The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has launched a new initiative to provide dedicated coaching for up to 10,000 high-growth businesses.
The programme, entitled Business Coaching for Growth, will go live next month, under the management of a consortium led by accountancy firm Grant Thornton.
The consortium will recruit a network of coaches from the business community, and connect participating firms with other support bodies, such as UK Trade and Investment.
Although the initiative is designed to complement existing coaching programmes, such as Mentorsme.co.uk, it will differ by focusing exclusively on executive education – giving senior managers the skills they need to pursue further growth.
BIS says the programme will be specifically aimed at businesses with the potential to become ‘gazelles’ – businesses which exceed £1m in turnover within three years of starting up.
Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said that Britain’s small to medium-sized firms face “a range of challenges in growing, such as raising finance, securing new customers and strengthening their leadership capabilities.
“I want to make sure that we can give them the tools to overcome these obstacles, and the success of this programme will be judged on the level of growth it delivers to the UK economy.”
For more information on Coaching for Growth, please click on the following link.