Four tracks, matched to where your business is today

You’re placed by the stage your business is at, not by when you joined. A first-time founder and a 40-person company get different sessions, different clinics and different meetings.

Which track should I choose?

Choose Discover if you are exploring an idea or a skill; Build if your business is new, pre-revenue or less than two years old; Grow if you have steady customers and some staff; and Scale if your model is proven and you are ready for larger markets, corporate contracts or investment. The Growth Assessment at registration confirms your track.

Explore and start

Discover

2027 question: “Is there an opportunity in my skill or idea?”

Who it’s for: Young people, job-seekers, students, side-hustlers and anyone with an idea or a skill.
What you’ll work on: Exposure, confidence, role models, a safe way to test an idea, and honest guidance on whether running a business suits you.
Where you’re heading: A tested idea and a clear decision: start, keep learning, or take another pathway such as employment or an apprenticeship.
Day 2 access: Mentors, support agencies, skills and apprenticeship partners, and the Business Marketplace.

Start and establish

Build

2027 question: “Which opportunity should my new business focus on first?”

Who it’s for: New and pre-revenue businesses, early-stage founders, and informal traders moving into the formal economy.
What you’ll work on: Registration and compliance, pricing, money basics, first customers, a brand without a big budget, and simple digital tools.
Where you’re heading: A registered business that is trading, with repeat customers and basic records.
Day 2 access: Banks, compliance and professional-services clinics, technology tools and mentors.

Strengthen and expand

Grow

2027 question: “Where is my next growth opportunity: customers, products or contracts?”

Who it’s for: Established small businesses and SMEs with steady revenue and a few employees.
What you’ll work on: Systems, a sales process, financial controls, people, technology and AI, and procurement and tender readiness.
Where you’re heading: A procurement-ready business with systems that run without the founder in every decision.
Day 2 access: Procurement briefings, Meet the Buyer eligibility, finance providers and technology partners.

Expand and compete

Scale

2027 question: “Which larger markets, contracts or investments should we go after?”

Who it’s for: Proven businesses ready for larger markets, corporate contracts, investment or expansion into Africa.
What you’ll work on: Corporate procurement, strategic partners, investment readiness, governance, export markets and enterprise value.
Where you’re heading: Supplying large buyers, funded for growth, or entering new markets.
Day 2 access: Priority buyer meetings, investor sessions, market-access and export partners.

Lead is where the journey goes after Scale: graduates return as mentors, buyers, investors and partners.

Not sure where you fit?

When registration opens, you’ll complete a short Business Growth Assessment. It asks where your business is now and what your biggest challenge is, then places you in a track and personalises your programme.

It also gives you a score across eight areas: strategy, finance, marketing, sales, systems, people, digital, and procurement readiness. The three lowest become your priority areas for the summit.

How the assessment places you
Where your business is now	Track
I’m exploring whether to start something	Discover
I have an idea but no revenue yet	Build
I’ve been trading for less than two years	Build
I have steady customers and some staff	Grow
We’re growing fast and outgrowing our systems	Grow or Scale
Our model is proven and we’re ready for larger markets or investment	Scale

The same theme, four different questions

Every year has one theme that matters at every stage. Here is how the proposed launch themes work across the tracks.

Theme	Discover	Build	Grow	Scale
2027: Opportunity	Is there an opportunity in my skill or idea?	Which opportunity should my new business focus on first?	Where is my next growth opportunity: customers, products or contracts?	Which larger markets, contracts or investments should we go after?
2028: Customers	Who would pay for what I can do?	How do I win my first regular customers?	How do I build a sales and marketing system?	How do we win national and corporate accounts?
2029: Money	How do I turn a skill into reliable income?	How do I price, manage cash and stay tax-compliant?	How do I improve margins and financial control?	How do we finance growth and report to investors?

2028 and 2029 themes are proposed and may change.

Tracks