Ahead of GEW UK’s launch, 28 leading UK founders including Sir Martin Sorrell (S4 Capital PLC), Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea (Cobra Beer), Tim Campbell MBE (The Apprentice), Greg Jackson CBE (Founder and CEO, Octopus Energy), and Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou (the creator and owner of the easy family of brands) have shared their views on the most impactful actions needed to help entrepreneurship flourish in the UK.

Founder and Executive Chairman of S4 Capital PLC, Sir Martin Sorrell, said: “The UK Government could change the base capital gains tax rules to make it more attractive to accumulate capital over time or change inheritance taxes to make it more attractive to build capital and pass on to future generations, or even stimulate investment in listed equities by institutions and individuals.

“However, the more fundamental issue is the need to celebrate and laud entrepreneurial success, as happens in the USA. Even in China, entrepreneurial success may be more admired. The issue that needs confronting is that too often we don’t hold successful entrepreneurs in high regard; they are not seen as ‘working people’.”

Founder of Cobra Beer, Lord Bilimoria of Chelsea said: “To help entrepreneurship thrive further, we must continue to build supportive ecosystems – connecting entrepreneurs with capital, mentorship, and opportunity. Collaboration across business, government, and education is the key to sustaining this extraordinary momentum.”

Founder and CEO of Octopus Energy, Greg Jackson said: “We need to maintain our very effective investment schemes (EIS and SEIS), and in parallel open up greater access to capital in the growth stage.”

Ahead of the official launch, a group of influential UK entrepreneurs also expressed their support for those starting businesses in a joint letter published on Sunday. Signatories, including Sir Martin Sorrell, Nick Wheeler OBE and Annoushka Ducas MBE, called on the Government to invest in a more dynamic environment for entrepreneurs, setting out the conditions needed to unlock Britain’s full entrepreneurial potential.

The Government has welcomed the entrepreneurial ambition driving this year's Global Entrepreneurship Week.

Minister for Small Business and Economic Transformation, Blair McDougall MP, said: "With bright ideas and a zeal for success, the UK's entrepreneurs are at the heart of this Government's growth mission, boosting business opportunities, creating jobs, and driving the economy. Which is why, as part of our Plan for Small Business and Industrial Strategy, we are backing them all the way, by making sure they have the support they need – including access to finance and support in adopting new tech and AI – to move from innovation to growth and commercialisation."

The alignment between Government priorities and entrepreneurial vision sets an optimistic tone as business leaders, policy-makers, and investors prepare to gather for GEW UK's official launch.

The official launch for GEW UK will bring together leading business voices to celebrate the entrepreneurs and their economic contribution. It will begin with the Market Opening Ceremony at the London Stock Exchange, with remarks from speakers including Dame Julia Hoggett (CEO, London Stock Exchange Group), John Cotterell (Founder and CEO, Endava) and Tim Barnes (CEO, Centre for Entrepreneurs).

The Enterprise Summit follows at Rathbones’ London Office with over 100 attendees. The event will begin with a keynote speech from Alpesh Patel OBE (Entrepreneur and Global Entrepreneur Programme, Department for Business and Trade), after which there will be an ‘In Conversation’ with Deborah Meaden (Businessperson and star of BBC’s Dragons’ Den) and Greg Jackson CBE (Founder and CEO, Octopus Energy). This will be followed by a panel discussion featuring Anne Boden MBE (Founder, Starling Bank), Larry Sullivan (Founder and Chairman, Leo Lion Limited), Grace Graham (Founder, WorkSpa), and Paul Lindley OBE (Founder, Ella’s Kitchen).

New research from national education charity, Young Enterprise, shows there is strong appetite for entrepreneurship among the next generation, with 81% of 16-24-year-olds reporting to have already engaged in entrepreneurial activity. However, barriers remain, with 46% citing the lack of money or savings as the top obstacle to starting a business, while nearly one in five say they have limited access to mentors and networks.

Co-Founder of Bright Trust Ideas and Marketing Runners and BBC’s The Apprentice ‘Judge’, Tim Campbell MBE said: “Entrepreneurship is not short of talent or energy. It is short of time to cash and chances to prove it.” CEO for Centre for Entrepreneurs, Tim Barnes, said: “We're very excited to open the London Stock Exchange for the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week UK 2025. It’s the first time they have hosted us, and it’s a real show of support for entrepreneurs and the companies they create. This event will launch a programme of more than 150 events taking place all over the UK during the week to promote and celebrate entrepreneurs. They are the bedrock of the UK economy, and they can shape the UK’s future prosperity. This is an area where the UK really excels, and we should all be proud of that. We hope that the week shines a spotlight both on the UK’s fantastic founders and on the collective effort needed to make the UK a competitive place globally to start and scale a company.”

The launch will be hosted by Integra and Endava in partnership with GEN UK, CfE, Enterprise Nation, E2Exchange, ScaleUp Institute, ScaleUp Britain, Young Enterprise, The Entrepreneurs’ Network, Startup Coalition, The Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs, Zinc, Social Enterprise UK, and Youth Business International.

Founder and CEO of Endava, John Cotterell, said: “I am delighted Endava is supporting the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week UK as lead corporate partner. I started my business here 25 years ago and could not have imagined the exciting journey that would unfold as we grew into a global technology services company.

The UK is a fantastic place for entrepreneurs, with so many strengths and competitive advantages. It has created over 180 unicorns to date, ranking third globally behind only the US and China. This fertile environment for enterprise is why we have decided to launch Dava. Rise, a new programme designed to connect high-potential scaleups with global enterprises seeking to accelerate innovation. For entrepreneurship to continue to thrive here, we need founders, venture capital, finance, and government to all be pulling in the same direction.”

As entrepreneurs, investors, and policy-makers gather to launch GEW, the message is clear: Britain’s entrepreneurs are ready to drive the growth the nation needs. With the right support and conditions in place, they can help secure Britain’s place as a leading hub for innovation and enterprise.

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