Enterprise Nation and partners to deliver voluntary mentoring for government's Help to Grow: Management course

Enterprise Nation is one of three small business support providers that has won grant funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy to deliver voluntary mentoring as part of the government’s flagship Help to Grow: Management Course.

Led by business support group Newable, and also including the Association of Business Mentors, the consortium will develop a network of business leaders and experts to share their skills and experience with firms taking part in the practical management training course.

Help to Grow: Management was launched by chancellor Rishi Sunak in August 2021, with the long-term target of recruiting up to 30,000 business leaders.

The programme is a 12-week course, 90% government-funded, providing a combination of online sessions and face-to-face learning, delivered by business schools. It is open to businesses with five or more employees.

From August 2022, participating businesses will be matched with a voluntary mentor to help them develop a growth action plan.

Mentors will benefit from access to training, qualifications and membership of the Association of Business Mentors community and support network, plus being part of mentor peer groups.

Matching mentors to small business owners

The Enterprise Nation support platform will use smart technology to match thousands of small business owners to mentors across the UK based on region, sector, and support need.

Businesses will be able to track their progress through a personalised dashboard, as well as receive tailored actions and recommendations on a daily basis.

Chris Manson, CEO of Newable, said:

"Helping small businesses to grow is at the core of Newable's mission. The Help to Grow: Management mentoring offering is a winning combination to encourage experienced mentors to volunteer their valuable time and expertise to support the growth of ambitious SMEs at all stages of business growth.

"By leading the new voluntary model, we’ll be able to leverage our extensive experience of helping over 43,000 businesses to thrive each year, plus the expertise and experience of our partners at Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors, to help businesses on the Help to Grow: Management course take their business to the next level.”

Emma Jones CBE, founder of Enterprise Nation, said:

"Small businesses tend to be set up by individuals with a great idea and a passion to take it forward. That doesn't always include management skills and strategic planning.

“Help to Grow: Management allows founders and business leaders to focus on the key strategic skills they need to stretch and flex their enterprise muscles.

“Bringing on board a mentor can consolidate the skills business owners have learned on the 12-week course, with the skills of the mentor gained over a professional career. It’s a powerful combination and we’re delighted to be part of this consortium.”

Simon Fordham, CEO and chair of the Association of Business Mentors, said:

"With our involvement, it will be a great opportunity for volunteer mentors to receive training, one-to-one support and optional qualifications, while having complimentary access to a great community of like-minded professional business mentors, webinars, podcasts and peer mentoring groups. We’re pleased to be associated with such an important programme of support for UK businesses."

Want to help a small business grow?

Being a mentor goes far beyond the rewarding feeling of 'giving back'. Mentors gain a range of personal development benefits from the experience.

Become a voluntary mentor for the Help to Grow: Management Course and commit 10 hours over 12 weeks to support businesses with their growth action plan. Sign up today

The national mentoring element of the Help to Grow: Management Course is being delivered by a partnership of Newable, Enterprise Nation and the Association of Business Mentors on behalf of the Department for Business & Trade.