With 36% of small to medium-sized businesses halting all growth initiatives and 80% reporting a decline in revenues since March 2020, it’s clear the global pandemic has taken its toll on UK SMEs. Generating 50% of total revenue for UK businesses and 44% of the labour force, this decline in growth has wider implications for the UK economy and society as a whole.

To help businesses overcome this challenge, Cranfield Executive Development and Marshall Centre have joined up to offer Capture Future Growth (CFG), a 12-month programme that delivers the process, tools and support for companies looking to design, deploy and manage a successful growth strategy.

Dr Stephanie Hussels, Director of the Bettany Centre for Entrepreneurship at Cranfield University commented: We are delighted to be working with Marshall Centre to support SMEs during these challenging times. SMEs are the backbone of the economy and it is vital for industry and higher education to work hand-in-hand to support them on their journey.”

Talking of the relationship Timothy Britt, Head of Strategic Services at Marshall Centre said, “We continually work to find new and better ways of addressing the challenges our customers and communities face. We believe joining up with Cranfield Executive Development to deliver Capture Future Growth provides a powerful message of intent that will resonate with businesses looking to move from survive-to-thrive and, in so doing, play a role in helping kick-start economic and social recovery”.

The programme is initially being run for a year and enquiries are now welcome.