Powering global success for entrepreneurs

The UK is famous for its entrepreneurial spirit. From world-class financial services to a globally renowned workforce, there are countless reasons why entrepreneurs choose the UK time after time.

The UK offers an ideal environment for entrepreneurs to set up and scale their businesses. Discover how your business can unlock its potential here, with tailored support from the Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP).

What is the Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP)?

The GEP is the Department for Business and Tradeopens www.gov.uk in a new tab’s flagship programme. We enable ambitious, internationally mobile entrepreneurs and their innovation-rich businesses to scale and grow from a UK global headquarters.

Once a GEP-backed business establishes its global headquarters in the UK, it gets focused and tailored support as part of the GEP Alumni Academy.

How the programme works

Our experts support global entrepreneurs who want to access the UK's world-class ecosystem to accelerate their growth.

  • We can provide businesses with an Innovator Founder Visaopens www.gov.uk in a new tab endorsement.
  • To ensure a smooth landing in the UK, you will work with our dealmakers. They are successful entrepreneurs with vast experience in scaling technology businesses.
  • You will receive tailored support on developing funding strategies, partnerships and networks.
  • Once your business lands, you become part of our GEP Alumni Network. Our team will continue to support you with navigating the UK ecosystem.

Qualifying for the programme

We support innovative science and technology companies who are looking to scale from a UK global headquarters.

You will need to meet this criteria:

  • Your business will be beyond the proof-of-concept stage.
  • Your business currently does not have a presence in the UK (we only support overseas companies).
  • The business will also be generating or on the cusp of generating revenues, ideally with strong intellectual property (IP).
  • You will have a strong willingness to relocate your global headquarters to the UK with at least one co-founder based here.
  • You will have clear plans for building the company in the UK, including fast growth and creating high skilled jobs here.

Why the UK?

  1. It's a great R&D hub with many fantastic universities, research and development opportunities.
  2. Capital: Raise funds faster with more progressive valuations than many other parts of the world. The UK has one of the most active funding-ecosystems available in Europe.
  3. The UK is welcoming and open is actively looking for more foreign businesses and employees to relocate here and expand their success.
  4. The UK is progressive with a local market that is adopting new technologies, products and platforms.
  5. Due to our central geographic position, the UK is a launchpad amazing opportunities to expand internationally.
  6. The UK is home to a highly skilled and adaptable workforce which is keen to work for scaling ventures.

Success Stories

Kuda logo

Kuda

Nigerian fintech start-up Kuda established its global HQ in the UK in 2019 as part of the Global Entrepreneur Programme.

Kuda is a full-service, digital-only challenger bank with offices in London, its HQ, and Lagos. It provides full banking services via its apps which allow Nigerians with internet access to run a spending account and save money automatically without the burden of traditional bank charges.

This makes Kuda Bank the leader in Africa's neobanks and at the forefront of its fintech generation. The company closed their Series A round of funding in March 2021, quickly followed by a Series B round of funding in August 2021. 

It was valued at $500 million in September 2021.

See kudabank.comopens kuda.com in a new tab

swidch logo

SwIDch

SwiDch is a business specialising in cyber security that initially set up in South Korea. After meeting the GEP at a major tech event, they established their global HQ in London in 2018.

It has developed the world’s first one-way dynamic authentication technology, OTAC. This provides more secure authentication for all digital identities and has enabled swIDch to set a new standard for authentication in cybersecurity.

They hold the honour of being recognised over last few years as one of the world’s most innovative CyberTech Companies for financial institutions.

See Swidch.comopens www.swidch.com in a new tab

Pip Jamieson, CEO of The Dots

The Dots

Pip relocated The Dotsopens the-dots.com in a new tab from Australia to the UK in 2014 with support from the Global Entrepreneur Programme. The Dots is a professional networking site for the creative sector. Since their move here, the company has grown to over 300,000 members and more than 10,000 companies using the network for project sharing and hiring (representing more than 10% of the UK creative sector).

Contact us and join the Global Entrepreneur Programme

Send your pitch deck to us at global.entrepreneurs@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

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