National Enterprise Network welcome Maple Review validating four decades of community-led enterprise support
The National Enterprise Network (NEN) has welcomed the Maple Review as powerful validation of its 2023 Adding Value Across Enterprise Support report, produced by the National Enterprise Network, with both studies identifying identical systemic barriers preventing aspiring entrepreneurs from starting and growing businesses across the UK.
The alignment between the two reports creates a compelling evidence base for urgent policy reform, particularly around access to micro-finance, the Minimum Income Floor in Universal Credit, digital exclusion and the chronic under-investment in microbusinesses that make up 99.16% of the UK business population.
The Maple Review’s comprehensive assessment highlights eight critical challenges that mirror findings from NEN’s 2023 research: the absence of enterprise education in schools, finance as the primary barrier to start-up, policy blind spots around microbusinesses, the deterrent effect of Universal Credit rules, confidence gaps among potential founders, digital exclusion, fragmented support journeys and the failure of mainstream provision to reflect the complex realities of people’s lives.
With just 1.5% of UK SMEs applying for bank loans compared to up to 22% in major EU countries, the Review’s call for a National Micro Capital System addresses a financing gap that has left thousands of would-be entrepreneurs unable to access the £500 to £3,000 typically needed to launch a microbusiness.
The Review also critiques the Minimum Income Floor in Universal Credit, which assumes self-employed claimants earn the equivalent of 35 hours per week at National Minimum Wage after 12 months, regardless of actual income. This policy actively discourages people on low incomes from pursuing enterprise as a route out of poverty, creating financial instability at the most vulnerable stage of business development.
On enterprise education, both reports identify a significant gap in schools, particularly in disadvantaged areas, where young people leave without exposure to entrepreneurship as a viable career, practical business skills or relatable role models. The Maple Review’s proposed National Public–Private Business Skills Guarantee aligns closely with NEN’s emphasis on early intervention and confidence-building for young people.
Digital exclusion emerges as another shared concern. Without access to devices, connectivity or digital confidence, aspiring entrepreneurs cannot market, trade or manage a business effectively in today’s economy. Around 11% of UK self-employed business owners identify as being from a disadvantaged background, a group disproportionately affected by digital poverty and financial barriers.
The Maple Review stresses that enterprise support must be a long-term journey encompassing early-stage exploration, confidence-building, practical skills, mentoring and peer networks, rather than one-off interventions. It calls for support that is strengths-based, trauma-informed and community-rooted, designed around the real circumstances of people juggling caring responsibilities, health conditions, multiple jobs and irregular income.
These are precisely the principles that have guided NEN members for 35 to 40 years. Embedded in their communities, these trusted organisations work in schools and youth settings, support people navigating the Minimum Income Floor, provide long-term mentoring and reach groups that mainstream provision consistently fails to engage. Small businesses employed 13.1 million people in 2024, underscoring the economic importance of the sector NEN members serve daily.
Alex Till, chair of the National Enterprise Network commented, “The Maple Review provides powerful validation of what our members have witnessed first-hand for decades. The barriers it identifies – from the Minimum Income Floor to digital exclusion, from lack of early enterprise education to the chronic underfunding of microbusinesses – are the same challenges our community-rooted organisations tackle every day. We welcome this comprehensive assessment and are eager to collaborate with the Maple Review team to ensure these insights translate into meaningful policy reform. With 35 to 40 years of embedded community experience, NEN members are uniquely positioned to help bridge the gap between national ambition and local reality, ensuring that entrepreneurship becomes genuinely accessible to everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances.”
NEN has reached out to the Maple Review team to explore collaboration opportunities and contribute its members’ deep community knowledge to the next phase of implementation. As government stakeholders, funders and policy makers consider how to widen participation in entrepreneurship, the aligned evidence base provided by these two reports offers a clear roadmap for reform.
The timing is particularly significant as organisations prepare mid-year reviews and funding decisions for the second half of 2026. With Pride Month highlighting the importance of inclusive entrepreneurship and graduate season bringing fresh talent into the start-up ecosystem, the call for accessible, community-rooted enterprise support has never been more urgent.
For aspiring entrepreneurs facing financial exclusion, digital barriers or complex personal circumstances, the recognition that these are structural disadvantages rather than personal failings marks an important shift in the national conversation. For schools and youth providers, the proposed Business Skills Guarantee offers a framework to introduce enterprise education at scale. For funders and commissioning bodies, the case for investing in long-term, relationship-based support models is now backed by two comprehensive national reports.