UK refugee entrepreneurship pilot scheme

This report is the culmination of a year-long scheme which explored the potential of start-up business support for refugees in the UK. Pilot partners in Bristol, the East of England, Stoke-on-Trent and Belfast provided direct support to 112 refugee participants, although notably demand was much higher. The entrepreneurial inclinations of refugees are well documented, but structural and institutional barriers present hurdles to starting a business. A growing body of evidence documents the persistence of these barriers internationally. Targeted business support is an innovative empowerment approach to the problem of refugee underemployment/ unemployment. It enables refugees to take action and spurs beneficial outcomes for individuals, communities and the economy. An important policy consideration is the extent to which business support for refugees can potentially unlock a wider variety of benefits associated with social integration. There is evidence that refugees who start businesses also experience enhanced feelings of wellbeing and autonomy. However, the connection between short-term psychological benefits and longer-term financial outcomes is less obvious, given that many refugees operate in unattractive or informal markets where they struggle to make a living. In this report, we explore how targeted business support promotes positive social and economic impacts as two sides of the same coin.