Why do mid-sized UK businesses feel overlooked by government policy?

Most mid-sized UK businesses feel overlooked by government policy at a time when economic pressure is rising. Shawbrook research shows that 78% feel overlooked by existing policy, while 79% say accessing government support is difficult.

This highlights a clear support gap for businesses that sit between SMEs and large corporates.

For deeper insight into the challenges facing mid-sized businesses: Read the full Shawbrook M Agenda Report 

Why do mid-sized businesses feel overlooked?

Mid-sized businesses often fall outside the focus of both SME and corporate policy frameworks.

Shawbrook’s research highlights a structural disconnect:

• Support is often targeted at start-ups and early-stage SMEs
• Larger corporates benefit from dedicated policy and incentives
• Mid-sized firms are left with limited tailored support

At the same time, 35% of business leaders expect a negative economic outlook over the next 12 months.

This combination is increasing pressure on a segment that plays a key role in UK growth.

What support are mid-sized businesses asking for?

Mid-sized businesses are focused on practical support that enables stability and growth.

Their top priorities for government support include:

• Support with energy bills (26%)
• Help accessing new markets (26%)
• Increased business rate relief (25%)
• Funding for digital transformation (25%)
• Improved access to flexible finance (24%)

These priorities reflect a need for both cost relief and growth enablement.

What are the biggest barriers to accessing support?

Even where support exists, many businesses struggle to access it.

Key barriers include:

• 79% find it difficult to access government support
• 18% do not know how to access it at all
• Among those who successfully access support, 61% require external help to navigate schemes

This suggests the issue is not just availability, but complexity and accessibility.

Are businesses still optimistic about government support?

Despite these challenges, many mid-sized businesses remain cautiously optimistic.

• 72% trust the Government to support their growth in the next year
• Confidence is higher among larger mid-sized firms (76%) than smaller ones (66%)

This indicates that while frustration is high, expectations for policy improvement remain.

What needs to change?

The findings point to a clear opportunity to better support mid-sized businesses through policy design and delivery.

Key areas for improvement include:

• Making existing schemes easier to access and navigate
• Designing support specifically for mid-sized businesses
• Aligning policy with real-world growth challenges

Without these changes, a critical segment of the UK economy risks being under-supported.

For a full breakdown of the policy challenges, growth outlook, and support needs of mid-sized businesses: Read the full Shawbrook M Agenda Report

^{Methodology
Research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Shawbrook between 15–27 October 2025. The survey included 1,000 funding decision-makers at UK mid-sized businesses, defined as organisations with 50–249 employees and annual turnover of £5M–£100M. The sample included 250 property developers.}

^{This research underpins the findings in Shawbrook’s M Agenda Report.}