Innovate UK Business Growth FAQs

Please find below answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about our service. Please contact us if your query is not covered in this FAQ page.

Please note: Innovate UK is in the process of renewing its strategy to best serve the needs of businesses and the UK’s Industrial Strategy. Our ambition is for business growth support to be integrated across the full business lifecycle – from early-stage start-ups to scale-ups. Please see our Prospectus for more details.

During the current planning cycle, the Innovate UK Business Growth service will continue as normal for existing and committed clients, including those from Innovate UK grant competitions that provide business growth support.

New requests into the service, outside of the above, have been paused as part of the current planning cycle.

  • Our innovation and growth specialists are located in every region of the UK, bringing a wealth of domain knowledge and regional and national connections to client engagements. 

  • Our innovation and growth specialists are at the heart of the business growth offer, alongside a range of business support initiatives that foster the connectivity and knowledge that drive innovative businesses forward. 

    Our specialists offer one-to-one, bespoke and intensive support and coaching. They provide an external perspective and a structured approach to help senior management teams identify and address critical issues and achieve growth and scale. They also catalyse business partnerships and enable new market entry. You can be sure of dedicated support that is local to you, with access to an extensive pool of domain experts. 

    Our specialists are employed by a consortium of delivery partners grant funded by Innovate UK, who offer the same service in every part of the UK: please see the list of consortium partners below.

    Please note: this entails that all advice is provided by specialists not employed by Innovate UK. Innovate UK does not accept liability for any advice given to customers through the Innovate UK Business Growth service.

    Innovate UK Business Growth Consortium List

    • Innovate UK
    • RTC North Ltd
    • Oxford Innovation Services Ltd
    • Newable Trade Ltd.
    • Exemplas Ltd.
    • GWE Business West Ltd
    • St John’s Innovation Centre Ltd.
    • BIC Innovations Ltd.
    • Chamberlink Ltd.
    • Inventya Ltd.
    • Invest Northern Ireland
    • City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
    • Coventry University Enterprises Ltd.
    • University College London
    • University of Greenwich
    • Teesside University
    • London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd
    • Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd
    • West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ltd
    • East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire)
    • Scottish Enterprise
    • Welsh Government

  • No, our advisory support is funded by the UK Government, although some aspects of the offer such as IP Audits attract a grant from us, with a minority contribution from the client. 

  • Our innovation and growth specialists and scaleup directors can spend a number of days supporting each of our clients over a shorter or longer period, according to need and potential, typically between 5-15 days. 

  • The Knowledge Transfer Network, operating as Innovate UK Business Connect, does not provide the Innovate UK Business Growth service. The service is provided by Innovate UK through its consortium of delivery partners – please see the FAQ ‘How will you work with me’. If you want to get in touch with the service, please visit this page.

  • Innovate UK Business Growth aims to support business development services. We may provide financial and non-financial business development support to enterprises at a 100% for up to £315,000. 

  • Please find our privacy policy here.

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