The Chancellor has appointed the first-ever entrepreneurship advisor to the Treasury as the government focuses on challenges faced by businesses looking to start and scale in the UK.
Entrepreneurs will now have a direct line to government and will benefit from additional expertise as Alex Depledge MBE takes on the role.
A serial entrepreneur herself, Depledge will advise the Chancellor on the government’s entrepreneurship landscape, looking to reduce barriers for businesses, entrepreneurs and investors.
She previously started and scaled Resi and Helpling, formerly known as Hassle.com, after spending five years at Accenture as a management consultant.
The University of Nottingham graduate has sat on the board of several companies, including software development firm EDITED, Startup Coalition and London-based Sharing Economy UK. She is still a non-executive director at Yorkshire-headquartered construction business Persimmon Homes.
This comes after the news that the government had extended the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trust schemes to 2035 and increased R&D funding to £22.6bn per year by 2029/30.
“Startups, scaleups and other small businesses drive the innovation that keeps Britain growing, delivering our Plan for Change,” said Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
“We have a long list of successful startups, scaleups and small businesses across the UK – with the greatest density of scale ups among the seven major industrial countries in the G7.
“Having Alex on the team will bring invaluable expertise with her experience building successful businesses from the ground up, and I look forward to working with her.”
Depledge added: “I’m honoured to be appointed as the Chancellor’s first-ever entrepreneurship advisor, a ground-breaking move that puts high-growth businesses at the heart of economic thinking.
“It’s the first time an entrepreneur has held this role, and it signals a bold commitment from government to back the scale-ups and innovators powering the UK forward.
“There are over 34,000 scale-ups in the UK – just 0.6 per cent of SMEs – yet they generate a staggering £1.4 trillion in turnover, contributing 55 per cent of all SME revenues.
“This is a chance to rewrite the playbook on how we support entrepreneurs, and I’m here to make sure we take full advantage of it.”