Founders Forum Group partners with the Centre for Entrepreneurs to support UK founders in challenging times

EMBARGOED UNTIL 06:00 BST [GMT+1] on 12 OCTOBER 2022

• Founders Forum Group and Centre for Entrepreneurs are expanding their partnership to fuel more UK startups and entrepreneurs
• The Group will make a significant annual donation to the not-for-profit organisation and host the charity’s offices at its headquarters on London’s Strand
• This expands Founders Forum Group’s current partnership with the Centre for Entrepreneurs which supports the NEF+ support programme – a zero-equity leadership programme for founders from all backgrounds
• In addition to financial support, Founders Forum Group will provide CFE resources and access to its extensive network of investors, corporate partners and scaled founders
• The partnership will enable the return of CFE’s annual lecture for the first time post-pandemic and generate additional research and content for entrepreneurs and the organisations that support them
• The collaboration will yield a state of entrepreneurship report and insights on the UK’s productivity deficit, to complement CFE’s recently published accelerator survey – the most comprehensive study of UK business incubator and accelerator programmes

12 OCTOBER 2022 – LONDON – Founders Forum Group and the Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) have announced an expansion of their partnership to champion entrepreneurship throughout the UK.

The growing partnership is a natural extension of Founders Forum’s support of CFE’s NEF+ entrepreneurial leadership programme, which provides ambitious early-stage founders from all backgrounds with a unique learning environment along with coaching from leading entrepreneur-practitioners. Participants are equipped with the skills and mindset they need to form, and then lead, exciting new businesses.

As part of the extended partnership, Founders Forum Group will make a significant annual donation to CFE, host its staff in their new offices on London’s Strand, and invest in furthering CFE’s research and content. The partnership will also enable the return of CFE’s annual lecture, for the first time post-pandemic.

“We want to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and expanding our partnership with The Centre for Entrepreneurs allows us to do just that,” says Carolyn Dawson, Founders Forum Group CEO, who joins CFE’s Board of Trustees as part of the extended partnership.

“From its comprehensive directory of accelerators and incubators, to its pilot programme for refugee founders, CFE's work makes entrepreneurship more accessible to more communities and more diversity means a stronger startup ecosystem and a stronger economy overall."

CFE CEO, Timothy Barnes, noted the partnership will see the organisations combine their expertise and operational strengths on a range of initiatives throughout 2023 and beyond, including an annual state of entrepreneurship report and insights on the UK’s productivity deficit.

“Through Founders Forum Group’s partnership, we’re planning to produce a range of helpful content for entrepreneurs and those who support them,” he said.

Olive Pawle is Chair of CFE’s Board of Trustees and co-founded the organisation. He said:

“Ten years on from launching our first NEF+ entrepreneurial leaders programme and two years on from our first partnership with Founders’ Forum, I’m delighted to deepen our collaboration and help a diverse pipeline of entrepreneurs from the first spark of an idea, through to launch, acceleration and growth.”

Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Founders Forum Group, Brent Hoberman, started Founders Forum after his own experiences as a serial founder showed him the need for a supportive entrepreneurial network.

“I’ve admired the work of NEF+ and CFE as an early advisor to both organisations. It’s wonderful to be able to amplify their work and the next stage of their journey with the tremendous complementarity of the Founders Forum Group,” he said.

“The outlook for entrepreneurs today is incredibly exciting but not without its challenges. Working more closely with the Centre for Entrepreneurs allows us to bring more opportunities to new entrepreneurs and find more ways to help successful entrepreneurs give back. We’re excited to grow our philanthropic remit as we seek to champion entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys.”

About The Centre for Entrepreneurs

The Centre for Entrepreneurs (CFE) is the UK’s leading entrepreneurship charity, seeking to build an inclusive future for the next generation of UK entrepreneurs. Working to make the country more entrepreneurial, CFE delivers entrepreneurial development programmes, researches the state of entrepreneurship, builds entrepreneurial ecosystems, and engages and informs policymakers and the public on how they can support entrepreneurship in the UK and beyond.

CFE’s flagship programme is NEF+, which exists to support the next generation of ambitious entrepreneurial talent and future leaders. Building on 10 years of success, the programme runs two cohorts per year, each lasting for six months. Participants gain the vital skills to grow businesses and lead change.

CFE has advocated in-prison entrepreneurship programmes, uncovered how entrepreneurs are reviving seaside towns, championed refugee entrepreneurs and challenged negative stereotypes affecting women entrepreneurs. It also runs the Incubator and Accelerator Network and the Refugee Entrepreneurship Network – advocacy and best-practice communities that work to increase the quality and scale of support available for entrepreneurs.

www.centreforentrepreneurs.org

About Founders Forum Group

Founders Forum Group is a group of businesses and event-powered community supporting innovative entrepreneurs at every stage of their journeys.

FF’s invite-only forums unite founders, investors, corporate and government leaders to tackle era-defining questions in iconic locations across the globe. This year’s event line-up includes flagship forums in Singapore, London, New York and Berlin.

Since 2019, Founders Forum has partnered with Informa Tech to celebrate the strength and diversity of UK tech through London Tech Week. The joint venture allows London Tech Week to enrich its impact and expand its reach with sector-specific and diversity-driven events including ClimateTech, Elevating Founders, EQL Her, Founders of the Future, Future EdTech, the Future of Work Summit, the Global Leaders Innovation Summit, HealthTech and the Inspiring Fifty.

Fuelled by the connections and ideas forged at the group’s events, Founders Forum businesses support the needs of today’s founders via networking (Grip), education (01 Founders and Framework), professional services (Founders Keepers and Founders Law), investment (firstminute capital and Founders Factory) and philanthropy (The Centre for Entrepreneurs and Founders Pledge). In 2021, the group sold its innovation strategy consulting firm, Founders Intelligence, to Accenture.

www.ff.co

For more information, contact:

Timothy Barnes

CEO, The Centre for Entrepreneurs

tim@centreforentrepreneurs.org

Mobile: (+44) 07903 188 447

Emily Miller

Head of Marketing, Founders Forum Group

emily@ff.co

Mobile: (+44) 0793 242 2765