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Ministers have launched Scale UK Connect, a pilot that will give 200 high growth businesses expert account management, tailored advice and introductions to investors and overseas customers. The Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade announced the scheme on 29 October 2026, a day after Chancellor John Healey's Budget.
The aim, according to the government, is to stop promising firms stalling or moving abroad when they try to grow. Applications are open now and close in January 2027.
At a Glance
- Scale UK Connect is an 18 month national pilot worth £3.4 million that will support 200 scale up firms across the UK.
- Selected firms receive a 12 month programme, with applications open until January 2027 and the first cohort launching in February 2027.
- To apply, a business must be UK registered, employ at least 10 people and have annual turnover or investment of at least £2 million.
- The programme is free to join, but places are limited and applicants are assessed against selection criteria.
- UK tech start ups raised $17 billion in the first half of 2026, according to the government and HSBC Innovation Banking.
What is Scale UK Connect and who is it for?
Scale UK Connect is a free, government backed pilot for businesses that have got past the start up stage and now need help growing. The government says too many promising firms stall at this point, partly because they lack the advice, capital or connections to reach the next level.
Each of the 200 firms will receive expert account management and tailored advice on how to expand. They will also get new ways to meet fellow founders, investors and major funds, which the government says will open up trade opportunities at home and abroad. The pilot is meant to build a pipeline of high growth companies that can follow UK success stories such as Quantexa and Synthesia.
Science Minister Chris McDonald said the scheme would give companies "the expert advice, investor connections and global opportunities they need to grow here, stay here, and create good jobs and growth in every postcode."
How to apply, eligibility rules, deadline and timeline
The business.gov.uk programme page sets out four eligibility tests. A company must be registered and based in the UK, have annual turnover or investment of at least £2 million, employ at least 10 people including founders, and have ambitions to scale or expand internationally. The programme is aimed at firms operating in the growth driving sectors of the government's Industrial Strategy.
Meeting those tests does not guarantee a place. The page says submissions are assessed against the programme's eligibility and selection criteria, and that spaces are limited. Registration is a three step process, firms describe their business and ambitions in a form, the government reviews the information, and applicants are then told what happens next.
The dates are fixed. Recruitment runs until January 2027, the cohort formally launches in February 2027, and each firm then gets 12 months of tailored support. A final report on the pilot is due in April 2028.
Scale UK Connect pilot timeline
- 29 October 2026: the pilot is announced and applications open.
- January 2027: applications close.
- February 2027: the first cohort formally launches.
- April 2028: a final report on the pilot is due.
What support does Scale UK Connect give scale ups?
The business.gov.uk page describes a package built around diagnosis and introductions. Firms receive a business diagnostic and tailored growth plan, access to specialist expertise, and workshops, events and peer learning with other scale up leaders. They are also offered introductions to investors, potential customers, corporate partners and business networks.
There are two further strands. One is the chance to explore international markets through targeted visits. The other is support to strengthen leadership capability and investment readiness, which matters for firms preparing to raise larger rounds.
The government points to an existing example of the approach. Digital health company Intelligent Lab on Fiber joined a London & Partners trade mission to Japan through the Grow London Global programme and attended the BioJapan health tech fair. It went on to secure a partnership with Japanese investor Hamamatsu.
Who runs Scale UK Connect and where is it available?
The pilot is run by the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade with London & Partners, the capital's growth agency, which leads delivery. Regional partners cover the rest of the country, including the Manchester Growth Company and the West Midlands Growth Company, aligned with Mayoral Strategic Authorities. TechSPARK in the South West, Tech SY in Yorkshire and Pathways Forward in Scotland complete the partnership.
Janet Coyle CBE, Managing Director at London & Partners, said the scheme would help firms "win overseas business in months rather than years". Neil Rami, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, said the support would help firms reach the next stage of their journey and contribute to regional prosperity.
The government names a handful of businesses that have signalled enthusiasm, including Raven Controls in Glasgow, which makes software to help venues respond to safety incidents, GeoPura in Newcastle, which replaces diesel generators with portable hydrogen power and CyberQ Group in Birmingham, which provides round the clock protection against cyber threats.
The track record behind the model comes from London. In 2025-26, Grow London Global supported 265 scale ups to export, generating £595 million in gross value added, with more than 6,600 jobs expected. The programme expanded beyond the capital in January 2024 and has supported 41 businesses outside London to date. Some 85% of its 2025-26 graduates reported higher turnover between starting and completing it.
Why scale ups? UK start ups raised $17bn in 2026's first half
The announcement leans on a strong start up funding picture. The government says UK tech start ups raised $17 billion in the first half of 2026, more than France, Germany and Sweden combined. HSBC Innovation Banking, working with Dealroom, puts the figure at the same level and describes it as a 102% rise on the first half of 2025 and the strongest opening to a year since 2022.
The HSBC report shows where the money went. AI start ups raised a record $12.6 billion, nearly three quarters of UK venture capital, and late stage rounds made up 68% of capital raised, up from 42% a year earlier. Rounds of $250 million or more accounted for $8.6 billion. HSBC attributes the first half surge to record AI investment, a rebound in late stage funding and strength in deep tech and life sciences.
That is the contrast the government is drawing. Funding is flowing into the largest rounds, but ministers argue many mid sized firms still struggle to find customers, capital, talent and a way through government. Scale UK Connect is meant to address that gap for a small group of them. At 200 firms, the pilot is modest in scale, and the final report in April 2028 is when its results will first be assessed.
How Scale UK Connect fits into the Budget package for founders
The government describes the pilot as one piece of a package for entrepreneurs announced in the Budget on 28 October. That package includes what it calls a world leading tax offer for founders and their companies, and a step change in how procurement will support UK industry and innovation. The stated aim is to make the UK the best place in the world to start, scale and stay.
Scale UK Connect also forms part of the wider Scale UK mission announced at the Budget, which the government says is about championing high growth businesses, listening to their concerns and acting on them. Further detail on support for founders is set out in the Entrepreneurship in the UK prospectus on GOV.UK, which this article has not reviewed.
Businesses that want to take part can register through the business.gov.uk Scale UK Connect page before the January 2027 deadline.
Key Takeaways
- Scale UK Connect will give 200 UK scale ups a 12 month programme of free expert support, funded by an 18 month pilot worth £3.4 million.
- Applicants must be UK registered, employ at least 10 people and have annual turnover or investment of at least £2 million.
- Applications close in January 2027, the first cohort launches in February 2027, and a final report is due in April 2028.
- The programme offers a growth plan, specialist expertise, peer learning, investor introductions and targeted international visits.
- The pilot is led by London & Partners with regional delivery partners across England and Scotland, and sits within the Budget's package of support for founders.
Sources & Further Reading
- Britain's ambitious scale ups backed to keep growing in the UK - GOV.UK Archived copy (OGL): archived page
- Scale UK Connect - business.gov.uk Archived copy (OGL): archived page
- UK Innovation update H1 2026 - HSBC Innovation Banking Archived internally for verification (29 October 2026)