Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps he is taking to help raise awareness of the impact of mentoring on the business community.

Small businesses are the beating heart of our high streets, our communities, and essential to our economic success.

Professional mentoring can have a positive impact on business growth. Opportunities to access a mentor are actively signposted through the Help to Grow campaign site at https://helptogrow.campaign.gov.uk/.

The Autumn Budget 2024 confirmed continued funding for Help to Grow: Management, which provides dedicated mentoring support, and to local Growth Hubs, many of which provide access to business mentors.

The Government will bring forward a Small Business Strategy Command Paper in 2025, setting out the Government’s detailed vision for supporting small businesses.