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Enterprise

Enterprise is the cornerstone of success and the lifeblood stimulating economic growth of the wider UK economy. We want to remove barriers to enterprise and champion anyone starting or growing a business. However, we know that, for many, this remains harder than it should be. 

Supporting enterprise

As one of the UK’s biggest banks for business, we know that helping business leaders succeed takes both traditional banking support and wraparound business support.

We support enterprise through the non-financial support we provide, available to both customers and non-customers, covering UK businesses of all sizes and across all brands within NatWest Group. Our ambition is to help more people start, run and grow their own business than ever before, helping them achieve success, grow and contribute to a strong national economy.

For more details on our support for enterprise, see page 88: NatWest Group – 2024 Sustainability Report

Profile pic of Darren Pirie Head of Accelerator.

NatWest Group Accelerator Programme

Accelerator We aim to promote economic growth and drive an environment where businesses can thrive. In 2024, our UK-wide Accelerator supported over 2,000 businesses across our 12 hubs, reflecting our responsibility to fostering entrepreneurial success. In alignment with current economic trends, we have made significant advancements in how we support businesses, with our delivery centred on three outcome pillars for businesses: funding, selling, and leading. To further enhance this focused support, our established partnerships, both at regional and national level, bring world-class capabilities to the Accelerator. These collaborations leverage specialised expertise and resources, to provide tailored solutions to the unique challenges faced by businesses across the UK. Our extensive network of partners not only enhances our mentoring and coaching services but also opens doors to new market opportunities and innovation. By integrating these partnerships into our programme, we are not just guiding businesses towards growth; we are equipping them with the tools and insight necessary to excel in a competitive landscape. Our partners include Enterprise Nation, Federation for Small Businesses, Scottish EDGE, Small Business Sunday and Digital Boost.

Entrepreneur Accelerator Open in new window

Inclusive entrepreneurship

Supporting diverse entrepreneurship, particularly for women and ethnic minority individuals, brings a wealth of benefits to both communities and society and drives innovation in our business.

Women in business: We aim to support female entrepreneurs  through our ‘women in business’ specialists and strategic collaborations that support female entrepreneurs. In 2024, through our collaborations with Buy Women Built and Digital Boost we supported around 7,000 individuals of which 75% were women. We also supported ‘Begin’, a programme aimed at supporting aspiring female entrepreneurs in turning their ideas into actionable plans. MP HERoes Autumn Summit, hosted and sponsored by NatWest Group, took place in Westminster, celebrating women in business owners from across the UK and their positive impact on society.

Ethnic minority support: We continued to collaborate with organisations that work with underrepresented groups, with 35% LA of our interventions directed at these groups. We collaborated with UK Black Business Entrepreneurs Conference and Hatch Enterprise. Our work with Aston University on the ‘Time to Change’ report, published in 2022, for advancing the growth potential of Ethnic Minority Businesses (EMB) in the UK has continued and expanded its reach to include Northern Ireland. As part of the ongoing work, West Midlands Combined Authority announced an investment of £250,000 into community hubs across the West Midlands to support ethnic minority owned businesses. NatWest Group were part of the decision-making panel to choose which hubs would deliver increased support to EMBs. The community hubs initiative was launched in August 2024.

Pleas include footnote (LA) Data subject to independent Limited Assurance by EY. Refer to our External Assurance webpage for details.