More Help to Grow offers an analysis of the Government’s ‘Help to Grow: Management Scheme’, introduced by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak whilst he was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The programme is designed to upskill business leaders in the SME sector, and to provide them with the tools they need to expand and improve their companies. It has received strong positive feedback from the businesses who have taken part.

However, no more than 2% of eligible mid-size firms are taking part in the scheme. Given the success of the programme with those who participated, this is an enormous missed opportunity for the UK economy. Mid-sized have huge growth potential: 23% of medium-sizes businesses with £10-50 million in revenue have seen compound annual growth rates of more than 30% in either employment or turnover, according to Beauhurst data. It is exactly this cohort of companies that the Government should be targeting in its efforts to upskill the UK business community.

This report sets out practical ways to do precisely this.