Business incubator and accelerator programmes in local areas have nearly doubled in number over the last five years, a new study reveals.
Research by The Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) has found that there are now over 750 structured business start-up programmes active across the UK.
In their report, Incubation Nation: The acceleration of UK startup support, the CFE found over 400 incubators, 300 accelerators and 100 other support programmes to help new businesses and SMEs to grow and thrive.
Programmes were identified across the UK and while the largest concentration is in London, there are now incubators in every LEP region in England as well as across Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
CFE CEO, Timothy Barnes, said: ‘Incubators and accelerators are critical parts of the support infrastructure for new businesses, particularly those with the potential to scale and create jobs and economic growth for the whole country.
‘The rapid growth in the number and ambition of these programmes is a strong indicator of the health of the UK’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. As we emerge from the economic difficulties of the last few years and look ahead to more turbulent times good quality business support should matter to everyone.’
