Why a national alliance, and why now

Small businesses are the backbone of the economy. The micro, small and medium-sized enterprise sector accounts for roughly half of the country’s GDP, around three-quarters of its innovation, and about a third of all employment. Yet support for these businesses has been fragmented and inconsistent, a “postcode lottery” in which the help a business owner can access depends on where they happen to be. The system is complex and hard to navigate, with pockets of excellence sitting next to cold spots, and no shared standard tying any of it together.

This is not only a question of fairness; it is one of economic necessity. Better, more consistent business support means more firms surviving, growing and innovating, which means jobs, productivity and inclusive growth. Raising the quality and coverage of business advice is one of the highest-leverage things that can be done for the small-business economy.

The Alliance is national because it brings the country’s local and combined authorities into one shared approach, not because it implies government status. Its reach is earned through voluntary adoption, authority by authority and centre by centre, rather than waiting on central endorsement. That bottom-up design is deliberate: it means the Standard is owned by the sector that delivers it, and it stays grounded in local need. The door remains open to government, steering groups and further partner bodies as the Alliance grows.

The Alliance is led by SFEDI and the National Enterprise Network, who govern it jointly, and delivered through ALM and a growing network of founding centres.

SFEDI, the UK’s government-recognised standards body for enterprise support, sets and regulates the Business Support Standard and provides the quality-assurance, qualifications and accreditation backbone. The National Enterprise Network, the representative network of enterprise support organisations across England, drives engagement and keeps the model grounded in local delivery. ALM and the founding centres deliver the qualification routes. A joint governance board sets strategic direction and holds the Standard to account. This is a properly governed national body, not a short-lived programme, built on decades of sector track record.