New partnership will explore how mid-sized businesses can drive growth, employment and opportunity across the UK, and what they need from policymakers to succeed and scale.
BDO UK has partnered with The Purpose Coalition, chaired by former Cabinet Minister the Rt Hon Justine Greening, on a new programme focused on strengthening the voice of Britain’s mid-sized businesses and demonstrating their contribution to economic growth, regional prosperity and opportunity.
The partnership will build on BDO’s Core Purpose ‘Helping You Succeed’ and its work supporting ambitious, entrepreneurial and regional businesses across the UK.
Mid-sized businesses play a significant role in local and regional economies, creating jobs, investing in communities, developing skills and supporting wider supply chains. Despite comprising less than 1% of private sector businesses, the UK mid-market accounts for more than one in three private sector jobs and more than 40% of private sector revenues. However, their experiences and needs differ significantly from those of both smaller businesses and large corporates, often leaving them in a policy gap.
BDO and The Purpose Coalition will explore the regional impact of these businesses, and how their impact can be harnessed further to drive growth in places where it is needed most. Through a focus on skills and recruitment, AI and productivity, investment and scaling, and infrastructure, the partnership will aim to contribute towards Britain’s opportunity challenge.
The programme will combine BDO’s existing economic and policy insight with evidence from businesses across different sectors and regions. Research sessions with BDO colleagues and mid-market businesses will examine how these challenges are experienced in practice, alongside the action's businesses are already taking to invest, innovate and create opportunity.
The work will culminate in a new report, bringing together economic evidence, regional and sector insight, business case studies and practical recommendations for national, regional and local decision-makers.
Rt Hon Justine Greening, Chair of The Purpose Coalition, said:
“Mid-sized businesses are vital to Britain’s economic success. They create jobs, develop talent, invest in communities and are often deeply rooted in the places where they operate. What is particularly important is that policymakers understand what enables these businesses to move from being successful to being able to invest, innovate and scale further.
BDO has extensive experience working alongside ambitious businesses across the country. This partnership gives us an opportunity to combine that insight with the experiences of businesses themselves and develop practical recommendations that can help unlock more growth and opportunity across the UK.”
Louise Sayers, Executive Board member for People, Culture & Purpose at BDO said:
“We are proud of our Core Purpose ‘Helping You Succeed’ as it reflects our commitment to helping people, businesses and society achieve their ambitions.
“Mid-sized businesses are one of the most important drivers of economic growth in the UK. They create jobs, invest in their communities and power regional economies, yet many continue to face obstacles that limit their ability to grow.
“Through this partnership with The Purpose Coalition, we want to raise the profile of these businesses, identify the issues they face and celebrate the significant contribution they make across the country.
“Together this partnership, we will generate valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges facing the mid-market, helping to inform policy, support business growth and create the conditions in which mid-sized businesses can succeed.”
