Help set the national standard for business support
Local and combined authorities, and established centres, are joining the National Business Support Alliance as founding members ahead of the September launch — signing the charter, shaping the Standard, and being first on the register.
What founding membership means
Founding membership is a public commitment, not a procurement commitment. As a founding member you sign the founding charter — a public statement of commitment to strong, quality-assured business support, and a ready-made announcement for your organisation — help shape the Standard, the register and the reporting commissioners will use, and are among the first names on the national register when it launches in September.
The threshold is simple: accredited advisers on the register. There’s more than one way to reach it.
- 01
The pilot
Put a cohort of new or developing advisers through the regulated qualification (Ofqual recognition in progress) — including the levy-funded apprenticeship route, delivered with ALM, at no cost beyond existing levy allocation.
- 02
Grandfather existing advisers
Already have SFEDI-accredited advisers? Recognise them straight onto the register. The fastest route in — no programme required for people who are already qualified.
- 03
Join as an established centre
An existing SFEDI Awards centre already delivering the qualification can come in as a founding delivery partner, anchoring accredited advisers on the register from day one.
Authority founding members
Combined and local authorities committing publicly to quality-assured business support and putting accredited advisers on the register.
Founding delivery partners
Centres and networks who deliver the qualification and anchor accredited advisers — the delivery backbone of the Alliance.
The timing is the opportunity
Devolution is placing growth budgets — and the accountability for them — with strategic and combined authorities. Becoming a founding member lets you say something no authority can yet: every adviser our programmes fund is committed to a national standard and on a national register.
Start the conversation
We’ll come back within two working days — a real conversation about becoming a founding member, not a sales script.
Prefer email?
Write to hello@nbsa.uk. We’ll come back within two working days — a real conversation about becoming a founding member, not a sales script.