New Enterprise Allowance: information for mentors
What a New Enterprise Allowance mentor does, how to become one and details of the organisations that match new businesses with a mentor.
The New Enterprise Allowance closed to new participants on 1 January 2022. You can still apply to be a mentor for people already receiving New Enterprise Allowance.
New Enterprise Allowance (NEA) can provide money and support to help people start their own business if they get certain benefits and have a business idea that could work.
NEA now provides support to some Universal Credit claimants with an existing business. This includes support from a business mentor.
What does a mentor do?
Entrepreneurs starting up their business with the help of NEA need mentoring support at a critical time during the development of their business plan.
Existing self-employed Universal Credit claimants, whose income from their business is low, could get mentoring support to help them increase their earnings and grow their business.
A mentor provides this support usually for a 12 week period. Face-to-face mentoring is required as part of this voluntary role.
You can gain from the experience of being a mentor. It can be as rewarding as getting your own business going.
How to become a mentor
The NEA programme is managed by different organisations (NEA providers) in different parts of the UK. These NEA providers match new businesses getting help from NEA with a mentor.
If you’re interested in becoming a mentor for entrepreneurs in your local area, please contact your local NEA provider.
NEA providers
| Area | Provider |
|---|---|
| Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country | PeoplePlus |
| East Anglia, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland | Pinnacle People |
| Mercia, Midland shires | Standguide Ltd |
| Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent | Ixion |
| East London, South London | Ixion |
| North London, West London | Ixion |
| Durham and Tees Valley, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear | Gateshead Council |
| North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire | Pinnacle People |
| Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside | Cumbria Chamber of Commerce |
| Greater Manchester Central and Cheshire, Greater Manchester East and West | PeoplePlus |
| East and South East Scotland, North of Scotland, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire, West of Scotland | PeoplePlus |
| Devon, Cornwall and Somerset, Avon, Severn, Thames | PeoplePlus |
| Berkshire, Surrey and Sussex, Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and Isle of Wight | Pinnacle People |
| North and Mid Wales, South East Wales, South West Wales | Business Sense Associates |
You can also get advice on becoming a mentor from www.mentorsme.co.uk.
Video about being a mentor
Yanire talks about setting up her business and the support she got from her mentor.
Yanire made her dream a reality with the help of NEA
Start a business with the help of NEA
Go to www.gov.uk/new-enterprise-allowance for information about eligibility and how to apply.
Updates to this page
Published 21 January 2015Last updated 1 January 2022 + show all updates
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The New Enterprise Allowance has closed to new participants. You can still apply to be a mentor for people already receiving New Enterprise Allowance.
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The New Enterprise Allowance is closing to new participants on 1 January 2022. You can still apply to be a mentor after 31 December 2021 for people already receiving New Enterprise Allowance.
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Updated mentor contact details for the area covering Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Avon, Severn and Thames.
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Added video 'Yanire talks about setting up her business and the support she got from her mentor'.
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Published a revised list of NEA providers.
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Revised mentor contact details for 1) East Anglia, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland, 2) North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and 3) Greater Wessex, Surrey and Sussex, Thames Valley.
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Revised mentor contact details for Blue Orchid - Merseyside.
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Revised mentor contact details for Birmingham and Solihull, Black Country, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, Essex, Kent, Greater Manchester Central and Cheshire, Greater Manchester East and West, Glasgow, Lanarkshire and East Dunbartonshire, West of Scotland and Wales.
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Updated contact details for East Anglia, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland area and Greater Wessex, Surrey and Sussex, Thames Valley area.
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First published.