We launched Pathways off the Plateau with a clear ambition: to support a cohort of established digital and tech businesses that had stalled in their growth journey; companies with strong foundations, proven track records, but stuck on a plateau. Now, nearly two months into the delivery phase, Pathways off the Plateau is working with 15 South Yorkshire tech businesses to understand what really causes that stall and what it takes to move beyond it. Some learnings have challenged our expectations, but one thing is certain: this programme is needed, and its potential far exceeds what we set out to achieve.
“There are lots of programmes for startups and ‘high-potential’ scale-ups,” says Chris Dymond, Project Manager for Pathways off the Plateau. “There aren’t enough for established companies that could scale but haven’t.”
That gap – between startup acceleration and scale-up progression – is where many regional businesses sit. Some grow quickly and are acquired, others grow steadily to £800k–£1m turnover, build a solid team, and then remain in this position, often outwardly stable but inwardly constrained or even precarious.
And even stability, while comfortable and secure, can mean unrealised potential, both for the business and for the regional economy.
Pathways off the Plateau – part of the Regional Tech Booster programme and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, in partnership with the UK Tech Cluster Group – is designed to ramp up growth and move companies towards their full potential, boosting the overall digital tech sector in South Yorkshire.
The cohort we expected and the one we got
Originally, the programme was designed for companies that had clearly plateaued: established, revenue-generating, with ambitions to double turnover but unsure how to unlock the next phase.
Whilst many of those companies did apply – making up around half of the cohort – we also spotted a different trend within applications.
“We got quite a few companies that had actually begun to fall off the plateau,” Chris explains. “Businesses that had been successful but have shrunk – lost key personnel, been overexposed to one client or revenue stream, or been hit by market changes.”
Some had been affected by shifts in public procurement, others realised too late that they hadn’t diversified their client base. Several were founded by highly skilled practitioners who loved delivering the work, but weren’t so attuned to business development or sales systems.
Rather than exclude those companies, the team saw an opportunity to broaden the project scope.
“If we can help these companies turn themselves around, that’s potentially even more valuable than supporting a brand new startup,” says Chris. “They’ve already proven they can build something. It’s not their first rodeo.”
This insight reflects something deeper about the region’s tech ecosystem: retaining and reinvigorating experienced founders can be just as important as nurturing first-time entrepreneurs.
Diagnosing the plateau
At the heart of the programme is a newly developed diagnostic tool – a structured analytical framework designed specifically for established companies.
Each business undertook a 90-minute in-depth interview, covering ten core areas of company maturity. Using AI-assisted analysis, the team assessed each business across these areas, rating them from 1 (‘foundational’) to 5 (‘leading’).
“Most of the companies sit in ’emerging’(2 in the rating system),” Chris says. “With some areas ‘established’(3), and some still ‘foundational’. That’s exactly where we expected them to be.”
Crucially, participants have largely agreed with their assessments.
“It’s really interesting getting AI to pull out insights from a 90-minute structured interview transcript,” Chris reflects. “The assessment was pretty accurate from their perspective, but it also provided insight they hadn’t necessarily articulated themselves.”
The strength of the diagnostic tool means it represents one of the programme’s most important outputs; something that could be refined and shared across the wider ecosystem.
“We want to put it into a playbook,” Chris explains. “Something that can be used more widely – across all the tech ecosystem organisations that are part of the UK Tech Cluster Group. Not designed for startups, but as a structured check-in for established digital tech and media businesses.”
Pathways off the Plateau isn’t just supporting 15 companies – it’s building infrastructure.
More than growth targets
While revenue growth and job creation are long-term ambitions, the early impact is already visible amongst some participants – in harder-to-measure, but significant ways.
One member of the cohort, a serial founder who has experienced multiple setbacks, has found renewed energy through the programme’s Accountability Circles (peer groups made up of businesses with similar primary barriers to growth, where members hold each other to account for actions they share and commit to).
“Several members of the cohort have expressed how the programme has forced them to look at their businesses with new eyes, and from a distance,” Chris says. “They’ve shared how they feel reinvigorated after many years of hard work. Others have felt quite lonely and are enjoying the relationships that are being formed, not just in order to be helped but to help others in a similar situation.”
This kind of shift in mindset is harder to quantify, but it matters profoundly for ecosystem health. A founder who regains confidence and purpose doesn’t just benefit their own company, they contribute experience, mentorship and energy back into the wider community.
Accountability circles, practical support and action plans
The cohort is now moving through a structured workshop and webinar programme, grouped into peer Accountability Circles and supported by expert speakers covering areas such as B2B marketing, financial forecasting and sales strategy.
“It’s back to basics,” Chris says, “but it’s back to basics as things are right now.”
Modern marketing tactics, updated sales approaches, AI-assisted financial modelling – the group is building a full kit of growth-enabling tools. Workshop facilitators have offered follow-up consultations and practical resources giving participants tangible next steps. Crucially, the founders gain a comprehensive overview of who is operating within the regional ecosystem and how to engage with those service providers, across the private, public and academic sectors.
By the end of March, each company will have developed a detailed action plan – a roadmap they will implement beyond the life of the programme.
“We can’t show that we’ve saved a company or transformed their growth trajectory in a few months,” Chris acknowledges. “That takes longer. But what we can be certain of is that every company leaves with a clear, structured plan for what comes next.”
Strengthening the regional ecosystem
Pathways off the Plateau is funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), with a sharp focus on boosting regional tech ecosystems.
As mentioned, the success of the programme can’t be measured through short term gains, like job numbers and increased profits. Its real impact lies in strengthening the systems around scaling businesses. We’re still in the delivery phase, but as the project continues to evolve, we can see a strong set of outputs and outcomes emerging:
- The diagnostic tool.
- The peer networks.
- A series of publicly available expert-led webinar masterclasses.
- Deeper connections between service providers and scaling firms.
- Renewed engagement with Sheffield Digital and the wider local ecosystem.
All of these elements build capability and resilience into the region’s tech infrastructure.
“If you want to strengthen the ecosystem,” Chris says, “you invest in the organisations and networks that are already doing the work.”
As this pilot programme approaches its conclusion at the end of March, the real story isn’t just about moving 15 companies off a plateau. It’s about ensuring that South Yorkshire has the infrastructure, insights and community strength to help its tech businesses scale – sustainably and locally – for years to come.