Scale-up Leaders Academy

Helping ambitious business owners to prepare for sustainable high-growth, the Entrepreneurs' Forum's Scale-up Leaders' Academy will enable you to scale sustainably with the support of your peers and a clear strategic plan

Spread over 6 months, the Scale-up Leaders' Academy is a programme of dedicated support that will help you and your team prepare to grow your company faster and more sustainably.

Who is it for?

• Founders who have achieved initial success and want to step up to the next level
• Founders who can't find the time to work on the important tasks, despite best intentions
• Founders with a growth mindset
• Founders who want to learn from those who've actually done it (it's not just theory with us)
• Those open to contributing within a like-minded peer cohort
• Those willing to invest in their own self development
• Those with three+ direct reports

Who's it NOT for?

• Founders who've already scaled to a level they are happy with
• Those who like academic led courses
• Founders with a closed mindset
• Those who would prefer 1-1 coaching
• Those with a desire to scale, but existing order book is enough for the foreseeable future
• Those with teams < 10 people and no plans to expand

Why?

• Most SMEs fail to scale
• Most founders get caught in the reactive trap, chasing revenue and fighting fires
• Most founders don't give themselves the space they need to break free from the busy-ness that's holding then back

Key Programme Features

• Group scale up coaching for the founder AND their leadership team
• Focus your strategy into an achievable one page plan
• Your team learn alongside the founder
• Turn your BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal) into a plan
• Learn from our "Entrepreneurs in residence"
• Accredited by the ScaleUp Institute as a "One to Watch" programme

What's New for 2026

• Senior leadership team are now encouraged to attend the coaching sessions meaning it will be quicker to embed the learning into your business.
• Entrepreneurs in residence have been appointed who will be your mentors and ensure you can see the practical application to the learning.

Impact

• Average increase in employee numbers post course = 117%
• Total investment raised by cohort members = £7 million
• Total successful business exits by cohort members = 3

Course Dates

• Next cohort starts January 2026
• Runs over 6 months to June 2026

Course Fee

• £4,000 + VAT. Partial funding up to 50% may be available depending on the location of your business.