Growth Bites: Partnering with UK Enterprises
Getting Your Foot in the Door: How to Approach UK Enterprises
with Colin Griffith, Managing Director of Mvmnt
Welcome to Growth Bites, the series that turns expert experience into bite-sized growth lessons — actionable, focused, and built to help you navigate new markets with confidence.
In this episode, Colin Griffith, drawing on over 15 years of corporate experience, shares what it really takes to break into the UK enterprise landscape, from understanding the market’s structure and culture to landing your first corporate partnership.
The UK is the world’s 6th-largest economy, with around 8,000 large enterprises and millions of SMEs. Buying power is concentrated in London, but regional hubs like Manchester and Birmingham are gaining traction.
Over 80% of GDP comes from services — finance, tech, and creative industries lead the way.
For startups, that means the UK market offers broad entry points but operates within a highly professional, structured culture.
Before we start, a few traits to remember:
Punctuality signals professionalism.
Understatement is cultural; enthusiasm is often muted.
Indirect feedback is common — look for actions, not words.
Hierarchy runs deep; decisions climb multiple levels.
Trust takes time to build but lasts once earned.
💡 Why UK Enterprises Partner with Startups
UK corporates tend to avoid risk and move slowly internally, so they partner with startups to adapt faster to change.
They collaborate to:
Inject innovation and fresh thinking.
Access emerging technologies without building in-house R&D.
Enter new markets and segments efficiently.
Future-proof their operations and learn through pilots.
Differentiate their brand and attract talent through visible innovation.
Partnerships span from simple commercial deals to accelerators, minority investments, joint ventures and full acquisitions — each offering different levels of commitment and benefit.
🧭 How Corporates Evaluate Startups
Large enterprises follow a three-stage process:
Explore – initial contact and pitch screening.
Validate – due diligence and pilot testing.
Scale – formal deal and rollout.
The first stage is critical: getting noticed, securing the meeting, and positioning your value clearly.
🔍 Finding the Right Contact
Breaking into a corporate is part research, part persistence.
Study the organisation’s structure and identify the right department.
Start from the leadership page and map decision-makers via LinkedIn.
Aim for directors or department heads — those who own budgets.
Avoid mass outreach; connect strategically and personally.
Use existing accelerator communities (e.g., NatWest, Virgin) to access corporate contacts.
Attend industry and VC events — in the UK, networking often happens after hours over a drink.
Patience is key. Once you find a champion inside a corporate, protect that relationship.
📩 Landing the Pitch Meeting
After making contact, send a short follow-up email with a one-page summary covering:
The impact and benefit you can deliver.
How you differentiate from existing solutions.
The key features that matter to them.
Keep it simple, visual and easy to read on mobile. End with three suggested time slots for a 30-minute meeting to reduce their effort to respond.
🎯 Structuring Your Pitch
For the pitch itself (30–45 minutes max), Colin recommends six core slides:
Value Proposition – what you offer and the problem it solves.
Strategic Alignment – show you understand their goals and how you help achieve them.
Market Potential – the size of the opportunity or savings.
Scalability – proof you can handle enterprise-level demand.
Financial Health – runway, funding, and sustainability.
Team Expertise – who you are and why you’re credible.
Keep slides clean, use real metrics, and support with a short demo where possible.
⚙️ Areas to Focus & Common Pitfalls
Research each corporate and tailor your deck to their strategy.
Use data to support your claims.
Keep your website current — it’s the first place they check.
Respect timing and internal cycles (end-of-quarter, budget periods).
Follow up politely and persistently.
Handle rejection professionally — it’s rarely “no forever”, more often “not right now”.
Stay tuned for the next edition—more expert insights in the same snackable format!
Navigate to your Next Big Thing.
Whether you’re building a startup, scaling a company, or growing your career — NBT helps you unlock what’s next.