Publication

Global Entrepreneurship Monitor. Beyond the Unicorns: Everyday Ambition, Uneven Support

Published: 27 October 2026

GEM Report 2025/2026: Beyond the Unicorns: Everyday Ambition, Uneven Support

Associated Themes

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  Entrepreneurship
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  Global Entrepreneurship Monitor ( GEM )

The State of UK Entrepreneurship 2025/26

The UK saw a sharp rise in entrepreneurship in 2025, with early-stage activity reaching 16.8% of adults and growth ambition at a record high, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) UK 2025/26 report. But the report warns that the environment needed to turn this ambition into lasting businesses has deteriorated for five consecutive years.

The report, led by Professor Mark Hart of Warwick Business School and the Enterprise Research Centre, tracks the full population of nascent, new and established entrepreneurs. It argues that a policy focus on fast-growth “unicorns” overlooks the “everyday entrepreneurs” who generate most of the jobs, productivity and regeneration in communities across the UK.

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