University of Brighton marks major milestone as 250th local business leader completes Help to Grow programme

The achievement highlights the university's crucial role in supporting the growth of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) across the region.

As SMEs account for 99.8% of the UK business population, their success is a national priority. Help to Grow, a government-funded initiative, is designed to provide senior leaders with the tools and knowledge needed to scale their companies. Nationally, 91% of participants have reported improved leadership and management skills and would recommend the programme to others.

The 12-week course, delivered through a blend of in-person and online sessions, equips leaders with the skills to develop a robust business growth plan with the support of university experts and a dedicated one-to-one mentor.

Adam Jones, Help to Grow Programme Director at the University of Brighton, said. "It is immensely satisfying seeing our 250th business leader complete Help to Grow with us.

"We understand how difficult it is for SMEs to survive and thrive locally. We are proud to continue this support with three new cohorts of our Help to Grow programme starting in September and October 2025."

To mark the milestone, the has been catching up with the success stories of past participants.

One of these is Richard Worsfold at Branding Box, a brand and digital marketing agency graduated from the Crawley programme in 2024.

He said: "Since the course, we have tripled our number of employees in less than a year,

"I realised I was spending too much time on admin, so I hired a Virtual Assistant to free me up to focus on business development. We have increased our turnover and profits substantially. Help to Grow opens your eyes to what you can achieve and gets you on the road to doing it."

The programme is open to senior leaders and decision-makers in businesses with 5 to 249 staff. New cohorts will run in Brighton in September and in Crawley in October.

To find out more businesses can visit the Help to Grow website or email helptogrow@brighton.ac.uk to arrange a chat with a course leader.