Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK

Helping small businesses and entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity through education and business support

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Start date: September 2024

Duration:

13-15 weeks

Time commitment:

Part time

Locations:

Live virtual
Oxford
Online

Cost:

Fully funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation

About the programme

Designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises in the UK.

Working alongside the most senior decision makers of 70 other established businesses. Each cohort provides:

education and insights from the UK’s leading academics
dedicated, highly experienced mentor
peer-to-peer support
robust, supportive and engaging alumni network which provides continuous learning.

In 2010 Goldman Sachs initiated the programme aiming to create jobs and economic opportunities. Since launch, over 2,000 small business leaders from all regions of the UK have participated.

The alumni point of view

'The programme was littered with life altering moments.'

Benefits

To you

Innovative entrepreneurial education
Tailored personal coaching
Intensive peer-to-peer learning
Access to the global 10,000 Small Businesses community of small business leaders and entrepreneurs
Access to ongoing support and training as a member of the alumni network

To your organisation

Clear, innovative vision
Insights into emerging market challenges:
- Changing technologies
- Sustainability
Business acumen in:
- Productivity
- Developing talent
- Diversity, equity and inclusion
- Resilience
Plans for international growth

Who should apply

Designed for small business and enterprise leaders who wish to grow their business, create local employment and have scalable business models. It is not intended for start-up businesses, sole traders or businesses not seeking to grow.

3+ years

Business operating for at least three years

5-50 employees

Size of organisation

>£250,000

Business turnover previous financial year

Applicant

Decision-maker or primary owner

Experience

No recent management education

Programme structure

The programme brings together leaders of small businesses from across industry sectors and creates unique networking and peer learning opportunities.

Approx. 100 hours curriculum of in-person and virtual teaching has been designed specifically by global leading academics and industry experts in entrepreneurship. The 13-week programme runs twice a year and is funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation, delivered in partnership with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford and includes select guest faculty from Aston University.

During the programme, each small business owner works to develop a customised Business Growth Plan to direct their organisation’s business strategy and expansion.

Residential sessions will alternate with online learning, which has been designed to provide a hybrid learning experience for small business owners.

After graduating, participants join a global alumni community, where they receive ongoing support through specialist workshops, national alumni events, and ongoing peer-to-peer mentoring.

The curriculum is regularly updated to respond to changes in the small business landscape.

Programme outline

Stage 1 - examine the business proposition

Getting started
Building the foundations
Tools for growth

Stage 2 - build a strategy to measure and improve processes

Developing your market
Financial metrics
Leadership and culture
Cash and funding
Strategic operations

Stage 3 - complete a business growth plan

Growth strategy review
Business growth plan

Impact

Behavioural changes of participants:

94% are more confident managing growth
84% use financial data more to make decisions
97% feel more effective as a business leader
90% introduced new business processes

A selection of case studies from alumni is available in the 2021 impact report 'Engines of Growth'. The report also provides further details of the programme's ambition, the UK's small business landscape, and the supportive community of participants who have already taken advantage of this unique programme.

Read the 2021 impact report

Alumni profiles

Participant blog

'I escaped the shadow of "imposter syndrome" and transformed into a woman with confidence and certainty.'

Upon moving to the UK to pursue a master’s degree in the creative industries, Fan Yang started her own entrepreneurial journey. The blog explains how the programme empowered her business, enabling its expansion to over 800 UK stores and exports to over ten countries.

Fan is so sure the programme's blend of business practices and academia helped in her success, she has challenged others to enrol and prove her wrong.