Global Entrepreneurship Network UK

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GEN supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the UK through leadership, networking and knowledge transfer.

It hosts Global Entrepreneurship Week UK every November together with its network across 200 countries.

04/08/2026

Calling young entrepreneurs resident in the UK. Are you thinking of starting your own business, or done so in the last 3 years or less?

Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs (EYE) could be for you! This is an incredible opportunity - be mentored by experienced Host entrepreneurs, refine your business plan, expand to new markets, and get fresh ideas. Active in 45 countries, now UK citizens can apply as a new entrepreneur or to be an experienced host entrepreneur. And it gets better, financial support is provided by the EU.

Apply now https://www.erasmus-entrepreneurs.eu/page.php?cid=19
For further information contact Chris Barton, CEO, British-Portugese Chamber of Commerce [email protected]

British-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce

28/07/2026

Growing your startup is hard. Finding the right people, the advice and support to scale can prove a never ending challenge. This November connect with the capital, community, and talent in one place. SCALE Manchester is hosting founders, investors, experts and leaders at Freight Island 25 November. Register now https://scaleevents.zohobackstage.eu/SCALEManchester2026 #/ Use code GENUK20 for GEN discount.

18/06/2026

GEN and Startup Genome have officially launched the 2026 Global Startup Ecosystem Report ( ) at VivaTech, Paris.

Dive into compelling new insights on global startup trends, explore the Top 40 global ecosystems, Top 100 emerging ecosystems, and regional rankings — all designed to guide policymakers, ecosystem leaders, and founders.

This year marks a major shift — for the first time, the global rankings incorporate the strength of AI startup activity — spotlighting the rise of AI driving transformation across industries. This new AI factor helps assess how well ecosystems are transitioning into the AI era.

The also reveals a pivotal turning point in the global startup landscape:

➡️ Global startup Ecosystem Value has grown 40% in one year, reaching $10.9 trillion — but three U.S. ecosystems captured two-thirds of that growth.

➡️ The AI-Native sub-sector is on track to become the largest share of global startup Ecosystem Value within 3 years, growing $2.1 trillion (140%) this year vs. 15.9% for the rest of tech.

➡️ 86% of all late-stage funding to AI-Native startups now flows to North America — up from 56% of overall late-stage funding in 2021 — with the gap between leading and lagging ecosystems widening rapidly.

📥 Access the full now: https://startupgenome.com/report/the-global-startup-ecosystem-report-2026/introduction

21/05/2026

This week sees the launch of Women Are Good Business - a think tank that makes the economic case for female — and translates it into action for government, corporates and investors.

With only 18% of UK businesses being run by women and a 2× return on investment generated vs male-led counterparts, the potential to grow the suppressed economy is unparalleled - £310bn.

Find out more at https://www.womenaregoodbusiness.com and listen to the all new WAGB podcast.

02/05/2026

For startups and scaleups alike, sharing your story is an ongoing challenge, particularly when you are looking to create visibility with investors and access to support.

One of the ways that can be achieved is through participating in pitch competitions. There are many out there differentiated by sector focus, national or international reach, as well as the prizes and benefits provided. Some only reward the finalists, others provide something for all participants.

If you are starting, scaling, or know someone who is, here are three live competitions worth considering right now.

The Entrepreneurship World Cup 2026

Since 2019 the EWC has provided $150m of in-kind support and $6.5m in cash prizes to 420,000 participants in 190 countries. It is hosted by the Global Entrepreneurship Network and its partners Misk Foundation and MonshaatSA.
This year you can compete for a share of $1,000,000 in equity-free prizes, gain access to world-class mentorship, connect with global investors, and pitch on the biggest stage in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Whether you’re at the idea, early, or growth stage, there’s a track for you.
Apply now: https://entrepreneurshipworldcup.com

Santander X UK Awards 2026

This pitch competition has been championing thousands of entrepreneurs since 2011 awarding more than £1.2m to date. You can win a share of £150,000 and 9 finalists will go forward to the Santander X Global Awards.
The UK Awards recognise the country’s most ambitious university ventures, startups and SMEs – offering funding, national recognition and potential to compete globally.
Applications close 6 May 2026 - so apply fast if you want to enter this one.
https://www.santanderx.com/en/sites/santander-x-uk-awards.html

FII Innovators Pitch

Set up by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, this is the 10th edition of their competition.
Open to those at pilot, growth or scale stage with an MVP designed to turn an idea into innovative solutions that create positive human impacts. This year there are four solution categories - Sustainability, Health, Robotics, and Education.
Some great benefits for those selected to pitch - participate in masterclasses, access the FII ecosystem of investors and experts and get free travel to the awards. 90% of FII selected companies receive capital and their growth rate increases exponentially.
Open now - apply by 28 May. https://solve.mit.edu/fii-innovators-pitch-2026

Good luck!

16/04/2026

£310 billion.
That is the size of the suppressed economy.

According to University of Nottingham and recent Rise Report, that is what the UK economy would gain annually if women started and scaled companies at the same rate as men. Add other underserved SME founders and that number is even greater.

This week the The Gender Index released their 2026 report saying that female-led UK companies (18%) show consistently higher average growth than male-led companies but still face greater difficulties in accessing external investment and
debt funding.

So how do we fix this? How do we increase opportunities, access to finance, and realise that £310million+ of growth? Yesterday Savvitas held a policy roundtable at the House of Lords looking at ways to enable businesses to survive and thrive.

Taking insights from the latest Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report, we explored ideas such as establishing a national pathway for growth and making existing public and private initiatives for growth more visible and accessible along with government declaring itself a champion of entrepreneurship in the UK.

Next week I’ll be at SCALE London Expo and Summit at the Business Design Centre. It brings together founders, scaleup leaders, investors and policymakers to discover the talent, tools and partners unlocking UK business growth.

I’ll be chairing Preparing to Pitch, a star studded panel including Peter Jones - founder of Nineteen Group experienced at raising millions, trailblazer VC Videesha Boeckle - cofounder at āltitude, and Rosie Coxshaw serial founder and CEO of Modern Woman. On day 2, I’ll be leading a roundtable entitled Should You Ask for More? aimed at inspiring bold female founders.

Join me and 4,000 founders and leaders 22-23 April and let’s try and unleash some of that £310 billion.

01/04/2026

Sometimes we need to celebrate the impacts and achievements happening in the UK's entrepreneurship ecosystem. The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network has been helping refugees become entrepreneurs and build businesses for a decade. Last year TERN supported 725 refugee entrepreneurs to create businesses and a new future. Thank you and congratulations to cofounders Charlie Fraser, Fred Kastner and the TERN team.

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