Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP)

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A UK government flagship programme facilitating the relocation and scaling of international high-growth technology entrepreneurs by providing mentorship, visa endorsements, and ecosystem access.
What are the main aims and objectives?

The GEP aims to attract internationally mobile, innovation-rich technology entrepreneurs and companies to establish global headquarters in the UK. It seeks to overcome barriers to relocation by providing targeted mentorship, business development support, and visa facilitation. The programme’s goal is to enhance the UK’s innovation ecosystem, stimulate high-skilled employment, catalyze investment, and strengthen the UK’s global competitiveness as a leading innovation hub. It supports firms in diverse tech sectors with scalable global growth ambitions, aligning with government priorities to maintain and grow the UK’s entrepreneurial and economic dynamism.

How does the program work?

The Global Entrepreneur Programme targets science and technology entrepreneurs internationally who demonstrate significant growth potential and intend to establish at least one co-founder’s residence in the UK. Eligible companies tend to be beyond the proof-of-concept stage, with scalable business models and emerging revenues.

Selected entrepreneurs are paired with experienced “dealmakers” — high-profile global entrepreneurs and business leaders who provide tailored mentorship, strategic advice, and connections to UK networks. The programme offers assistance in business planning, investor readiness, partnership development, and UK market navigation.

GEP facilitates Innovator Founder Visa endorsements to smooth immigration. Support spans from dealmaker mentorship to relocation logistics including banking and setting up UK headquarters. The typical programme duration ranges from 3 to 9 months.

Post-relocation, companies join a GEP Alumni Academy for ongoing ecosystem access, events, and investor introductions. The programme thus combines one-on-one mentorship, visa facilitation, and organizational support reflecting a highly personalized approach to international entrepreneurial attraction.

Support is free and includes:

  • mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs
  • help to develop business plans
  • assistance with relocating to the UK
  • providing introductions to key networks including investors
  • guidance on how to grow internationally
  • continued help from DIT once located in the UK, especially around exporting
What is the overall cost?

Exact government budget allocations for GEP are not publicly disclosed.

How was it implemented?

GEP was launched in 2004 by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) in response to the need for structured support to attract global technology entrepreneurs. The innovative dealmaker model was developed early, recruiting globally recognized entrepreneurs as mentors.

The dealmaker approach provided personalized business support unmatched by other programmes. The scheme evolved under UKTI and later the Department for International Trade and now the Department for Business and Trade, maintaining continuity of support.

In 2011, GEP was subject to a detailed evaluation by London Economics, validating early success. Since launch, approximately 25 dealmakers have continuously engaged founders, supporting the programme’s scalability.

What impact has been measured?

GEP has assisted nearly 1,000 international entrepreneurs in establishing UK headquarters, attracting over £1 billion in venture capital collectively. 

The 2011 evaluation by London Economics concluded that the Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP) was a unique and highly effective intervention that successfully attracted high-quality, technology-intensive businesses to the UK which likely would not have relocated otherwise.

Here are the specific key conclusions from the report:

1. High Additionality (Relocation Decisions)
The study concluded that the programme had a significant impact on relocation decisions.

  • 45% of companies stated they "definitely or probably would not have located in the UK" without GEP support.
  • Only 40% said they would have relocated anyway (deadweight loss), with the remainder being borderline cases where GEP accelerated the decision.

2. Economic Impact & Business Performance
The report found that GEP support accelerated business growth and network formation.

  • Dealmaker Value: 96% of Dealmakers believed companies would not have performed as well without support.
  • Acceleration: Supported companies reported faster business development, earlier revenue generation, and quicker access to networks (investors, customers, partners) compared to what they would have achieved alone.
  • Spillovers: The presence of these entrepreneurs created wider benefits ("knowledge spillovers") by enhancing the UK’s entrepreneurial culture and "gene pool."

3. Programme Efficiency & Model
The evaluation praised the Dealmaker model as the programme's "Unique Selling Point" (USP).

  • The use of experienced entrepreneurs (Dealmakers) rather than civil servants was critical to credibility and success.
  • The programme was deemed cost-effective relative to the high quality of inward investment it secured, particularly given that it did not offer direct grants or subsidies to companies.

4. Strategic Alignment
The GEP was found to be strategically aligned with UK government objectives to foster innovation and attract high-value inward investment, effectively targeting early-stage, high-growth potential firms that traditional inward investment teams often missed.

What lessons can be learned?
  • The dealmaker mentorship model is the programme’s core strength, facilitating tailored entrepreneurial support and network access.
  • Visa endorsement and relocation assistance remove significant barriers for international entrepreneurs.
  • Sustained government commitment over two decades has been key to building ecosystem trust and efficacy.
  • Additionality of relocation support is significant but offset by deadweight loss; continued efforts needed to optimize targeting.
  • Programme scale is limited relative to the global entrepreneur pool, indicating room to expand outreach.
  • Dependency on immigration policy changes poses risks to programme stability.
  • Limited publicly available recent impact data hampers comprehensive assessment of long-term effectiveness.
  • Sector and geographic concentration could limit inclusivity and amplify market risks.
Notes + Additional Context

According to the 2010 evaluation, the GEP bears many similarities to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) programmes, which seek to encourage foreign companies to invest in and/or relocate operations to the UK. Despite this, the motivation for the GEP is conceptually different to the rationale for traditional FDI programmes, due to the programme’s emphasis on entrepreneurship.  

CURATED BY

Cristina Fernandez

Director for Knowledge + Programming
Global Entrepreneurship Network
United States