Help to Grow: Management Course
Leading a business in today's unpredictable environment is tough. How do you ensure you, your business and your team remain agile in the face of such unprecedented change?
The Help to Grow: Management Course, provided and part-funded by both Keele Business School and HM Government, can show you how to strengthen your business and your balance sheet.
Take your business to the next level with the Help to Grow: Management Course - a government-backed programme designed to help you learn new skills, reach more customers and boost your profits.
91% of course completers surveyed would recommend the course to a small business leader.
Places are now available for our next cohort, beginning Thursday 18 September 2025. Click here for full details of session times and how to register.
About Help to Grow
The 12 week-programme is delivered by Keele Business School and accredited by the Small Business Charter. The programme combines a practical curriculum, with 1:1 support from our business mentors, peer-learning sessions and an alumni network.
Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, this programme will support you to develop your strategic skills with key modules covering financial management, innovation and digital adoption. The course is delivered 75% by our Help to Grow facilitators online and 25% via case study workshops held at Keele Business School.
By the end of the programme you will have developed a tailored business growth plan to lead your business to its full potential.
The course is a great opportunity to get new ideas for your company, learn from other entrepreneurs in your area, and take a step back from your company for a few hours a week to see what changes can have the biggest impact on your business.
What does the programme entail?
- 8 facilitated online 2-hour sessions, plus a 1-hour onboarding session
- 4 practical, face-to-face case study workshops
- One-to-one support from a mentor, providing you with personalised support to develop your business growth plan
- Peer networking, including peer group calls that give you the opportunity to learn and grow through shared experiences by exploring key challenges with a small group of like-minded local business leaders. 8 x 1-hour sessions.
- Access to the Alumni Programme featuring events with inspirational speakers, business clinics and networking events (available upon completion of the Help to Grow course).
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"The Help to Grow programme has been instrumental in driving positive transformation within my business. For small business owners seeking a structured framework for growth and development, I highly recommend the Help to Grow Management Course. Its blend of expert guidance, peer support, and actionable insights empowers entrepreneurs to realize their full potential."
Who is this aimed at?
Help to Grow is aimed at senior decision-makers in small and medium-sized businesses to boost their company's performance, resilience, and long-term growth. The course is 90% funded by the UK Government and has been designed to be flexible to fit in around a busy schedule with minimum disruption.
To join the Help to Grow programme, your business must:
- Be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME)
- From any business sector, employing between 5 and 249 full-time staff
- Have been operational for at least one year
- Not be a charity
Participants must:
- Be a director / manager with direct reports within their company (Please note: max 1 participant for companies with 5-10 employees and max 2 for companies with 11-249 employees)
How much does this cost?
Keele has full bursaries available to eligible businesses, which enables participation at zero cost. The Help to Grow: Management course is valued at £7,500 per participant.
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"I would certainly recommend Help to Grow to other SME business leaders. Together with the support of my Help to Grow mentor, I was able to use the course material, case studies and learning from peers as a platform to come up with new ideas and identify growth opportunities for the business. The facilities at Keele Business School are exceptional and the team did a fantastic job of delivering the programme. It was a great opportunity to network with like-minded local business leaders, some of who I have stayed in contact with beyond the programme."
When does it start?
The next cohort commences on 18 September 2025. More information on session dates can be found on the Smart Business Charter website.
Please contact the Keele Gateway team to register your interest in future cohorts.
Enquiries
For enquiries or more information about Help To Grow, please contact the Keele Gateway team on gateway@keele.ac.uk, where a member of the team will then get back in touch with you to arrange a confidential conversation.
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"When first starting the course thought I was a bit out of my depth. Throughout the course I was given the skills and confidence to push myself and help make effective decisions within the business. By the end of the course I was able to speak up about the changes I have helped make, and how these are to be carried out with the tools I have learnt."
Registration
Eligible businesses can complete the registration form on the Small Business Charter website.
When registering, it is helpful to have the following information to hand:
- Company Registration/Companies House Number (this can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/companies-house; if you don’t have a Company Registration/Companies House Number, you will need one of the following: VAT or PAYE number)
- Your business turnover for the past 12 months
- Current financial year forecast total turnover
We look forward to welcoming you on to the course!