Frequently Asked Questions
About the Small Business Institute (SBI)
The Small Business Institute (SBI) is the knowledge and capability hub for the UK small business community. We focus on three core areas: Training & Skills, Research & Insights, and Policy. We’re the sister organisation to Small Business Britain, and while the two are closely connected, the SBI is focused specifically on learning, research and practical support for small business owners and the wider ecosystem.
Small Business Britain is our parent organisation, focused on inspiring and championing small businesses across the UK through campaigns, events and programmes like f:Entrepreneur, The Small Awards and Green Growth. The SBI is the knowledge and learning arm – if Small Business Britain is the community, the SBI is the hub for skills, insights and capability-building within it.
The SBI primarily serves small business owners and founders across the UK. We also work with organisations, local authorities, BIDs and others who support small businesses. If you’re not sure whether the SBI is the right fit, the best first step is to join our mailing list and see what resonates.
Getting involved
The best way to stay connected and hear about our free opportunities is to join our mailing list. You’ll receive updates on upcoming events, programmes, webinars and other ways to engage as they develop. We’re still building out our community, so signing up ensures you don’t miss anything as new opportunities open up. Sign up here.
We do run mentoring programmes and are always looking to grow our network of mentors for future cohorts. We’re not always actively recruiting, but we’d love to keep your details on file. You can register your interest using our expression of interest form and we’ll be in touch when our next programme launches. Register your interest here.
Yes – we run a programme of webinars and events as part of our Training & Skills offer and we’re always keen to hear from people who’d like to contribute. We have an expression of interest form for potential speakers and hosts. We review submissions on an ongoing basis and will be in touch if there’s a good fit for an upcoming session. Submit your details here.
We do explore partnerships with organisations whose work aligns with our mission to support and strengthen the UK small business community. Our ideal partners have the capacity to add meaningful value to our community – through expertise, resources or reach. If you’re interested in exploring a partnership, please get in touch and tell us a bit about your organisation and what you have in mind. We review all enquiries and will respond if there’s potential for a good fit. Please note that we’re not able to take on every request, and we don’t offer commercial partnerships focused solely on promotion or brand visibility.
Staying connected
You can sign up to our mailing list via our website. Click here to subscribe. You’ll receive updates on events, programmes, research and opportunities to get involved – it’s the best way to stay informed about everything the SBI has going on.
We do receive a high volume of enquiries and aim to respond to everyone, though this can sometimes take time. If you haven’t heard back, we’d recommend joining our mailing list in the meantime – it’s the quickest way to stay connected and hear about opportunities as they arise. If your query is urgent, feel free to reach out again and we’ll do our best to help.
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Join our mailing list to stay up to date, or get in touch.