NatWest Plans to Grow Accelerator Community to 50,000 Members Across the UK in 2026

WHY THIS MATTERS: This dramatic five-fold increase in NatWest’s accelerator target is a significant strategic indicator that non-lending support has become a core component of future-proofing bank revenues. In an environment where technology is rapidly unbundling traditional banking functions, major institutions must pivot from merely providing capital to actively fostering the growth of the next generation of business clients. By leveraging its physical footprint and digital tools through initiatives like the Accelerator App, NatWest is heavily investing in FinTech ecosystem support. Crucially, the proven success metrics—accelerated growth and high long-term trading rates—demonstrate that this model is highly effective and scalable. This expansion is a clear signal to the market that competitive advantage for incumbent banks now lies in embedding themselves within the digital transformation journey of high-potential start-ups, securing deep relationship longevity from the ground floor up. This is purpose-driven banking that delivers a tangible return.1

NatWest has today announced a major expansion of its support for UK entrepreneurs, aiming to grow the Accelerator community to 50,000 members – a five-fold increase on the 10,000 ambition set for 2025. 

This step-up‑ follows a strong 2025, when the bank exceeded its ambition by growing the community to c12,000, beating in a single year the total number it had supported over the previous ten years in total and underlining the acceleration of the scale and impact.

The announcement forms part of the bank’s new five point Growing Together plan, setting out how the bank will help build the conditions for UK-wide growth: backing powerful regions, championing mid-market companies, strengthening the country’s infrastructure and housing foundations, boosting financial confidence amongst families and young people, and supporting the innovators shaping the future economy. Drawing on its regional footprint, expertise and convening power, the bank aims to bring businesses, communities, and policymakers together to tackle structural barriers, unlock productivity and spread opportunity across the UK. NatWest believes that banks can play an active role in helping create the conditions for growth, not just financing it, by supporting the people and places that drive the real economy.

By expanding its entrepreneur support, NatWest is helping to strengthen the Accelerator community which is built around peer networks, local cohorts and access to experts, mentors and investors — all designed to help early stage and high growth businesses launch, scale and thrive.

Data released by the bank demonstrates that businesses who go through its Accelerator programme grew their turnover by 104 per cent year on year, against an average of 20 per cent in a control group2. In addition, nine out of 10 businesses who complete the bank’s Accelerator programme are still trading three years afterwards, against a control group of four out of 101.

Robert Begbie, CEO, Commercial & Institutional Banking, NatWest Group said: “We know that to build the economy of the future we need to back the innovators who will power it. Entrepreneurs are the driving force behind innovation, job creation and long-term economic growth across the UK. By raising our ambition for 2026, and building on the momentum we achieved in 2025, we’re reinforcing our commitment to back founders at every stage – from idea to scaleup – and help them turn ambition into sustainable success.”

Blair McDougall, Minister for Small Business, said: “This commitment from NatWest is the exact kind of action we need to unlock the huge potential of small businesses up and down the country. The UK is home to some of the brightest and most ambitious entrepreneurs and through our plan for small business and modern Industrial Strategy we are backing them with increased access to finance and support.”

Aaron Asadi, CEO of Enterprise Nation, said: “No other bank is doing more for UK small businesses than NatWest. At Enterprise Nation, we have the privilege to spend time with the people at NatWest making Accelerator such a success – we see how much they care, and we believe in the difference they can make. The commitment to support 50,000 entrepreneurs in 2026 is remarkable but such is the strength of the ambition. Day in, day out, we see the challenges small businesses face – so we welcome the unerring support offered to them by NatWest, providing both much-needed practical advice and spaces to connect with other founders. I have no doubt that 2026 will be a banner year for the Accelerator but I am even more certain that it’s just the start…”

Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce said: “Starting a business is challenging, but ultimately hugely rewarding. The British Chambers of Commerce warmly welcome NatWest’s commitment to support 50,000 entrepreneurs in 2026. Expanding the Accelerator programme will give more founders access to the practical advice and peer networks they need to grow with confidence. With help from organisations like NatWest and the Chamber network – the businesses of tomorrow can step forward with ambition and confidence.” 

Through its entrepreneur support offer, NatWest supports founders in building resilient businesses, with a focus on capital and research intensive sectors critical to the UK’s competitiveness. The bank supports entrepreneurs at every stage, helping them adapt, scale and achieve sustainable growth. 

Supporting entrepreneurs through partnerships and programmes

NatWest Accelerator seamlessly brings together a range of initiatives designed to connect founders with expertise, investors and peers. This includes: 

• Hubs and university partnerships are central to the Accelerator community, delivering local tailored interventions designed to meet local needs. We have partnered with the Universities of Manchester, Oxford, York, Brighton and Warwick to establish Accelerator Hubs in their campuses to continue expanding the community. We plan to set up hubs in up to 10 universities over the next three years. This initiative is part of our wider strategy launched in Spring 2025 to harness academic expertise and regional strength as we grow the reach of the community.
• Accelerator journeys support high potential start-ups to scale, offering expert support, networking and tools through 12 UK hubs2and via the online community in the NatWest Accelerator App—working with Google to provide access to digital tools, training and specialist expertise.
• Pitch events and forums, giving entrepreneurs opportunities to showcase their ideas, build networks and access funding with events held across the UK.

Together, these initiatives are designed to foster innovation, encourage collaboration and help ambitious businesses realise their full potential.

More information about the NatWest Accelerator community is available at natwest.com/accelerator.

Case Study: Mood Films

Leeds-based production company Mood Films launched in September 2024 and works with brands and agencies across the UK. The company was formed from a long-standing mentor and mentee relationship that later evolved into a creative partnership.

The founders first met through the BFI Film Academy and reunited professionally in 2023 while working on the Leeds Year of Culture 2023 launch. From there, they went on to collaborate across commercial and TV projects, recognising a shared creative ambition and complementary skill sets.

In 2024, Mood Films also self-funded a men’s mental health campaign in partnership with a charity, which was nominated for a 2024 Prolific North Creative Award. Following a year of collaboration, the founders formalised their partnership and officially launched Mood Films later that year.

On the recommendation of a friend, they joined the NatWest Accelerator, which provided access to co-working spaces and free one-to-one coaching – an invaluable resource for someone new to business ownership as it gave them the opportunity to talk through their ideas, problems and plans with someone who has the knowledge and guidance to help them take their business forward.

The NatWest Accelerator helped them expand their network, refine their proposition and clearly communicate their offering to SMEs and larger corporate organisations. Workshops on funding, sales, marketing and future planning equipped them with the skills needed for long term success, while the supportive community of like-minded entrepreneurs provided invaluable peer support and shared learning.

Louis Jones, Co-Founder & Director of Photography at Mood Films said: “Joining the NatWest Accelerator was one of the best decisions we ever made for our business. We really believe it’s such a powerful programme that all entrepreneurs should consider joining as there really is something for everyone no matter what stage your business is at.

We came onto the accelerator as two filmmakers trying to grow a business with very little understanding of what it would take from a business perspective, and with NatWest’s support we have grown to be founders that fully understand all areas of our business and feel confident in what we need to do to grow and continue to scale now and into the future.”

FF NEWS TAKE: This commitment to supporting 50,000 entrepreneurs unequivocally moves the needle, transforming the bank’s support programme from a notable initiative into a cornerstone of UK regional productivity strategy. The next metric to monitor closely is the success rate of the new university partnerships, which are key to broadening the bank’s reach beyond traditional hubs. This decentralised approach will be vital for unlocking true national growth and sustaining the UK’s leadership in scaleup financing. Expect competitors to attempt similar large-scale initiatives soon.