Review of UK start-ups

The UK already has a political, economic and regulatory environment that delivers large numbers of business start-ups every year. However, most UK start-ups fail within three years. AAT therefore suggests Labour Party policy should not be focussed on encouraging start-up creation but helping start-ups to survive and secondly helping them to grow.

Improving the take-up of digital, management and financial skills is essential to realise UK start-up potential. AAT has made a variety of recommendations as to how to achieve this in its response.

AAT believes that universities have the right skills, structures and incentives to allow them to successfully spin out and grow businesses. Any policy reforms here should therefore be evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

There have been improvements in the number of women and people from ethnic minorities accessing the finance, support, and networks necessary to successfully start businesses but much more could and should be done.