About X Forces

In 2012 X-Forces had a vision to further enterprise learning and bring more successful business start-up models into the market. Having seen first-hand how organisations such as the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development boasted 90% success rates of their micro-financing to Eastern European Countries, why were we as UK PLC’s ready to accept 60% success rates?

Also at this time the Armed Forces community was going through tremedous change. Many thousands of serving personnel were transitioning to civilian life due to the reduction in military personnel announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review of 2010. Driven by the UK government austerity policy, thousands were required to transition into civilian life, in what was still a challenging economic environment. The military resource profile was shifting significantly to fewer full-time military positions and an increased reliance on reservists. A perfect employability-challenge storm! After a year of extensive research and working with leading experts within finance, corporate engagement and government policy, X-Forces developed a blueprint for the self-employment of ex military personnel. This blueprint would not have been possible without the support of many people from the Armed Forces, Military Charities, MoD, Home Office, BEIS (BIS) and our Corporate Founding Members. Lord Young, Enterprise Advisor to Government also played an instrumental part in helping us change policy to allow Start-up Loans funding to become available for those over 30 years old for the first time ever. For X-Forces, this was a fundamental win which gave us hope that a rounded and holistic solution was possible for the Armed Forces community. A community that now extends to not only military veterans but their spouses, family members, cadets and reservists.

Today X-Forces is proud to be able to support other government and charity organisations to see how the X-Forces model can be translated, with some modifications, for other communities. Ren Kapur MBE, our Founder and CEO, is advisor to the Home Office to support such work for displaced families and also has a keen interest in supporting young people in the education system to embrace Enterprise Skills as Life Skills.