Homegrown businesses are the cornerstone of the UK economy. We believe we can contribute to more disciplined growth by supporting businesses of all sizes to start up,scale and adapt. Through core products and additional programmes, we are making it easier for businesses to manage their finances and overcome hurdles while focusing on building their business.
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NatWest Accelerator: evolving to empower more entrepreneurs and businesses
The NatWest Accelerator community offers coaching, networking and resources to start-ups and small businesses, helping them grow and build vital foundations for long-term resilience. To extend the community’s reach and impact, we switched to a hybrid model, launching the NatWest Accelerator app in March 2025. The app provides UK-wide access to learning, collaboration spaces, mentors and events, and as at the end of 2025 we had approximately 12,000 members registered on the app.
In 2025, we forged partnerships to drive inclusive growth and innovation. Our collaboration with Google supports responsible AI adoption, boosting digital capability for entrepreneurs. With JCDecaux UK, they empower early-stage businesses to scale through Out-of-Home advertising, increasing visibility and creating opportunities for sustainable business growth.
We also launched NatWest Accelerator Pitch, showcasing UK entrepreneurial talent and innovation to help increase their visibility and growth opportunities. Pitch provides a national platform for founders to present to expert judges and industry leaders. Since launching in 2025, NatWest Pitch has attracted around 1,000 applications from founders nationwide. Its first two live finals, hosted in Manchester in July 2025 and London in November 2025, awarded ￡200,000 to six innovative businesses.
To contribute to inclusive entrepreneurship, approximately half of our support through the NatWest Accelerator community is directed to women in business, and a significant proportion to individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds. We continue to work with partners including Digital Boost, Buy Women Built and Hatch to create an equitable, empowering ecosystem for diverse founders.
Hubs in up to 10 universities
We plan to set up hubs in up to 10 universities over the next two years. This initiative is part of our wider strategy launched in spring 2025, to harness academic expertise and regional strengths as we grow the reach of the community.
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50,000 members
We are now aiming to grow our Accelerator community to 50,000 members in 2026.