TO BE PUBLISHED September 2026
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This conference will examine support for start-ups and scale-ups, including approaches to removing barriers to growth. Discussion will focus on practical implications of recent policy initiatives for early-stage and scaling firms, looking at measures announced in the 2025 Autumn Budget, the Backing Your Business growth strategy for SMEs, and broader Industrial Strategy objectives.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to assess pathways for access to financial support, including public funding and private finance. Discussion will consider how reform and increased funding for the British Business Bank and Innovate UK could affect the availability and effectiveness of public support for start-ups and scale-ups.
Attendees will consider the way forward for attracting greater private investment into start-ups and scale-ups, including the effectiveness and strategic focus of the British Growth Partnership, direct investment mechanisms, and Innovate UK’s Growth Catalyst in broadening the investor base and improving access to growth capital, alongside the role of targeted support for priority sectors such as AI. We expect latest thinking on what will be needed from capital markets reform to address barriers to scale-up finance, strengthen investor confidence, and improve access to long-term growth capital in the UK.
Sessions will assess implementation of the expanded Enterprise Management Incentives Scheme and related changes to Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust Scheme investment limits. Further discussion will consider measures to tackle late payments through the Time to Pay Up crackdown, alongside broader approaches to improving cash flow and supporting growth for early-stage firms. Priorities for regulators will be discussed - particularly the Intellectual Property Office, Competition and Markets Authority and Financial Conduct Authority - in addressing IP protection, competition barriers, and scale-up initiatives.
With the Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper signalling a shift in R&I funding towards Industrial Strategy priority areas, the role of research institutions, funds and infrastructure in supporting early-stage innovation and progression from spin-out to start-up and scale-up will be examined. This will include consideration of support for talent attraction and retention through changes to tax-advantaged investment schemes and increased eligibility thresholds for EMI. Discussion will also look at what would be needed from the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund to support development of regional clusters and strengthen local innovation partnerships.
Further sessions will explore the role of government procurement in opening new routes to market and identifying export-led growth opportunities, including through Advance Market Commitments and proposals for a new online procurement marketplace. Business support mechanisms for start-ups and scale-ups will also be discussed, including entrepreneurship support, AI adoption, and provision for under-represented founders.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy: the 2025 Autumn Budget, SME growth strategy and Industrial Strategy - translating commitments into practical support - alignment across national and regional growth objectives
- public funding: role of British Business Bank and Innovate UK - funding uplifts and reforms for early-stage and scaling firms - effectiveness of direct investment and Growth Catalyst mechanisms
- private investment: British Growth Partnership Fund and market reform - investor confidence and risk appetite - implications for scale-up financing capacity and deal flow
- tax incentives: expansion of EIS, VCT and EMI schemes - impact of revised thresholds on investor behaviour and founder incentives - effectiveness in supporting talent attraction and growth
- regulatory framework: role of IPO, CMA and FCA - IP protection, market access and addressing competition barriers - reconciling oversight with conditions supporting scale-up activity
- business practice: tackling late payments through Time to Pay Up - improving cash flow and resilience for smaller firms - wider fiscal and regulatory reforms to reduce barriers to scaling
- research commercialisation: progression from spin-out to start-up and scale-up - UKRI priorities and Industrial Strategy growth priority sectors - role of universities and research infrastructure
- regional innovation: the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund - cluster development and regional investment - co-ordination across local and national growth initiatives
- market access: procurement as a support for growth - Advance Market Commitments and proposed marketplace - fostering export-led growth and entry into international markets
- business support co-ordination: finance, AI adoption and advisory services - addressing gaps for under-represented founders - ensuring accessibility and coherence
