EF News
The Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s Scale-up Leaders’ Academy has been recognised on the national stage, having achieved official endorsement from the ScaleUp Institute, a mark of excellence awarded to only the most impactful business growth programmes in the UK.
The national accreditation highlights the Academy’s proven impact in helping ambitious North East entrepreneurs accelerate their growth, strengthen their leadership teams and create more resilient, scalable businesses.
Since its launch in 2017, the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy has supported over 70 business owners from across the region, equipping them with the insight, tools and peer network needed to navigate the challenges of scaling successfully.
Alumni have achieved exceptional results, growing their teams by an average of 117%, raising a combined £7 million in investment and celebrating three successful business exits.
Elaine Stroud, Chief Executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said: “We’re delighted that the ScaleUp Institute has recognised the exceptional quality and impact of our Scale-up Leaders’ Academy. This accreditation is a testament to the power of our peer-to-peer approach and the incredible entrepreneurs who share their knowledge, experience and energy to help others grow.
“Our mission is to help entrepreneurs who want to achieve sustainable high growth. Scale-ups are vitally important to the North East economy and our Academy continues to give entrepreneurs the leadership skills they need to grow and scale their businesses.”
The ScaleUp Institute is an independent, private sector-led organisation that works to make the UK the best place in the world to scale a business. Its accreditation framework recognises programmes that deliver demonstrable outcomes and adhere to best practice in supporting scale-up leaders.
Ian Kinnery, a former business owner with 20 years of coaching experience, is the scale-up coach and lead facilitator of the Academy. He said: “Creating the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy has been a privilege, providing me with the chance to do what I’m most passionate about, which is helping founders grow not just their businesses, but themselves.
"With my past experience of running a business, I understand the challenges of scaling and in that time, I've helped hundreds of North East entrepreneurs navigate that journey and that's continued through the Academy.
"The impact it has had has been remarkable, with many participants using it to take their companies to a whole new level."
Building on this national recognition, the Scale-up Leaders’ Academy is now recruiting for its next cohort, starting in January 2026.
Refreshed and enhanced for the year ahead, the programme introduces the new Entrepreneur in Residence initiative, giving participants direct access to experienced business leaders who have successfully navigated the scale-up journey. It also places a greater emphasis on team engagement, helping founders bring their people with them on the journey to sustainable growth.
Elaine continued, “Our Scale-up Leaders’ Academy continues to evolve to meet the needs of ambitious founders and their teams. With fresh energy, new initiatives and national recognition behind us, we’re excited to support even more North East entrepreneurs to achieve their growth ambitions in the new year.”
The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is proud to be supported by its corporate partners – Agilico, RBC Brewin Dolphin, Maitland, Ward Hadaway, North East Times, Hilton Newcastle Gateshead and Blu Sky Chartered Accountants – alongside its business support partners, including Tees Valley Combined Authority, Northern Accelerator, Newcastle University Business School and Northumbria University.
