses.
 Boosting access to public sector procurement 
contracts for scaleup firms; Government should 
also encourage OEMs and Tier 1 companies to 
seek out innovative scaleup firms as part of larger 
opportunities.
 Continuing to implement the Patient Capital 
Review recommendations, and make steps to unlock 
institutional investment, alongside wider progress to 
tackle regional disparities.
SELECT COMMITTEE ENGAGEMENT
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Scaleup Taskforce
Sahar Hashemi
Every three months since March 2017, the Scaleup Taskforce has come together 
to support and push for the development of policies that will foster growth and 
productivity in the UK economy. Our members come from global financial 
institutions such as the London Stock Exchange, banks and private equity 
houses, entrepreneurs, academics and LEPs. The Scaleup Taskforce doesn't 
only comprise a brilliant breadth of institutions, it is also a group of passionate, 
highly informed individuals who can provide government with a unique 
perspective on the growth challenges facing the UK. 
When I was first invited to co-chair the Scaleup 
Taskforce, I was particularly struck by one statistic: 
that the UK ranked third in the OECD for startups 
but 13th for scaleups.
Yet our 35,000 scaleups are the gems in our 
economy. They are amazing businesses that should be 
celebrated and supported for their huge contribution 
to creating wealth and jobs, both locally and nationally.
We are getting better at identifying scaleups. This 
is one issue which we are very focused on. A great 
amount of work has already been conducted by 
HMRC on VAT and NI records to identify and 
understand better the patterns of scaling businesses in 
the UK. This is essential  scaleups can't be provided 
with the support that they need unless we know who 
they are.
This is not just a question of data science; local teams 
need to be able to use these insights to spot scaleups 
and companies aspiring to scale. It will be crucial 
part of the ongoing work of the Scaleup Taskforce 
to ensure that the use of this data can continue to 
highlight and better target interventions to businesses 
as they scale.
Support for scaleups has to be targeted. A general, 
broad-brush approach that tries to help all small 
businesses does not yield results. There is a real power 
that comes from focusing on scaleups and helping 
them get to the top. This is not just about helping 
young companies to grow exponentially. Scaleups are 
found in all sectors and are of all ages. To continue 
their growth, they may need to increase their exports, 
win more contracts, develop succession plans, or hire 
the right people. That means providing them with the 
ScaleUp Insights
1 Supported by Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, 
Innovate UK and in 2018, the British Business Bank.
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There is a real power that comes from focusing on 
scaleups and helping them get to the top
right tools and a great level of service. Get this right, 
and we will create a climate of aspiration  one where 
more companies aspire to scale.
The delivery of targeted help to scaleups is an 
attainable goal that will deliver fast, fruitful results 
to the UK economy. These are businesses who are 
already on their way and who just need tiny nudges to 
achieve their full potential. The dividend of enabling 
scaleups is evident; a one per cent increase in their 
number creates a hugely disproportionate yield.
Delivering a consistent, high quality service for 
scaleups across the country is achievable so long as 
it is carried out at a local level to provide ownership 
and focus. The LEP and regional structures do help to 
make this manageable  there are, several hundred 
scaleups per local area. It's great to see how far some 
local areas have already gone in their provision of 
scaleup support. The work that the ScaleUp Institute 
has done through the Driving Economic Growth 
(DEG)course1, enabling local areas and Growth Hubs 
to share and learn the latest thinking about scaleups, 
has been exciting to see.
When I first started out in business, the label of 
entrepreneur was attached to just one or two people 
such as Richard Branson and Anita Roddick. Now, the 
idea that we are a nation of entrepreneurs has taken 
hold and many people call themselves entrepreneurs. 
The same needs to happen with scaleups. As 2019 is 
the year in which we can start Scaleup Week, we are 
creating that momentum.
Accessing up to date data remains the single most important item on the ScaleUp Institute's 
agenda. This means being able to enquire on a company's scaleup status against the most 
recent data held within Government, namely at HMRC.
In 2018, we have been encouraged by the data pilots we are undertaking with HMRC and 
the collaborative cross Government approach to reviewing options for disseminating this 
data more readily. Evidence shows the timeliness of interventions is key if we are to optimise 
our scaling businesses' greatest potential. Research reflects that when a business is scaling 
rapidly speedy engagement early on in its journey is vital as the window of opportunity is 
'limited' if the scaling firm is to realise its fullest opportunities and 'scale' again.
Data is the fundamental ingredient to make sure all communities can engage on a timely 
basis with scaling companies and make sure they get the right support at the right time that 
fosters their continued growth here in the UK.
As we move into 2019, we must escalate the current good work underway with Government 
with further vigor  using data held by HMRC, ONS and Companies House  to build an 
integrated solution that allows for timely identification and, verification of scaleups for all the 
stakeholders in the community.
We believe, that if a company's scaleup status is made available to enquire upon via a 
'verification service' it will encourage engagement from the public and private sector. It will 
also enable resources to be targeted much more efficiently and effectively towards specific 
scaleup firms to foster their continued growth, removing hurdles and allowing access to the 
necessary talent, leadership, finance and infrastructure support.
A more granular understanding of UK businesses, and effective firm level interventions, 
will also benefit monitoring and analysis of existing policy interventions and work on future 
initiatives. It is only through greater understanding, segmenting and targeting of our scaling 
businesses and available services towards them that we as a country will be able to shift the 
dial on UK-wide growth, exports, procurement, innovation and productivity. The data also 
enables prioritisation of those areas of the country where the scaleup gap is increasing and 
makes the ecosystem more efficient in their assessments and solutions.
Over the last 5 years, including our 2018 research, evidence has built up and been 
corroborated again that leaders of scaleup businesses would value the data that is filed in 
to Government, to be used more effectively to engage with them. How we achieve this is 
imperative to finalise in the coming 12 months. If legislation is required to be more proactive 
with Government datasets, then we believe that Government should actively consider the 
appropriate framework for this legislation, and work to move this forward.
Scaleup identification
 
Resolving the challenges that scaleup business leaders in every 
locality face requires a more efficient and quick way to identify 
the UK's fastest growing firms at a national and local level
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HMRC, Cabinet Office collaboration
In 2017 we highlighted the fact that we would be working with HMRC  subject to their 
statutory conditions  in scaleup ready locations. We are pleased to confirm that this work 
is underway; informing scaling companies of their scaleup status and making them aware of 
services that they can be fast-tracked into at a local level. Pilot programmes are now active 
in Scotland, Greater Birmingham and Thames Valley Berkshire. Each of these areas have 
dedicated scaleup programmes in place, able to provide businesses who are contacted with 
services that are bespoke and match their requirements.
This work with HMRC is vital to unlocking relevant data  particularly as most public 
datasets today are not real time and lag the current scaleup status of business. Good 
progress with Government has been made. We look forward in 2019 to this work being 
accelerated to enable a full scaleup register to be created with a view on what options may 
look like for 'self declarations' or 'opt-ins' to a central point for identification, acknowledging 
that some form of legislative change may be required. Alternatively, a tool to allow scaleups 
to request to self identify against a closed database could be developed.
While this work develops, the ScaleUp Institute will also continue to update its Scaleup Map 
and Scaleup Index, developed with DueDil and Beauhurst, and our newly published Scaleup 
Procurement Index which we have developed with Tussell. We also encourage universities, 
banks, accounting firms, LEPs and schools to continue to put 'Scaleups on the Map' based 
upon indices, client, and local knowledge. This challenge has already been taken up, to 
excellent effect, in Cambridge, Thames Valley Berkshire, Ashford, and by Barclays and Sage; 
just a few examples, which can be emulated.
In summary 
While progress continues to be made on a more targeted approach to scaling businesses, 
much more still needs to be done across 2019 to move the dial and ensure that a 
segmented approach can be implemented at all levels. As such we reinforce our previous 
recommendations and update them as follows:
2018 Recommendations
1
A verification process with Government should be created to allow 
for local and national stakeholders to verify the 'Scaleup status' of 
a business, building on the recent work of the ScaleUp Institute 
with Government. This should tap into datasets that combine ONS, 
Companies House and HMRC data points to enable stakeholders to 
fast track solutions to scaleup leaders. If necessary, legislation should 
be passed to introduce such an enquiry capability. 
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GOVERNMENT INSIGHT:  
Working together to unlock the power of data to 
understand and support high growth businesses
ScaleUp InsightsThrough its modern Industrial Strategy, the Government is committed 
to harnessing the value of publicly held data as a means of identifying 
businesses with scaleup potential and connecting these business to the 
range of support available to help them reach their potential.
Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) 
has the largest and richest dataset on individual 
businesses. HMRC is committed to maximising 
the value of the data it holds, both for the 
department and for others while continuing 
to appropriately safeguard confidentiality. 
HMRC has frequent requests to share its 
data, but is bound by a strict statutory duty to 
protect taxpayer confidentiality, laid out in the 
Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 
2005 (CRCA), which governs all information 
held by the department.
In early 2018 the Department for Business, 
Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) 
and HMRC began an experimental project 
using cutting edge data science techniques to 
understand the characteristics of high-growth 
firms and test whether these could be used to 
identify firms with similar characteristics that 
might go on to achieve high rates of growth.
Initial results are encouraging and the dataset 
will be developed further through winter and into 
spring 2019 to build a fuller picture of scaling 
businesses in our economy.
Making it simple for scale ups to 
navigate the support available
A key part of the project is looking at how this 
firm-level data can be used to target messages 
to scaleup businesses to signpost them to local 
initiatives designed to help them in their growth 
challenges. Early work by HMRC indicated that 
customers would be receptive to such messaging 
and wanted targeted, timely and more joined up 
communications from government.
Since 2016 HMRC has embarked on a series 
of small scale pilots, to understand how data 
can be used to profile businesses and then send 
them targeted messages to signpost to local, 
government-backed growth support. 
The most recent pilot, in October 2018, aimed 
to signpost selected scaling businesses towards 
local scale up programmes. The pilot used HMRC 
data to identify scale-up businesses. Emails and 
letters were issued to raise the business leaders 
awareness of their potential high-growth status, 
and to advise them of tailored local initiatives 
geared to their growth challenges.
To shape the approach and fine tune the detail 
of the offer the work involved HMRC, BEIS, 
Cabinet Office, Insights, the ScaleUp Institute 
and three of the local areas who have benefitted 
from the Institute's Driving Economic Growth 
course and established bespoke scaleup 
programmes, namely, Thames Valley Berkshire 
and Greater Birmingham Growth Hubs, and 
Scotland.
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Ruth Mackman, who led the work for HMRC, 
said: "Getting these pilots running took a lot of 
planning and close collaboration with stakeholders. 
All the partners' expertise was needed to ensure we 
got various aspects aligned, including timing and 
communication styles. Our partners were all very 
generous in their support and willingness to work 
together to get this right."
NEXT STEPS
The pilots went live in October 2018. HMRC and BEIS plan to continue 
working with stakeholders through 2019 to evaluate these pilots and 
shape further pilots in 2019. This will lead to delivery of a series of 
communications trials from early 2019, to further connect high-growth 
potential businesses to the right support at the right time. These trials will 
build on this year's work and learnings from it. They will not involve any 
sharing of individual company data with BEIS or any of the partners.
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Accessing the right talent and skilled workforce continues to be 
the most significant barrier for scaleup leaders. 
The intersection between the need for a world class skills pipeline and the modern global jobs 
market is a stark reality for our scaling businesses, who continue to experience significant 
barriers in recruiting the requisite skill sets into their business as they grow.
On average scaling businesses are increasing the number of people they employ by 3,000 
people per week1 and overall employ circa 3.6 million people across the country. Given the 
export focus of many of these companies, they place a high value on international expertise 
and many  two thirds  have employees from overseas.
Job tracking company Adzuna shows 1,115,677 open positions in the UK2  a skills shortage 
that predates Brexit, but has widened since 20143 and could become ever wider for our 
scaling firms if the UK does not address its domestic skills gap and ensure that international 
access to skilled workers remains open. Half of all exporting scaleups say that it is vital or 
very important, to have a fast-track visa system if they are to retain their growth rates.
Social skills, technical skills and the skills of tomorrow 
  what more needs to be done
Technical and social skills remain the most vital to our scaling businesses far outstripping any 
other skills when force ranked. These findings reinforce our previously stated position that 
while retaining the impetus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) skills is 
essential, there is a need to examine how school and university students are prepared for the 
world of work developing softer skills, earlier on.
With this in mind, we continue to urge all actors to work together to better prepare students 
for the world of work.
 This is further cemented by the view scaleup leaders have of future skills, where they highlight 
Critical Thinking as most important, followed by Service Orientation (anticipating, recognising 
and meeting others' needs), and Cognitive Flexibility.
These survey findings reinforce our own findings last year, and are in line with the World 
Economic Forum's (WEF) 2018 Future of Jobs Report.4
Given the future skills desired by our scaleup workforce and the global nature of them it is 
disappointing that England (but not Scotland) will be among a number of countries5 to opt out 
of the 'Global Competence' section on the PISA Framework which includes a specific goal 
to measure how schools are teaching students to develop a fact-based and critical worldview 
including understanding of intercultural and global issues.6
From a scaleup perspective this is concerning. All UK students must be equipped with these 
attributes and taught them at an early age. We need to monitor our effectiveness in this area if 
we are to stay ahead of our competitors in the scaleup race and find an effective mechanism to 
do that.
Talent and skills
1 Octopus HGSB Report 2018: https://
octopusgroup.com/high-growth-small-
biz/
2  https://www.adzuna.co.uk/jobs/search 
[retrieved 6 November 2018]
3  In the 2014 ScaleUp Report on 
Economic Growth, this number stood at 
990,000  p46
4  http://reports.weforum.org/future-of-
jobs-2018/conclusions/
5 https://www.tes.com/news/england-
shunning-global-skills-test-because-
pupils-are-not-ready-it
6 http://www.oecd.org/pisa/pisa-2018-
global-competence.html
"Teach them basic professional 
skills."
NORTH/NORTH EAST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Teach more relevant social, 
emotional and technical 
skills so students leave better 
armed to thrive in the modern 
workplace."
EAST MIDLANDS SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Technical skills can be taught 
with the right aptitude, but the 
soft skills  understanding of 
workplace culture and buying 
into the values of a company  
are more important."
SOUTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Coding skills are crucial across 
the board in everything we do 
 even the non-coding jobs."
EAST OF ENGLAND SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"It's soft skills and confidence 
that we find most lacking and 
that we need to train from 
scratch."
SCOTTISH SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
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CHAPTER FOUR
The growing role that automation will play of course means that there must be a twin 
approach, ensuring that our current and future workforce is equipped to work alongside, and 
effectively engage with, AI and Machine Learning driven processes.
The UK skills pipeline  connecting educators and scaleups in a 
collaborative approach
The evidence shows that scaleups are good corporate citizens, ready to offer work 
experience, employ interns and apprentices.
The education sector has an essential role to play in enabling talent acquisition for UK scaling 
firms with a resultant knock on effect to productivity and growth.
Domestically, many initiatives exist to better connect schools and universities with 
businesses  such as the work of the Careers & Enterprise Company highlighted in 
Chapter 2. Encouragingly the Government's recent Careers Strategy7 endorses the Gatsby 
Charitable Foundation benchmarks and explicitly links careers provision with social mobility 
seeing this as vital if we are to address the skills needs in every community. In Scotland, the 
creation of the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board, and the publication of their Strategy 
in October 2018,8 is an important step forward and seeks to address skills shortages for 
business and boost Scotland's productivity.
Encounters with employers, one of the Gatsby benchmarks, remains a vital factor in making 
sure our scaleups needs are well understood by the education community. The Careers 
& Enterprise Company's (CEC)work in this area and recent 'Closing the Gap'9 report 
highlights the progress being made on this in numerous areas but also flags the significant 
gaps and 'patchiness' in others. Scaleups want better engagement and educators to get to 
know them.
We still need more commitment from both sides of the fence. The Careers & Enterprise 
Company sets out some helpful recommendations for the education sector in this regard. 
We encourage all localities to embrace these, including recognising the importance of these 
engagements at primary and Key Stage 3 (11  14 year old students) where, approximately, 
only 50% of students participate in at least one employer encounter.
We also continue to consider it important that the LEPs, higher education institutions and 
schools have scaleup leaders on their Boards and, vice-versa, local authorities align their skills 
and business boards with education establishments in a joined-up manner. The recent LEP 
Review should offer an excellent opportunity to implement this in England.
Supplementing traditional education establishments and routes is also key, such as through 
the work being undertaken in the growing EdTech sector. EdTech 50 showcases some of 
the modern ways in which skills training is being supplemented by private and not for profit 
players through collaboration with the education sector and/ or direct student engagement. 
This should be built upon. 
Apprenticeships as a solution and role of the private sector 
Scaling businesses value apprenticeships and the significant opportunities they offer. In the 
2018 Survey 38% said they employed apprentices  double the national average. Of those 
not employing apprentices, 47% note that this is because they do not know where to get 
good candidates from. Making sure there is readily accessible information on what is available 
with helpful tools and resources and examples of what others have done should continue to 
be a focus.
The Chancellor's announcement earmarking 695m for apprenticeships, alongside allowing 
the transfer up to 25% of apprenticeship funding of larger corporates into supply chains  
which we have previously recommended  is very welcome. This should be a further valuable 
resource to our scaling businesses which we will be monitoring.
7 https://www.gov.uk/government/
publications/careers-strategy-making-
the-most-of-everyones-skills-and-
talents
8 https://www.gov.scot/groups/enterprise-
and-skills-strategic-board/ 
9  https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/
research/closing-gap-report 
"Collaborate with employers 
and independent training 
providers to ensure progression 
into employment that meets 
predicted skills shortages. 
Collaborate to ensure 
meaningful careers advice that 
highlights opportunities to 
secure employment based on 
predicted regional needs." 
NORTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
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The private sector can also play a greater part in building skills. The work of such entities as 
Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, with its apprenticeship and digital skills training, 
is an excellent example of how larger companies can collaborate to support an education 
entity that is gearing up of the skills of the workforce for all. Google's Digital Garage and 
Freeformers  SUI endorsed programmes  also exemplify the role the private sector can 
play in skills transformation.
Enabling teachers to make a difference
There is still work to be done to enable the teaching profession to have the capacity to 
engage in the scaleup business community. In a resource-constrained profession, which 
itself is looking overseas to fill the skills shortages it currently has, there are a number 
of practical limitations to the way in which these institutions can effectively resource 
additional calls upon their time. Effective collaboration at a local level between the 
private, public and education sector becomes ever more vital to enhance the capacity of 
our teaching profession. A partnering approach is essential. This enables more innovative 
models for curriculum delivery that provide students with practical ways to learn. Barclays 
LifeSkills, General Assembly, Makers Academy, Computing at School, RaspberryPi, 
Founders4Schools and others highlighted by the EdTech 50 are good examples of these that 
can be leveraged and expanded upon.
It is encouraging that Ofsted has found that careers guidance within schools is improving,10 
but more work is needed. Ongoing training is a vital component  especially for those 
teachers leading careers and enterprise education. The ScaleUp Institute particularly 
recognises the work of Teach First and their 'Careers Leader' programme which up-skills 
careers leaders in the nation's schools. Its pilot has produced good results and is now being 
rolled out more widely. It is featured as a key 'One to Watch' initiative in Chapter 2.
Lifelong learning and digital skills
The development of effective skills for the modern workplace is not limited to primary 
and secondary education or university. Indeed, opportunities for progression throughout 
working life are recognised as core parts of the Taylor Review on 'Good work',11 as well as the 
suggested metrics for measuring good work.12
There is wider associative evidence to suggest that ongoing 'upskilling' of our workforce is an 
important part of the wider productivity puzzle, facilitating digital adoption among firms of 
all growth rates. It is also most significant to ensuring that there is a strong, digitally capable, 
and adaptable talent pipeline at all levels of seniority, and across all sectors.
The ability to learn throughout life is also a core skill13 of the future, with the World 
Economic Forum explicitly noting that 'active learning' is in itself becoming an in-demand 
skill. This tallies with the changing nature of skills requirements within the workplace, and 
the recognition by employers that adaptability among their staff will be essential as the skills 
required in ten years' time may be substantially different from those today. This is most 
evident within scaleup businesses who are rapidly evolving as businesses, innovating and 
looking for new market opportunities.
The Digital Skills Partnership launched by the Government in 2017 is beginning to produce 
some interesting developments. The launch of the Heart of the South West Digital Skills 
Partnership in June saw more than 50 businesses, recognised as excelling in the sector, 
attending. We look forward to this initial interest and enthusiasm producing practical results.
The National Retraining Scheme set out in the 2018 Budget is to be welcomed as another 
potential resource in the future for scaling business who want experienced hands in the 
company but may require them to have more technical skills.
10 https://educationinspection.blog.gov.
uk/2018/06/12/building-confidence-
encouraging-aspiration/
11 Good work: the Taylor Review of Modern 
Working Practices  July 2017
12 Measuring Good Work, Carnegie UK and 
The RSA  April 2018
13 https://www.weforum.org/
agenda/2018/09/future-of-jobs-2018-
things-to-know/
"Schools and universities 
should recognise the 
importance of apprenticeships 
and offer students the ability 
to train in non-academic areas. 
There is a huge shortage of 
skills in most engineering and 
manufacturing sectors, and 
they need to be reintroduced." 
NORTHERN IRISH SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Not everybody needs to 
go to university. Promote 
apprentices and work-based 
vocational activities."
EAST OF ENGLAND SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
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International talent remains vital
Scaleup companies are significant employers of international talent  64% of scaleups 
employ staff from overseas. There is a clear, ongoing need for highly skilled overseas workers 
to support the UK's scaling economy. Of the scaleups who employ overseas staff, two thirds 
say that it is vital or very important that they can continue to bring in talent from overseas 
(66% for EU staff and 69% for other overseas staff). Half of all exporting scaleups (50%) 
say that it is vital or very important to have a fast-track visa system when hiring people and 
talent from overseas.
Indeed, concerns about accessing skills is likely to be a significant contributing factor in the 
high rate of concern about the impact of Brexit, which we have noted elsewhere. In 2017 
we recommended that a 'Scaleup Visa' be made available in communities where there are 
100+ scaleup companies to enable scaleup leaders to recruit staff they need to increase their 
capacity to grow.
The extension of the Tier 1 visa system for exceptional talent14 which was announced at the 
end of 2017 is very welcome, as is the Startup Visa adjustment to the existing student visa 
announced in June  but this needs to also cover scaleups.
We have noted the Prime Minister's recent announcement of a skills-based immigration 
system post-Brexit and the expected White Paper. It will be important for the details and 
outcomes of this White Paper to address the ongoing evidence of a skills shortage in the 
short term, working effectively to smooth access to talent for growing businesses. This 
should be in addition to any longer term, structural changes intended to develop a more 
robust domestic skills pipeline.
It is essential for outcomes from this policy process to recognise that talent is needed across 
growing businesses in all sectors, as was highlighted in the MAC review15 publication earlier 
this year.
Sector specific needs cannot be ignored. Scaleup sectors such as life sciences and creative 
industries have bespoke needs. The recent letter by 29 Nobel Laureates and six winners of the 
Fields Medal further highlights this issue16, emphasising the role that overseas talent plays in 
UK science and research. In the letter, the group stated that for science to flourish it "requires 
the flow of people and ideas across borders to allow the rapid exchange of ideas, expertise and 
technology." This international, inclusive outlook is also fundamental to innovative scaleup 
businesses, many of whom are developed from the UK's rich research base.
To support growth across the UK, we recommend a more localised focus for visa 
arrangements, with local institutions given powers to act as sponsoring organisations, 
better ensuring that the talent needs of growing firms are met across the whole of the UK. 
Connecting local sponsoring organisations to local educational institutions will also help to 
smooth the wider skills pipeline, ensuring that we are able to capitalise directly upon our 
world class education system, and retain the very best minds who have come to the UK to 
learn, to start a business, or to join an existing business. As noted elsewhere, international 
linkages through graduate students have a direct bearing on companies looking to export, 
and can form the seeds of significant overseas expansion.
14  https://www.gov.uk/government/news/
government-doubles-exceptional-
talent-visa-offer
15  https://assets.publishing.service.
gov.uk/government/uploads/system/
uploads/attachment_data/file/741926/
Final_EEA_report.PDF 
16 https://royalsociety.org/~/media/
news/2018/brexit-nobels-fields-UK-
letter.pdf
"Like many other businesses, 
we have great concerns over 
Brexit and the access to labour 
from around Europe. We 
employ a large number of EU 
nationals in our organisation 
due to the lack of skilled local 
workers."
NORTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Restricting access means it 
is more likely we will consider 
opening offices in the EU to 
access talent."
SOUTH EAST SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"UK scaleups have succeeded 
through access to UK and EU 
talent  at all levels."
WELSH SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"We need to continue to 
encourage universities to train 
talent from outside the UK 
to create a richer and more 
diverse pool of talent."
SOUTH EAST SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
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In summary
The Talent Gap remains, and with Brexit around the corner we need to collaborate to find 
innovative ways to address it. This demands ever stronger partnerships between educators, 
the private and public sector, at both local and national level, as well as greater connectivity 
to scaling businesses and their needs. As the UK considers its future outside of the EU, a 
specific focus will be necessary on the development of a 'scaleup visa'  to be administered 
and delivered locally  to allow all businesses to have access to the talent that they need to 
continue their growth journey.
2018 Recommendations
9a
We recommend that the Department for Education, Local Enterprise 
Partnerships and the Careers & Enterprise Company use their 
convening and promotional power to ensure that students at 
schools, colleges and universities come into contact with business 
leaders and that an API to the National Pupils database (with 
suitable protections) are made available so that the impact of these 
interventions can be measured. To further enable these connections, 
LEPs should have higher education institutions and schools 
represented on their Boards, and educational institutions should seek 
to have scaleup leaders represented on advisory committees.
2
We recommend that a 'Scaleup Visa' be made available in 
communities where there are 100+ scaleup companies to enable 
scaleup leaders, across all sectors, to recruit staff they need to 
increase their capacity to grow. The Government should make 
the skills needs of scaling businesses a priority. Local authorities, 
education establishments, advisory and finance companies should be 
able to be sponsors of such.
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Leadership capacity and extending it remains a consistent 
challenge in fast growing firms. They are looking for local 
solutions which include peer-to-peer networks, improved 
access to universities and business schools, quality mentors 
with scaleup credentials and better coordinated engagement  
at a local level by Government Agencies.
When a business is growing fast  with the number of employees and sales doubling and 
trebling in size year after year  leadership support in a rapidly changing and fast-paced 
environment remains of critical importance to the CEOs of our scaleup companies. 
These CEOs consistently advise us that they want local-based leadership development 
opportunities. They are concerned that there is insufficient capacity to cater for their 
current leaderships needs where they are operating. This is evidenced in Chapter 1 and it 
is clear that bespoke programmes for scaling businesses were rare prior to the ScaleUp 
Institute being established.
That is why, since 2016, we have placed such an emphasis on our education programme 
'Driving Economic Growth through Scaleup Ecosystems' (DEG) delivered in partnership 
with Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK.1 This seeks to galvanise local leaders 
to work together across the private, public and education sector; to both join up existing 
initiatives more effectively and develop new ones where significant gaps exist. 
As a consequence of this work a range of solutions is now emerging  highlighted in Chapter 
3  which we are monitoring closely to ensure they have meaningful and impactful outcomes 
that deliver added value to scaleups. Quality remains paramount, as does ease of access for 
scaleups. Our evidence shows that programmes which feature a combination of universities 
and business schools, working with the private sector at a local level are likely to be the most 
valued.
It is also clear that there are localities and sectors which remain under-served  a challenge 
that we must meet. As such we are pleased to see that the Government has now given the 
objective to all LEPs  and Growth Hubs  to make scaleups a core part of their strategic 
offering. In addition, Scotland and Northern Ireland have placed scaling businesses as core to 
their strategic growth. This focus and vigour needs to be maintained and requires investment.
Attention should be particularly paid to those programmes that work so they can be 
strengthened and expanded to ensure that scaleups can access them across all communities.
Local ecosystems are the gateway to national programmes from both the public and private 
sectors. Scaleups want far better signposting of current national Government services at a 
local level.
Leadership
Boosting leadership capacity in our 
scaling companies 
1 
 In 2016, DEG was also supported by 
Innovate UK, and in 2018 DEG was 
supported by Innovate UK and the British 
Business Bank. 
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Peer-to-peer networks and mentoring
Scaleup leaders continue to highlight the importance of meeting peers who are growing at 
pace. Well organised peer-to-peer networks and high-quality mentors are the most prized 
leadership interventions.
This is reinforced again in our 2018 survey where 6 in 10 scaleup leaders place peer networks 
as the most important guidance to their future growth. The number of peer-to-peer 
programmes is growing in the UK, with many run locally as standalone offerings or as part 
of hubs and broader leadership programmes. A few are national or international in their 
reach. However, by their very nature they generally contain a relatively small cohort of 
participating firms at any one time and therefore building peer-to-peer network capacity is 
essential. In addition, we are seeing some peer groups evolving for varying leadership levels 
and disciplines in an organisation, for example for CFOs and COOs, which is valued by the 
broader leadership team.
Based on our work it is pleasing that the importance of effective peer-to-peer networks has 
been strongly endorsed in the Industrial Strategy, the Export Strategy, and recent Budget 
announcements by the Chancellor where 20m has been provided to support local peer-to-
peer networks.
These announcements are helpful, but it will be important to understand better how this 
money will work for scaleup firms. A significant portion should go towards bespoke peer 
networks for scaling businesses with a defined methodology of measurement. Care should 
be taken to build on existing initiatives that are proven to work and crowd-in, rather than 
crowd-out, impactful providers of effective solutions that are already in the market and have 
structured frameworks of operating based on the below criteria.
From the peer-to-peer groups the ScaleUp Institute has endorsed (detailed in Chapter 
2)  Vistage, The Supper Club  we observe the following key attributes that drive ongoing 
impact and value to the scaleup leaders.
Key elements of effective scaleup peer networks
Scaleup leaders consistently tell us about the great value they derive from learning from 
their peers. Strong, trusted peer networks between scaleups can have a powerful impact on 
their individual performance, and they must be fostered. 
PARTICIPANTS SHOULD ALWAYS DRIVE THE 
AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION, not the sponsors 
of the network or those who organise or facilitate the 
meetings.
EFFECTIVE CURATION REALLY MATTERS  
Match members on personality, experience and 
expertise at appropriate events and forums in order to 
optimise peer learning.
HAVE A MIX. Peer networks work well as both 
cross-sector and sector-specific groups. Trust between 
individual members is built more effectively and quickly 
if they are not commercial competitors.
INCLUDE SCALEUPS AT DIFFERENT STAGES 
OF BUSINESS GROWTH. Scaleup leaders learn more 
effectively from peers who have encountered similar 
issues to their own, particularly if recently.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
KEEP IT LOCAL. Peer groups want the engagement 
without the disruption to their day-to-day running of 
business.
DISCUSSIONS MUST BE CONFIDENTIAL. 
Effective peer groups discuss their plans, strategy, 
finance and people in an open and frank environment.
PEER NETWORKS ARE NOT JUST FOR CEOS. 
Some scaleup programmes run similar groups for other 
management team members.
MAKE EACH MEMBER ACCOUNTABLE TO THE 
GROUP. Scaleup peer networks should report on their 
progress to one another, testing plans and assumptions 
with time bounded measurable goals.
"A strong peer network is like 
"a trusted board of advisors, 
holding you accountable for 
turning good intentions into 
great results," 
SAYS ONE SCALEUP LEADER
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Local solutions with relationship management at its heart 
Scaleup leaders are focused on growing their business and do not have the time or resources 
to seek out and research the right programmes to meet their needs. 
Over the past two years we have highlighted evidence of the benefits of local account 
management structures in working with scaleup businesses, as reflected by activities in 
Denmark and Scotland. These account managers act as a single point of contact for the 
business, to work with them on their challenges and harness private and public sector 
solutions towards their needs, as they arise. They often work alongside product specialists to 
create an effective holistic 'relationship team' for the scaleup business.
In our 2018 survey, two thirds of scaleup leaders have affirmed that they value this type 
of approach and we are pleased that this model of operation is beginning to take root in 
increasing numbers of local areas. This is clear in many of the local DEG-trained areas 
highlighted in Chapter 3, such as Greater Birmingham, the North East and Swindon and 
Wiltshire, etc. These account managers are skilled individuals, many of whom have scaled 
businesses themselves and have direct knowledge of the challenges that scaling brings. 
Alongside this approach, the product specialist units of UK Government such as Innovate 
UK, the Department for International Trade and the British Business Bank are re-examining 
their models of engagement with scaling businesses, harnessing their support for these 
companies with a more co-ordinated interaction. For example, Innovate UK has piloted 'The 
Scaleup Board' (see page 90) and British Business Bank is creating regional managers to 
work across the finance ecosystem in gearing up its alignment with scaling businesses. 
We continue to recommend that all local public sector-funded entities adopt this scaleup 
'Account Manager '/relationship approach as part of a wholly client-centric, client demand-
led service, with the needs of targeted business leaders at its centre. The development of 
such an approach should draw upon models that already operate in this way in both public 
and private sectors.
To ensure consistency, this Scaleup Account Management structure should be benchmarked 
to a national standard, incorporating standardised Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) 
and backed by a comprehensive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to 
professionally manage the relationships developed. Continued funding should be based upon 
success.
We also recommend that to augment local engagement through account managers, an 
online communications toolkit should be provided for scaling businesses to signpost public 
and private sector programmes and initiatives. This should be created by building on work 
underway with the ScaleUp Institute.
The role of the scaleup champion and enabler: diffusing growth, 
celebrating success 
In 2017 we recommended that all local communities appoint a Scaleup Champion to 
celebrate local scaleups and foster understanding of their needs and the connectivity of local 
solutions. We continue to encourage local communities to follow this approach, and are keen 
for City Mayors to take an even more active role in championing 'scaling up', and acting as a 
facilitator within city and regional ecosystems.
We are seeing notable exemplars of this approach in areas such as Greater Manchester, 
Liverpool and Bristol. Bristol has established a Scaleup Enabler role working across the 
West of England and rooted in the Engine Shed hub supported by the LEP, universities and 
the private sector. In Chapter 3, we describe the results of this role, which we recommend 
others learn from and replicate.
Entrepreneurial growth is still often inspired by examples of success. It is important to boost 
the profile of businesses that are succeeding and help create a clear path to growth by 
generating a halo effect in local areas across the UK. Greater awareness among scaling
"I think my managers would 
benefit from having a peer 
group network of contacts at 
a similar level, who they could 
share their experiences and 
questions with without being 
embarrassed in front of their 
co-managers."
NORTH EAST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Our MD is a member of 
Vistage, our chairman has 
just completed the Goldman 
Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses 
UK course and we are 
continuing to strengthen and 
train our senior and middle 
management team."
SOUTH EAST SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
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businesses of the success of their peers will help spur others on. To this end, it is important 
to celebrate scaleup success at a local level. A conscious effort to ground all business support 
and inspiration in the stories of successful "growth heroes" is a vital plank of encouragement.
The education sector has a central role
In 2018, as in 2017, local university and business school engagement was ranked by scaling 
business leaders as the second most important resource to their current and future growth.
As our suite of endorsed case studies in Chapter 2 shows, there is a growing evidence base 
that those scaleup programmes that feature a combination of universities and business 
schools, working with the private sector and at a local level are likely to have the most 
impact. They can be anchor institutions. We are therefore very much encouraged by the 
range of educators who have participated in our DEG programme alongside local ecosystem 
teams who have then gone on to be a key element of delivery and partnership in the 
emerging scaleup initiatives.
Insights can be gained from those active in this work such as Aston, Sad, Imperial, Bristol, 
Cambridge, Lancaster, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Strathclyde, Newcastle, Henley, 
Worcester, Cranfield, and Teesside. Each has worked closely with local Growth Hubs and 
private sector players, to develop scaleup programmes (see Chapters 2 and 3). Lessons 
can be drawn from the programmes these institutions have developed  from university-
led bespoke scaleup peer groups such as in Manchester, to a MBA for scaleup leaders in 
Liverpool, to a Scaleup Leaders' Academy in Newcastle as well as the established models 
of ELITE, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK and the Cranfield Business Growth 
Programme.
Based on our body of evidence, it is pleasing that the importance of expanding the provision 
of leadership courses has been recognised in the 2018 Budget, through the creation of a 
Small Business Leadership Programme. This aims to deliver 2,000 places in 2019-20, and 
has an ambition to train 10,000 managers per year by 2025. It is right that these should be 
undertaken in partnership with business schools and leading businesses across England. 
Deploying this expenditure to the most effective solutions for scaling businesses will be 
essential, as is the need to build on programmes we have identified that work and can be 
extended. Tackling regional disparities is crucial; our scaleup support mapping in Chapter 
1 has shown how important it is to ensure that every scaleup business, in every part of the 
country, has the right access to the tools to fuel their growth. The role of the Small Business 
Charter should also be considered in relation to the ongoing assessment of the fostering 
of 'scaleup engagement' and leadership development opportunities for scaleups across its 
members.
As we progress into 2019, we also need to consider the manner in which we can close the 
gaps in scaleup specific interventions that may arise from EU withdrawal as ERDF provides 
support to many leadership programmes, as evidenced in our scaleup support mapping in 
Chapter 1. Ministers will need to think about what this means for the priorities of the Shared 
Prosperity Fund and Comprehensive Spending Review.
"What works best is one-
to-one leadership coaching 
from someone who truly 
understands our unique 
challenges." 
NORTH EAST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"We need more help from 
education sector to ensure that 
effective leadership training is 
offered."
NORTHERN IRISH SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"We need flexible, inclusive 
mentoring and training."
WEST MIDLANDS SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
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In summary
Following our recommendations in previous years, it is encouraging to see the growing focus 
on development of high quality tailored leadership programmes, peer groups and mentoring 
at a local level, for scaleup leaders. Scaleup leaders immensely value them and will be pleased 
with the recognition in the 2018 Budget of the vital role leadership development plays in 
a company's growth and productivity journey. However, some areas are still under-served 
and any new programmes must be effective for scaleups, and based upon what works. We 
must get better at curating the programmes in a more coordinated and consistent manner. 
It is now essential for access to these effective programmes to be made as seamless as 
possible for scaleup businesses, through proactive relationship management at a local level. 
Ecosystems must increase their efforts at a local and national level if we are to enjoy the 
increased productivity and prosperity that comes continued scaleup growth. We therefore 
recommend the following:
 2018 Recommendations
3
Funding for local communities should continue to be tied to the 
effective deployment of initiatives that close the scaleup gap as well 
as the results and impacts that they have on the number of scaleup 
businesses in their area. Every Local Industrial Strategy should have 
a scaleup pillar, including a markets access strategy and a scaleup 
cluster map based on currently available datasets.
4
All local communities appoint a Scaleup Champion and develop a 
relationship management structure for scaleup businesses.
9b
The public, private and education sector should continue to work 
together to close the gap on provision of high-quality flexible 
scaleup leadership programmes, including mentoring, peer 
networks and matchmaking of non-executive directors who have 
scaled businesses before. Better connections should also continue 
to be made between national programmes and local ecosystem 
leaders. The Small Business Charter, and other such mechanisms, 
should integrate an assessment of 'scaleup engagement' into their 
performance analysis.
5
The outcomes of the Productivity Review, Shared Prosperity Fund 
and Comprehensive Spending Review should ensure that funding 
for impactful business support (whether it be mentors, leadership 
or networks) has a significant focus and segmentation towards our 
scaleup businesses, which are generators of wealth, exports and 
productivity to the UK economy. These Reviews should collectively 
ensure no gap in scaleup support provision is allowed to arise in light 
of the UK's changing relationship with the EU.
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Scaling up creative businesses
ScaleUp InsightsThe creative industries contributed a record 91.8bn to the UK economy in 
2016 and employ over 2m people. Measured by Gross Value Added (GVA), 
the contribution of the creative industries rose more than twice as fast as the 
national average. 
Creative industries services exports grew more than three times faster 
than those from the rest of the economy in 2016 (up 8.8 per cent), 
and accounted for 11 per cent of total services exports from the UK. At 
a local level, they demonstrate the vibrancy of a region and can provide 
a magnet for economic development. So the economic value of scaling 
up greater numbers of local creative businesses is important  but it is 
not easy. 
Talent 
In line with the broader findings of this year's Scaleup Survey, access to 
talent is one of the main challenges that creative businesses face in order 
to maintain their growth. There are concerns about the supply of talent 
from the education system as well as deep fears surrounding access to 
talent in the wake of Brexit. 
"I know we can't just magic ten computer science teachers into every 
secondary school but there needs to be greater emphasis on subjects 
such as computer languages, digital design processes and data analysis," 
says Jim Mawdsley, CEO of Generator, a creative digital sector 
specialist development agency in the North of England.
Apprenticeships are starting to play a role at the junior end of the 
employment scale, but there remain concerns about the small number 
of relevant apprenticeship frameworks. And it takes "a lot of effort for a 
growing creative business to appropriately manage apprentices," notes 
Richard Jeffrey, Director of Greater Manchester Business Growth Hub.
Finance 
The 2018 Scaleup Survey shows that almost half of scaleups do not have 
the right amount of funding in place for their current ambitions. This is 
evidently the case for many scaling creative businesses.
Creative Industries Council research shows that there is a greater 
appetite for investment among creative businesses than from the wider 
population of SMEs  but that they do not always ask for enough. 
They depend more significantly on informal sources of funding from 
friends and family (27% use this source as opposed to nine per cent of 
businesses generally) and 52% ask for less than 25,000. "Businesses 
in our sector are undercapitalised," says Caroline Norbury, CEO 
of Creative England and council member of the Creative Industries 
Council.
Leadership 
Talent and finance are not the only challenges. The creative industries 
are full of "accidental leaders," says Richard Jeffrey. This is because 
businesses are formed by an individual who starts as a freelance 
contractor and who then takes on a project that grows. After pulling 
together a team, the founder has created a business with the potential 
to scale. "Leaders of creative business may want to grow and have the 
opportunities to grow, but they can find it difficult to put the systems in 
place to enable them to grow," says Jim Mawdsley. 
The need for more specialist, targeted support 
Creative businesses are keen to seek out specialist help from those with 
practical experience in the sector yet there is little available sector-
specific support, according to Caroline Norbury.
The benefits of such a sector-specific programme can be seen from the 
impact of Generator, the creative digital sector specialist development 
agency in the North of England. A key element of the programme is 
providing access to interim directors who can help the scaling business 
in areas of need such as finance, sales and marketing as they grow and 
evolve their operating models. The 20 businesses in the first two cohorts 
have reported an average 53 per cent increase in revenues in the 12 
months after participating in the programme, and overall employee 
growth has increased by 230 per cent. This programme has been 
endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute this year.
Mentoring is also greatly valued in the creative industries and demand 
for mentors is increasing, according to Richard Jeffrey. And here, 
too, he says, "sector experience is the golden ticket for credibility." 
Mentoring, peer-to-peer structured learning and coaching are core 
aspects of Greater Connected, a service focussed on creative sector 
scaling businesses run out of Manchester Growth Hub and based on the 
learnings from the ScaleUp Institute's executive education course. 
Government Action to address creative industries specific issues 
Given the above figures the importance of the creative industries are 
an undoubted strength of the economy and are at the heart of the 
nation's competitive advantage. To build on this success the Government 
announced earlier this year a raft of measures to support creative 
businesses to scale as part of the Creative Industries Sector Deal, 
including; 
 Creative Scale-Up  A 4m investment readiness programme 
improve the leadership capacity for early stage scalable 
creative businesses wishing to grow their business through 
growth finance; and,
 Creative Careers Programme  To increase the supply 
and diversity of skills and talent in the creative industries, 
government will make up to 2m available to support an 
industry-led creative careers programme aiming to reach 
at least 2,000 schools and 600,000 pupils in two years 
and industry development of apprenticeship standards. 
Industry will provide further leadership on diversity and scope 
expanding the voluntary Skills Investment Fund supporting 
on-the-job training.   
The ScaleUp Institute has worked closely with DCMS and the  
Creative Industries Council on Creative Scale-Up and will continue  
to do so in 2019. 
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Access to corporate customers, the opportunity to bid for 
Government contracts and exporting opportunities are ever 
more crucial to scaleups. In 2018 our scaling leaders cite this as 
rising challenge  on a par with Talent  making it a priority for 
the ecosystem to address.
Access to Markets, both UK and International, has risen sharply in importance for scaleup 
leaders who are twice as likely to be international as compared to other businesses.
In our Scaleup Business Survey 2018, Access to UK Markets (corporate and government 
procurement and collaboration) was the second biggest barrier highlighted by scaleup 
leaders at 79% and Access to International Markets was a concern for 5 out of 10 of our 
scaling leaders.
It is also significant that this spike in importance is consistent with the gaps in provision of 
specific 'access to markets' support to scaleups, which we have uncovered as part of the 
mapping of scaleup services we have undertaken with Innovate UK (see Chapter 1: Mapping 
the Maze). Our mapping shows that of the programmes that purport to exist for scaleups  
only 10% of the total are focused upon corporate collaboration and procurement, and only 
20% on internationalisation. This highlights a significant gap in provision for scaleups in an 
area of acute importance which needs priority attention.
Access to markets
0
4
0
1
2
0
0
1
0
1
2
1
0
4
2
0
3
3
2
4
4
3
5
5
6
5
5
3
5
5
5
9
13
0
5
10
15
Number of programmes
Scotland
South West
Yorkshire And The Humber
North East
East Of England
UK And International
West Midlands
East Midlands
North West
South East
UK
Access to corporate collaboration
Support to enter intnl markets
Public/private procurement support
NUMBER OF PROGRAMMES FOR ACCESS TO MARKETS ACROSS THE UK
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Exporting for growth
Access to customers and partners overseas, and having the people and talent to win overseas 
sales, are explicit issues raised by scaleups as barriers to further international expansion. In 
our 2018 annual survey, when asked what they would value more from the public and private 
sector to address these challenges, they cited as most important: better introduction to 
buyers overseas; a single point of contact at the Department for International Trade (DIT); 
more information on trade missions and market opportunities, alongside tailored missions.
The Export Strategy1  published by DIT on 21 August this year  has an ambitious goal 
to increase exports as a share of UK GDP from 30% to 35%. Focusing more support on 
scaleups will make this achievable.
The Strategy acknowledges the importance of scaleups as a segment for intensive 
engagement as part of its High Potential Export Businesses category. This stated intent 
is welcome and now must be delivered on with the implementation of an enhanced 
International Trade Adviser Service creating a proactive relationship management team, at 
home and abroad, dedicated to our scaling businesses that encompasses buyer introductions, 
market insights and more tailored trade missions. This dedicated expert team should be 
rooted in hubs closest to the scaling business and be skilled in scaleup needs.
Evidence in Denmark and Scotland shows the value in this approach as we are also witnessing 
in our exemplar case studies in Chapter 2. How this also operates effectively in the overseas 
markets will be key and considering how best to create a 'soft landing' in markets with a suite 
of solutions at hand. The recognition of the need to have peer-to-peer networks as an active 
part of ongoing DIT work is to be encouraged.
This export effort should, as indicated in the Strategy, be supported by the broader joint 
work being undertaken between the ScaleUp Institute and the Government towards 
better use of data, making it easier to identify scaling businesses that are already exporting 
and wanting to grow in current or new markets. It is also important to encourage the 
development of, and build upon innovative solutions  such as the 'Google Market Finder' 
tool launched in 2017.2 
As noted elsewhere in this report we continue to view the Mayor of London's Go to Grow 
programme as an exemplar of a focussed service for scaling businesses which others should 
follow. Since our last report it is pleasing to see that Manchester's City Mayor is now taking 
a similar approach at a local level. These bespoke scaleup solutions should be accelerated as 
part of the Export Strategy rollout involving City Mayors and local areas. Export vouchers 
should be assessed as part of this.
The Export Strategy deployed effectively towards scaling businesses has significant potential 
to help in closing the UK balance of payments  indeed directly working to lift the export 
turnover quotient with the Index of visible scaleup companies has alone the potential to 
add billions towards the UK's export drive. The public and private sector needs to redouble 
efforts to identify and work with scaling businesses in their localities and client base to make 
sure we can turn scaleup export aspirations into reality  and at pace.
Accessing UK customers
Corporate and Government procurement / collaboration can drive productivity both 
through the engagement of scaleups and innovative firms, as noted in the recent IPPR 
report 'Charting a Course for the Future',3 and corroborated through our own research.
Engagement in global supply chains gives exposure to global competition, and increases 
the need for the adoption of industry 'best practice' and technologies that improve a firm's 
competitiveness. 
For many scaling businesses achieving an "anchor customer"  either a major corporate or a 
government department is a huge milestone, acting as a trigger to further growth.
1 https://www.gov.uk/government/
publications/export-strategy-supporting-
and-connecting-businesses-to-grow-
on-the-world-stage 
2 https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/tools/
market-finder/ 
3 https://www.ippr.org/research/
publications/charting-a-course-for-the-
future
"My company gets 60% of its 
revenues from outside the UK, 
but this is not recognised or 
encouraged by any government 
body."
LONDON SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER 
"Our problem is being able to 
execute sales and services in 
foreign markets."
NORTH EAST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Help in expanding my supply 
base in overseas countries 
would be really helpful, 
especially India."
WEST MIDLANDS SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"The Government should 
stop trying to fit export 
opportunities into neat boxes 
and offer tailored supportin 
the form of export vouchers."
EAST MIDLANDS SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"A barrier for us to grow 
internationally is not having 
people with the knowledge 
of different countries and 
potential markets."
SOUTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
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Improving corporate collaboration
Many scaleups tell us that the most important help they can receive is the ability to access 
corporate buyers in a timely, consistent and efficient manner. Consistently, scaleups cite 
the culture and procurement processes that go with trying to become a supplier to a large 
corporate as difficult and time consuming to navigate.
Our 2018 survey again highlights that the time it takes to secure a contract with a 
large corporate is longer than securing one with Government. It reinforces the need for 
corporates to become clearer and more transparent in their supplier requirements and to 
create simpler online tools that makes the procurement process more accessible to scaling 
businesses.
There are some practical ways improvements can be made and this is seen in the endorsed 
programmes which we have exemplified in Chapter 2 and the checklist we have created with 
Nesta from our observations of good practice. These practices include: Board sponsorship; 
dedicated senior level scaleup champions across functions  not just in the procurement 
arena but also in risk, compliance, legal, IT, etc.; dedicated scaleup units; fast-track options 
and procedures, or other practices such as preferential payment conditions.
Corporates should also emulate the Government's transparency in identifying the businesses 
they are buying from and what opportunities exist to do more with them. This transparency 
has allowed the ScaleUp Institute, with Tussell, to create a Public Procurement Index. 
Individual corporates could use the same methodology to cross check their scaleup buying. 
Highlighting this work in practical 'meet the buyer' events in local areas and via online hubs is 
invaluable to scaling businesses. Despite the intents stated, our evidence currently shows this 
is not being undertaken as well as or as extensively as it might. 2019 needs to see a 'stepping 
up' of direct corporate / scaleup engagement. We hope the emerging scaleup programmes 
across the country will seek to do much more in this space.
UK government procurement
Government procurement  at both national and local  is a huge potential market for 
scaleups. Each year Central Government spends over 40bn with non-public sector 
organisations. This year, working with data firm Tussell, and building upon our ongoing work 
with Beauhurst to identify visible scaleups, we have published our inaugural ScaleUp Public 
Procurement Index identifying the 397 individual scaleups who have been procured from by 
the public sector to a total value of 1.5bn. As depicted on page 216, this shows that Local 
Government accounts for 49% of public sector purchases from scaleups with contracts 
totalling 977m; Central Government comparatively has 20% of scaleup contracts by 
number and 10% by value at 149m.4 Cabinet Office is recorded as the largest single 
procurer from scaleups and overall 2.1% of purchases made by the public sector are with 
visible scaleups. This showcases the opportunity available for more to be done and highlights 
the variation between localities and at a central level which can be improved upon.
Going forward this Index will be our benchmark by which we measure the progress of the 
Government's intent to do more with scaling firms. The policy announcements made this 
year in Spring reflected a range of the recommendations made by the ScaleUp Institute 
and Scaleup Taskforce to further move the dial including: expansion of Contracts Finder 
to include large corporate supplier subcontracting opportunities, and the development of 
procurement champions across all Government departments. The Index will be a tracker by 
which to measure whether the announcements actually deliver meaningful impact.
There still remains much to be done to build on the current policy steps if we are to address 
the significant scaleup gap compared to larger businesses. In 2019 we would wish to see 
further progress on:
"For corporates or 
Government, there should 
be dedicated entry portals 
so vendors can present 
themselves and articulate their 
value proposition  so at least 
they are visible."
SOUTH EAST SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"A SME/Scaleup procurement 
track should be made 
mandatory we should not 
be pushed through the same 
procurement process as a large 
company... it's too onerous 
for us."
SOUTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Government purchasing 
portals are not efficient. 
We would need a whole 
department just to respond 
to tenders. Let's just have one 
template that we can complete 
and upload to any tender." 
SOUTH EAST SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
4 The remainder of public procurement is 
from the NHS, Housing Authorities, and 
other public sector bodies.
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 Contracts Finder being better used by the public sector,5 more user oriented, and 
better known among the scaleup business population. 
 Procurement champions having clear objectives and measurements. They should work 
to a defined job description, with clear expectations and recognised outputs and be 
more visible in localities and sectors. 
 OEMs and Tier 1 companies working with Government being further encouraged to 
work with scaleups in their supply chain. Productivity will be improved if interactions 
within supply chains can be enhanced and made more efficient.
 More 'meet the buyer' events being conducted with scaleup firms and Government 
departments, working closely with the emerging local scaleup programmes to make 
these more targeted. Lessons should be taken from endorsed programmes, such as 
SVC2UK, on how to conduct these to good effect.
 Qualifying thresholds should not be unnecessarily high as this can create significant 
hurdles for scaling firms.
 More timely advertising of procurement contracts.
 Informal notifications about upcoming tenders, in order to give scaleups time to 
prepare.
 Breaking larger opportunities into smaller packages, to enable scaleups to compete for a 
wider range of contracts where they would otherwise face capacity constraints. 
The role of supply chains in scaling up 
Some large infrastructure projects, such as Hinkley Point, are already well engaged in 
promoting local supply chain opportunities and have created a very effective hub and 
engagement model to work with scaling businesses on the huge opportunities they present. 
There is an opportunity for others to learn from this which we will be exploring further in 
2019. Larger corporates have a key role to play in their supply chain in identifying scaling 
businesses and working with them as regards their talent, leadership and finance needs. 
Sharing in Growth, outlined in Chapter 2, remains delivering this in the manufacturing space 
and we are watching with interest the Productivity through People initiatives to monitor 
their effect on scaling businesses. 
Requiring large corporates who are competing for Government contracts to do more 
through their supply chain, including contract and payment terms will help to shift corporate 
culture and lead to a breakdown in barriers to growing firms. Celebrating those that do this 
well is also to be encouraged.
Providing new opportunities to innovate
In this year's review we feature the FCA Sandbox as one to watch as it is a concept with 
significant value for boosting and facilitating innovation and growth. The FCA Sandbox 
provides an environment for firms to test innovative products, services and business models 
with delivery mechanisms in the real market with real consumers. The scheme is showing real 
signs of success with 90% in Cohort 1 progressing towards a wide market launch and many 
attracting investment to enable their scaling up. Sandboxes help scaleups experiment within 
a realistic environment without penalty, but they also help 'regulators' learn how they adapt. 
In New South Wales (Australia) there is now an open approach to sandbox environments 
allowing companies to apply to test ideas relating to any of the State's regulations. Last year 
we encouraged the UK to seek to emulate these models across departments and sectors 
such as health and education. It is therefore pleasing to see the 10m now being deployed 
to regulatory sandboxes through the 'Regulators' Pioneer Fund'. We will be monitoring 
outcomes of this programme closely. It is also important to continue to open up APIs to 
allow for private sector innovation in this area. 
"Large companies are generally 
a real challenge unless you 
have a very decent and 
practical senior sponsor."
LONDON SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"If corporates want to support 
the ecosystem, then lip service 
about innovation units isn't 
enough. The board should have 
a KPI of money spent with 
scaleups. To get deals done 
takes superhuman powers, 
even when a large enterprise 
truly wants to buy your 
product."
LONDON SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"Have more, smaller 
procurements than fewer, 
larger, procurements."
SCOTTISH SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
5  Work by the Spend Network suggests 
that Contracts Finder is not being 
properly used. So we also need more 
emphasis on public bodies using this as 
they should.
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Innovate UK's role in the scaleup landscape continues to evolve. As exemplified in the 
ScaleUp Index 2018 its investment programme has been a key anchor to over 345 Visible 
Scaleups. Crucial to this impact is also the broader services Innovate UK provides across 
it's Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), the Innovate 
2 Succeed offer, Catapults, Industrial Challenge funds, international collaboration support 
and connections to corporates. In 2018 the ScaleUp Institute has been delighted to work 
with the Innovate UK EEN team on their Scaleup Pilot Programme utilising their concept 
of a 'Scaleup Board' and engaging a team of Scaleup Directors to work intensively with a 
cohort of ambitious innovative scaling firms in breaking down their scaleup challenges. The 
initial results reported on this intensive coordinated intervention are encouraging and we are 
pleased to learn of its expansion in 2019.
In summary
Access to domestic and international markets has significantly moved up in scaleup leaders 
issues and challenges placing it alongside talent as the most significant barrier to further 
growth. The research that the ScaleUp Institute has undertaken shows an insufficient range 
of of solutions at local level to address scaleup 'access to markets' demands. The private and 
public sector need to intensify their focus and services on scaling businesses to make sure 
they can achieve their fullest potential both at home and abroad and follow through on the 
following recommendations:
 2018 Recommendations
"We are working hard to create 
good relationships with a 
couple of larger corporates but 
the changes that occur within 
them means that it is hard to 
manage their contacts and 
delivery timescales."
SCOTTISH SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"Government spend should 
be prioritised towards UK/
regional and local companies 
 and help develop local and 
regional champions."
SOUTH EAST SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
"Work packages are often 
aimed at larger companies as 
the public sector believes that 
large companies are safer than 
smaller ones."
SCOTTISH SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
6
We recommend that Central Government when implementing 
its Export Strategy allocates a significant portion of resources to 
scaleups, including dedicated trade missions for scaleups. All local 
areas should be encouraged to set up a local exchange programme 
for scaling businesses, such as that developed by the Mayoral 'Go to 
Grow' campaign in London.
7
We recommend that Public bodies use the inaugural Visible Scaleup 
Public Procurement Index to further improve their understanding 
and reporting on the procurement from UK scaleups, including 
scaling businesses not yet visible at Companies House. 
All public bodies should improve the way opportunities are 
promoted to scaleup companies by significantly raising awareness 
of procurement champions and ensuring their roles have objectives 
and measurements. The Government should increase the promotion 
and continue the evolution of Contracts Finder to become a smart 
platform and the development of 'meet the buyer' events and more 
sandbox environments.
8
Large companies should report on the level of collaboration 
and procurement they source from scaleup companies. Any 
procurement contracts with Government should require an increase 
in the amount of business undertaken with scaleups as part of the 
contracting process and provide an annual update.
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Based on visible scaleups from Companies House data, 
excluding charitable and third sector scaleups and listed 
companies. Data analysed by Tussell, based on the period 
July 2017-June 2018.
Scaleup Public Procurement
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE THE MAIN BUYERS FROM SCALEUPS
By value, 2.1% of public sector contracts 
were won by visible scaleups, worth 1.5bn
An additional 4.6bn was awarded to scaleups  
in framework value
Other
15%
(218)
NHS
10%
(137)
Local Govt
49%
(688)
HA
6%
(82)
Central Govt
20%
(290)
Number of Scaleup contracts by buyer type as a proportion (Q3 2017 - Q2 2018)
Other
6%
(93M)
NHS
11%
(170M)
Local Govt
65%
(977M)
HA
8%
(122M)
Central Govt
10%
(149M)
Value of Scaleup contracts by buyer type as a proportion (Q3 2017 - Q2 2018)
HA = Housing Association
0K
10K
20K
30K
40K
Number of suppliers
0K
10K
20K
30K
40K
Number of contracts
Scaleups
SMEs
Not SMEs
15,893
8,716
397
34,082
35,160
1,415
Public sector suppliers and contracts Q3 2017 - Q2 2018
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The top 3 buyers from visible scaleups:
Scaleups won the most contracts in the construction 
sector, followed by Health & Social Services and 
Business & Finance Services
AWM based in Leeds was the top visible scaleup by 
award value, winning awards worth 165m
By number of scaleups awarded contracts
1
Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation 
2 South East Shared Services
3 Staffordshire County Council
1
Cabinet Office/Crown  
Commercial Services
2 Business Services Organisation
3 Home Office
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
No. of Contracts
Construction
Health & Social Services
Business & Finance Services
IT & Telecoms
Equipment (Furniture, O ce, Computers)
Transport
Education and Training
Environmental Services
Repair and Maintenance Services
Recreational and Cultural Services & Equipment
Hotel and Resturant Services
Industrial Equipment & Materials
Energy
Other
259
379
154
212
64
53
36
79
76
14
51
18
16
4
Number of contracts won by scaleups by sector (Q3 2017 - Q2 2018)
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The finance challenge for scaleups in the UK remains, 
particularly at a local level where surveys continue to show 
an ongoing perception that funding is most available in 
London and the South East. Scaleups are keen for a vibrant 
and connected finance market, that is easily accessible in the 
regions in which they operate and suitable to their needs as 
scaleup businesses  including the availability of patient money 
to finance long term growth plans.
While scaleups consistently report the most need for action on talent, access to markets 
and leadership, they also cite access to finance  and notably long-term patient capital  as 
a barrier to their growth. Scaling businesses consistently point to the problems of finding 
long-term investors which is why they have often turned to overseas investors. This requires 
the UK to create 'at scale funds' and deeper and more visible pools of connected capital, 
available through the lifecycle of a business to reach global scale, sustained growth and 
longevity.
Our annual survey reflects that three-quarters (74%) of scaleups surveyed this year are 
currently using a source of external funding, far in excess of SMEs, generally where 36% 
are using external finance. The largest proportions of scaleups are, like their peers, finding 
resources from traditional sources  40% using overdrafts, credit cards or loans, 28% 
through leasing or hire purchase and 25% have received cash injections from family and 
friends or directors. Only 23% received equity from a third party investor and 13% from 
Government funding.
Reservations about the use of equity finance remain, with too few high profile regional case 
studies able to counter: perceptions of complexity; perceived unsuitability; a fear of having 
to "give up control"; or, a simple lack of knowledge.
When it comes to finance, scaleups are not just looking for cash; they want smart, patient 
money which brings knowledge, skills and customer and market connections with it. It 
is clear that financial providers must work more closely with local communities in order 
to provide tailored solutions for scaleups where they are based and that certain sector 
challenges still persist.
Provision of patient capital
We were pleased by the Government's response in both the 2017 and 2018 Budgets to the 
consultation feedback given as regards 'Financing Growth in Innovative Firms' meeting the 
challenges of patient capital. The additional capital injection to the British Business Bank 
and launch in June of British Patient Capital, a newly established 2.5bn investment fund 
incubated in the British Business Bank, is an important step towards enabling long-term 
investment in innovative and scaleup companies across the UK.
Accessing finance
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CHAPTER FOUR
We very much welcome the fact that plans have progressed to include regulatory reforms 
and a commitment from industry leaders such as Aviva, HSBC, L&G, NEST, The People's 
Pension and Tesco Pension Fund, to work with the British Business Bank to explore options 
for pooled investment. This is closely aligned with our own consultation response, bespoke 
research and recommendations of our Annual Review 2017.
The importance of EIS and VCTs is also noted by many scaleups as a cornerstone of 
early stage growth capital and follow on funding. It is important that clarity around these 
incentives  alongside Entrepreneurs' Relief  has been given as part of the 2018 Budget to 
maintain long-term investor confidence about the availability of these instruments in order 
for them to remain a key component of the funding ladder.
Addressing regional disparity
Regional disparities in access to private equity by deal numbers and value persist.
Latest figures from the British Business Bank show that  as in previous years  London 
accounts for a significant proportion of deal activity. The business stage composition of 
equity deals varies by region and devolved administration (see table below) with overall 
activity in Scotland in 2018 increasing compared to 2017.
While proportions of deals between seed, venture and growth stages are broadly similar 
between London and the rest of UK overall, there is larger variation in individual areas. 
Some regions have a higher than average proportion of seed stage deals in 2017 including 
Northern Ireland, Wales, West Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, and the North East. The 
North East and East Midlands have a high proportion of growth stage deals. In the case 
of the East Midlands this is driven by the small number of seed stage deals in the region. 
Scotland has a higher proportion of venture stage deals than the overall UK market, but a 
relatively low proportion of growth stage deals.
Area
Seed
Venture
Growth
London
47%
37%
16%
South East
49%
39%
12%
Scotland
43%
48%
9%
East of England
47%
36%
17%
North West
49%
33%
18%
South West
49%
37%
15%
Wales
51%
38%
11%
West Midlands
51%
37%
12%
Yorkshire and Humberside
52%
33%
14%
North East
50%
15%
35%
Northern Ireland
64%
14%
23%
East Midlands
29%
24%
47%
UK
47%
37%
16%
PROPORTION OF EQUITY DEALS BY BUSINESS STAGE (2017)
Source: British Business Bank analysis of Beauhurst
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The role of the British Business Bank and its partnership with the private finance and 
business community is ever more important if we are to address these regional and capital 
asymmetries.
An important criteria going forward for British Business Bank co-investment will be the 
ability of the private investor co-partners to deploy the funds into scaling businesses in the 
regions and local areas outside London and the South East.
Equally the British Business Bank-led commercial investment programme to support 
developing clusters of business angels outside London, alongside its deployment of a network 
of regional managers, which we endorse, are essential elements to address the regional 
imbalance.
DISTRIBUTION OF EQUITY DEALS BY TYPE OF INVESTOR (2017)
Source: British Business Bank analysis of Beauhurst
0
20
40
60
Percent
London
South East
Scotland
East of England
North West
South West
Wales
West Midlands
Yorkshire and Humberside
North East
Northern Ireland
East Midlands
All equity investors
PE/VC investors
Crowdfunding platform
All equity investors
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CHAPTER FOUR
The Europe effect
Analysis from the British Business Bank shows that significant amounts of regional equity 
funds are backed by EU money, and it is important that money has been identified to fill any 
potential EIB shortfalls here for 2018/2021. This will need ongoing assessment.
Additionally, the joint initiative between the EIB and the European Commission has 
provided vital pools of capital and research collaboration for life science businesses and other 
innovative sectors under the Horizon 2020 and COSME programmes. As matters evolve 
and the UK relationship with the EU is clarified, access for UK innovative businesses should 
be maintained to these schemes, or they must be replicated as part of the UK replacement 
EIB/EIF arrangements through the British Business Bank.
Knowledge and demand
It is not just a question of supply. It is also important to increase the provision of education 
about growth capital so that scaleup leaders are fully aware of all the available options and 
can structure their companies appropriately.
Our most recent research with Beauhurst shows that 16% of visible scaleups use equity. 
This is 687 out of the 4,420 on our Visible Scaleup Index, and continues to show a direct 
correlation between even faster growth and an equity stake. The more equity investment 
a company has received, the more likely its revenue is to be growing at a rate quicker than 
100% a year. It is therefore important to continue our work to encourage other scaling 
businesses to consider equity finance as an option for growth.
As part of our efforts to close this knowledge gap, as announced in our 2017 Annual Review, 
the ScaleUp Institute has been pleased this year to collaborate with the British Business 
Bank, alongside the London Stock Exchange and other important players, to develop the 
Finance Hub which better brings together the knowledge on growth capital across the 
country on a digital platform tailored to scaling businesses.
The establishment of regional relationship managers within the British Business Bank is 
also important to better connect capital between locations and scaling businesses. They 
will play an important role in developing a more comprehensive, connected, and productive 
UK finance ecosystem across geographies to help ensure the ecosystem is connected and 
funding gaps addressed from the seed stages through to public markets.
Funding innovation
Innovate UK's role in the fostering of the UK's most innovative businesses across sector 
and geographies is evidenced again in the 2018 Scaleup Index  it shows Innovate UK has 
played a critical investment role in 345 of the visible scaleups (a 37% increase in the number 
supported from the 2017 Index) to a value of 74m (a 19% increase from 2017)  showing 
the vital role Innovate UK plays with businesses that are scaling up. This role must be 
maintained and built upon.
The sector dynamic
As effective finance solutions are developed, it will be important to consider how these 
can be applied across different sectors. It is notable from our case studies  evidenced in 
Chapter 2  that there is a growing pool of financiers providing investment capital to scaling 
businesses which is encouraging. However, many of these are addressing the needs of the 
tech sector which, while good, also highlights a need to be vigilant on sectors that may be 
under-served by the finance community. This is why it is important that monitor finance 
options for female-led firms  a focus for the British Business Bank  and IP rich businesses.
Across this year the ScaleUp Institute has been working with the social business sector 
and creative sector to assess the challenges of scaling up as relates to them. Both of these 
sectors, alongside Lifesciences, show greater sensitivities to availability and access to scaleup 
finance than others. Later this year we will publish, with Barclays Bank, a report into the 
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challenges faced by 'Social Scaleups' where we will provide further insights for the finance 
ecosystem to act upon. We have also been working across this year with the Creative 
Industry Council Access to Finance Forum, and DCMS, and how we address the issues here 
in relation to investment readiness, and connections to capital, which will be a feature of our 
work in to 2019.
In summary
History tells us there is no single lever to pull to solve the finance challenge but a 
combination of initiatives are necessary.
At a time when the global competitive landscape is shifting, many countries are placing more 
effort and resources into supporting their scaling firms, and looking to tempt those in the UK 
to move overseas and many international investors are scouting here for our scaleup business 
talent. While this creates opportunity for our scaling firms, they want better connected 
capital here and if we wish to maintain our competitive advantage it is imperative that the 
policy initiatives introduced in recent years, or currently being implemented, are ambitious 
and deliver meaningful outcomes. We shall monitor carefully the impact of current and 
recently announced initiatives as they are implemented and work with organisations to 
ensure that funding is targeted towards and reaches scaling businesses. It will be important to 
maintain impetus and we therefore continue to recommend:
 2018 Recommendations
10
Government and industry ensure progress is made closing the finance 
gap for scaleup by continuing the work to implement the Patient 
Capital Review. Growth finance to be included as core curriculum in 
all local scaleup leadership programmes enabling them to seek out and 
secure the most appropriate funding at each stage of their company's 
growth. The status of current EU sources of funding needs to be 
monitored, and replaced as appropriate.
"The British Business Bank's mission is to help drive economic growth by making 
finance markets work better for small and scaling businesses  wherever they 
are in the UK and wherever they are on their business journey  enabling them 
to prosper and grow. Compared to their peers in the USA, the leading scaleup 
environment, a major barrier holding back the continued development of young 
innovative firms is access to longer-term investment. The lack of this patient 
capital slows these firms' growth and ultimately holds back the UK's productivity. 
Following the Patient Capital Review, addressing this gap has been a major focus 
of our activity. To deploy the 2.5bn of new resources for the Bank announced 
at last year's Budget, British Patient Capital has been established to enable 
long-term investment in innovative companies across the UK led by ambitious 
entrepreneurs who want to build successful, world-class businesses. Over 
time, our goal is to develop these markets and encourage private institutional 
investment into this area. 
"Our research also shows that the UK's high-growth scaling businesses suffer from regional imbalances in the supply of early 
stage equity finance, with London and the South East receiving a disproportionate share of equity flows compared to their 
population of high growth businesses. Launched in October 2018, the Regional Angels Programme will deploy 100m of new 
funding to help redress these imbalances and will ensure that more ambitious scaling businesses can access the early stage 
equity finance they need to grow and succeed, wherever they are in the UK"
KEITH MORGAN, CEO, BRITISH BUSINESS BANK
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SHAPING POLICY TO FOSTER UK SCALEUPS: BREAKING DOWN BARRIERS
CHAPTER FOUR
'Place' has been rightly emphasised as one of the five core 
foundations of the Industrial Strategy. Finding the right 
flexible space in which to flourish and grow is a consistent 
concern for scaleups.
Having the 'space to scale' in the localities in which a scaleup already has a presence and 
existing workforce is a fundamental enabler to their growth  or inhibitor if not available. 
Scaling businesses in manufacturing and those in the life science sector are particularly 
sensitive to this opportunity given the 'kit' that also comes with any expansion plans. Not 
having the local ecosystem make a concerted effort to make sure growth is frictionless can 
be an acute hindrance to a company scaling.
This means that ever more local authorities and regions need to know, work with and 
consider their local scaleups making sure they plan for the future to meet the capacity 
demands that scaling businesses will have. Whether this be in flexible leasing structures and 
online tools to showcase available business real estate such as the examples seen in London 
and Bristol; or transport and digital infrastructure; or the homes in which employees will 
need to live. Significantly it is important to factor these issues into the development of Local 
Industrial Strategies, and policies designed to ensure that existing companies can be retained 
within localities as they grow.
In Chapter 2 of this Review we have highlighted the very effective work being performed by 
universities, science parks and hubs in creating not only the space but the environment to 
rapidly grow, so wanted by our scaleup leaders. In particular we have endorsed Alderley Park 
in Cheshire and the Babraham Research Campus in Cambridge for their work and continue 
to endorse the expanding role of the Bristol-based Engine Shed. 
A key attribute that all three bring to the table is not just space but, importantly, the way 
in which they have created a 'scaleup' campus mentality in which ideas can thrive and joint 
solutions to challenges be developed, as well as a pool of peers, mentors, and investors, to 
work with these scaling firms. These hubs are also growing with their scaleup communities 
rather than holding a static place in their companies' growth journey. For example, 
Babraham is investing to build scaleup space having realised the need to cater for businesses 
that have started with them but are scaling fast, and the importance of frictionless access to 
new premises on the same campus. Similarly in Bristol, Engine Shed is building new space as 
well through their ScaleUp Enabler, who identified the lack of suitable accommodation as a 
major challenge for West of England scaleups, and has worked with the local ecosystem to 
source new office space for scaling firms. 
Infrastructure
Space with room to grow and evolving 
scaleup campuses offering a suite of 
scaling services. 
"Universities work pretty 
slowly compared to businesses 
so we always find it frustrating. 
We usually give up and move 
on. They aren't set up to work 
at pace and over the summer 
they all disappear."
NORTH/NORTH EAST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Universities need to advertise 
their facilities and services 
better, maybe all on one 
website."
EAST ANGLIA SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"We would like to have 
access to a university's R&D 
facilities as that would help 
us accelerate our product 
development and technology 
without needing to invest in 
expensive equipment that we 
might only use occasionally."
SCOTTISH SCALEUP BUSINESS 
LEADER
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Financiers are also playing their part in scaleup space with on-the-ground support through 
the repurposing of buildings to create new scaleup space and environments to support their 
growth. Notable in this regard are:
 Barclays Eagles Labs, which we endorse in 2018, now has 18 sites across the UK, 
offering scaling businesses offices and co-working spaces alongside a dedicated scaleup 
leadership programmes and mix of facilities, workshops and relationship experts to help 
scaling businesses grow even further.
 NatWest Entrepreneurial Accelerator has 12 UK hubs, offering development managers 
who work with scaleups to provide expertise and support. This service makes our 'one to 
watch' list in 2018.
 Level39, which is 'one to watch', based in the heart of Canary Wharf's financial 
district, focuses on supporting early-stage businesses and scaleups with a high-quality 
infrastructure, structured access to investors, mentors and business experts as well as 
links to major customers.
 
We are aware that other corporates in the UK are involved in initiatives such as this like BT, 
and will be exploring these further in 2019.
Research and development
Research and Development (R&D) is intrinsically tied to the education agenda, but is also 
strongly linked to the infrastructure available to growing firms. Scaleup leaders have again 
highlighted that they highly value access to R&D and innovation, including Innovate UK, and 
wish to see even more engagement with these opportunities.
Those accessing Challenge Funds should be encouraged to engage with growing and scaleup 
businesses including the opening up of their research facilities and deployment of students to 
projects with scaling businesses. Programmes that are geared towards the commercialisation 
of research are likely to have more impact if the role that fast growing firms have in the area 
of innovation and research is effectively captured. The options for evolving the R&D tax 
credit treatment should also be kept under review including ways in which it could support 
firms in adopting new technologies, driving productivity. As in 2017, we continue to view the 
Government building upon the work of Innovate UK and the Industrial Strategy Challenge 
Funds as important to ensure that research and innovation drives made under it are closely 
connected to scaling businesses  and sectors.
In this regard we are encouraged by the 2018 Budget announcements allocating 25m to 
the Knowledge Transfer Partnership scheme with its intent to place over 200 additional 
graduates and academics with relevant skills into firms to translate their research insights 
into business growth. We will monitor with interest its progress. It is also positive that the 
Government is confirming 115m to extend funding for the Digital Catapult, which has 
centres in the North East, South East and Northern Ireland, and the Medicines Discovery 
Catapult in Cheshire. This builds on the 1bn in long-term funding already committed to the 
broader network of Catapult centres located across the UK.1
As EU transition discussions progress, the continued access to, and/or replication of, 
COSME/Horizon 2020 initiatives will be essential.
In summary
Some good progress has been made with certain infrastructure needs of our scaleup leaders 
being answered. We need to ensure this continues and encourage ecosystem stakeholders 
from across the country to take inspiration from peers so that this hindrance can be 
removed from scaleup leaders' list of growing pains. The continued focus and investment by 
the on local infrastructure will remain key, as will development of local hubs such as those 
exemplified in Cambridge (Babraham Research Campus), Cheshire (Alderley Park), and 
Bristol (Engine Shed).
1 
 Budget 2018  HM Treasury
"Small companies with original 
ideas are concerned about 
going to some universities 
because of IP issues and 
because university funded 
collaboration attract large fees 
for overheads. This makes the 
process expensive and erodes 
the funding for innovation."
NORTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"We work well with universities 
but that is a function of 
personal contact with 
professors and others, rather 
than a more formal process."
EAST ANGLIA SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
"Office space and rents are a 
barrier to our growth. We need 
the commercial landlords to 
move with the times more."
SOUTH WEST SCALEUP 
BUSINESS LEADER
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CHAPTER FOUR
EVIDENCE GAP
We recommend that 'Scaleup status' is officially recognised as a formal business 
classification and that national datasets are made available to allow local and national 
stakeholders to verify the 'scaleup status' of a business. 
If this data were to be released, it would answer the calls from stakeholders in local communities to develop a comprehensive 
picture of their local scaleup businesses. The development of a scaleup 'kite mark' should also be considered. 
2
We recommend that funding for local communities should now be tied to the effective 
deployment of scaleup initiatives that close the scaleup gap, and the results and impacts 
that they have on the number of scaleup businesses in their area. 
PROGRESS KEY
STRONG PROGRESS
PROGRESS
FURTHER PROGRESS NEEDED
SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS NEEDED
TALENT AND SKILLS
3
We recommend that the Department for Education and Local Enterprise Partnerships use 
their convening and promotional power to ensure that students at schools, colleges and 
universities come into contact with the top 50 scaleup business leaders within 20 miles 
of their establishment and that an API to the National Pupils database (with suitable 
protections) is made available so that the impact of these interventions can be measured.
4
We recommend that a 'Scaleup Visa' be made available in communities where there are 
100 + scaleup companies to enable scaleup leaders to recruit staff they need to increase 
their capacity to grow. The Migration Advisory Committee should make the skills needs of 
scaling businesses a priority.
2017 Recommendations: Progress
LEADERSHIP GAP
5
We recommend that all local communities appoint a Scaleup Champion and develop a 
relationship management structure for scaleup businesses. 
6
We recommend that local stakeholders signpost effective mentorship programmes and 
matchmaking programmes between peers and non-executive directors who have scaled 
businesses before. 
Local and national educational institutions should prioritise the introduction of high-quality flexible courses designed to help 
scaleup leadership teams with their development needs. Better connections should also continue to be made between national 
programmes and local ecosystem leaders to encourage scaling business leaders to apply to courses with known impact. The 
Small Business Charter, and other such mechanisms, should integrate an assessment of 'scaleup engagement' into their 
performance analysis.
1
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ACCESS TO MARKETS
7
We recommend that Public bodies review and report on the procurement procedures  
for scaleups and improve the way opportunities are promoted to scaleup companies so  
that we see an increase in the extent to which Government procures from scaleups. 
This could also be achieved by significantly raising awareness of scaleup procurement champions. This should include the 
evolution of Contracts Finder to become a smart platform and depository of supplier opportunities from large companies 
that have contracts with Government; the development of 'meet the buyer' events and the development of more sandbox 
environments.  
Any Government agencies that interact frequently with scaleups should introduce fast-track procedures for scaleups  
and report on these.
8
Large companies should report on the level of collaboration and procurement they source 
from scaleup companies. Any procurement contracts with Government should require an 
increase in the amount of business undertaken with scaleups as part of the contracting 
process and provide an annual update. 
9
We recommend that central Government should align a significant portion of its export 
activities and resources towards scaleups and create bespoke trade missions for scaleups.  
All local areas should be encouraged to set up a local exchange programme for scaling businesses, such as that developed by the 
Mayoral 'GotoGrow' campaign in London.
FINANCE GAP
10
Government and industry ensure progress is made closing the finance gap.  Growth finance 
to be included as core curriculum in all local scaleup leadership courses. 
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Chapter Five
Looking forward
230
CHAPTER FIVE
LOOKING FORWORD
We have come a long way together since 2014 when we first 
took stock of the barriers that prevented companies from 
scaling further and faster  and what could be done to break 
them down. Much has been achieved since then, but much also 
remains to be done.
Our 2016 Review reported upon how local and national players were establishing a more 
focused ecosystem for scaling companies. Across 2017, through research, data and 
education, we developed the route map for local ecosystems to come together to address 
their scaleup barriers and we brought a scaleup lens to the national policy agenda.
In 2018 more local communities have moved forward with valuable practical initiatives after 
participating in the ScaleUp Institute's education programme Driving Economic Growth 
through ScaleUp Ecosystems. Further progress has also been made within the private, 
public and educational sectors, giving us new exemplar programmes which we can endorse. 
The UK Government has further embedded scaleups into its Industrial Strategy; Export 
Strategy; the Patient Capital Review; and, in the Chancellor's November Budget. The cross-
governmental role of Ministerial Champion for Scaleups has been maintained.
We need to continue at pace if we are to realise our ambition to move the UK to the top of 
the OECD ranks in growing a business, with the hundreds of thousands of jobs, billions in 
economic value and prosperity that would bring.
Overall, scaleup density has been improving, but the national picture masks the significant 
local diversity and drivers of scaling up. This reinforces the need for targeted local action. 
A large proportion of scaleup leaders are concerned about whether the UK will continue to 
be a good place to grow a business and do not believe they are as well served as businesses 
that are not growing as fast. We must continue to work very hard at how we coordinate and 
collaborate in order to address their concerns. Only by doing so will we close the scaleup and 
productivity gaps.
The ScaleUp Institute will maintain momentum with an ongoing programme of analysis, 
research, education, and local engagement. Our Committees will continue to evaluate the 
evidence provided through case studies, with a particular emphasis on local and regional 
programmes, and we will continue to recommend policy actions for Local and Central 
Government and the private sector to address the barriers faced by scaling business leaders.
Making the UK the best place 
to scale a business
Our number one priority remains the acceleration of the harnessing of existing Government 
data sources to identify scaling businesses. If this can be completed at pace, we will unlock 
and dramatically enhance intra-governmental, local and private sector engagement with 
our fastest growing firms. We view this as vital outcomes from the Scaleup Taskforce and 
Industrial Strategy.
The three P's  People, Place and Productivity  remain crucial, as is the coordination 
and curation of services at local level. Scaleup business leaders most value locally-rooted 
resources and services to foster their growth. We will keep the emphasis on local actions 
because that is where real value lies for scaleups and where they most want action to 
occur. Yet our new research this year has shown that the provision of scaleup support is 
variable across the country. We will report once more on progress in November 2019 and 
developments as they unfold throughout the year.
We have also seen how innovation, investment and internationalism are integral to scaleup 
success. This makes them of even greater importance now. We must ensure that the 
scaleup gap, which existed before the UK referendum on EU membership, closes rather 
than opens wider.
We pledge ourselves again to the vision of making the UK the best place in the world for 
a leader to choose to scale their business. We encourage you to join us in making this 
ambition a reality.
1 The Driving Economic 
Growth Through Scaleup 
Ecosystems Course is 
supported by Goldman 
Sachs 10,000 Small 
Businesses UK, Innovate 
UK and, in 2018, the 
British Business Bank.
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Annex 1
Local area summaries
BLACK COUNTRY
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE THAMES VALLEY
CHESHIRE & WARRINGTON
COAST TO CAPITAL
CORNWALL & THE ISLES OF SCILLY
COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE
CUMBRIA
DERBY, DERBYSHIRE, NOTTINGHAM,  
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE (D2N2)
DORSET
ENTERPRISE M3
GLOUCESTERSHIRE
GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL
GREATER CAMBRIDGE & PETERBOROUGH
GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE
GREATER MANCHESTER
HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST
HERTFORDSHIRE
HUMBER
LANCASHIRE
LEEDS CITY REGION
LEICESTER & LEICESTERSHIRE
LIVERPOOL CITY REGION
LONDON
NEW ANGLIA
NORTH EAST
OXFORDSHIRE
SHEFFIELD CITY REGION
SOLENT
SOUTH EAST
SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS
STOKE-ON-TRENT & STAFFORDSHIRE
SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE
TEES VALLEY
THAMES VALLEY BERKSHIRE
THE MARCHES
WEST OF ENGLAND
WORCESTERSHIRE
YORK, NORTH YORKSHIRE AND EAST 
RIDING
SCOTLAND
WALES
NORTHERN IRELAND
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
WILLIAM GIBBONS 
William Gibbons operates a printing 
company, which produces a variety of 
magazines, catalogues and mail items. 
SELECT HEALTHCARE GROUP 
Select Healthcare Group operates a group 
of care homes. 
ASH & LACY 
Ash & Lacy provide a range of roof 
and building systems such asrainscreen 
cladding and steel frame systems.  
MECHATHERM 
Mechatherm designs and manufactures 
equipment for the aluminium industry, 
such as casting furnaces and scrap charging 
machines for recycling.  
JHOOTS PHARMACY 
Jhoots Pharmacy operates a network of 
pharmacies also offering personal health 
care services such as smoking cessation. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
CHARTER COURT 
Charter Court provides retail  
banking services.
WILCOX 
Wilcox operates two companies, Jmp 
Wilcox & Co and Wilcox Industrial  
Supply Co, that recycle textiles donated 
by charities into wiping cloths for use  
in industry. 
MECHATHERM 
Mechatherm designs and manufactures 
equipment for the aluminium industry, 
such as casting furnaces and scrap 
charging machines for recycling.  
SELECT HEALTHCARE GROUP 
Select Healthcare Group operates a group 
of care homes. 
DAVRO STEEL 
Davro Steel supplies a large range of steel 
products such as galvanised steel.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
BLACK COUNTRY LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
AAdvice, Investment and Market Development (AIM) 
for the Black Country works in partnership with the 
area's Growth Hub, local authorities, the Chamber of 
Commerce and the University of Wolverhampton to 
deliver a programme that offers scaling businesses a 
coordinated approach to a range of services.  
Business Navigators work with scaleups to agree a 
bespoke 12-month programme of one-to-one support 
and events designed to break down barriers to growth. 
Scaleup leaders can take advantage of two peer-to-peer 
networks: The Platinum Group and the West Midlands 
Manufacturing Club. 
Boosting leadership skills and management teams' 
capabilities, the Black Country Chamber Strategic 
Leadership Programme is delivered by a facilitator with 
significant experience with both manufacturing and 
service sectors. Delegates graduate from the programme 
with a toolkit of practical techniques and knowledge. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The Black Country Growth Hub continues to work closely with 
neighbouring hubs and the Midlands Engine to devise new activity for businesses with the potential to 
scale.  There are plans to establish a business angels network, a programme of  
pre-investment support and a mentoring scheme in partnership with Be The Business. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
Access to talent is a key barrier to growth, 
but also vital are access to UK markets 
and to infrastructure. They are looking for 
support from Innovate UK, and then from 
a range of providers, including DIT, peer 
to peer networks, public sector funding 
for R&D and local universities and 
business schools. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Innovate UK 
  DIT (Department of International 
Trade) 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
490
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
165
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
6.6bn
57,764
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
420
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
95
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
INFRASTRUCTURE
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
234
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
PHD   
PHD provides bespoke scaffolding 
building services.
iPRO   
iPRO provides bespoke engineering services 
to businesses for developing manufacturing 
tools, machines and systems. 
LCVR   
LCVR supplies cars and vans to vehicle 
leasing businesses.
SIMPLY WASTE SOLUTIONS  Simply 
Waste Solutions provides bin collection 
services for waste and recycling, alongside 
specialist waste management services such 
as confidential or hazardous waste.  
BIG EASY RESTAURANTS   
Big Easy Restaurants operates a chain  
of restaurants. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
GREENTECH DISTRIBUTION   
GreenTech Distribution recycles old 
mobile devices by refurbishing them and 
wiping their data and then selling them 
onto clients. 
BIG EASY RESTAURANTS   
Big Easy Restaurants operates a chain  
of restaurants. 
PHD   
PHD provides bespoke scaffolding 
building services. 
PHOENIX DATACOM   
Phoenix Datacom provides businesses with 
network and data management services.  
COMLAND   
Comland operates a property 
development company. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Buckinghamshire Thames Valley has a range of 
services for scaleups focused on overcoming barriers 
such as leadership skills, access to new markets, 
finance and infrastructure. Peer-to-peer networking 
is a major aspect of these programmes with a new 
programme called MD Ngage being rolled out which 
allows business leaders to discuss and share issues of 
business interest. 
A team of advisers provide one-to-one general and 
specialist business advice, including in-depth advice on 
inward investment, developing action plans, investment 
readiness and signposting to relevant provision. The 
LEP is also championing simplified cooperation 
with universities and workspaces for incubation and 
collaboration  and the Growth Hub is embedded into 
each of these activities.  
Sector skills groups have also been set up through a 
collaboration between BTVLEP, The Skills Hub and  
The Buckinghamshire Business First Growth Hub  
with work focussing mainly on skills in the workplace 
and apprenticeships.  
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE THAMES VALLEY LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Plans are underway to build on current work making it more sectorally 
focussed and to introduce mentoring for the county's scaleup organisations where need is identified. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier is access to talent, 
followed by access to markets and 
infrastructure. They are looking for 
support from peer to peer networks, 
Innovate UK and professional services.
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Innovate UK 
  Local professional services 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
335
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
120
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
8.4bn
28,088
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
275
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
60
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
235
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TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
PROXIMO   
Proximo provides a range of outsourcing 
services to companies operating in the 
insurance sector, including third party 
claims handling, and the management of 
incident responses.  
COUNTY MILK PRODUCTS   
County Milk Products supplies dairy 
products and animal feed.  
LAKER VENT ENGINEERING   
Laker Vent Engineering manufactures 
welding and mechanical components such as 
pipe racks and pipe work construction.
CREST MEDICAL   
Crest Medical supplies first aid and 
pharmaceutical products such as plasters, 
bandages and burn gels to both retail and 
commercial clients.  
KINAXIA   
Kinaxia runs a group of haulage and 
warehousing companies in the UK. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LAKER VENT ENGINEERING   
Laker Vent Engineering manufactures 
welding and mechanical components such as 
pipe racks and pipe work construction.
WILLIAMS TARR   
Williams Tarr provides construction 
services for a range of industries such as 
pharmaceutical, retail and commercial. 
MYPROTEIN   
Myprotein retails sports supplements and 
nutrition products such as protein shake 
powders, weight loss tablets etc. 
GLADMAN   
Gladman operates a property development 
business specialising in retirement homes, 
offices and industrial spaces.  
KINAXIA   
Kinaxia runs a group of haulage and 
warehousing companies in the UK.   
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
CHESHIRE AND WARRINGTON LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Cheshire and Warrington LEP has a 'Scale Up 
Programme' providing targeted services, developing 
partnerships, and establishing a peer-to-peer mentoring 
scheme.
The LEP is using a series of digital data sources and social 
media platforms to identify the scaleup businesses in the 
area as well as recognise trends in their growth when they 
would benefit from information on the provision available.
Growth experts are available to give advice, they are 
generalists with experience in business, including 
managing and running their own scaleups. The next step 
is to further gear up the resourcing to create a broader 
dedicated Scaleup Service with specialist scaleup advisers.
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP is current considering the next stage of development 
including options for reactive and proactively seeking out businesses looking to grow.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to talent, 
access to markets and infrastructure. 
They are looking for a range of support 
from local and regional government, 
banks, and Growth Hubs and are more 
likely to mention wanting support with 
procurement contracts and from large 
corporates 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS, Growth Hubs, city councils 
  Banks and other financial suppliers 
  Growth Hubs 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
565
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
225
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
18.5bn
65,077
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
480
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
140
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
INFRASTRUCTURE
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
236
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
COACHHOLIDAYS.COM   
Coachholidays.com operates a coach 
holiday booking website. 
ILG   
ILG provides a wide range of logistics, 
warehousing and procurement services.  
KEW ELECTRICAL   
Kew Electrical operates an electrical 
components wholesale company.
BROOKCOURT SOLUTIONS   
Brookcourt Solutions provides IT 
consultancy services specialising in 
securing and integrating business networks 
and technologies.
IDE GROUP   
IDE Group (formerly CORETX), provides 
a range of services related to a business' 
IT infrastructure.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
AMSYS   
Amsys provides IT support, repairs and 
consultancy services and operates as an 
authorised Apple service provider.  
COLLINS CONSTRUCTION   
Collins Construction provides 
refurbishment and interior fit out services. 
IDE GROUP   
IDE Group (formerly CORETX), provides 
a range of services related to a business' 
IT infrastructure.  
CHERRYFIELD   
Cherryfield operates a pork cutting plant. 
Chapman Freeborn  Chapman Freeborn 
offers a range of air charter services such 
asprivate jet and air cargo charter.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
The LEP aims to support and sustain the growth of 
up to 100 scaleup businesses every year through the 
Coast to Capital Escalator Programme. This initiative 
currently being piloted offers dedicated support 
for scaleup business owners on a six-month growth 
programme that concentrates on barriers to growth. 
Cohorts meet monthly for sessions relating to the 
specific barriers they have identified as holding them 
back. At the end of the programme they are allocated 
a dedicated Account Manager to support their long-
term sustainable growth and invited to join an exclusive 
alumni programme. 
Growing businesses can receive a day of specialist 
support from an expert in the relevant field from the 
Growth Champion Network funded by the Coast to 
Capital Growth Hub to overcome a specific barrier to 
their growth. 
COAST TO CAPITAL LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: After the pilot, the LEP is aiming to make the Escalator programme 
part of the ongoing support provided by the Coast to Capital Growth Hub. Success stories will be 
promoted across multiple channels to demonstrate the impact of the programme and raise the ambitions 
of the area's businesses. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
Access to talent is a key barrier to growth, 
followed by access to markets and 
infrastructure. Their key support is peer to 
peer networks, followed by Innovate UK 
and the banks or other financial suppliers. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Innovate UK 
  Banks and other financial suppliers 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
1005
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
410
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
22.3bn
93,584
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
820
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
225
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
INFRASTRUCTURE
237
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
GOONVEAN   
Goonvean acts as a holding company for 
a range of businesses, including a clay 
manufacturer, a producer of PAT test labels, 
and a producer of wristbands.  
SEASALT   
Seasalt designs and manufactures clothing that 
it sells in its stores. 
FRED CHAMPION   
Fred Champion operates a groundworks 
contracting business.  
WESTCOUNTRY  
WestCountry trades and supplies fresh produces 
to both private and public sector customers.  
MJL CONTRACTORS  
MJL Contractors provides groundworks services 
to the construction industry.
  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
GOONVEAN   
Goonvean acts as a holding company for 
a range of businesses, including a clay 
manufacturer, a producer of PAT test labels, 
and a producer of wristbands.  
AUDIOTONIX   
Audiotonix (formerly named Allen & Heath) 
designs and manufactures audio mixing devices for 
live-sound events, such as concerts and theatres. 
Following the acquisition of Calrec and DiGiCo, 
Allen & Heath was renamed after the new 
enterprise Audiotonix. 
SEASALT   
Seasalt designs and manufactures clothing that 
it sells in its stores. 
WESTCOUNTRY  
WestCountry trades and supplies fresh produces to 
both private and public sector customers.  
TEAGLE  
Teagle manufactures and sells agricultural 
machinery.  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
CORNWALL AND ISLES OF SCILLY (CIOS) 
LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The LEP has worked closely with the CIOS 
Growth and Skills Hubs to develop a stronger 
focus on support for scaleup and high-growth 
businesses. The Growth Hub now offers a 
tiered approach to help target businesses with 
high growth aspirations as well as link partner 
business support programmes to high growth/
scaleup businesses. 
The CIOS Skills Hub can also work with them 
to help develop the workforce. The CIOS 
Growth Hub developed a highly successful 
'Growth Fest' in late 2018 which bought 
together 350 businesses, partners and 
stakeholders in a day to focus on growth. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP is planning to build on its scaleup focus through: Championing 
success stories  managing and building CIOS-specific Scaleup Communications, Linking and working with national 
growth programmes as well as external programmes such as Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, Innovate UK , 
Developing a programme of strong peer-to-peer networking for scaleup businesses
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to markets, 
access to talent and infrastructure. They 
are looking for support through peer to 
peer networks and public sector funding 
for R&D and to a lesser extent through 
local universities and Growth Hubs.  
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
 Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
 Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
310
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
120
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
1.2bn
14,767
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
235
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
45
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
INFRASTRUCTURE
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
238
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
STAIRCRAFT   
Staircraft is a produces bespoke wooden 
staircases for house building companies. They 
also provide wooden floors and decking.
EXASOFT 
Exasoft develops software products and 
offers consultancy services for the financial 
services sector. 
MILLBOARD 
Millboard produces and sells a range of 
wood-impression outdoor flooring. 
SOLID SOLUTIONS MANAGEMENT 
Solid Solutions Management sells 3D 
design software and provides ongoing 
training, integration and support services 
for these products.
MCS GROUP 
mcs Group carries out construction 
projects including extensions, fit-outs, 
refurbishments, and new builds.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
MATRIX  
Matrix manufactures various machinery 
parts for thread making factories.
STAIRCRAFT 
 
Staircraft is a produces bespoke wooden 
staircases for house building companies. They 
also provide wooden floors and decking.
EXASOFT 
 
Exasoft develops software products and 
offers consultancy services for the financial 
services sector. 
ALUMET  
Alumet designs, manufactures and installs 
a variety of products for the construction 
industry that envelope buildings in either 
glass curtain walling, aluminium windows  
or cladding.
BATHEMPIRE 
 
BathEmpire is an online retailer of 
bathroom suites.
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Coventry and Warwickshire uses data on turnover and 
number of employees to identify scaling businesses.
Account managers, who have focused on scaleups since 
2014, are responsible for strategically coordinating 
district plans working as a whole team to ensure a 
joined-up approach.
The LEP has a well-developed system of peer-to-peer 
networks including a network of experienced business 
mentors and leadership programmes. It has established 
a Scaleup Academy which focuses on two key points 
in the business cycle  the phase of initial growth and 
when a natural growth spurt takes place or is needed. 
The CW Connect Portal enables local scaleups to 
develop businesses opportunities and highlight the 
structures and qualifications they need to compete for 
such opportunities. 
An annual fortnight-long Business Festival with a wide-
ranging programme of events hosted by organisations 
from across the region, brings businesses together 
to encourage collaboration, networking, learning and 
sharing opportunities. 
COVENTRY AND WARWICKSHIRE LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: CWLEP's next focus is on skills and infrastructure. The LEP is 
looking carefully at investment in infrastructure to help retain the area's strength in digital.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to talent and access to UK markets. 
Their key support is local, through peer 
to peer networks and local universities 
and business schools, but also from the 
Business Bank. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to tax breaks 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  British Business Bank
 Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities  
and R&D
 Peer to peer networks
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
490
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
185
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
12.1bn
120,606
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
400
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
95
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
Data provided by ONS
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
239
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
STORY CONTRACTING   
Story Contracting offers construction and 
civil engineering services, specialising in 
transport infrastructure projects. 
TOP NOTCH CONTRACTORS  
Top Notch Contractors provides 
development, construction and land 
management services. 
LAKELAND LAND ROVER  
Lakeland Land Rover sells new and used 
Land Rover vehicles, parts and accessories 
and offers automotive servicing. 
POINT ON TRACKWORK   
Point on Trackwork provide railway 
maintenance services.  
THE SWAN HOTEL  
The Swan Hotel operates a luxury hotel 
and restaurant.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
THE SWAN HOTEL   
The Swan Hotel operates a luxury hotel 
and restaurant.  
LECK CONSTRUCTION   
Leck Construction provides a range 
of property development services, 
constructing across the residential, 
industrial and commercial industries. 
STORY CONTRACTING   
Story Contracting offers construction and 
civil engineering services, specialising in 
transport infrastructure projects. 
POINT ON TRACKWORK    
Point on Trackwork provide railway 
maintenance services.  
IMPACT INTERNATIONAL   
Impact International provides  
leadership and management training  
to organisations. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Cumbria is developing a programme for scaleups based 
on leadership development, investment, trade and 
export awareness. The LEP has been using existing data 
as a first step to discover suitable scaleup companies 
to target.
A significant part of this is to work with large 
corporations based in Cumbria to develop local supply 
chain knowledge, overcoming barriers to accessing new 
customers and markets at a local level, for scaleups.
Existing networks are being used as a knowledge 
transfer network and scaleups are invited to participate 
in this.
CUMBRIA LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are 
access to talent and infrastructure, 
alongside UK markets and the right 
bank finance.  They are looking for 
support from LEPs and Growth Hubs, 
alongside peer to peer networks. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can hire who 
can do the jobs you have available 
Access to markets and customers in 
the UK 
Access to infrastructure/premises and 
broadband
Access to the right bank finance for the 
business (including debt finance, bank 
loans, credit cards, overdrafts) 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Growth Hubs 
  LEPs (Local Enterprise 
Partnerships) 
  Peer to peer networks 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
230
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
85
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
0.9bn
10,890
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
170
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
25
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
INFRASTRUCTURE
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
240
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
COOKE & MASON   
Cooke & Mason is an insurance and risk 
management firm. 
ONCIMMUNE   
Oncimmune has developed an early cancer 
detection technology, EarlyCDT, which uses 
autoantibody assays to detect cancer via a 
simple blood test.  
SDL GROUP   
SDL Group provides a range of services to 
property portfolio owners, buyers or sellers 
including surveying, valuations, letting, and 
mortgage broking. 
BARROWCLIFFES   
Barrowcliffes supplies and distributes fresh 
and processed produce to supermarkets and 
other retailers.  
BRADBURYS CHEESE   
Bradburys Cheese imports and exports a wide 
variety of cheeses which it sources from food 
producers and supplies to retailers. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
STRAWSONS PROPERTY   
Strawsons Property operates a property 
development and investment business. 
COOKE & MASON   
Cooke & Mason is an insurance and risk 
management firm. 
SDL GROUP   
SDL Group provides a range of services to 
property portfolio owners, buyers or sellers 
including surveying, valuations, letting, and 
mortgage broking. 
CWC GROUP   
CWC Group operates a property development 
company. 
THE KENT GROUP   
The Kent Group offers electrical, mechanical 
and civil engineering services specialising in the 
rail industry 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
DERBY, DERBYSHIRE, NOTTINGHAM AND 
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
D2N2 has launched a new ScaleUp Service, 
providing a co-ordinated support programme 
tailored to the specific needs and scale 
up requirements of selected participant 
businesses.  Companies invited to participate 
in the programme are offered a critical review 
of individual challenges and opportunities. 
Scaleup Advisers signpost companies to 
high-quality coaching as well as leadership and 
management development programmes and 
workshops focusing on access to markets, talent 
and finance, sales and marketing.  In addition, 
scaleups can join an an executive peer-to-peer 
network to share learnings.   
The Growth Hub is working with Nottingham 
Business School, Nottingham Trent University, 
The Centre for Management & Business 
Development Centre, The East Midlands 
Chamber and the Professional Coaching 
Alliance (PCA) to deliver the programme.  
It is aiming to create an active and dynamic 
support community that will help develop both 
the individual businesses and, collectively, the 
interaction and profile of those businesses. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth is access to 
UK markets, followed by leadership 
development and access to talent. They 
would find a range of support valuable, 
all of it local  from the LEP, local 
universities, local leadership programmes 
and also peer to peer networks. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships) 
  Local leadership development 
programmes Local universities and 
business schools e.g. access to their 
talent, facilities and R&D 
  Peer to peer networks  
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
990
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
365
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
9.0bn
80,961
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
835
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
210
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
241
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TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
MCCARTHY & STONE   
McCarthy & Stone operates a property 
construction company, specialising in new build 
residential developments which are used as 
retirement homes. 
LUSH   
Lush develops a range of natural bath and  
body products.  
4COM   
4Com provides telecommunication services 
for businesses such as mobile and fixed line 
provision, internet hosting and phone-related 
software such as call recording technology.  
WYATT HOMES   
Wyatt Homes operates an upmarket  
property developer.  
AGINCARE   
Agincare operates a number of care homes 
throughout the UK and also provides live-in 
care services for the elderly or those with 
physical or learning disabilities. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
HOLTON HOMES   
Holton Homes operates a property 
development company that specialises in 
building houses for first time buyers. 
C. SMART AGRICULTURAL SERVICES   
C. Smart Agricultural Services sells new and 
used agriculturalmachinery such as balers and 
combine harvesters.  
BOURNE GROUP   
Bourne Group design and construct car parks 
and steelwork structures.  
OSPREY   
Osprey manufactures and sells a variety of 
backpacks which are designed for outdoor 
activities, travel and sports. 
WYATT HOMES   
Wyatt Homes operates an upmarket  
property developer.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Businesses in Dorset can now access high-
level business support free of charge via the 
Dorset Gateway service from Dorset LEP. 
The Gateway is a new central repository 
of information, advice and support for 
businesses within the county, providing 
them with a business support service and 
signposting to the most appropriate local 
or national commercial or public funded 
assistance available to help them grow. 
Drawing on the research undertaken with 
three other West Country-based LEPs to 
identify businesses with the potential to 
scale up, the LEP is now focusing on these 
businesses for its bid writing support service. 
The fully-funded service gives successful 
businesses the option of accessing either up 
to 40 hours of support to write a funding 
application or a comprehensive application 
checking service.
DORSET LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Future plans will be posted through the business support pages of the 
LEP's website: http://dorsetlep.co.uk/business-support/ 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to markets, 
access to talent and infrastructure. They 
are looking for support through peer to 
peer networks and public sector funding 
for R&D and to a lesser extent through 
local universities and Growth Hubs 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
365
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
135
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
2.9bn
25,419
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
280
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
50
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
242
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
MONEY EXPERT   
Money Expert runs a comparison website for 
financial products such as credit cards, car 
insurance and current accounts.  
REASSURED   
Reassured operates a comparison website on which 
consumers can compare a variety of life insurance 
policies from a range of both major and smaller 
insurance providers. 
STATE OIL   
State Oil operates eleven fuel service stations 
throughout the UK which provide fuel, 
convenience retail and fast food services. Under 
the brand Prax Petroleum they also import and 
supply automotive and industrial fuels to both the 
wholesale and retail sectors.
CENNOX   
Cennox has developed and manufactures devices 
for the ATM (cash machines) sector, including 
a security device that combats skimmingfrom 
payment terminals. 
3V 
3V manufactures food and drinks that specialise in the 
use of natural, organic and free-from ingredients.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LYMINGTON PRECISION ENGINEERS   
Lymington Precision Engineers manufactures 
machine components, fabrications, assemblies and 
kit sets for the oil and gas, telecommunications, 
aerospace and defence, land and sea systems, 
nuclear and marine industries. 
HAMBLEDON VINEYARD   
Hambledon Vineyard produces sparkling wine. 
NURTURE LANDSCAPES   
Nurture Landscapes provides gardening and 
landscaping services.
REASSURED   
Reassured operates a comparison website on which 
consumers can compare a variety of life insurance 
policies from a range of both major and smaller 
insurance providers. 
HWM ASTON MARTIN   
HWM Aston Martin operates a car dealership 
which sells new andused Aston Martins and 
services customers' vehicles. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
ENTERPRISE M3 LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Enterprise M3 is now using its strong 
evidence base to reach identified scaleups. 
To enhance its scaleup activity the Growth 
Hub is partnering with local authorities to 
target the top scaleups and book them into 
joint meetings, introducing them to scaleup 
support in the region. 
This activity will feed into a blended learning 
programme being piloted with two councils 
focusing on skills and recruitment.  The 
programme will include webinars and events 
on employer branding, recruiting and 
retaining staff. 
Current business support mapping is being 
extended with the launch of an online 
community in October and a live discussion 
forum. The Growth Hub has launched a 
targeted email marketing campaign aimed 
at companies with more than five employees 
and with scaleup potential to enhance its 
engagement. Sector specialists are being 
used to reinforce signposting with scaleups 
utilising our sector specialists to reinforce 
the message. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Future plans include launching the 5G Scaleup Programme through the 
Growth Hub and working alongside other scaleup programme offers to enable high growth companies to scale 
faster by offering a blend of business and technology support services. The Growth Hub is also looking at regular 
podcast/youtube videos with lead industry figures on scaleup issues.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth is access 
to talent, as well as UK markets and 
infrastructure. They are looking for 
support through peer to peer networks, 
Innovate UK and local universities and 
business schools. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Innovate UK 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
1120
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
470
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
23.3bn
104,651
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
910
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
260
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
243
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
PROCOOK   
ProCook manufactures and sells a variety of 
kitchenware and other accessories such as pots, 
pans and knives. 
ECOTRICITY   
Ecotricity generates and supplies green 
electricity to homes and businesses. 
LEMACA LIMITED   
Lemaca Limited operates a McDonald's 
franchisee, a fast food chain. 
UK POWER SOLUTIONS  
UK Power Solutions provides engineering  
and planning services for power and supply 
related projects.  
AUTO-SLEEPERS  
Auto-Sleepers builds, services and sells 
motorhomes, specialising in Mercedes and 
Peugeot van conversions. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
NEWSPACE   
Newspace manufactures metal storage 
containers and modified units which can used 
as portable offices, canteens, toilets and several 
other functions. 
DAIRY PARTNERS   
Dairy Partners produces and wholesales frozen 
and fresh cheese products. 
LEMACA LIMITED   
Lemaca Limited operates a McDonald's 
franchisee, a fast food chain. 
AUTOPARTS & DIAGNOSTICS   
Autoparts & Diagnostics supplies automotive 
parts and tools, as well as diagnostic equipment.  
NEWLAND HOMES   
Newland Homes operates a property 
construction business, specialising in flats, 
townhouses and executive homes. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Gloucestershire offers a Scaleup peer-to-
peer network of 30 scaling businesses who 
are invited to 6 sessions over a 6-month 
period. This familiarity and frequency 
of attendance has brought about shared 
experiences and application of lessons learnt 
throughout the programme. 
The engagement of Growth Guides to tackle 
key barriers to growth facing the scaleups in 
Gloucester provides an opportunity to seek 
expertise. A mix of private and public sector 
actors from the ecosystem are brought 
together to support these peer-to-peer 
networking events. These include Ernst 
and Young to deliver sessions on product 
and processes looking at the key issue of 
disruption and innovation, and systems and 
IT looking at technology delivery and change. 
Other sessions have focused on talent 
management, leadership and leading change, 
Finance and how to access it, as well as  
sales strategy. 
GLOUCESTERSHIRE LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP will continue to encourage this expert-led peer-to-peer 
element in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to markets, 
access to talent and infrastructure. They 
are looking for support through peer to 
peer networks and public sector funding 
for R&D and to a lesser extent through 
local universities and Growth Hubs. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
390
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
170
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
10.5bn
44,673
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
305
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
85
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
244
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
UK POWER RESERVE   
UK Power Reserve operates a portfolio of power 
plants that help improve supply at times when 
there is high demand on the national grid. 
MV KELLY   
MV Kelly offers civil engineering and  
building services, specialising in groundworks 
and infrastructure. 
STEEL PROCESSING (MIDLANDS) LTD   
Steel Processing (Midlands) Ltd manufactures a 
variety of steel products and fittings.  
TEACHERACTIVE   
TeacherActive supplies a variety of teachers, 
such as cover teachers and teaching assistants, 
for schools. 
PALLETLINE   
Palletline operates a distribution company which 
offers a range of services including next-day 
delivery, lift assistance and European transport.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
PALLETLINE   
Palletline operates a distribution company which 
offers a range of services including next-day 
delivery, lift assistance and European transport.  
UK POWER RESERVE   
UK Power Reserve operates a portfolio of power 
plants that help improve supply at times when there 
is high demand on the national grid. 
BOX LIMITED   
Box Limited sells a wide range of technology 
products such as computers, TVs, printers and 
home appliances. 
HANNAFIN CONTRACTORS   
Hannafin Contractors provides construction 
related services such as demolition, excavation, 
site preparation and deconstruction. 
TAMWORTH STEEL   
Tamworth Steel offers a range of steel related 
services such as drilling, grinding and sawing as 
well as stockholding services.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
GREATER BIRMINGHAM AND SOLIHULL LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP has 
been focusing on innovating the ecosystem to 
build a solid foundation of support for scaleups. 
Supported by an account managers scaling 
business can access 32 separate programmes in 
the region plus 11 ERDF-funded programmes 
designed to promote high growth. Three one-
day ScaleUp Workshops with follow-on clinics 
are planned after a successful pilot. 
The LEP is developing new initiatives to increase 
access to funding, including holding a series of 
Investment Readiness Workshops in partnership 
with VC firm Midven and the NatWest 
Accelerator. With a new Access to Finance 
advisor and portal in place the LEP is working 
to connect angel investors, MEIF funders 
and corporate financiers to business support 
locations across the region. The aim is to unlock 
over 50 million in funding. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: In Spring 2019 the LEP will launch a new scale up accelerator 
programme focused on helping 30 businesses to experience accelerated growth of 20% or more within a six 
month period. Using a peer to peer learning format, businesses will be supported to deal with a range of scale 
up challenges and receive coaching support from industry partners.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to talent and leadership development, 
alongside access to UK markets and tax 
breaks. They are looking for primarily local 
support through peer to peer networks, 
local professional services, LEPs as well as 
national support from Innovate UK.
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
Access to tax breaks
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Innovate UK 
  LEPs (Local Enterprise Partnerships) 
  Local professional services e.g. 
accountants and lawyers 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
 
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
940
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
355
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
11.6bn
79,305
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
765
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
180
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
245
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
NEUL   
Neul has developed hardware designed to create 
a machine-to-machine network using TV signal 
white space frequencies, in order to reduce the 
amount of congestion on other networks, such 
as WiFi and GSM. 
GRETTON SCHOOL   
Gretton School operates a school for children 
with autism. 
MICK GEORGE   
Mick George provides contracting services, 
waste management and aggregate supplies to 
the construction industry. 
DCN   
DCN manufactures machinery and other 
industrial equipment for food processing and 
packaging factories. 
HOWARD GROUP   
Howard Group operates a number of companies 
including HowardProperty and Howard Capital.   
Data powered by Beauhurst
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
NINJA THEORY   
Ninja Theory creates offline and mobile video 
games and sells game related merchandise in 
their online store. 
AVEILLANT   
Aveillant has developed a 3D holographic radar 
that will enable airports to distinguish between 
aircraft and noise from wind turbine blades.  
FLEXENABLE   
FlexEnable develops and commercialises 
products based on a proprietary organic 
transistor technology, including flexible screens 
for smartphones and tablets and sensors for 
wearable devices. The company also aims to 
develop new applications for graphene. 
GEOMERICS   
Geomerics has developed technology that aims to 
provide real-time lighting within virtual worlds (in 
computer games, for example). 
DCN   
DCN manufactures machinery and other 
industrial equipment for food processing and 
packaging factories.  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The region's School for ScaleUps Programme 
has been specifically designed to improve 
leadership and respond to skills challenges 
identified in the Scale Up Report. The core 
programme is delivered by experienced 
business trainers who have supported 
Cambridge Network members successfully 
through scaling. 
It runs as active learning with a cohort of 12 
delegates meeting face to face every six weeks 
for a formal training workshop on different 
aspects of leadership skills with an experienced 
trainer. Delegates can call upon additional 
training, coaching or mentoring. Access to 
finance is discussed and is indirectly benefited 
by improved communication and confidence 
of the leaders as well as introductions to 
business anges and different funding models. 
On completion of the course, scaleup 
leaders benefit from the Cambridge 
Network CEO group which acts as 'the 
board you cannot afford' on a continuing 
basis. To date the programme has 
successfully developed three cohorts. 
GREATER CAMBRIDGE AND GREATER  
PETERBOROUGH LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access to 
talent, alongside access to international 
markets and infrastructure. They are 
looking for support through public sector 
funding for R&D, but also from large 
corporates and for visas. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers internationally 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  Large corporates 
  Visas (e.g. easy access to visas for talent 
and skills needed from overseas) 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
855
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
335
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
9.8bn
78,321
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
705
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
185
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
246
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
AMVALE MEDICAL TRANSPORT 
LIMITED   
Amvale Medical Transport Limited provides 
24/7 medical transport services such as rapid 
response, front line and transplant units.  
ROBSONS OF SPALDING   
Robsons Of Spalding provides distribution 
services for fresh produce and dry freight.  
LUXUS   
Luxus operates a plastic recycling plant 
helping companies manage their scrap plastic 
and also which processes recycled polymers 
to create thermoplastics. 
THE COACHING INN GROUP   
The Coaching Inn Group runs a chain of hotels 
in the UK. 
FOSTER ENVIRONMENTAL 
Foster Environmental installs and service air 
conditioning and refrigeration units, as well as 
data centre energy management technology. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
FOSTER ENVIRONMENTAL   
Foster Environmental installs and service air 
conditioning and refrigeration units, as well as 
data centre energy management technology. 
LUXUS   
Luxus operates a plastic recycling plant 
helping companies manage their scrap plastic 
and also which processes recycled polymers 
to create thermoplastics. 
BROADGATE HOMES   
Broadgate Homes operates a construction 
company that focuses on residential projects.  
THE CLUGSTON GROUP   
The Clugston Group operates a number of 
businesses in areas such as construction, 
property development and civil engineering. 
FOX   
Fox operates a civil engineering firm. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
GREATER LINCOLNSHIRE LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub 
has developed a tailored offer to help high 
growth businesses reach their potential.  The 
Scaleup Programme is led by the Scaleup 
Account Manager who visits premises, works 
with business leaders to identify the most 
appropriate support and tailors the programme 
to a company's specific growth stage and 
business needs. The Account Manager provides 
expertise and guidance to local businesses, 
opens the door to fully-funded programmes and 
helps them develop a strategic business plan for 
future growth.   
The programme includes: one-to-one support 
provided by a network of professional experts, 
leadership and management programmes, 
peer-to-peer networks, including coaching 
and mentoring support and pathways to 
national offers.  Leadership and management 
programmes are led by successful business 
entrepreneurs, while specialist workshops focus 
on challenges such as access to finance and 
managing the media.   
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Alumni from the Lincolnshire programmes will be invited to join 
a peer-to-peer network and link to businesses who have accessed other East Midlands Growth Hub 
programmes through a cross-LEP partnership.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to UK 
markets, access to talent and leadership 
programmes. They are also looking 
for support through local leadership 
programmes, as well as peer to peer 
networks and local universities and 
business schools.
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
 Peer to peer networks 
 Local leadership development 
programmes
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
485
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
200
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
4.0bn
38,780
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
390
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
105
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
247
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
MYPAY   
MyPay is an Umbrella company, acting as 
the employer of clients recruitment agencies' 
contractual and temporary workers in order to 
streamline administrative and payroll tasks for 
the client.  
PEAKDALE MOLECULAR   
Peakdale Molecular provides specialist 
chemistry services to a number of industries, 
including pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. 
THE HUT GROUP   
The Hut Group operates a range of e-commerce 
websites and has also developed e-commerce 
software that it licenses to other onlineretailers. 
JOHN HARGREAVES   
John Hargreaves manufactures corrugated 
packaging materials for the packaging industry. 
VIL RESINS   
Vil Resins manufactures Alkyd resins which are used 
in the paint and ink manufacturing industries to 
provide a protective coating to products. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
STEADFAST ENGINEERING   
Steadfast Engineering manufactures a variety of 
engineering components such as nuts, bolts and 
machine screws, and supplies them internationally. 
BYROM   
Byrom provides management services such as 
transportation and logistics for large sporting 
events and specialises in ticketing.  
LASER QUANTUM   
Laser Quantum designs and manufactures 
lasers, instruments and accessories which 
can used across a large range of sectors from 
medicine to the military.  
PH PROPERTY HOLDINGS   
PH Property Holdings operates a property 
development company, specialising in  
designing, building and fitting out high  
end residential housing.   
ALBERT'S   
Albert's operates a restaurant. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Scaleups in the Greater Manchester area are 
offered a range of programmes:
  Spark2Scale  a six-month programme led 
by business advisers who help participants 
on a one-to-one basis. Six masterclasses on 
relevant subjects and peer-to-peer learning 
sessions with industry experts equip scaleups 
with analysis and modelling tools to develop 
effective business growth strategies.
  Greater Connected  a scaleup programme 
for the digital, creative and tech sectors; this 
year an additional 9-month programme called 
Greater Connected Amplify was launched 
to support senior leaderships of businesses to 
implement their business plans.  
  STEP into Healthcare provides extensive 
support to health and life science scaleups 
including access to networks and workshops as 
well as market access opportunities.
  Recipe4Success  a six-month programme to 
support growth in the food and drinks sector. 
GREATER MANCHESTER LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP has collaborated with the University of Salford to run a specific 
graduate/student focused Spark2Scale programme, due to pilot Autumn 2018.  The Business Growth Hub is 
planning to expand Greater Connected beyond 2018 and evolve the programme as sector challenges change. A major 
focus in 2019 will be the successful delivery of the Greater Connected Amplify pilot. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth is access to 
UK markets, followed by people factors 
through access to talent and leadership 
development. They are looking for support 
from local and regional government, 
Growth Hubs, and funding either from 
banks or through the public sector for 
R&D, innovation etc. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS,Growth Hubs, city councils 
  Growth Hubs 
  Banks and other financial suppliers 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
1490
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
570
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
19.2bn
141,856
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
1245
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
325
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
248
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
SBAW GROUP   
SBAW Group operates a wide range of 
companies, including developers and hotels 
such as Coxley, Holbrook House and  
Oakhill Brewery 
BLUE CEDAR HOMES   
Blue Cedar Homes builds retirement homes for 
those that wish todownsize. 
BROTHERS DRINKS CO.   
The Brothers Drinks Co. produces and sells 
variety of flavoured ciders.  
SILVERLINE TOOLS   
Silverline Tools manufactures and  
supplies a variety of hand tools, power  
tools and accessories. 
STORMFRONT  
Stormfront operates an online Apple reseller 
and retail stores, specializing also in fixing and 
repairing of Apple products. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
ABBEY MANOR GROUP   
Abbey Manor Group builds and manages 
commercial properties. 
SUMMERFIELD DEVELOPMENTS   
Summerfield Developments operates a 
property development company working on 
both commercial and residential projects. 
The company also rents, manages and sells 
properties.  
SBAW GROUP   
SBAW Group operates a wide range of 
companies, including developers and hotels such 
as Coxley, Holbrook House and Oakhill 
BREWERY BROTHERS DRINKS CO.   
The Brothers Drinks Co. produces and sells 
variety of flavoured ciders.  
AMULET HOTKEY   
Amulet Hotkey designs and manufactures 
virtual and physical workstations for businesses.  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
HEART OF THE SOUTH WEST LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Heart of the South West LEP is continuing 
to develop its scaleup plans and has identified 
a number of potential elements for its action 
plan, including:
  Prioritising referrals to (public/private) service 
offers that best meet the needs of scaleup 
businesses; 
  Producing a 'scaleup pack' for businesses with 
the available package of schemes and support, 
factsheets, workshops, networks and contacts;
  Signposting available support such as the 
Heart of the South West Growth Support 
Programme, international trade/export 
opportunities and access to finance resources;
  Linking scaleups to wider stakeholder support 
such as enterprise centres, Chambers of 
Commerce and the knowledge sector. The 
Growth Hub is also considering a targeted 
marketing and engagement campaign and 
creating dedicated pages on its website 
bringing together the support options for 
scaleup companies. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: After attending May's DEG Course the Growth Hub is exploring how 
the Smith &Williamson Scale-up Diagnostic Tool could best be used by local businesses. It is also meeting 
with organisations to help secure a stronger connection with programmes such as Goldman Sachs 10,000 
Small Businesses UK, as recommended by the course leaders.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The two key barriers to growth are access 
to talent and access to UK markets. They 
are looking for support through peer 
to peer networks and local leadership 
development programmes as well as the 
Business Bank. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  British Business Bank 
  Local leadership development 
programmes  
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
840
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
325
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
4.9bn
54,590
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
675
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
160
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
249
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
RONTEC   
Rontec operates a portfolio of roadside food and 
retail outlets. It also has its own convenience-
shop brand, Shop N Drive.    
GPF LEWIS   
GPF Lewis operates a construction and facilities 
management company, working within the 
commercial, residential and industrial sectors. 
LUCION SERVICES   
Lucion Services operates a number of risk 
management companies that provide a range of 
services such as health and safety training, and 
hazardous material removal consultancy. 
BOSTON   
Boston supplies servers, desktop workstations and 
other computer hardware to business clients.  
GROUND CONSTRUCTION   
Ground Construction runs a construction 
company that specialises in concrete frames, 
groundworks and demolition services.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
HEPTARES   
Heptares develops drugs for central nervous 
system and metabolicdisorders (for example, 
schizophrenia, type 2 diabetes and depression). 
MACK BROOKS GROUP   
Mack Brooks Group operates a number of 
companies which work in connection with corporate 
exhibitions, trade shows and conferences. The group 
also publishes related content such as sector directories 
and trade magazines.  
PIRIN HOLDINGS   
Pirin Holdings provides its parent company  
with property management and other 
administrative services. 
RO GROUP   
RO Group operates a number of property, real 
estate and investment companies including RO 
Finance , Charteroak and Metis Homes.  
BAMBOO DISTRIBUTION   
Bamboo Distribution recycles and refurbishes 
electronic devices such as mobile phones and 
then resell and distribute them. 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Hertfordshire LEP believes that scaleups are 
the drivers of growth but are not achieving 
their full potential in its area. The LEP is 
focusing its attention on overcoming some 
of the challenges of growing a business in 
Hertfordshire, specifically access to skills 
including leadership and management, access 
to finance, and access to markets.
HERTFORDSHIRE LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The two key barriers to growth are access 
to talent and to leadership programmes, 
followed by access to markets in the UK. 
The key form of support they are looking 
for is through peer to peer networks, 
followed by general business support from 
local or national Government and support 
from banks and other financial suppliers. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Banks and other financial suppliers 
  General business support from local or 
national Government 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
730
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
270
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
9.9bn
110,934
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
630
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
170
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
250
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
BEE HEALTH   
Bee Health manufactures and sells a range  
of health supplements including vitamins  
and minerals.  
J ROTHERHAM   
J Rotherham operates a stone masonry 
business, creating a range ofstone and marble 
pieces such as worktops, fireplaces and flooring. 
BANKSIDE PATTERSON   
Bankside Patterson manufactures steel building 
products such as framing and chassis. 
CREST   
Crest manufactures and sells bricks, roofing 
tiles and aerated concrete blocks for use in 
construction projects. 
WALKER MODULAR   
Walker Modular designs and manufactures 
bathroom pods for large companies  
and developers.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
SPENCER BRITISH ENGINEERING   
Spencer British Engineering operates a 
transport and infrastructure engineering 
company providing construction and design 
services across multiple sectors such as rail, 
waterways, bridges, and highways.  
BEE HEALTH   
Bee Health manufactures and sells a range of health 
supplements including vitamins and minerals.  
J ROTHERHAM   
J Rotherham operates a stone masonry business, 
creating a range ofstone and marble pieces such as 
worktops, fireplaces and flooring. 
WALKER MODULAR   
Walker Modular designs and manufactures 
bathroom pods for large companies  
and developers.  
JOHN GOOD SHIPPING   
John Good Shipping provides a range of 
shipping based logistics services, including 
distribution and warehousing. 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
HUMBER LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The Humber LEP is supporting businesses to 
scale up in a number of ways. At the outset the 
Humber Growth Hub offers a full diagnostic 
service helping to identify businesses that can 
grow at a significant rate with some support. 
Advisers are networked into local and national 
business support providers and can refer clients 
directly to brokered solutions. 
Renewable energy companies benefit from 
initiatives such as the Greenport Growth 
programme. This shares latest market intelligence 
and sector learning principles with local supply 
chain businesses and is supported by AURA, a 
University of Hull offshore wind research facility. 
Growth in the logistics industry is supported by 
the Logistics Institute and the Modal Training 
Centre, a world-leading maritime training 
simulator facility. 
The Humber has a capital grants scheme aimed 
at supporting companies with their physical 
growth plans. It is part of a suite of financial 
products which include an infrastructure 
loan scheme and the Northern Powerhouse 
Investment Fund.
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Support available from October 2018 includes three Growth Hub 
programmes funded by ERDF: an ICT Programme will providing specialist support to introduce technology; an 
Investor Readiness Programme will help growing businesses draw down funds; and, a Growth Programme with 
workshops and masterclasses aimed at improving the understanding and implementation of best practice.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to markets 
in the UK, and to access to talent and 
to leadership programmes. They are 
also looking for support through local 
leadership programmes as well as peer to 
peer networks and Growth Hubs. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local leadership development 
programmes 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Growth Hubs  
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
415
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
140
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
5.1bn
33,491
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
345
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
70
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
251
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TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
WALKERSTEEL   
Walkersteel manufactures and sells various 
technical steel parts andproducts such as 
coils, steel sheets and plates. 
THE HUB PHARMACY   
The Hub Pharmacy operates several 
pharmacies. 
H & S RESTAURANTS LTD  
H & S Restaurants Ltd operates a 
McDonald's franchisee, a fast food chain. 
ELITE TELECOM   
Elite Telecom provides businesses with a 
wide variety of telecommunications and 
connectivity services, including broadband, 
internet hosting and fixed line hardware  
and software. 
TYREFORCE   
Tyreforce sells tyres for a range of 
automotive brands and provides related 
maintenance services.   
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
PAYCO   
Payco operates a commercial contracting 
business providing business clients with 
employee and self-employed individuals.  
WALKERSTEEL   
Walkersteel manufactures and sells various 
technical steel parts andproducts such as coils, 
steel sheets and plates. 
CUADRILLA RESOURCES   
Cuadrilla Resources locates and takes on 
projects for extracting underground natural-
gas and oil reserves via fracking.  
THE HUB PHARMACY   
The Hub Pharmacy operates several 
pharmacies. 
J MALLINSON   
J Mallinson constructs sports fields for a range 
of sports including football, golf and cricket. 
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Boost  Lancashire's Enterprise Hub  acts as 
the first port of call for growing businesses in the 
area. It refers them to a range of local scaleup 
support programmes:
  Productivity through People  Lancaster 
University Management School's workforce and 
efficiency focused 12-month growth programme 
for senior managers;
  Profitable Growth through Innovation  Edge 
Hill University Productivity & Innovation 
Centre's 3-month sprint programme for data 
driven innovation;  
  DigitMe2  Up to 20 days of consultancy 
support at the University of Central Lancashire's 
Burnley campus, for new product development 
support in areas including 3D Printing / 
Additive Manufacturing, Automation, Big Data 
Processing, Data Collection and Analytics, 
and Robotics. Skills, training and recruitment 
support and programmes are offered through 
the Lancashire Skills Hub while Boost advisers 
and local business leaders provide peer-to-peer 
growth mentoring and one-to-one specialist 
adviser support. 
LANCASHIRE LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: From January 2019 scaleups will have their own dedicated account 
manager at the Lancashire LEP who can refer them to the latest support services, programmes and 
funding options across Lancashire and the UK. A number of specialist services will be opening including 
the North West AMRC (Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre).
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to UK markets and to infrastructure, 
followed by access to talent. They are 
looking for a range of support, much of 
it local through universities and business 
schools, local and regional government 
and peer to peer networks, as well as from 
banks and other financial suppliers. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Banks and other financial suppliers 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
  General business support from 
local or national Government Local 
and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS,Growth Hubs, city councils 
  Peer to peer networks
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
795
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
315
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
12.0bn
83,517
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
665
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
185
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
252
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
LOGICAL PERSONNEL SOLUTIONS   
Logical Personnel Solutions provides recruitment 
services for businesses in the technical sector such 
as construction, logistics and manufacturing. 
HARRISON   
Harrison operates a land and property 
development company, working across a range 
of sectors. 
NIC SERVICES GROUP   
NIC Services Group provides outsourced cleaning 
and facilities management services. 
PHARMACY2U   
Pharmacy2U retails pharmacy products and 
prescription medicine online. 
GEAR4MUSIC.COM   
gear4music.com is an online retailer of musical 
instruments and equipment. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TEAM17 DIGITAL   
Team17 Digital develops and publishes a range of 
video games for various platforms, including Worms, 
Overcooked and My Time at Portia. 
D D PORTER   
D D Porter provides a range of construction services 
with specialisms in medical construction, fit outs and 
joinery manufacture. 
THE SKILLS NETWORK   
The Skills Network provides various technology 
related training courses across business sectors, 
and also provides training analysis services to 
determine whether training is feasible in the 
long term. 
LOGICAL PERSONNEL SOLUTIONS   
Logical Personnel Solutions provides recruitment 
services for businesses in the technical sector such 
as construction, logistics and manufacturing. 
CONTIS GROUP   
Contis Group provides alternative debit card banking 
and payment services such as branded Visa debit card 
and mobile payment app development. 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LEEDS CITY REGION LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The Leeds City Region's two primary 
scaleup projects are now in full delivery 
and are having a positive impact on new 
and existing firms across the region. The 
Strategic Business Growth (SBG) project 
is for established enterprises that have 
been trading for over three years. SBG 
provides scaling firms with a blended 
package of workshops, business coaching 
and grant investment, and includes an 
important element of peer-to-peer 
learning. Ad:Venture follows a similar 
model for earlier stage businesses, but with 
more focus on helping newer enterprises to 
overcome early-stage barriers to growth. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: An Investment Readiness project launches Spring 2019 to provide 
growth-focussed firms with tailored guidance and advice on how to prepare for and access external finance to 
realise their growth plans. It will involve expert industry support from a number of private sector lenders and 
investors, sharing what they are looking for when investing in businesses.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth is UK markets 
but also important are access to leadership 
development and access to talent. That is 
reflected in their desire for more support 
via local leadership programmes and peer 
to peer networks and support from local 
and regional government. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local leadership development 
programmes 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Local and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS,Growth Hubs, city councils 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
1520
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
600
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
19.5bn
165,072
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
1255
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
335
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
253
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TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
TOTAL MOTION   
Total Motion provides management services 
for commercial vehicle fleets, including 
developing vehicle tracking and fleet 
management software. 
YEW LODGE   
Yew Lodge operates a 4 star events venue 
including a hotel, restaurant and spa. 
MORNINGSIDE   
Morningside develops and supplies 
healthcare products and pharmaceuticals.  
SLM   
SLM collaborates with local authorities to 
provide management assistance to sports 
and leisure outlets. 
C3 CONSTRUCTION   
C3 Construction works with property 
developers to provide a variety of 
contractual groundworks, civil engineering 
and construction services. 
Data powered by Beauhurst  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
C3 CONSTRUCTION   
C3 Construction works with property 
developers to provide a variety of contractual 
groundworks, civil engineering and 
construction services. 
ADEPT CARE HOMES   
Adept Care Homes run a number of care 
homes that provides residential care for the 
elderly.  
BRUNTINGTHORPE   
Bruntingthorpe operates an automotive 
and aerospace testing ground, also offering 
facilities for defence and off-road testing. 
HKS   
HKS operates a number of service stations, 
partnering with supermarkets such as Spar to 
provide onsite convenience stores in some of 
the locations. 
CAMBRIDGE & COUNTIES BANK   
Cambridge & Counties Bank operates a bank 
which provides a range of financial services 
specifically to SMEs.
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Leicester and Leicestershire LEP (LLEP) Growth 
Hub is interrogating a diverse range of datasets to 
identify and target businesses with scaleup potential. 
The existing network of business advisers is 
already well established within the area's business 
community and actively engages with companies 
that are ambitious about growth. The advisers 
provide one-to-one general and specialist 
business advice, including in-depth advice on 
developing action and growth plans. 
The advisers currently provide tailored advice and 
support through a wide number of programmes 
within the LLEP area, ensuring access to services 
that encourage growth, innovation and finance. 
There is also a wide range of workshops and 
events covering areas such as accessing new 
markets, investment marketing, accessing finance 
and exporting. 
LEICESTER AND LEICESTERSHIRE LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: LLEP plans a targeted scaleup service to businesses in 2019. The 
service will be designed to develop support that focuses on leadership and management, marketing, and 
investment readiness. The support will be provided by a consortia of partners and will include peer-to-peer 
mentoring and links to other mentoring programmes.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to UK 
markets, access to talent and leadership 
programmes. They are also looking 
for support through local leadership 
programmes, as well as peer to peer 
networks and local universities and 
business schools.
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Local leadership development 
programmes 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
575
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
245
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
6.8bn
50,305
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
475
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
145
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
254
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
CASTLEROCK RECRUITMENT GROUP   
Castlerock Recruitment Group is a healthcare 
recruitment business that provides permanent and 
temporary staff to clients that include the Ministry 
of Defence (MOD), NHS, HM Prisons and private 
sector companies. 
THE CONTACT COMPANY   
The Contact Company (TCC) operates a call centre 
and provides outsourced customer support services 
to businesses. 
POTENS   
Potens provides a range of specialised care services 
for children and adults, including supported living, 
residential and domiciliary care. 
CHESHIRE MOULDINGS   
Cheshire Mouldings manufactures and supplies a 
wide range of wooden products from stair parts to 
garden decking. 
MAC ROOFING AND CONTRACTING   
MAC Roofing and Contracting manufactures and 
installs a variety of roofing and cladding for buildings 
within a range of commercial and public sectors. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
COFFEY GROUP   
Coffey Group operates a group of engineering and 
construction companies; Coffee Construction Ltd, 
Coffee Construction (I) Ltd and Coffee water.  
A&B ENGINEERING   
A&B Engineering designs and installs electrical, 
mechanical and plumbing systems, specialising in 
working within the commercial building sector. 
CASTLEROCK RECRUITMENT GROUP   
Castlerock Recruitment Group is a healthcare 
recruitment business that provides permanent and 
temporary staff to clients that include the Ministry 
of Defence (MOD), NHS, HM Prisons and private 
sector companies. Joloda International  Joloda 
International manufactures and installs manual and 
automatic truck-loading systems suitable for the air-
cargo, newsprint and distribution industries.  
POTENS   
Potens provides a range of specialised care services 
for children and adults, including supported living, 
residential and domiciliary care. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LIVERPOOL CITY REGION LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The LEP is providing strong leadership 
to accelerate the growth of scaleups 
across the area. Liverpool John 
Moores University are now offering 
a Master of Business Administration 
for Business Scale-ups. In addition the 
integrated high growth programme 
for the City Region plans to support 
100 local businesses to accelerate 
growth through the provision of 
dedicated 'Scale up Managers' and 
mentoring from local business leaders 
and the development of peer-to-peer 
networks. The core elements are Scale 
Up Leadership Programme; Scale 
Up Export Programme; Scale Up 
Innovation Programme and Scale Up 
Voucher Scheme. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to talent and to UK markets, alongside 
access to public sector funding for R&D. 
They are looking for local support through 
local and regional government, but 
also from large corporates and national 
government. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to public sector support 
and funding for R&D and 
innovation 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  National Government 
 Large corporates 
 Local and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS,Growth Hubs, city councils 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
610
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
205
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
4.6bn
58,513
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
515
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
110
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
255
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TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
MARTIN BUNZL   
Martin Bunzl supplies and distributes 
yarns, fibres and non-woven products 
such pulp and paper. Martin Bunzl also 
operates a subsidiary company, Martin 
Bunzl Marketing, which represents non-UK 
companies in the UK and Ireland.  
PREMIER FRUITS   
Premier Fruits supplies a range of fruit to 
its clients. 
BULLGUARD   
BullGuard provides a range of cyber security 
products, including antivirus software and 
identity protection for digital users.  
METHODS   
Methods operates a group of companies 
which specialise in the provision of digital 
services to the public sector.  
BETA DISTRIBUTION   
Beta Distribution supplies trade customers 
with branded IT products and operates as 
Canons largest UK trade for distributor. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
CARGOSTORE   
Cargostore sells and leases shipping and 
storage containers andaccessories.  
CN CREATIVE GROUP   
CN Creative Group has developed a hand-
held device that deliversvaporised nicotine 
without smoke, carbon monoxide and tar. 
ALCHEMI GROUP   
Alchemi Group develops mixed-use  
building projects.  
SHUTL   
Shutl has developed an internet platform that 
aims to connect retailers with local same-day 
courier companies, enabling online and in-
store customers to receive their shopping. 
METHODS   
Methods operates a group of companies which 
specialise in the provision of digital services to 
the public sector.  
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Partnership working with organisations that have 
strong relationships with scaleups has been the 
lynchpin of London's approach. The data gathered 
is being used to identify and target potential 
growth businesses and shape the services offered. 
A cornerstone of this is the Business Growth 
programme run by London & Partners, the 
capital's official promotional agency which runs 
Go to Grow a leading international and export 
programme for our scaling businesses.
Scaleups involved in a London & Partners-
run initiative can join the London VC Club 
which connects them with London's financiers, 
crowdfunding platforms and angel network.
In addition to the Business Growth Programme, 
other services available to scaleups in the 
capital come from many private sector leading 
institutions such as:
  LSEG ELITE
  Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK, 
which operates across the county
  The British Library's Innovation for Growth 
Programme.
LONDON LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth in London 
is access to talent, as well as access 
to markets both in the UK and 
internationally. Their key support needs 
are via peer to peer networks, public sector 
funding for R&D and obtaining visas. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to markets and 
customers internationally
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  Visas (e.g. easy access to visas for talent 
and skills needed from overseas) 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
6895
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
2720
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
386.3bn
927,045
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
5735
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
1560
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
256
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
THE BIG PRAWN COMPANY   
The Big Prawn Company sources, processes and 
distributes a range of sea food, specialising in prawns. 
IT FLEET AUTOMOTIVE   
IT Fleet Automotive provides a range of services to 
companies in the automotive industry, including the 
logistical transport of cars, vehicle refurbishment, and 
secure vehicle storage.  
AGCHEMACCESS   
AgChemAccess supplies crop protection products to 
agricultural companies around the world.  
R&D CONSTRUCTION   
R&D Construction provides civil engineering, utilities 
and infrastructure services. 
MATTRESSMAN   
Mattressman sells mattresses online, in-store and to 
trade contacts.  
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
CHURCHMANOR   
Churchmanor operates a property construction 
and development company, specialising in building 
developments for the business, industrial, retail and 
science sectors, including business parks, research and 
development facilities, shopping centres and offices. 
IT FLEET AUTOMOTIVE   
IT Fleet Automotive provides a range of services to 
companies in the automotive industry, including the 
logistical transport of cars, vehicle refurbishment, and 
secure vehicle storage.  
R&D CONSTRUCTION   
R&D Construction provides civil engineering, utilities and 
infrastructure services. 
BREHENY   
Breheny operates a civil engineering company that works 
on projects such as building railways and bridges.  
BATEMAN GROUNDWORKS   
Bateman Groundworks provides groundworks and 
civil engineering services for both domestic and 
commercial clients. 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
NEW ANGLIA LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
New Anglia LEP has now identified 
high growth companies in the region 
using data from Experian, Beauhurst 
and Fame/Mint. The LEP is putting 
together a menu of business support 
that can be offered to high growth 
businesses to turn 'silver' companies 
into 'gold' companies. Each company 
identified from its data mining will 
have a dedicated high growth adviser 
allocated to them to help explore the 
company's exact internal requirements 
and the external support that can be 
provided by the ecosystem. For the 
past two years New Anglia Growth 
Hub has been recommending suitable 
companies to apply for the Goldman 
Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK 
programme. This has been very 
successful and ten companies are now 
alumni of the programme. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP plans to create a group of companies interested in high growth 
in the region to provide .  a forum for discussion of the high growth agenda.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to talent, to UK markets and to 
infrastructure. Their two key support 
mechanisms are public sector funding 
for R&D and Growth Hubs, followed by 
interaction with peer to peer networks 
and LEPs.
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  Growth Hubs LEPs (Local Enterprise 
Partnerships) 
  Peer to peer networks 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
825
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
330
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
6.4bn
86,496
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
650
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
155
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
257
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
FAIRSTONE GROUP   
Fairstone Group offers retail and corporate 
financial and investment management services. 
BARRIER GROUP   
Barrier Group provides outsourced coating 
management, construction and insulation 
services for companies in the construction 
civil engineering services. 
EDEN FARM   
Eden Farms provides a frozen food wholesale 
and distribution service to retail businesses. 
CONNECT HEALTH   
Connect Health provides physiotherapy 
services for patients suffering from 
musculoskeletal disorders.  
DW SUPPORT SERVICES   
DW Support Services provides repair, 
refurbishment and maintenance services  
on properties. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
BARRIER GROUP   
Barrier Group provides outsourced coating 
management, construction and insulation 
services for companies in the construction civil 
engineering services. 
THE TROUT HOTEL   
The Trout Hotel operates a hotel which 
features a restaurant and bar, and caters for 
a range of events including weddings and 
corporate functions. 
PARTNER CONSTRUCTION   
Partner Construction provides property 
development services such as building land 
driven affordable houses.  
EDEN FARM   
Eden Farms provides a frozen food wholesale 
and distribution service to retail businesses. 
CRABTREE   
Crabtree manufactures metal decorating and 
coating equipment.   
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Launched in January 2018 the LEP has created 
the ScaleUp North East Programme for high 
growth businesses. Every participant business 
works with a high-calibre Scale Partner on a 
bespoke Action Plan that directly reflects the 
nature of their business needs. 
Initial assessments focus on the five gaps 
identified by the ScaleUp Review: talent and 
skills, markets, leadership capacity, finance 
and infrastructure. The subsequent action 
plan identifies two or three key challenges to 
be overcome and matches these to a series of 
interventions or opportunities, such as specialist 
workshops, access to growth mentoring, 
leadership development, access to financial 
assistance or product development. 
The programme also offers a series of peer-to-peer 
events to strengthen the scaleup community by 
sharing knowledge and experience based around 
specific themes. Alongside this the Entrepreneurs' 
Forum offers the ScaleUp Leaders' Academy now 
in its second year of operation.
NORTH EAST LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The ScaleUp North East website will become the main point of 
engagement for companies wanting to know more about the programme, capturing enquiries through an 
Expression of Interest form. Eventually it will offer elements of future delivery to the scaleup community. 
North East LEP is planning an annual ScaleUp Summit to supplement monthly events. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth is access to 
UK markets, followed by access to talent 
and leadership development.  They are 
particularly keen for support through peer 
to peer networks, and also desire more 
support from LEPs, local professional 
services and public sector funding for R&D. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Peer to peer networks LEPs (Local 
Enterprise Partnerships) 
 Local professional services e.g. 
accountants and lawyers 
 Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
780
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
305
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
11.0bn
68,267
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
645
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
170
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
258
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
VIRTUA   
Virtua provides design, installation and upgrading of 
telecoms and mobile infrastructure to businesses. 
SILBURY   
Silbury operates a manufacturer and distributor 
of food ingredients and other processed foods, 
specialising in pizza ingredients such as toppings, 
sauces, oils and pastes. 
AGILITYWORKS   
AgilityWorks provides a range of IT support and digital 
consultancy services to businesses, specialising in SAP 
software and business analytics. 
OXFORD ECONOMICS   
Oxford Economics analyses market trends to 
provide economic, social and business forecasting 
and advice to corporations and government. 
YASA MOTORS   
YASA Motors develops and manufactures electric 
motors for automobiles. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
OXFORD NANOPORE   
Oxford Nanopore Technologies has developed a small 
device that performs DNA sequencing and analysis. 
REBELLION   
Rebellion develops video game for multiple formats 
such as Xbox 360 and iOS.  
GIGACLEAR   
Gigaclear provides ultrafast broadband internet access 
using fibre-optic service to homes and businesses in 
rural communities. 
CIRCASSIA   
Circassia has developed vaccines designed to treat a 
broad range of allergies, and drugs against conditions 
such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. 
VIRTUA   
Virtua provides design, installation and upgrading of 
telecoms and mobile infrastructure to businesses. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
OXFORDSHIRE LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Oxfordshire's team of Network Navigator 
advisers is well established within the region's 
business community and actively engages with 
companies that are ambitious about growth. 
Advisers have strong links to other local, 
privately funded networks of mentors and 
accelerators and refer companies on to these. 
Oxfordshire LEP helps design tailored 
programmes for each scaleup, ensuring access 
to services that encourage innovation, finance 
and mentoring as well as  a range of workshops 
and masterclasses. New programmes added 
in 2018 equip scaleups with a comprehensive 
programme designed to help scaleups 
overcome key barriers to growth.  
The 5.2m Innovation Support for Business 
programme is designed to help companies 
commercialise innovations, promote 
business investment in innovation and 
strengthening links between businesses and 
researchers. Oxfordshire has invested in  a 
network of four Innovation Centres offering 
space and wrap-around support to high 
growth potential companies. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: With the largest cluster of R&D facilities in Western Europe, Oxfordshire 
is strengthening its ambition to nurture scaleups in high growth sectors  particularly life sciences, space and satellite 
applications, autonomous vehicles, high performance engineering, quantum computing and creative and digital sectors. Its 
local Industrial Strategy will have a strong focus on support for high growth potential companies. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier to growth is access to 
international markets, followed by access 
to the talent. They are looking for a range 
of support from Catapults and Innovate 
UK to general business support from local 
or national government and from their 
local professional services. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers  internationally 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Catapults General business support 
from local or national Government 
  Innovate UK 
  Local professional services e.g. 
accountants and lawyers 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
455
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
175
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
7.4bn
62,483
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
355
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
85
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
259
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
SUMO DIGITAL   
Sumo Digital develops games that can be 
played on multiple platforms, including 
PlayStation and PC. 
XEROS   
Xeros has developed "virtually waterless" 
laundry cleaning using a polymer based 
method, which reduces the cost and 
environmental impact compared to 
conventional detergents. Xeros was floated 
on AIM in March 2014. 
BLUETREE   
Bluetree provides commercial printing 
services, specialising in large format print 
and 3D POS design and production. 
CHESTERFIELD POULTRY   
Chesterfield Poultry wholesales halal poultry. 
EVOLUTION POWER TOOLS   
Evolution Power Tools designs and 
manufactures power tools for construction 
professionals and specialise in power tools for 
cutting and drilling steel.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
METALYSIS   
Metalysis has developed a technology 
that it claims allows it toproduce metal 
and alloy powders with reduced costs and 
carbonfootprint. This technology can be used to 
make titanium powder for 3D printing. 
STRATA   
Strata builds houses. 
DON VALLEY ENGINEERING   
Don Valley Engineering designs, manufactures 
and installs machinery for the mineral 
extraction and power generation industries. 
SUMO DIGITAL   
Sumo Digital develops games that can be 
played on multiple platforms, including 
PlayStation and PC. 
UNIVERSAL RECYCLING   
Universal Recycling provides waste 
management services, specialising in recycling 
car parts, scrap metal and cables.   
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP  
PROGRAMMES
Business Sheffield is supporting companies 
planning or experiencing growth through the 
Growth Hub Enhancement Project.  The project 
provides dedicated account managers who 
can advise companies on support relevant to 
their needs, which include intensive one-to-
one support and demand-led masterclasses.  
Complementing this broader offer, there is a 
team of three specialist scale-up advisors for 
digital companies. 
A number of new self-organising networks/
meetups have sprung up to support business 
growth and leadership, such as Sheffield Digital 
Leadership meetup and the Sheffield Women in 
Tech network.   
The RISE scheme (supporting growing businesses 
to access graduate talent) is in its fifth year of 
delivery, having supported over 320 growing 
companies to employ more than 400 graduates.  
The economic impact of the scheme has been 
independently assessed to have been 7.3m from 
the past three years.   
SHEFFIELD CITY REGION LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The Kollider Tech Hub has started operating in a temporary space in 
advance of the opening of Castle House, early in 2019. This will have acceleration and incubation activity, 
including via Barclays Eagle Labs. Sheffield City Council is set to refresh its economic strategy, followed by 
developing an action plan on key projects.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to markets in 
the UK, access to talent and to leadership 
programmes. They are also looking 
for support through local leadership 
programmes as well as peer to peer 
networks and Growth Hubs. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Local leadership development 
programmes 
 Peer to peer networks 
 Growth Hubs 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
860
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
330
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
9.3bn
82,411
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
710
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
180
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
260
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
ON SITE GROUP   
On Site Group provides recruitment and 
communication services, specialising in the 
engineering sector and covering a number of 
areas such as the Automotive, Aerospace, Energy, 
among others. Companies in the group includes 
On Site Technical and On Site Connect.  
OWNTONS   
Owntons runs a chain of family owned butchers 
supplying lamb, beef, pork and game meat. 
A2C   
A2C trades IT equipment in bulk.  
PATHFINDER   
Pathfinder operates a recruitment company, hiring 
for temporary and permanent roles within the 
driving, industrial and commercial sectors, and for 
jobs in ports. 
MILLBROOK GROUP   
Millbrook Group operates a number of different 
companies such as Millbrook Painting and 
Millbrook Healthcare.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
BENEFEX   
Benefex provides flexible, online employee reward 
and benefit schemes. 
STEWART SIGNS   
Stewart Signs designs and produces signs to be 
displayed on a wide range of surfaces, including 
trains, fleets, architecture and ships.  
WILLIAMS SHIPPING   
Williams Shipping offers a range of logistic and 
marine services, including container hire and sale, 
storage and warehousing, and vessel carter. 
CAPTEC   
CAPTEC manufactures specialist computers and 
provides IT infrastructure support services to their 
clients, who exist in a number of sectors such as 
medical, energy and defence.  
HIGHWOOD GROUP   
The Highwood Group operates a land 
acquisition and propertyconstruction company, 
specialising in building residential properties and 
care home developments. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
SOLENT LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The LEP has made available a new fund 
called the Solent Prosperity Fund to 
support High Growth Potential Businesses 
through capital investment. The fund is 
accessible and simplified for businesses to 
achieve scale. 
The Solent LEP Growth Hub also has a 
Growth Accelerator Programme providing 
intensive support for businesses which have 
been trading for at least 2 years with 10 
to 250 staff and turnover between 250k 
and 25m. 
Investment is being made into skills 
programmes as provided by the Civil 
Engineering Training Centre to make 
available the talent required by scaling 
businesses in the civil engineering sector. 
Action in this area also includes the 
introduction of the Solent Apprenticeship 
Hub delivered through a range of partners 
designed to create opportunities and provide 
skilled employees to support growth.
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP is planning a "Solent Scale Up Programme" involving 15 
scaleup businesses selected through an application process. The programme will develop leadership skills 
and create peer to peer networks and include identifying and working with the region's top 40 businesses to 
boost leadership skills through a range of roundtable events. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barrier is access to talent, 
followed by access to markets and 
infrastructure. They are looking for 
support from peer to peer networks, 
Innovate UK and professional services. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers  internationally
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Innovate UK 
  Local professional services 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
875
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
350
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
9.8bn
69,412
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
700
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
175
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
261
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
SOUTH EAST LEP
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
Data provided by ONS
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
MOTORCLEAN   
Motorclean provides car valeting services to retailers 
of cars. 
CONNEELY GROUP   
Conneely Group provides interior and exterior 
drylining and facade finishing services.  
APOGEE CORPORATION   
Apogee Corporation manufactures and sells hardware 
and software used in office print and processing 
systems. 
CALL ASSIST   
Call Assist provides vehicle rescue services for broken 
down cars, bikes and marine vessels.  
NATURE'S FINEST   
Nature's Finest has developed a range of fruit salads 
in juice.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
COOPER ESTATES   
Cooper Estates operates a property investment 
and development company. Civils   
Civils operates a construction company, working 
on a range of projects from aviation infrastructure 
to residential properties.  
SMITH & OUZMAN   
Smith & Ouzman prints secure documents for  
a range of clients such as universities, banks  
and governments; applying a variety of 
technologies to ensure security, such as 
watermarks and holograms.
E&S HEATING & VENTILATION   
E&S Heating & Ventilation manufactures and 
installs ductwork for the construction industry.  
GROUND CONTROL   
Ground Control provides a range of grounds 
maintenance services, such as snow clearance, 
landscape design, gardening and roofing. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
To meet the needs of the markedly different 
sectors and clusters in the South East LEP's 
area, three regional sub-hubs  Business Essex 
Southend and Thurrock, Business East Sussex 
and the Kent and Medway Business Hub  
deliver targeted action. 
Programmes offered in the region include 
Scaleup Ashford -a  six-month bespoke 
programme of support led by a business 
coach.  Scaleup West Kent launched in 
October. Sandwich's Discovery Park is 
providing scaleups with the space and support 
to progress on the site of Pfizer's former 
European research headquarters  now a 
vibrant community of scientists, innovators, 
process designers, experts and professionals. 
The LEP is also reviewing evidence from scale-
up projects in comparable areas to develop a 
bespoke programme. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP plans to develop a peer-to-peer network for scaling businesses 
in Essex and offer bespoke sector-specific scale-up programmes at the Discovery Park Enterprise Zone. In 
East Sussex the LEP will select companies to trial a number of different intervention models. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access to 
talent and access to UK markets. They 
are looking for a range of support from 
public sector funding for innovation, 
business support from government, LEPS 
and procurement contracts to the British 
Business Bank. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers  internationally
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  British Business Bank 
  General business support from local 
or national Government LEPs (Local 
Enterprise Partnerships) 
  Procurement contracts 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits)
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
KEY SECTORS:
2020
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
730
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
22.8bn
143,244
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
1690
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
400
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
262
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
STEVEN EAGELL TOYOTA   
Steven Eagell Toyota operates a number of new and 
used Toyota vehicle dealerships throughout the UK, 
also offering repair and maintenance services. 
BROADWAY STAMPINGS   
Broadway Stampings manufactures metal pressings 
and stampings for the automotive industry. 
NEVILLE CONSTRUCTION GROUP OF 
COMPANIES   
Neville Construction Group of Companies runs 
a few businesses in the property industry such as 
construction and property development companies.  
CHARGEMASTER   
Chargemaster provides a comprehensive range  
of electric vehicle charging points that have  
been developed to accommodate new 
technological advances. 
PANTHER LOGISTICS   
Panther Logistics provides logistic services to 
retailers including 2-man assisted delivery, 
installation and removal.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
CHARGEMASTER   
Chargemaster provides a comprehensive range  
of electric vehicle charging points that have  
been developed to accommodate new 
technological advances. 
BLUE CHIP   
Blue Chip specialises in hardware maintenance and 
the support of IBM products. The company also offers 
data storage, backup and website hosting services. 
TXM PLANT   
TXM Plant is a supplier of vehicles for construction 
and maintenance to the rail industry. 
STEVEN EAGELL TOYOTA   
Steven Eagell Toyota operates a number of new and 
used Toyota vehicle dealerships throughout the UK, 
also offering repair and maintenance services. 
ALTODIGITAL   
Altodigital supplies office technology to companies 
in the UK, with relevant IT consultancy services 
also provided.   
Data powered by Beauhurst  
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
SEMLEP is currently developing a 
local industrial strategy; one of the 
priority themes coming out of this 
work is supporting scaleups. The area 
is the third strongest LEP area in the 
country for startups, but this strong 
performance is not carrying through to 
the scale-up stage. To turn this around, 
SEMLEP's Growth Hub is looking 
to provide a more comprehensive 
package of support to scale-up 
businesses, in conjunction with local 
universities. The Growth Hub is also 
looking to strengthen the pipeline of 
skills that local scale-up employers 
need and to increase the quantity of 
suitable employment premises for 
scale-up businesses.  
KEY SECTORS:
1000
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
395
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
39.0bn
70,047
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
825
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
220
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
SOUTH EAST MIDLANDS LEP
Data provided by ONS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access to 
talent and UK markets. They are looking 
for a range of help and support from local 
and regional government, the Business 
Bank and Innovate UK, alongside peer to 
peer networks. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 British Business Bank 
 Local and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS,Growth Hubs, city councils 
 Innovate UK 
 Peer to peer networks 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
263
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
KNIGHTS BMW   
Knights BMW operates a number of car 
dealerships that sell BMWs. 
PDM   
PDM grows a range of lettuce and baby  
leaf produce.  
BRI-STOR SYSTEMS   
Bri-Stor Systems manufactures van storage 
systems and provides vanconversion services.  
GRINDEYS SOLICITORS   
Grindeys Solicitors provides a variety of legal 
services for businesses and consumers. 
BET365   
bet365 offers online sports and in-game 
betting services. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
KNIGHTS BMW   
Knights BMW operates a number of car 
dealerships that sell BMWs. 
BET365   
bet365 offers online sports and in-game 
betting services. 
PDM   
PDM grows a range of lettuce and baby  
leaf produce.  
A.P. WEBB PLANT HIRE   
A.P. Webb Plant Hire supplies the construction 
and rail industries with a variety of plant 
machinery and trucks on a rental basis. 
WELLS FARM DAIRY   
Wells Farm Dairy supplies milk and other dairy 
products as well as eggs, bread, and juices to 
retailers, wholesalers, and food processors.  
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
A strong, well-established partnership 
network delivers scaleup services in the 
region, ensuring growing companies have 
access to a range of services and experience. 
A high-level Partnership Group and 
Enterprise Round Table facilitate intelligence 
sharing and networking opportunities. 
The Growth Hub tailors its approach 
according to each company's growth status, 
current position and ambition. The top 100 
growth businesses across the region have 
a dedicated account manager and activity 
is monitored through an investment and 
development database. 
Advisers using an account management 
model target a further 250 businesses 
with demonstrable growth potential. Each 
business receives a business assessment 
report and ongoing access to services. 
Visits to companies involve established 
partners, minimising disruption to business 
but allowing for maximum intelligence and 
information sharing. 
STOKE-ON-TRENT AND STAFFORDSHIRE 
LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Look out for our developing scaleup programme in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to UK 
markets and access to talent, followed 
by infrastructure. The key forms of 
support sought are peer to peer networks, 
Innovate UK and professional services. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband 
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Peer to peer networks 
 Local professional services 
 Innovate UK 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
510
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
220
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
4.5bn
33,990
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
415
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
125
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
264
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
ANIMAL FRIENDS PET INSURANCE   
Animal Friends provides pet insurance. 
WILTSHIRE CONCRETE   
Wiltshire Concrete distributes a range of 
building materials and machinery for hire and 
sale such as concrete mixers, pumps and skips. 
TITHEGROVE   
Tithegrove provides civil engineering and 
groundworks services on a contractual basis.  
TMTI   
TMTI provides businesses with tech support 
services such as customer helplines, product 
testing and interactive simulations and tutorials.  
RED HOUSE FOODS   
Red House Foods produces a range of gluten-
free food. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
ATLAS GENETICS   
Binx Health (formerly Atlas Genetics) is developing 
devices designed to diagnose a range of infectious 
diseases, including chlamydia and gonorrhoea. 
MYOPTIQUE GROUP   
MyOptique Group runs several online optical 
retailers that sellprescription glasses, sunglasses 
and contact lenses. 
TITHEGROVE   
Tithegrove provides civil engineering and 
groundworks services on a contractual basis.  
BIG VAN WORLD   
Big Van World runs an online car dealership for 
new and used vehicles, specialising in vans.  
REPL   
REPL manufactures cable accessories, such as 
cable joints, cable terminations and heatshrink. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
SWINDON AND WILTSHIRE LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The LEP continues to work with a partner 
delivering the Inspire Elite Programme 
for scaleups. This programme focuses on a 
combination of peer-to-peer networking 
 now involving 150 businesses  and 
education, intensive support through 
workshops, one-to-one advice and senior 
management team mentoring and a 
signposting service to all publicly funded 
programmes and commercial expertise. 
Members are offered an in-house 
recruitment service, guidance on developing 
a successfuldistribution strategy, support to 
access funding and leadership development 
through the Goldmans Sachs 10,000 Small 
Businesses UK programme. 
A key element of the programme is help to 
develop clear business strategies for growth. 
Businesses are offered strategy advice and 
guidance on developing a winning strategy, 
often followed by workshops with the whole 
management team. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Inspire Elite has now established in Bristol and recently recruited an 
Account Manager to lead work with scaleups in the area. The plan is to launch the programme in Heart of the 
South West (covering Plymouth, Exeter and Taunton) in 2019.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to UK markets, access to talent and 
infrastructure. The key forms of support 
they are looking for are peer to peer 
networks and access to public sector 
funding for innovation, followed by Growth 
Hubs and general business support from 
local and national government. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers  internationally
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  General business support from local or 
national Government 
  Growth Hubs
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
335
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
135
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
8.2bn
33,113
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
280
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
80
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
265
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
GREENCROFT MILK SUPPLIES   
Greencroft Milk Supplies sources, sells and 
distributes milk products to individual homes, 
retailers, bakeries and caterers. 
BMSL GROUP   
BMSL Group provides recruitment services to 
businesses and employers in the construction, 
rail, building and engineering sectors. 
CAMERONS BREWERY   
Camerons Brewery operates a brewery. 
MODUS SEABED INTERVENTION   
Modus Seabed Intervention operates unmanned 
submersible crafts toaid in work undertaken 
on the seabed, such as oil exploration and 
maintenance of offshore wind-farms. 
ALEXANDERS MOTOR GROUP   
Alexanders Motor Group operates a number of 
car dealerships which sell new and used vehicles 
and offer maintenance and repair services. 
Data powered by Beauhurst  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
APPLIED GRAPHENE MATERIALS   
Applied Graphene Materials, formerly trading 
as Durham Graphene Science, specialises in 
the synthesis of graphene. The company uses a 
scalable bottom-up approach to prepare graphene 
that is protected by a patent application. 
WYNYARD HALL   
Wynyard Hall operates a hotel which includes a 
spa, gardens and dining facilities.  
MODUS SEABED INTERVENTION   
Modus Seabed Intervention operates unmanned 
submersible crafts to aid in work undertaken 
on the seabed, such as oil exploration and 
maintenance of offshore wind-farms. 
BMSL GROUP   
BMSL Group provides recruitment services to 
businesses and employers in the construction, 
rail, building and engineering sectors. 
GREENCROFT MILK SUPPLIES   
Greencroft Milk Supplies sources, sells and 
distributes milk products to individual homes, 
retailers, bakeries and caterers.  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Tees Valley responded to the ScaleUp 
Institute's finding that scaleups in its area 
were not capitalising on the opportunity 
to grow further by working with Teeside 
University to develop LEAP 50. This fully-
funded programme was launched in July 
2018 with the aim of helping at least 50 
ambitious Tees Valley businesses. 
The programme includes a two-day 
residential and 12 one-day workshops 
providing knowledge, experience and 
personal leader development alongside 
practical ways of unlocking barriers to 
growth. Peer-to-peer learning is also another 
significant element of the programme. 
Digital CitySCALE Programme is a three-
month programme for ambitious business 
owners in the digital and technology sectors. 
The programme involves implementing 
processes and systems to ensure that 
the company has the capability to grow, 
with a focus on strategy formation, 
people & leadership, intellectual property 
development and finance. 
TEES VALLEY LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Tees Valley Combined Authority will continue their partnership with 
Teesside University to deliver LEAP 50 helping deliver jobs and boosting the economy in the Tees Valley. A 
second cohort has recently started DigitalCity SCALE and the programme will be delivered at a number of 
key locations across the Tees Valley.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access to 
UK markets, access to talent, leadership 
development and infrastructure. The 
key forms of support they are primarily 
local: professional services, peer to 
peer networks, leadership development 
programmes and universities, but 
also include banks and other financial 
suppliers. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can hire who 
can do the jobs you have available 
Access to markets and customers in 
the UK 
Access to infrastructure/premises and 
broadband 
Leadership development: training and 
developing the people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Local professional services e.g. 
accountants and lawyers 
 Banks and other financial suppliers 
 Local leadership development 
programmes 
 Local universities and business 
schools e.g. access to their talent, 
facilities and R&D 
 Peer to peer networks 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
230
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
95
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
1.8bn
18,326
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
195
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
60
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
266
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
HALA LIMITED   
Hala Limited operates a Domino's franchisee, 
which operates a pizza restaurant chain. 
ARCHWAY SERVICES   
Archway Services provides scaffolding and 
temporary access services on a contractual base. 
ANESCO   
Anesco provides efficient energy product packages, 
energy cost-tracking and maintenance services. 
JAKE'S PLAYBARN   
Jake's Playbarn operates a children's play centre 
and a mini farm. 
ALERTME   
AlertMe has developed a device that aims to 
help homeowners reduce energy consumption. 
The company also enables clients to check their 
energy consumption online. 
Data powered by Beauhurst
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
DISPLAYDATA   
Displaydata (formerly ZBD Solutions) designs 
and supplies electronic shelf labels (ESL) and 
associated software products for the retail industry. 
ALERTME   
AlertMe has developed a device that aims to 
help homeowners reduce energy consumption. 
The company also enables clients to check their 
energy consumption online. 
ESP   
ESP offers a range of IT support and  
consultancy services. 
NEILSON FINANCIAL SERVICES   
Neilson Financial Services operates a number of 
international insurance brands that specialise in 
providing life insurance for families and the over 
18s and over 50s age groups. 
TENEO   
Teneo provides businesses with a variety of IT 
management, maintenance and support services, 
dealing both with infrastructure and software.  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
THAMES VALLEY BERKSHIRE LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
After investigating the specific needs of 
scaleups in its area, including using one-to-
one interviews with business leaders, Thames 
Valley Berkshire has launched the ScaleUp 
Berkshire Programme aimed at ambitious 
businesses with turnover above 1m to 
make existing offerings visible and close the 
gaps identified during the mapping process. 
The new fully-funded ScaleUp Berkshire 
Programme will be targeted to existing and 
potential scaling businesses identified via 
the LEP's own dataset and the HMRC pilot. 
It will:
  Explain services and support available locally 
and nationally and connect businesses to 
relevant support;
  Provide one-to-one account 
management support to help businesses 
develop their strategy;
  Connect businesses to tools to implement 
and monitor their business strategy; and,
  Introduce businesses to other local scale-
up business leaders to share ideas, learn 
what works and build mutually beneficial 
relationships.
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The ScaleUp Berkshire Programme will be rolled out over 2018-2020 
with plans to recruit and account manage a minimum of 25 existing and potential Berkshire scaleups per 
year. The Advisory Group will review sustainability over time and make recommendations to the LEP so that 
the Programme has longevity beyond the initial 2-year period of BEIS funding.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access to 
talent and UK markets. They are also 
looking for access to infrastructure and 
to external support and advice, citing 
local support in the form of peer to peer 
networks, local professional services and 
local and regional government. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers  internationally
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local and Regional Government e.g. 
LEPS,Growth Hubs, city councils 
  Local professional services e.g. 
accountants and lawyers 
  Peer to peer networks 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
580
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
250
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
28.0bn
94,267
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
460
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
130
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
267
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
NORTHGATE HEALTHCARE  
Northgate Healthcare operates a number of care 
homes, providing residential care for the elderly. 
GUESTLINE  
Guestline has developed guest and property 
management software for companies in the 
hospitality industry. They also produce front-facing 
marketing websites; seen by guests, for example, 
when they access a hotel's internet connection.  
S&A PRODUCE  
S&A Produce grows a variety of soft fruit, asparagus 
and avocados in locations around the world, and 
sells them in the UK and throughout Europe. 
GRAINGER & WORRALL  
Grainger & Worrall designs and manufactures 
automotive components made by metal casting, 
for use in hi-specification vehicles within the 
motorsport industry. 
DODD GROUP  
Dodd Group designs and installs mechanical and 
electrical systems for buildings in a range of sectors, 
such as education and leisure, with relevant repair 
and maintenance services also provided.  
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
WYE VALLEY GROUP  
Wye Valley Group operates a number of 
construction and recycling companies including 
Wye Valley Demolition , Wye Valley Metals and 
Wye Valley Skips . 
EUROPEAN AVIATION  
European Aviation operates a group of 5 
companies that specialise in aircraft manufacturing, 
maintenance, pilot training and aircraft operations.  
SHROPSHIRE HOMES  
Shropshire Homes operates a property construction 
company, specialising in new build and refurbished 
residential developments. 
NORTHWOOD  
Northwood operates a number of companies that 
manufacture and supply a number of paper-based 
products such as toilet roll and tissue paper, mostly 
from recycled office waste-paper. Edmo Edmo 
designs, manufactures and installs a variety of 
extruded aluminium components and products. 
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The Marches is working closely with high-
growth businesses in agri-tech, defence 
and security sectors including the 
rapidly-emerging cyber security area. 
Partnership with organisations and 
neighbouring LEPs remain important 
in the delivery of programmes such 
as the Midlands Engine Investment 
Fund which provides a range of 
funding sources for scaling businesses. 
It is also a partner in the Agri-Tech 
West Alliance with three other LEPs 
working with businesses and further/
higher education to boost skills and 
opportunities, applying research and 
innovation to the sector. 
Grants and support have also been 
made available under the Business 
Growth Programme, creating nearly 
200 jobs, and the Manufacturing 
Growth Programme which has 
helped 50 businesses identify and 
remove barriers to growth. The 
SmarterGrowthprogramme is  
helping business leaders with  
coaching and mentoring.
THE MARCHES LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP is partnered with Aston and Harper Adams Universities to 
deliver the Agri-tech Growth and Resources for Innovation project which will support 90 businesses over 3 
years to innovate and develop new products and services. A new Cyber Security Centre in Hereford will link 
cyber research with business  to commercialise new innovations. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access 
to UK markets and access 
to talent, followed by 
infrastructure. The key forms 
of support sought are peer to 
peer networks, Innovate UK 
and professional services. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup 
Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can hire who can 
do the jobs you have available 
Access to markets and customers in the UK 
Access to infrastructure/premises and 
broadband
Leadership development: training and 
developing the people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Peer to peer networks 
 Local professional services 
 Innovate UK 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
330
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
130
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
3.9bn
27,517
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
265
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
65
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
268
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
BRC   
BRC provides recruitment services for the social 
housing, construction and care industries.  
INDIGO FOODS   
Indigo Foods operates as a holding company for 
a number of businesses that produce meat based 
products for food retailers, including The Welsh 
Pantry and BM Foods . 
MOLSON GROUP   
Molson Group is a supplier of machinery and 
equipment for the construction industry. 
FIDELIUS   
Fidelius provides a range of financial services 
for businesses and individuals, specialising 
in employees benefits, insurance and wealth 
management. 
KINGS COURT TRUST   
Kings Court Trust provides legal services, 
specialising in probate (dealing with a person's 
assets after death). 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INDIGO FOODS   
Indigo Foods operates as a holding company for 
a number of businesses that produce meat based 
products for food retailers, including The Welsh 
Pantry and BM Foods . 
MD GROUP   
The MD Group operates a property construction 
and maintenance company, providing a wide 
range of refurbishment, building services and 
utility system repairs. 
KINGS COURT TRUST   
Kings Court Trust provides legal services, 
specialising in probate (dealing with a person's 
assets after death). 
UPLANDS   
Uplands operates a property construction 
company, specialising in new-build and 
refurbishment projects within the retail and 
leisure sectors. 
MAWDSLEYS PUMP SERVICES 
Mawdsleys Pump Services provides installation, 
maintenance and repair services for a range of 
pumping systems such as sewage pumps.   
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
WEST OF ENGLAND LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
The West of England has appointed a Scaleup 
Enabler to ensure a strong ecosystem that 
responds to the specific needs of local 
scaleup businesses. 
Significant achievements during the 
year include the mapping of the regional 
ecosystem in the Scaleup Generator, 
identifying existing services and programmes 
and categorising them against the challenges 
faced by growing companies and the 
development of the Scaleup Company Map 
which highlights 700+ invisible scaleups 
and around 100 visible scaleups. In addition, 
the Scaleup Enabler has held more than 50 
scaleup meetings to explore the challenges 
faced by growing companies. 
Acting as a catalyst the Scaleup Enabler has 
brought the local investment community 
together to ease access to finance and pressed 
the case for more local infrastructure which 
has led to three multi-occupancy office spaces 
coming onto the market in Bristol. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: More action to encourage finance options for scaleups through a 
quarterly investment briefing, continued briefing events and support for peer-to-peer networks, sharing of 
data, resources and maps to demonstrate the strength of the region. The British Business Bank will bring new 
support through the recruitment of a regional team. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth are access 
to talent and UK markets, followed by 
infrastructure. The support they are 
looking for is from peer to peer networks, 
public sector funding for innovation and 
local universities and business schools. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers internationally
Access to infrastructure/
premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Public sector funding for innovation 
and R&D (e.g. tax credits) 
  Local universities and business schools 
e.g. access to their talent, facilities and 
R&D
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
715
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
295
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
7.1bn
76,332
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
605
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
185
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
269
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
GTECH  
Gtech produces cordless vacuum cleaners, garden 
tools, power sweepers and electronic bikes.  
LIONCOURT HOMES  
Lioncourt Homes operates a residential 
property developer.  
PRIME  
Prime offers property management, design and 
development services to the healthcare industry.  
HERITAGE MANOR  
Heritage Manor operates a number of care 
homes that provide residency and care services 
for the elderly with dementia. 
INDUSTRIAL & TRACTOR  
Industrial & Tractor supplies tubular 
components to a range of industries from 
agricultural to automotive.   
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LIONCOURT HOMES  
Lioncourt Homes operates a residential 
property developer.  
GTECH   
Gtech produces cordless vacuum cleaners, garden 
tools, power sweepers and electronic bikes.  
LUDLOWTHOMPSON   
Ludlowthompson operates an independent 
estate agents for residential properties.  
HERITAGE MANOR   
Heritage Manor operates a number of care 
homes that provide residency and care services 
for the elderly with dementia. 
MAINSTAY GROUP   
Mainstay Group provides residential, 
commercial property and facilities management 
services such as rental collection and increasing 
the property's value.  
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Working with the Chamber of Commerce, 
Worcestershire County Council's ERDF 
programmes and Growth Hub, the LEP 
plans to search for, identify and qualify 
potential scaleups. It has two current offers 
for scaleups:  
  BizSmart  delivering a comprehensive 
programme is a 12 month programme with 
monthly tutorials and exercises, an in-
depth analysis of the business performance 
and benchmarking against statistically 
proven drivers of value. BizSmart also 
provides SmartBoards which deliver peer-
to-peer networking and is supported by 
business experts to scaleup companies. 
  A new technology accelerator called 
'BetaDen'. Situated at Malvern Hills 
Science Park, BetaDen will offer scaleup 
businesses a package of business support 
including free office space, mentorship 
from our handpicked experts, access to 
Worcestershire's 5G testbed advice and 
proof of concept funds. 
WORCESTERSHIRE LEP
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP is ambition is to prove that the BetaDen model works and 
then roll out to all locations across the county, making it financially sustainable. 
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to 
UK markets and access to talent, 
followed by infrastructure. The 
key forms of support sought are 
peer to peer networks, Innovate 
UK and professional services. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 
2018
Access to the talent you can hire who 
can do the jobs you have available 
Access to markets and customers in 
the UK 
Access to infrastructure/premises and 
broadband 
Leadership development: training and 
developing the people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Peer to peer networks 
 Local professional services 
 Innovate UK 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
340
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
110
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
2.8bn
19,877
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
290
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
60
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
270
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
CAWINGREDIENTS  
Cawingredients manufactures and packages 
soft drinks and advises brands in the soft drink 
industry on product development. 
RBA MOODY BROS (CONTRACTORS)  
RBA Moody Bros (Contractors) builds and 
restores properties,specialising in buildings 
within the education and healthcare sectors 
and new-build housing.  They also manufacture 
timber furniture and joinery. 
WHITBY SEAFOODS  
Whitby Seafoods produces chilled and  
frozen seafood. 
METCALFE FARMS  
Metcalfe Farms operates a number of divisions 
within the automotive, agricultural machinery 
and distribution sectors, including a garage, an 
agricultural machinery hire business, and a haulage 
division which specialises in the transportation of 
heavy goods.  It also operates a crop and dairy farm.   
SAM TURNER & SONS  
Sam Turner & Sons sells garden supplies, 
machinery and accessories. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
NEWQUIP  
Newquip sells pig and poultry equipment made 
by Big Dutchman . 
BRIGHT STEELS  
Bright Steels produces and supplies steel flat and 
square bars.  
IAN MOSEY  
Ian Mosey manufactures and supplies animal 
feed to the agriculturalindustry.  
PROCTERS COACHES  
Procters Coaches provides coaches and 
minibuses for hire.  
SAM TURNER & SONS  
Sam Turner & Sons sells garden supplies, 
machinery and accessories.   
Data powered by Beauhurst 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
YORK, NORTH YORKSHIRE AND EAST  
RIDING LEP
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Current: The York, North Yorkshire and 
East Riding LEP is committed to developing 
services that help businesses to scale 
up in a way that delivers wide societal, 
environmental and economic impacts across 
the region. The LEP has moved away from 
a sector specific approach to focus on 
the ambitions, opportunities and growth 
potential of businesses across the region. 
The LEP is works closely with its partners 
to support them in designing business 
support services that are based on 
extensive economic, demographic and 
ethnographic analysis and new programmes 
focused on scaleups will be launched in 
the coming year. Business leaders are 
supported by wraparound relationship 
management provided by two dedicated 
business relationship managers who work 
with them face to face to help them to 
realise their ambitions.  
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: The LEP currently has a number of scaleup services in various stages 
of development and will be launched over the next 12 months including Investor Readiness, Leadership and 
Management and Supply Chain support services. For further information contact support@howsbusiness.org
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers are access to markets in 
the UK, access to talent and to leadership 
programmes. They are also looking 
for support through local leadership 
programmes as well as peer to peer 
networks and Growth Hubs.
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can 
hire who can do the jobs you 
have available 
Access to markets and 
customers internationally
Leadership development: 
training and developing the 
people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Local leadership development 
programmes 
  Peer to peer networks 
  Growth Hubs
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
610
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
235
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
4.9bn
36,602
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
510
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
135
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
LEADERSHIP
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
271
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TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
TRACEY CONCRETE   
Tracey Concrete manufactures pre-cast 
concrete products specialising in drainage 
equipment, such as pipes and rings. 
B.MCCAFFREY & SONS LTD   
B.McCaffrey & Sons Ltd manufactures and 
distributes a variety of sand and gravel made 
building products such as gravel, asphalt plants 
and window panels. 
MAC-INTERIORS   
Mac-Interiors offers construction, interior fit-
out and refurbishment services, specialising in 
commercial interiors.  
ABBEY BOND LOVIS   
Abbey Bond Lovis provide corporate insurance 
for companies involved in a variety of industries, 
such as agriculture, manufacturing and 
commercial property.  
SIMPLYFRUIT   
Simplyfruit manufactures and distributes fresh 
fruit produce. 
Data powered by Beauhurst 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
TRACEY CONCRETE   
Tracey Concrete manufactures pre-cast 
concrete products specialising in drainage 
equipment, such as pipes and rings. 
B.MCCAFFREY & SONS LTD   
B.McCaffrey & Sons Ltd manufactures and 
distributes a variety of sand and gravel made 
building products such as gravel, asphalt plants 
and window panels. 
HEARTSINE TECHNOLOGIES   
HeartSine Technologies develops mobile 
defibrillators which are used to treat patients 
undergoing cardiac arrest. 
ABBEY BOND LOVIS   
Abbey Bond Lovis provide corporate insurance 
for companies involved in a variety of industries, 
such as agriculture, manufacturing and 
commercial property.  
WILSONS AUCTIONS   
Wilsons Auctions provides independent 
auctioneering services to various sectors 
such as construction, private treaties and 
government auctions. 
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Data provided by ONS
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Invest Northern Ireland aims to support 
scaling companies to grow faster and 
succeed by supporting them to drive 
higher levels of innovation, increase 
competitiveness and increase exports. The 
approach is based around dedicated scaleup 
services led by relationship managers. 
It has introduced a Scaling Programme 
aimed at ambitious companies achieving 
20% growth per annum and with a 
minimum turnover of 10 million.  Senior 
teams from these companies are given 
access to leadership, business development 
and coaching programmes, increased 
face-to-face contact with Invest NI 
Client Managers and help with account 
development planning as well as support to 
overcome barriers to growth. 
Other Invest NI services include support to 
increase employment and access to skilled 
workers, advice on access to overseas markets 
and partnerships with universities and others 
to stimulate clustering and collaboration. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Invest NI aims to double the number of participating companies in the 
Scaling Programme
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
Scaleups in Northern Ireland view 
many barriers as equally important: 
access to talent, leadership 
development, access to UK markets, 
bank finance and infrastructure 
were all seen as critical. They want 
more support from local leadership 
development programmes and 
universities, as well as banks and peer 
to peer networks 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can hire who can do the 
jobs you have available
Leadership development: training and developing 
the people you have
Access to markets and customers in the UK
Access to the right bank finance for the business 
(including debt finance, bank loans, credit cards, 
overdrafts)
Access to infrastructure/premises and broadband
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
  Banks and other financial 
suppliers 
  Local leadership development 
programmes 
  Local universities and business 
schools e.g. access to their 
talent, facilities and R&D 
  Peer to peer networks 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
905
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
340
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
8.9bn
62,277
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
730
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
165
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
NORTHERN IRELAND
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
272
ANNEX 1
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
EDEN SCOTT   
Eden Scott provides specialised recruitment 
services to businesses for specific projects and 
campaigns, covering both professional and 
technical employees.  
INTERACTIVE INVESTOR   
Interactive Investor is a community of traders 
and investors, which provides execution-only 
products and services that enables its site users 
to trade and invest directly from the site. 
GRAMPIAN CONTINENTAL   
Grampian Continental provides specialist 
road transport for the oil & gas and energy 
industries, including hazardous goods such as 
explosives, gases, and radioactive material, as 
well as abnormal loads such as wind turbine 
towers and blades. 
LORIMER CARE HOMES LTD   
Lorimer Care Homes Ltd operates a number of 
care homes for the elderly. 
GPH BUILDERS MERCHANTS   
GPH Builders Merchants sells a range of 
building materials at wholesale prices to 
construction companies. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY 
TURNOVER GROWTH
HFD GROUP   
HFD Group operates a property construction 
company specialising in designing and building 
commercial properties.  
INTERACTIVE INVESTOR   
Interactive Investor is a community of traders 
and investors, which provides execution-only 
products and services that enables its site users 
to trade and invest directly from the site. 
CAMPION HOMES   
Campion Homes designs and builds  
housing developments. 
KINNELL GROUP   
The Kinnell Group operates a number of 
insurance companies whichservice the 
construction and health industries, including  
Kinnell Corporate and National Warranties .  
ALBAVET   
Albavet operates a network of veterinary clinics.  
Data powered by Beauhurst  
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
LOCAL LEP SCALEUP 
PROGRAMMES
Scotland CAN DO Scale is working 
across public and private sectors to 
create an environment in which ambitious 
entrepreneurs have the skills and 
connections to grow to scale and are 
provided with appropriate levels of support 
and challenge from the ecosystem.  
Initiatives include Strathclyde Business 
School's Growth Advantage Programme, the 
ScaleUp Scotland leadership programme and 
the 'Scale' summer school run by Scottish 
Enterprise (SE), Highlands and Islands 
Enterprise (HIE) and the Scottish Funding 
Council. SE and HIE directly deliver a 
variety of services and programmes to over 
2,500 companies through a comprehensive 
account management service. 
The ScaleUp Scotland programme 
was launched in 2018, delivered by 
Entrepreneurial Scotland in partnership 
with The Hunter Foundation and Scottish 
Government. The first cohort comprised the 
leaders of 19 businesses who meet every 6 
weeks for a day and a half with established 
entrepreneurs and content experts. 
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: Scotland is planning to expand the number of scaleups they work with 
through various programmes, including Start2Scale and ELITE, and by participating in the HMRC data 
pilots. Scotland CAN DO Scale is continuing work to widen stakeholder involvement.
SCALEUP VIEWS: 
The key barriers to growth in Scotland 
are access to talent, access to UK 
markets and infrastructure. Their two 
key support mechanisms are local: 
peer to peer networks and universities 
and business schools, although they 
also want more support from local 
leadership development programmes 
and national Government. 
Analysis by BVA BDRC from the Scaleup Survey 2018
Access to the talent you can hire who 
can do the jobs you have available 
Access to markets and customers in 
the UK 
Access to infrastructure/premises and 
broadband
Leadership development: training and 
developing the people you have
      TOP BARRIERS TO GROWTH: 
 Local universities and business 
schools e.g. access to their talent, 
facilities and R&D 
 Peer to peer networks Local 
leadership development 
programmes 
 National Government 
     WANT TO SEE MORE OF:
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups,  
Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
Data provided by ONS
2425
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
910
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
29.5bn
188,134
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
1940
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
425
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
INFRASTRUCTURE
SCOTLAND
TALENT AND 
SKILLS
ACCESS TO 
MARKETS
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
273
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY EMPLOYEE GROWTH 
THE TRADE CENTRE WALES  
The Trade Centre Wales operates a number of car dealership 'superstores' 
that sell used cars. 
INSPIRESPORT  
Inspiresport provides sports travelling programmes, which entails organising 
professional coaching tours to some of the world's greatest sports clubs 
across a range of sports. 
BVG GROUP  
BVG Group is a manufacturer and retailer of clothing, sport supplements, 
fishing equipment and homeware, available via various channels. 
EDENSTONE HOMES  
Edenstone Homes operates a home development company which takes 
care of the whole process from surveying land, planning and design,  
and building. 
MACBRYDE HOMES  
Macbryde Homes operates a construction company that specialises in 
building homes and other residential properties. 
TOP 5 VISIBLE SCALEUPS BY TURNOVER GROWTH
TEME VALLEY TRACTORS   
Teme Valley Tractors sells and services tractors and other agricultural 
machinery. 
BEMACO STEEL   
Bemaco Steel manufactures and sells steel and steel products. 
CYDEN   
CyDen develops and manufactures hair removal devices including their 
product  SmoothSkin. 
BIOTEC SERVICES INTERNATIONAL   
Biotec Services International offers various pharmaceutical services that 
include providing supplies, product certification and sample storage, 
among others. 
THE TRADE CENTRE WALES   
The Trade Centre Wales operates a number of car dealership 'superstores' 
that sell used cars. 
Data powered by Beauhurst
These are programmes offered by the LEP and do not represent all the programmes offered to scaleups in the local area. These have not been evaluated or endorsed by the ScaleUp Institute for their impact 
and effectiveness. Data utilised at the top of this page is taken from the IDBR 2016. The confidentiality of all data held on the IDBR is protected by the National Statistics Code of Practice and associated 
Protocols and by specific legislation. In accordance with these requirements, data presented is rounded to prevent disclosure. Differences may exist in totals across tables due to disclosure methods used.
Data provided by ONS
For further information and to see a complete list of visible scaleups, Scaleup Champions and Ambassadors visit us at www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
KEY SECTORS:
1345
TOTAL NO.  
OF SCALEUPS
505
NO. BY EMPLOYEE 
GROWTH
TOTAL TURNOVER
14.2bn
110,358
TOTAL EMPLOYEES
1105
NO. BY TURNOVER 
GROWTH 
265
NO. BY EMPLOYEE AND 
TURNOVER GROWTH
WALES
WHAT'S NEXT/FUTURE PLANS: ScaleUp Institute are looking forward to engaging with Wales on  
their developingscaleup agenda..
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
 
 
      
 
 
  
 
274
ANNEX 1
275
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Annex 2
The ScaleUp Institute
The ScaleUp Institute is a private sector-led, not-for-profit 
organisation focused on collaborating with policy makers, 
corporates, finance players, educators and Government at 
a local and national level. Our mission is to help the UK to 
become the best place in the world to grow a business as well 
as start one, and enable our existing high-growth businesses to 
scale up even further.
If the UK is to capitalise on its long history as a trading nation and the vibrant 
entrepreneurial spirit which has seen an explosion in vitality over the past five years, it now 
needs to focus determinedly on how it 'leans in' to support its growing firms to scale.
The UK's future economic prosperity and social wellbeing are critically dependent upon 
our being a world-leading environment in which companies thrive once they have been 
started, enabling opportunity for reach and scale and contributing positive impact for 
generations to come.
Scaleups exist across the country and across all sectors. Evidence shows these businesses 
are also highly productive and international. Increasing the number of firms reaching scale 
has the potential to deliver hundreds of thousands of additional jobs and billions to the local 
economy, driving forward productivity in every community.
We believe that making the UK a fertile ground for developing scaleups across localities, 
industries and supply chains is fundamental to achieving both immediate and long-term UK 
economic value.
We aim to advance understanding of how to scale up a business, and how to build the 
most effective environment in which scaleups can flourish. We undertake research, 
thought leadership and targeted projects with partners. We spread best practice, providing 
opportunities for scaleup companies across industry sectors and regions to meet and share 
ideas.
Our mission is to ensure that the UK is the best place in the world to grow a business into 
a large business, thereby becoming an exemplar of what is possible when a society embeds 
understanding and collaborates at all levels.
Our network is at the heart of our support. Through our wide variety of activities, our 
economic development programme, and our policy committees and research agenda, we 
enable cross-sections of private and public sectors and local, national and international 
ecosystems to work and learn from each other. We thereby develop and assess initiatives to 
close the scaleup gap and provide solutions to the leaders of our scaling businesses.
Our vision
276
THE SCALEUP INSTITUTE
ANNEX 2
Our work 
 We act as a catalyst, bringing together national, local, business and public sector players 
to map and develop both a national and local ecosystem for scaleups. 
 We undertake detailed analysis of the scaleup landscape across the UK, providing 
evidence of how scaleups are developing at a national and local level. 
 We support the development of local scaleup ecosystems through training programmes 
and engagement with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Growth Hubs, business 
schools and universities up and down the UK. 
 We publish reports that have set the agenda for current thinking on growth and 
productivity across Government and the business community. 
 We develop policy proposals based upon rigorous evidence to evolve the business 
landscape so that the UK can become the best place to grow a business. 
 We convene experts from across the business community and academia, policymakers 
and decision makers to kick-start new thinking and deliver concrete improvements for 
fast-growing business firms, including the launch of our Annual Review. 
Our committees 
Committees provide direction and expertise to our work.
 DATA REVIEW AND EVIDENCE GATHERING  to assist public and private 
organisations to identify, target and evaluate support to scaleup companies. 
 BUILDING LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES AND CAPACITY  to support leadership 
capability and transformation in scaleup companies. 
 TALENT AND SKILLS COMMITTEE  to improve the ecosystem so scaleups can 
find employees to hire who have the skills they need. 
 ACCESS TO MARKETS (INTERNATIONALISATION, CORPORATE 
PROCUREMENT, EXPORTS AND INFRASTRUCTURE)  to facilitate and ease 
international knowledge and expansion, local supply chains and domestic procurement; 
and to enable navigation and infrastructure development necessary for scaling 
businesses.
 FINANCE AND RISK CAPITAL  to enable further understanding of, and access to, 
the right growth finance combination.
You can find out more by visiting http://www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk/about/#ourvision
277
SCALEUP INSTITUTE  |  www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk  |  @scaleupinst  |  #scaleup
Board of directors  
The Directors of the ScaleUp Institute are drawn from all constituent part of the ecosystem. 
They meet quarterly in order to ensure that the ScaleUp Institute delivers on our mandate to 
increase the number of scaleups in the UK relative to other nations. 
Thanks go to Reid Hoffman and Martha Lane Fox for their inspiration in the setup of the 
ScaleUp Institute and who will continue to be Ambassadors and guide our thinking in the 
future. We welcome new board members Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, Sahar Hashemi and Andy 
Richards and look forward to working with them over the coming years.
NAME
COMMITTEE
Sherry Coutu CBE
Chair of Board and Evidence Committee
Irene Graham, CEO
The Board & Thematic committees
Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne
The Board
Sahar Hashemi
The Board
Thomas Hoegh
Evidence
Charlotte Keenan
Leadership Development
Luca Peyrano
Finance
Tamara Rajah
Evidence
Andy Richards
The Board
Jon Rhodes
Access to Markets
Sancho Simmonds
Finance, Audit and Risk
Jon Steinberg
Talent and Skills
Professor Peter Tufano
Evidence
278
THE SCALEUP INSTITUTE
ANNEX 2
Ambassadors  
The ScaleUp Institute Ambassadors have been helping us since 2014 in a range of ways and from a variety of locations around 
the world. All are scaleup experts in their own right. We keep them informed of updates in scaleup policy and research as well as 
involving them in our activities around the country. All of our Committee members are also Ambassadors for the ScaleUp Institute. 
NAME
TITLE
ORGANISATION
Toby Austin*
Co-Founder and CEO
Beauhurst (scaleup)
Tudor Aw
Partner
Technology Sector Head, KPMG Europe LLP
Lord Karan Bilimoria CBE*
Chairman and Entrepreneur
Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd; UK India Business Council 
Mike Blackburn OBE
North West Regional Director
BT 
Chris Blundell 
Partner
Brunswick
Jon Bradford 
Managing Director 
TechStars 
Rowena Burns 
CEO 
Manchester Science Partnerships
Edward Bussey*
Founder & CEO
Quill
Jessica Butcher*
Co-Founder & Director 
Blippar
Claire Cockerton 
Founder & CEO 
Plexal
Louise Conolly-Smith
Senior Key Account Manager  North America 
London & Partners 
Janet Coyle 
Principal Adviser; Non Executive Director 
London & Partners; Rocksteed 
Julian David
CEO 
TechUK
Julie Deane*
Founder & CEO
Cambridge Satchel Company
Jacqueline de Rojas
President; Chair; Non-Executive Director 
TechUK; Digital Leaders; Rightmove
Samir Desai*
Founder & CEO
FundingCircle
Gi Fernando, MBE*
Founder & CEO
Freeformers / Serial Entrepreneur
David Gammon*
Founder & CEO
Rockspring
Nick Giles  
Co-Founder 
Seven Hills Group 
Daniel Glazer 
Partner 
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati 
Priya Guha
Ecosystem General Manager
RocketSpace UK London Tech Campus
Chris Haley 
Head of New Technology and Startup Research 
Nesta 
Michael Hayman
Co-Founder 
Seven Hills Group
Davor Habel
Partner 
Fidelity Growth Partners 
Sahar Hashemi, OBE
Co-Founder
Coffee Republic
Taavet Hinrikus*
Founder & CEO
Transferwise
Brent Hoberman*
Executive Chairman 
Founders Factory 
Reid Hoffman*
Partner 
Greylock
Paul Hofheinz
President and Co-Founder
The Lisbon Council asbl
Adam Jackson 
Director of Public Affairs, Policy & Insight 
Grant Thornton UK LLP 
Clare Johnston
CEO & Founder 
The Up Group  
Elizabeth Kanter
Director Government Relations and Public Policy 
Cabinet Office 
Sandy Kennedy 
CEO 
Entrepreneurial Scotland 
Shalini Khemka 
CEO 
E2Exchange 
Damian Kimmelman*
Co-Founder 
Duedil
James Klein 
Partner, Corporate Team 
Pennington Manches 
Bethany Koby*
Co-Founder & CEO
Technology Will Save Us
Martha Lane Fox*
Founder 
Lastminute.com
James Layfield*
CEO 
Central Working 
Alastair Lukies 
Founding Partner, Origination
Motive Partners 
Mike Lynch* 
Founder
Invoke Capital 
Stephen Maher 
CEO 
MBA 
Dr Ruth Mckernan*
Neuroscientist, Innovator 
Non-Executive Director, Various
Frank Meehan* 
Co-Founder and General Partner
Sparklabs Global Ventures
Jose Neves*
Founder & CEO
Farfetch
Caroline Norbury
CEO 
Creative England 
Kathryn Parsons 
Co-Founder and CEO 
Decoded 
Caroline Plumb, OBE*
Founder & CEO
Fluidly, previously started and  scaled FreshMinds
Russ Shaw*
Founder
Tech London Advocates
Jeremy Silver
CEO 
Digital Catapult Centre 
Emma Sinclair, MBE*
Co-Founder
EnterpriseJungle
Sam Smith*
Founder & CEO
finnCap
Nick Sturge*
Co-Founder & Managing Director
Engine Shed
Jenny Tooth 
CEO 
UKBAA
Sarah Wood*
Co-Founder & Non-exec Chair
Unruly 
Hakim Yadi, OBE*
Founding CEO
Northern Health Science Alliance
Those denoted  
by a * are also 
Members of the 
ScaleUp Institute.
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Our committees  
The ScaleUp Institute operates five thematic committees that each meet quarterly to 
provide assessment and direction on the key needs and policy issues affecting scaleup 
businesses. This includes research, analysis and thought leadership as well as reviews of 
programmes that support scaleup businesses, in order to develop appropriate case studies 
and learnings.
Evidence committee
NAME
TITLE
ORGANISATION
Tera Allas
Visiting Fellow
McKinsey Global Institute
Tina Baker
Partner
Withers Tech
Sherry Coutu CBE
Chair 
ScaleUp Institute
Dr. Cathy Garner
Trustee; NED; Advisory Board 
member
Centre for Ageing Better; 
Castle Rock Edinvar Housing 
Association;  
Centre for Health Research 
and Development Standing 
Selection and Monitoring 
Committees of the National 
Centres of Excellence of 
Canada
Thomas Hoegh
Investor, Entrepreneur and 
Co-Founder
Arts Alliance
Professor Daniel Isenberg
Professor of Entrepreneurship 
Practice
Babson Executive and 
Enterprise Education
Tamara Rajah
Founder & CEO
Live Better With
Professor Peter Tufano
Dean & Professor of Finance
Sad Business School, Oxford 
University
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ANNEX 2
Talent and skills committee
Leadership committee
NAME
TITLE
ORGANISATION
Sherry Coutu CBE
Chair
ScaleUp Institute
Dr David Docherty
Strategic Advisor to the Council
National Centre for 
Universities and Business
Ty Goddard
Co-founder; Chair
The Education Foundation; 
Edtech UK
Lesley Giles
Director
Work Foundation
Claudia Harris
CEO
Careers Enterprise Company
Charlotte Keenan
Executive Director
Goldman Sachs
Kirstie Mackey
Director of Citizenship Consumer 
Affairs & LifeSkills
Barclays
Jon Steinberg
Public Policy and Government 
Relations Manager
Google
NAME
TITLE
ORGANISATION
Charlotte Keenan
Executive Director
Goldman Sachs
Anne Kiem
CEO
Chartered ABS
Geoff Lawrence
Managing Director
Vistage UK
John Morris
Partner
Smith & Williamson
Stephen Pegge
Group External Relations Director
Lloyds Banking Group
Claire Ruskin
CEO
Cambridge Network
Professor Eleanor Shaw
Professor of Entrepreneurship and 
Head of the Hunter Centre for 
Entrepreneurship
University of Strathclyde
Jon Steinberg
Public Policy and Government 
Relations Manager
Google
Sarah Underwood
Director and Associate Professor of 
Enterprise Centre for Enterprise and 
Entrepreneurship Studies
University of Leeds
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Access to markets committee 
NAME
TITLE
ORGANISATION
Ben Brabyn
Head of Level39
Level39
Stephen Drew
Partner and Head of International 
Services
Smith & Williamson
Jean-Marc Frangos
Managing Director of External 
Innovation
BT
Chris Haley
Head of New Technology and Startup 
Research
Nesta
Richard Hill
Head of Manufacturing & Automotive 
Sector
Royal Bank of Scotland
Richard Jeffery
Director of Business Growth
The Growth Company
Mark Ling
Managing Director
Santander UK
Lara Morgan
Founder
Companyshortcuts.com
Andy Page
CEO
Sharing in Growth UK Ltd
Jon Rhodes
Non Executive Director
ScaleUp Institute
Jeremy Silver
CEO
Digital Catapult Centre
Natasha Thomas
Director of Government Relations
Sage
Elizabeth Vega
Global CEO
Informed Solutions
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THE SCALEUP INSTITUTE
ANNEX 2
Finance and risk capital committee 
NAME
TITLE
ORGANISATION
Steve Bates
CEO
BioIndustry Association
Simon Calver
Partner; Chairman
BGF Ventures; UKBAA, 
Gousto BGF Ventures, 
UKBAA
Shiona Davies
Director
BDRC
David Gammon
CEO
Rockspring
Michael Higgins
Chairman; Non-Executive Director
Ebiquity PLC;Quoted 
Companies Alliance
Keith Morgan
CEO
British Business Bank
Luca Peyrano
CEO ELITE
London Stock Exchange Group
Richard Phelps
Managing Director of Senior 
Relationship Management
Barclays Investment Bank
Guy Rigby
Partner
Smith & Williamson
Sam Smith
CEO
finnCap
Marcus Stuttard
Head of AIM
London Stock Exchange Group
George Whitehead
Venture Partner Manager
Octopus
Henry Whorwood
Senior Consultancy Associate
Beauhurst
For more information on our Committees and the programmes that have significant impact on 
scaleups please refer to our website: www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk
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Sherry Coutu and Irene Graham at DEG 2018
THE SCALEUP INSTITUTE
THE SCALEUP INSTITUTE
The ScaleUp Institute is a private sector-led, not-
for-profit organisation focused on collaborating with 
policy makers, corporates, finance players, educators 
and government at a local and national level. 
Our mission is to help the UK to become the 
best place in the world to grow a business as well 
as start one, and enable our existing high-growth 
businesses to scale up even further.
The ScaleUp Institute
101 Euston Road
London
NW1 2RA
info@scaleupinstitute.org.uk
www.scaleupinstitute.org.uk 
@scaleupinst