MENTA’s Chief Executive, Alex Till, has led a National Enterprise Network (NEN) delegation to meet Lord Leong, Minister for Small Business and Enterprise, with one shared ambition: making sure every community in the UK has the support it needs to start, grow and thrive.

Alex chairs the National Enterprise Network, the national body for local enterprise agencies such as MENTA. The meeting was a chance to set out what is happening to business support on the ground, and to propose a practical, national solution.

Who joined the discussion

Alex was joined by a group representing local systems, front-line demand, finance and digital access:

• Carol Daniels, NEN Operations Director
• Peter Ibbetson, NEN Director
• Jason Middleton, Norfolk County Council
• Colin Humphrey, Start Up Croydon (UP)
• Conrad Ford, Allica Bank
• Phil Sanders, Instro AI Solutions

Together, they set out the full picture, and the national pathway needed to connect it.

What we’re seeing across the UK

Enterprise agencies like MENTA work with new and growing businesses every day, and the evidence shared with the Minister reflects what we see locally.

• Growth is concentrating in London. London has nearly twice the business density of the places that most need growth.
• Local support systems are stalling. 90% of councils said they could not continue business support without replacement funding.
• Demand is rising sharply. 981,000 young people are not in education, employment or training.
• Established SMEs outside London are declining. This creates a long-term pipeline problem for local economies.
• Businesses can’t find clear support. Too often they face a maze of outdated web pages, closed programmes and inconsistent rules.

What we proposed

NEN put forward a national enterprise support programme built on:

• One recognisable national brand
• Trusted local delivery through existing enterprise agencies
• A simple digital front door
• Multi-year, outcome-linked funding
• A dedicated youth enterprise strand
• A joined-up finance pathway from start-up to scale-up

Local delivery sits at the heart of this. Agencies like MENTA already have the relationships, expertise and trust in their communities; the proposal would give that work a clear national framework and stable funding.

Our ask to the Minister

NEN has asked for a working session with Department for Business and Trade officials before the end of November, to co-design the programme with funding certainty from April 2027.