Some programmes finish with a report.
This one finished with something more tangible: new confidence, new connections, stronger decisions, and real progress for businesses across Croydon. The Croydon Business Support Programme, delivered by UP, formerly Start-Up Croydon, ran from November 2025 to March 2026 on behalf of the London Borough of Croydon and with UK Shared Prosperity Fund backing. It set out to support 90 Croydon-based businesses. It ended up formally supporting 106. When the additional non-registered participants are included, total reach rose to 137.
What the programme achieved
The numbers matter because they show this was not just well received. It delivered.
- 106 businesses formally supported
- 137 total participants reached
- 9 jobs safeguarded
- 5 jobs created
- 12 new products, services or processes
- All 7 contractual targets met or exceeded
- 197 full programme sign-ups
- 308 contacts collected
It also exceeded all three diversity targets, including women-led, BAME-led and disabled-led businesses, which the report attributes to the programme’s inclusive design and delivery.
Why it worked
What made the programme different was not only the content. It was the way support was delivered.
Rather than expecting everyone to come to one place, sessions were spread across the borough, including UP HQ in Waddon, Collaborative One in Purley, Fine Toad in Coulsdon and Stanley Arts in South Norwood. That made support easier to access and helped UP build stronger relationships across Croydon’s business community.
The programme was built around five delivery streams:
1. Orbit Side-Hustle Incubator
A 12-business cohort completed the incubator with 100% attendance, finishing with a graduation ceremony in February 2026. The report highlights that the cohort became a real peer support network, not just a group attending sessions.
2. Workshops
Seven workshops covered practical topics including branding, financial planning, Instagram with AI, LinkedIn B2B, pitching, hiring and Canva. The final online Canva session reached full capacity and had a waiting list, showing strong demand for flexible formats.
3. 1:1 Strategy Clinics
Clinics took place across four locations and focused on funding, marketing, grants and business strategy. The borough-wide model was especially well received, and partner venues expressed interest in future sessions.
4. Fireside Event
The biggest single event of the programme drew 70 attendees at full capacity. It combined a fireside chat with Mario Aleppo of Fireaway Pizza and a funding panel with experts from banking, grants and alternative finance.
5. LSBU Student Consultancy
Eight businesses were paired with London South Bank University student consultants for deeper support. The report notes delays in mobilisation, but still describes the stream as showing strong potential and providing more tailored help than standard workshops or clinics.
The real story behind the numbers
The strongest part of the report is not just that targets were hit.
It is that the programme clearly met people at different stages, in different parts of the borough, and gave them support that felt practical and usable. The report describes a programme that was accessible, inclusive and grounded in real founder needs. Participants praised the facilitators, the relevance of the sessions and the diversity of the cohort. Partner venues also saw clear value and wanted the relationship to continue.
That matters because support only works when people can actually use it.
And this programme did not only help businesses in the moment. It also widened UP’s visibility across Purley, Coulsdon, South Norwood and New Addington, created durable venue partnerships, strengthened links with LSBU, and gave UP stronger evidence for future funding bids. The report says this has materially strengthened UP’s position as the borough’s leading inclusive business support organisation.
Honest lessons from the programme
Another reason this report feels credible is that it does not hide the challenges.
It says daytime delivery limited access for some business owners, that male participation remained lower, that having a single project lead created pressure on event days, and that UTR requirements excluded some pre-start entrepreneurs from formal support. It also notes that sales skills emerged as a recurring gap and should be prioritised in future delivery.
That honesty makes the success more convincing, not less.
This was not a perfect programme on paper. It was a real one, delivered in real conditions, that learned as it went and still finished strongly.
What comes next
For now, the Croydon Business Support Programme has come to a close. We are well positioned to build on what it created, with stronger partnerships, stronger local reputation and a stronger evidence base for future programme delivery.
In the meantime, founders do not need to wait for another large programme to get support.
UP is currently directing people towards One to One Business Mentoring, a support offer for founders who want clearer thinking, stronger decisions and steady progress. The mentoring itself is free. There is no fee to apply. If an application is accepted and a suitable mentoring match is available, the founder is then invited to pay a one-off £27 excl. VAT admin and programme set-up fee before mentoring begins. Applications are reviewed individually, and places are limited based on fit and mentor availability.
Final thought
The best thing this programme leaves behind is not a spreadsheet.
It is the fact that 137 people and businesses across Croydon moved forward.
Some through workshops.
Some through clinics.
Some through the incubator.
Some through one conversation that helped things finally click.
That is worth marking properly.
And for anyone now looking for their next step, UP is still there, this time through One to One Business Mentoring.
Need support for your next step?
UP’s One to One Business Mentoring is designed for founders who want space to think clearly, make stronger decisions and move forward with confidence. The mentoring itself is free, and applications are reviewed individually.