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A Supported Business is an organisation or distinct business unit whose primary purpose and product is the facilitation of employment for disabled people, as defined by the Equality Act 2010.
As an Exemplar Employer, a Supported Business provides a specialist, supportive working environment that goes well beyond reasonable adjustments or support typically funded through standard Access to Work. This enhanced support enables disabled people to work to their productive capacity, increasing inclusion, independence and wellbeing.
Where appropriate and aligned to individual aspirations, Supported Businesses also support people to progress into external employment.
As of Spring 2026, there are 43 Supported Businesses across the UK, employing approximately 1,000 disabled people who qualify for specialist ringfenced funding, paid through Access to Work.
Mel Walls is the Supported Business and Social Enterprise National Lead for BASE members and represents Supported Businesses on the BASE National Executive Committee (NEC).
Mel works closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Access to Work Policy Team, acting as a national voice for Supported Businesses across the UK. Previously, Mel represented BASE on the Supported Business Steering Group and played a key role in the development of Access to Work Plus, the successor funding to the Transition Employer Support Grant (TESG).
Contracting authorities are able to reserve a Lot or Category specifically for Supported Businesses to compete for. Where permitted, authorities can also utilise existing framework agreements that include Supported Businesses.
DWP Funding Context
All 43 Supported Businesses were ringfenced for Protected Place funding in 2010, at the start of the Work Choice programme. When Work Choice ended in 2019, allocated places were retitled as the Transition Employer Support Grant (TESG).
The most recent uplift to funding was £5,505 per place per year, applied in April 2023.
To determine eligibility for Access to Work Plus, individual assessments were undertaken by Access to Work assessors:
A number of BASE members manage Supported Businesses and collaborate commercially, sharing contracts and good practice in supporting disabled employees.
Through the Your Membership – Supported Business Group, members can:
We also provide cornerstone documents and practical resources via Pages / Supported Business Resources.
Significant progress has been made since the launch of the Supported Business Frameworks in Scotland (2012).
The Scottish Government, working with Scottish Procurement, has established a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) for Requirements Reserved for Supported Businesses. This provides public and third sector bodies with a fast and accessible route to market for goods and services delivered by Supported Businesses.
The DPS supports the integration of disabled and disadvantaged people into the mainstream workforce and aligns with the Scottish Government’s 2023–2028 Public Procurement Strategy, which places strong emphasis on SMEs, Third Sector organisations and Supported Businesses.
Further guidance:
Procurement – requirements reserved for supported businesses – DPS guidance (gov.scot)
Welsh Government procurement teams have shown strong and growing support, with Supported Businesses increasingly included in frameworks with reserved lots (for example, Lot 3).
These reserved lots enable direct contract awards without a full tendering process, creating valuable opportunities for Supported Businesses. Progress varies by sector and depends on whether relevant frameworks exist.
Business Wales continues to promote Social Enterprises and Supported Businesses, demonstrated by their support at Procurex Cardiff (November 2025), where free exhibition stalls were made available to the sector.
Supported Businesses also feature prominently in the Welsh Government’s Framework for Action on Independent Living. Updated guidance on reserved contracts (March 2021) is now being more widely utilised, with examples including:
Welsh Baby Bundles – Social Value in Action
The Baby Bundle prime contractor, APS, has actively embedded social enterprises within its supply chain, including:
Other Supported Businesses, such as Vision Products, continue to deliver Community Equipment Services and UPVC window contracts with Pembrokeshire County Council, while also leading delivery of the only Welsh Local Supported Employment (LSE) and Connect to Work provision in the West Region.
Supported Businesses continue to face shared challenges, including:
We are keen to hear from you about your business priorities and where BASE can best support you – for example, through:
Your insight helps shape our national work and ensures Supported Businesses continue to thrive.