BidSkim
Free report
Service market

Business mentoring contracts

UK public sector · 135 contracts awarded in the 12 months to 6 October 2026

Covering 600+ buyer portals · 5 years of records · Updated 6 October 2026 · How we count

Contracts awarded
135
Last 12 months
Median contract
£90k
Recorded value
Recorded value
£66.6m
129 of 134 main-service contracts have a published value
Buyers
82
Suppliers
155

BidSkim assigns contracts to services from the notice text. How services are assigned

What stands out

  • The five suppliers that won the most business mentoring contracts took 10% of them (14 of 135).
  • The median contract, £90k, is close to the median across consulting & accountancy contracts (£80k).
  • North East had the most contracts: 20, or 15% of the total.

Who buys business mentoring

By contracts awarded, the 12 months to 6 October 2026.

  1. 1Northumbria University8 contracts
  2. 2UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)6 contracts
  3. 3Llywodraeth Cymru / Welsh Government5 contracts
  4. 4East Sussex County Council5 contracts
  5. 5OXFORDSHIRE LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP LIMITED4 contracts
  6. 6Tees Valley Combined Authority4 contracts
  7. 7InterTradeIreland3 contracts
  8. 8Lincolnshire County Council3 contracts
  9. 9Highlands and Islands Enterprise3 contracts
  10. 10East Lindsey District Council3 contracts

Top business mentoring contractors by contracts won

The 12 months to 6 October 2026.

  1. 1Mentera3 contracts
  2. 2UMi3 contracts
  3. 3Smarter Society3 contracts
  4. 4Counterculture3 contracts
  5. 5YTKO Limited2 contracts
  6. 6BIC Innovation2 contracts
  7. 7ALP SYNERGY LIMITED2 contracts
  8. 8FIRST Face to Face Ltd2 contracts
  9. 9Puntios Ltd2 contracts
  10. 10INCUHIVE GROUP LTD2 contracts

Latest and largest awards

Each links to the official notice.

Latest

Largest

Contracts awarded by quarter

34Q4 2025*30Q1 202632Q2 202639Q3 20260Q4 2026*
* part quarter

Where the contracts were awarded

England 102 · Scotland 13 · Northern Ireland 11 · Wales 9

North East20South East16London13West Midlands11East of England11Northern Ireland11Scotland10South West9Wales9Yorkshire and The Humber8East Midlands6North West4UK-wide or not stated7

What is included

Delivering publicly funded advice, diagnostics, coaching, mentoring, workshops and accelerator support to local start-ups, small businesses, social enterprises, farms and spin-outs.

  • Start-up and enterprise support for residents
  • SME growth and accelerator programmes
  • Business advisers and growth hub services
  • Social enterprise development support
  • Sector business support (manufacturing, food, care providers, farms)
  • Supply chain diversification and net zero support to local firms
  • Commercialisation support for spin-outs and innovation award holders
  • Cluster development programmes

What is not included

  • Economic strategies (see Economic development, growth and skills strategies)
  • Grant scheme administration (see Grant administration)
  • Publicly backed loan and equity funds (see Business finance fund management)
  • Accredited courses and executive education (see Education & Training)
  • Digital adoption advice to SMEs (see it software (it.advice.business digital adoption support))
  • Business events and destination lead generation (see Marketing & Creative)

Often bought by the same buyers