Understanding what works in business support and investment readiness

Delivery organisations

Metro Dynamics was commissioned by Funding London to undertake an independent evaluation of the Investment Ready Programme for Diverse Founders (IRP), a £1.07m UKSPF-funded initiative delivered in partnership with Mountside Ventures. The programme supports early-stage businesses, particularly those led by underrepresented founders, to access external finance and scale their operations. It was designed in response to well-evidenced barriers to investment, including limited access to networks, gaps in financial knowledge, and structural biases within the funding ecosystem.

Our evaluation assessed performance, outcomes and value for money, alongside the wider role of the intervention within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. This combined rigorous quantitative analysis with in-depth stakeholder and beneficiary insight to test what works in enabling businesses to secure investment and scale. The findings demonstrate that well-designed, evidence-led interventions can materially improve investment readiness, enhance founder confidence, and strengthen connections to investors and markets.

The evaluation identified strong value for money and clear additionality, providing robust evidence that public investment is enabling businesses to access finance that would not otherwise be secured. This evidence directly supported the case for continued investment in the programme, helping to secure a funding extension and maintain delivery momentum.

Our recommendations draw not only on the evidence generated through this evaluation, but also on our wider experience of assessing comparable interventions, including RTC North’s Scale Up Programme and YTKO’s early-stage business support for underrepresented founders. This enables us to bring a clear, evidence-led understanding of what drives impact, strengthens delivery, and maximises long-term value.