Solent Growth Partnership
Solent Growth Partnership is a public-sector partnership, backed by Portsmouth, Southampton, and Isle of Wight Councils, that delivers fully-funded business support, skills training, and AI adoption programmes to SMEs across the Solent region.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersPortsmouth, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Solent Growth Partnership does
Solent Growth Partnership is a public-sector partnership delivering fully-funded business support, skills training, and partnership programmes to SMEs across the Solent region. It is jointly governed by Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, and Isle of Wight Council, with Portsmouth City Council serving as the accountable body. The organisation operates as the designated regional growth vehicle for the three-council economic area, functioning within a UK local authority collaborative model rather than as a commercial enterprise, and reports no external investors or equity holders.
The service portfolio is built around the core Solent Business Growth Service delivered in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade, supplemented by an extensive suite of programmes spanning AI adoption (Couch to AI Programme, AI Maturity Assessment, AI Skills Partnership), skills and apprenticeships (Transfer to Transform levy scheme, Skills Bootcamps, SEEDL), business intelligence (Solent Connect), and sector-specific support (Start-up Launchpad, Sustainability, Help 4 High Streets, Invest Solent). Its flagship event, Solent FutureScape, is positioned as the largest AI and tech conference outside London and drew over 500 delegates in March 2026. The AI Skills Partnership coordinates delivery across three universities, five further education colleges, and industry experts, while Solent Connect channels real-time regional business intelligence to the Department of Business and Trade and the Cities and Local Growth Unit.
The business model is government-funded rather than revenue-generating: services are delivered free of charge to eligible SMEs, with funding drawn from UK government programmes including DBT Growth Service and apprenticeship levy transfer mechanisms. Go-to-market is sales-led within the defined regional boundary, executed through direct advisory, workshops, events, and a multi-channel digital presence spanning LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, email, podcast, and a Knowledge Hub. The customer base is structurally the SME population of the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton, with secondary engagement into employee-owned business leadership networks and start-ups. No commercial pricing is disclosed, consistent with the public-sector delivery mandate.
Solent Growth Partnership firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solent Growth Partnership
- Legal name
- Solent Growth Partnership
- Website
- https://solentgrowthpartnership.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Solent Growth Partnership is a public-sector partnership, backed by Portsmouth, Southampton, and Isle of Wight Councils, that delivers fully-funded business support, skills training, and AI adoption programmes to SMEs across the Solent region.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solent Growth Partnership industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Support Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development (BPADAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO), Education, Skills & Workforce Development Aid Programs (BPADABAE), SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)
Keywords
Where Solent Growth Partnership is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Portsmouth
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Solent Growth Partnership business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government-funded business support: Delivers fully-funded business support and training solutions to businesses, funded through government programs including DBT Growth Service and apprenticeship levy transfer schemes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
Solent Growth Partnership product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solent Growth Partnership delivers fully-funded business support, skills training, and partnership programmes to SMEs and individuals in the Solent region (Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton). It operates as a Local Enterprise Partnership, channelling government programmes including the DBT Growth Service and apprenticeship levy transfer schemes. Core offerings include business advisory, AI skills development, apprenticeship support, leadership networking, and sustainability guidance.
Product overview
Solent Growth Partnership is a business support organization delivering fully-funded support and training solutions across the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, and Southampton. The portfolio comprises a unified platform of interconnected services built around the core Solent Business Growth Service, supplemented by specialized programmes including AI-focused offerings (AI Skills Partnership, AI Maturity Assessment, Solent FutureScape conference), skills and training services (Apprenticeship programmes, Skills Bootcamps, SEEDL, Transfer to Transform levy scheme), employment initiatives (Get Solent Working), business intelligence gathering (Solent Connect), and targeted support services (Start-up Launchpad, Business & IP Centre, Sustainability, Help 4 High Streets). The organization operates as a collaboration between Isle of Wight, Portsmouth City, and Southampton City Councils, with Portsmouth City Council as the accountable body.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Solent Business Growth Service: A key service offering providing business growth support as part of the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Growth programme.
Products and services
- Solent Business Growth Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% of Solent FutureScape attendees rated the event Excellent or Very Good
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Solent Growth Partnership
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Solent Growth Partnership technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Solent Growth Partnership partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
23 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- B&QminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme, supporting SMEs in the Solent region.
- Liquid FridayminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- Ordnance SurveyminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- Southern CoopminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- AbriminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- Portsmouth City CouncilcoreAccountable body for Solent Growth Partnership. Hosts the website and provides administrative support for the partnership.
- Cooper VisionminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- Southampton City CouncilcoreOne of three local authority partners delivering the Solent Growth Partnership.
- CognizantminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- NHS University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation TrustminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- University of PortsmouthminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- New Forest District CouncilminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- AvivaminorPledging organisation in the Transfer to Transform apprenticeship levy transfer scheme.
- Chambers of CommercecoreMember of Solent Connect, sharing business intelligence and insights with the initiative.
- Universities and Research InstitutionscoreMember of Solent Connect, sharing business intelligence and academic insights.
- Business networks and associationscoreMember of Solent Connect, providing business support insights.
- Financial institutionscoreMember of Solent Connect, contributing financial sector business insights.
- Local authoritiescoreMember of Solent Connect, sharing public sector business engagement data.
- World-Class Universities (3)corePart of the AI Skills Partnership, providing academic expertise and research capabilities for AI skills development in the Solent region.
- Further Education Colleges (5)corePart of the AI Skills Partnership, delivering vocational AI training and skills programs.
- Industry Experts and Strategic PartnerscorePart of the AI Skills Partnership, providing practical AI implementation expertise.
- Isle of Wight CouncilcoreOne of three local authority partners in the Solent Growth Partnership.
- Solent FreeportcorePartnered to deliver the £50,000 apprenticeship incentive to support SMEs and young people.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Solent Growth Partnership competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership: Local Enterprise Partnership covering a defined economic area in southern England, delivering business support, skills programmes, and growth initiatives in partnership with local authorities. A near-identical structural analogue to SGP at sub-regional scale.
- Greater Manchester Growth Company: Public-private growth agency delivering business support, inward investment, and skills programmes across Greater Manchester. Operates a structurally similar regional economic development model, with comparable SME advisory services, skills bootcamps, and event programmes under a local-authority-backed governance arrangement.
- Business Growth Hub (Manchester): Operates a business support hub funded through local authorities and Growth Company infrastructure, delivering one-to-one advisory, growth programmes, and skills support to SMEs. Closest operational analogue to SGP's Solent Business Growth Service.
- BIPC (Business & IP Centre) Network: National network of BIPCs, including SGP's local BIPC, providing free IP and business advice to start-ups and small businesses through libraries and growth hubs. Direct comparator for the BIPC service line that SGP itself operates in the Solent.
- West Midlands Growth Company: Regional growth company delivering business support, skills, and investment attraction across the West Midlands. Directly comparable as a publicly-supported body running SME growth programmes, skills training, and corporate events for a defined UK economic area.
Broad incumbents
- Enterprise Nation: Provides start-up and SME support including mentoring, training, and content programmes across the UK. Directly comparable to SGP's Start-up Launchpad and broader SME support capability, with a much larger national audience footprint.
- Tech Nation (now Founders Forum Group): UK-wide organisation supporting tech and digital scale-ups through programmes, events, and networks. Overlaps with SGP's AI Skills Partnership and FutureScape in delivering AI/digital upskilling and major events to SMEs across the UK.
- Be the Business: UK-wide productivity-focused SME advisory organisation running peer networks, mentoring, and benchmarking programmes for growth-oriented SMEs. Comparable to SGP's Leadership Exchange Networks and business skills offerings but operating at national rather than regional scope.
- Lloyds Bank Business Academy: Major UK bank programme offering free online business advice, webinars, and growth toolkits to SMEs. Comparable in mission (free SME education and growth support) but operates at UK-wide scale and through a commercial bank distribution channel.
- Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Growth Hub Network: The national government programme through which SGP's Solent Business Growth Service is funded. The wider DBT Growth Hub network of regionally delivered support services is the closest policy/programme analogue to SGP's core business growth service portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Solent Growth Partnership social profiles
Digital presenceSolent Growth Partnership financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solent Growth Partnership leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Solent Growth Partnership funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solent Growth Partnership M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solent Growth Partnership
What does Solent Growth Partnership do?
Solent Growth Partnership delivers fully-funded business support, skills training, and partnership programmes to SMEs and individuals in the Solent region (Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton). It operates as a Local Enterprise Partnership, channelling government programmes including the DBT Growth Service and apprenticeship levy transfer schemes. Core offerings include business advisory, AI skills development, apprenticeship support, leadership networking, and sustainability guidance.
Is Solent Growth Partnership a public or private company?
Solent Growth Partnership is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Solent Growth Partnership founded?
Solent Growth Partnership was founded in -1.
Where is Solent Growth Partnership based?
Solent Growth Partnership is headquartered in Portsmouth, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Solent Growth Partnership make money?
One revenue line is on record: government-funded business support.
Who are Solent Growth Partnership's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership, Greater Manchester Growth Company, Business Growth Hub (Manchester), BIPC (Business & IP Centre) Network and West Midlands Growth Company. Broad incumbents are Enterprise Nation, Tech Nation (now Founders Forum Group), Be the Business, Lloyds Bank Business Academy and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Growth Hub Network.
Does Solent Growth Partnership have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solent Growth Partnership.
What industry is Solent Growth Partnership in?
Solent Growth Partnership's product category is Business Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPADAEAE, Economic Growth, Livelihoods & Private Sector Development, with a secondary code of BPADABAO, Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8742.