Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what support the Government is providing to SMEs looking to attract finance from venture capital firms.

The UK has a robust R&D funding ecosystem, boasting the most mature venture capital market in Europe. At least £26 billion was raised in 2021 to start and grow innovative businesses, more than France and Germany combined. SMEs have access to a wide range to accelerator and incubator programmes and to the online Finance Hub provided by the British Business Bank, which includes information on how to pitch successfully for venture capital investment.