Martin Coats, Chief Operating Officer at Exemplas, which delivers the West Yorkshire Business Boost (WYBB) and Business Productivity Services with Leeds Beckett University and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, says SMEs across the region are calling for certainty and clarity from the Autumn Budget announcement.

Martin Coats explained: “After years of navigating Brexit, COVID-19, the cost-of-living crisis and now rising energy costs, businesses need a stable tax environment and clear signals on future policy. Confidence to invest depends on knowing where they stand on corporation tax, business rates and incentives for growth. Without this transparency, many firms risk delaying plans which could have a detrimental impact on productivity and job creation across West Yorkshire.

“Alongside financial measures, SMEs need access to strong business support to help them navigate what feels like an ever-growing list of challenges, from trade and tariffs to supply chain disruption and skills shortages. Relief on energy costs and business rates, improved access to finance and targeted investment in skills and digital adoption remain top priorities. SMEs are ready to innovate and grow, but they need a Budget that provides certainty, clarity and practical support to manage the uncertainty and continue to secure West Yorkshire’s economic future.”

WYBB is a business support programme that works with ambitious West Yorkshire SMEs to boost success by improving productivity and resilience through innovation, empowering leaders to drive growth and helping SMEs reach and expand into global markets.

The organisation’s mission centres on building a supportive environment where diversity drives the success of economic growth in West Yorkshire, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities to access the programme, including female business leaders and ethnic minority entrepreneurs.

Since the programme’s inception in September 2023, until March 2025, WYBB has supported 558 businesses across diverse sectors, delivering exceptional results:

£16 returned for every £1 WYCA invested in Innovation, Leadership and Export programmes
350 jobs created
940 jobs safeguarded – protecting West Yorkshire's employment base during
economic uncertainty
£972k co-invested with businesses – shows strong business commitment and
leveraging public investment with private capital

Martin concluded: “West Yorkshire is home to a wealth of enterprising businesses with the ability and an appetite to accelerate and scale-up operations. They are poised for further expansion, but I detect an element of nervousness ahead of the budget. Clarity from the Government will allay fears and enable us to continue to support SMEs to realise their growth potential, bolstering economic development in the region.”