NatWest and Innovate UK Business Connect among the latest to back SCALE Manchester

The Access Group and Star Asset Finance also join as partners supporting the November summit for growth-stage businesses.

SCALE, the platform for growth-stage businesses, has announced NatWest and Innovate UK Business Connect as headline partners for SCALE Manchester, which will bring founders, investors and business leaders together at Freight Island on 25 November 2026.

The Access Group and Star Asset Finance are also backing the summit, with The Access Group’s Unleashed programme specifically supporting Women Who Scale.

The organisations will join SCALE’s wider network of partners supporting businesses through access to finance, banking, payments, legal advice, technology and broader growth support.

NatWest will host “Show Me The Money: Access to Growth Capital”, a roundtable designed to help scaling businesses better understand the funding options available to support their next phase of growth. The discussion will explore the various debt solutions available in the market and provide founders practical insights into when different forms of funding may be appropriate and what to look out for. Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage directly with funders and advisers active in the growth capital ecosystem.

Innovate UK Business Connect is returning following its involvement in SCALE London, with the organisation leading the summit’s speed networking sessions.

Designed and managed by SCALE, the sessions will give founders a series of short, focused conversations with other founders, investors, experts and potential partners. Innovate UK Business Connect advisers will take part, bringing their expertise and networks to help attendees make relevant connections.

More than 100 founders, advisers and investors took part in the speed networking at SCALE London earlier this year. The format will return for the one-day Manchester summit, giving founders another opportunity to meet people who can support their next stage of growth.

The new partnerships come as SCALE prepares to bring its summit to Manchester for the first time following its flagship London event earlier this year. The Manchester event will focus on connecting founders in the region with the capital, expertise, technology and commercial relationships needed to move businesses into their next stage of growth.

SCALE Manchester will include founder-led discussions, investor insight, practical sessions and opportunities for businesses to connect directly with investors and growth partners. The event will also spotlight Women Who Scale, including a Female Founders Pitch Competition, with winners gaining direct access to investors looking to back more women-led businesses.

Will Fowler, Chief Commercial Officer at SCALE, said:

“Bringing organisations of this calibre into SCALE Manchester matters because founders need more than inspiration. They need practical access to finance, legal expertise, technology and commercial support that can help them make better decisions and grow. The North West already has the ambition, talent and businesses capable of scaling nationally and internationally. Our job is to bring the right people into the room around them. These partnerships strengthen that proposition and give founders direct access to organisations that understand the challenges of growth and can help them tackle them.”

Jenny Edwards, Head of NatWest Venture Banking, said:

“The North West has a proud track record of turning ambitious ideas into successful businesses, supported by world-class universities, strong sector clusters and a growing community of founders and investors. At NatWest, we recognise that ambition only becomes economic growth when businesses have access to the right capital, expertise and connections at every stage of their journey.”

Steve Sankson, Regional Director of NatWest Corporate Banking added: “Through our UK-wide network, we aim to build the conditions and connections that support strong economies across every region and nation. By collaborating on events such as SCALE Manchester, we aim to help bring the ecosystem together and support more of the region’s high-growth businesses to scale with confidence, create skilled jobs and compete globally.”

Fran McIntyre, Innovate UK Business Connect, said:

“At Innovate UK Business Connect, we connect innovative businesses to the networks, expertise, partners and opportunities - regionally, nationally and globally, that can accelerate innovation and help businesses to scale.

“We’re pleased to be supporting SCALE Manchester and through our speed networking session, founders will have the opportunity to start those all-important conversations and turn them into valuable partnerships.

“Those partnerships can open doors to new expertise, investment and markets, helping ambitious businesses take their next steps towards scaling.”

Tickets for SCALE Manchester, which takes place on 25 November, are on sale now. Find out more about the event and book tickets here.