Policy paper

Backing your business: our plan for small and medium-sized businesses

Strategy setting out a long-term plan for government support for small and medium-sized businesses.

• From: Department for Business and Trade
• Published: 31 July 2025
• Last updated: 9 January 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 9 January 2026

     Added accessible HTML versions of 'Backing your business: our plan for small and medium sized businesses', 'Backing your business: policy annex' and 'Backing your business: evidence annex'.

  2. 1 August 2025

     'Backing your business: policy annex' and 'Backing your business: evidence annex' added.

  3. 31 July 2025

     'Backing your business: one page summary' added.

  4. 31 July 2025

     First published.

This was published under the 2024 to 2026 Starmer Labour government

Documents

Backing your business: our plan for small and medium sized businesses (web version)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-5925-3, CP 1358

HTML

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Backing your business: our plan for small and medium sized businesses (PDF version)

Ref: ISBN 978-1-5286-5925-3, CP 1358

PDF, 13.3 MB, 66 pages

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This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Backing your business: one page summary

PDF, 207 KB, 1 page

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Backing your business: policy annex (web version)

HTML

Backing your business: policy annex (PDF version)

PDF, 2.31 MB, 43 pages

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Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Backing your business: evidence annex (web version)

HTML

Backing your business: evidence annex (PDF version)

PDF, 2.51 MB, 39 pages

This file may not be suitable for users of assistive technology.

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email digital@businessandtrade.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Backing your business: our plan for small and medium-sized businesses sets out a long-term direction for the government’s support for smaller firms. It places their growth and productivity potential at its core, while improving the operating environment to start and run a business.

We will make the UK the best place to start and grow a business, with a culture that supports businesses in every community and high street.