One shared standard for business support
The benchmark the Alliance sets, so everyone who funds, employs or receives business support knows what good looks like.
The Business Support Standard is the benchmark the National Business Support Alliance sets for quality-assured business support. It defines what a competent business adviser knows and does: professional practice, client service and needs analysis, and the modern essentials of finance and project-management literacy. It is the Alliance’s instrument — set by SFEDI and the National Enterprise Network as the leadership of the Alliance, and the thing every qualification, accreditation and register entry is measured against.
The Standard exists so that “quality-assured business support” stops being a phrase and becomes something specific, shared and checkable.
Finance literacy
Access to finance is the highest-consequence topic an adviser handles, and where poor guidance does the most damage. The Standard requires it at the core.
Delivery & project management
Modern business support runs on funded programmes with outputs and reporting. The Standard expects advisers who can manage delivery as professionally as they advise.
Aligned to what the national service measures
The Standard is deliberately mapped to the outputs of the Business Growth Service — so adviser competence and programme reporting finally speak the same language. An adviser who meets the Standard is competent in exactly what the national service, and the authorities funding local delivery, report on.
Who sets it
- Set by — the Alliance, led by SFEDI and the National Enterprise Network
- Qualification that proves it — SFEDI Awards’ Level 5 regulated qualification (Ofqual recognition in progress) (see The qualification)
- Backed by — professional accreditation, a verified national register and ongoing CPD
- Reviewed — co-developed and kept current with the Alliance’s founding members
Commit to the Standard
Founding members commit publicly to the Business Support Standard and help keep it current. Become one by putting a cohort through the qualification, grandfathering your existing accredited advisers, or joining as a centre.