Spearheaded by Small Business Britain, with backing from the UK Government, ‘The Maple Review’ aims to take action to make enterprise accessible to everyone, regardless of their starting point, through research, close consultation with entrepreneurs with lived experience, and engagement with policymakers. The Maple Review is supported by small business platform Xero.

With nearly 40% of young people living in poverty, many leaving school can find themselves held back by interconnected barriers to entrepreneurship, such as lack of access to networks, financial resources, and education and training.

Furthermore, an earlier review by the Institute for Fiscal Studies suggests social mobility in the UK is at its worst level in more than 50 years, pointing to a real need for improving young people’s prospects once out of mandatory education.

The Maple Review will aim to tackle this inequality and open up more opportunities for younger people to benefit from the life-changing prospects of entrepreneurship, as well as boosting the wider UK economy.

With the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer recently announcing in her spending review a £1.2 billion additional investment per year into the skills sector by 2028/29, this is a crucial time to make sure all young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds have access to the training and support they need for a pathway into entrepreneurship.

Jointly chaired by the Minister for Small Business, Gareth Thomas, WorkSpa founder Grace Graham, and Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain, The Maple Review will encourage collaboration between businesses, government, and financial institutions to drive positive change.

Kate Hayward, Managing Director Xero UK, said: “Starting a small business shouldn't be a privilege; it should be a universal right. We want to tear down those barriers, making small business ownership an achievable dream for every single person. This country thrives on the spirit of entrepreneurship, and we're committed to empowering even more individuals to forge their own path to success. The Maple Review will be our compass, guiding us to identify and dismantle the obstacles holding people back.”

The Maple Review will begin a research phase to gather concrete evidence and insights into the barriers into entrepreneurship caused by economic deprivation, including by consulting entrepreneurs with lived experience and other stakeholders through surveys, focus groups, and roundtable discussions.

Michelle Ovens CBE, Founder of Small Business Britain and Co-Chair of The Maple Review, said: "Economic barriers to entrepreneurship are holding so many people back, often from the time they leave school. The Maple Review aims to identify these barriers and work to ensure that everyone, regardless of their starting point, has the access to the resources they need to start a business, and the huge opportunities that come with it.

“This Review will be an important step forward in uncovering the barriers that prevent individuals from starting or scaling a business and test practical interventions that will drive real change.”

Maple Review Co-Chair Grace Graham, who is also the founder of WorkSpa, said: "As someone who started a business with very little and faced significant barriers along the way, I know firsthand how crucial it is to have access to support, funding, and belief. The Maple Review is a powerful opportunity to break down those barriers and make entrepreneurship truly inclusive. It is about more than business, it is about equity, wellbeing, and creating real pathways for people from all backgrounds to thrive."

A Maple Review report will publish in spring 2026 which will include data, case studies, and evidence-based recommendations for government, local government, and the private sector, on how to open up access to entrepreneurship.