The Genesis Initiative is an umbrella lobbying organization formed to improve the quality of debate on Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) policy development both in the UK and across the European Union. Established in 1999, it enjoys cross-party Parliamentary support and harnesses the collective strength of trade associations, institutions, and other groups that represent SMEs within their memberships. The initiative acts as a consensus-forming body where members, including academic experts and sponsors, develop unified positions to advocate for economic and structural reforms that enable SMEs to flourish. SMEs are considered the backbone of the UK economy, and by supporting their growth, the Genesis Initiative promotes job creation, innovation, and wealth generation.
The organization’s membership includes a Senate composed of 117 trade association members representing about one million businesses collectively. The Senate meets at least three times in each Parliamentary session, typically in March, June, and October. The Genesis Initiative works closely with various opinion-formers to press for policy changes favorable to SMEs and ensures the positions it advocates reflect the prioritized agenda of its members. Members can also raise issues or campaigns to be taken up in Parliament through Genesis Initiative meetings or via its broad network of contacts.
In the EU context, the Genesis Initiative seeks to influence policy formulation and decision-making processes that impact SMEs both at national and European levels. It collaborates with other stakeholders and institutions to create a more favorable legislative climate for SMEs, advocating for improvements that foster sustainable economic growth, competitiveness, and innovation capacity.
