Published: 10 June 2026 | Source: Department for Business and Trade / HM Treasury
TL;DR- The government has announced a visa fee reimbursement scheme for scale-ups in digital and tech, life sciences, and clean energy sectors.
- A fast-track referral for an Expansion Worker sponsor licence is also launching for high-potential international firms setting up in the UK.
- A bespoke concierge service will offer tiered support to the UK's fastest-growing firms, targeting the first UK trillion-dollar company.
- Penny Verbe appointed as Scale-Up Adviser; DBT tendering for a private sector partner to run a pilot.
- Announcement made at London Tech Week, 9 June 2026, by Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
What Was Announced
The Department for Business and Trade and HM Treasury announced on 9 June 2026 a package of measures aimed at helping the UK's fastest-growing firms scale, stay and attract international talent. The announcement was made during London Tech Week by Business Secretary Peter Kyle and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves.
The centrepiece is a bespoke, tiered concierge service for high-growth firms described as a direct government partnership offering to unblock regulatory delays, connect firms to finance, tackle procurement barriers, and accelerate access to global talent. The stated objective is to nurture the UK's first trillion-dollar company.
Visa Fee Reimbursement Scheme
The Chancellor announced a visa fee reimbursement scheme specifically for scale-ups operating in digital and technology, life sciences, and clean energy. Under the scheme, eligible firms will be able to reclaim visa fees paid when hiring exceptional international talent in these sectors. Full eligibility criteria and the mechanics of the reimbursement process had not been published at the time of the announcement; DBT indicated further detail would follow.
The scheme sits within the broader work of the Global Talent Taskforce, which the government is strengthening to reduce friction for high-growth companies seeking to hire internationally. Two firms cited as examples of the taskforce's existing impact are Yonder, a London-based fintech, and TreQ, a quantum engineering company founded by a US entrepreneur that relocated to Cambridge.
Expansion Worker Sponsor Licence Fast-Track
Alongside the fee reimbursement scheme, the government is launching an Office for Investment (OfI) fast-track referral for a UK Expansion Worker sponsor licence. This is designed to help high-potential international businesses establish a UK presence more quickly by accelerating the sponsor licence application process. The UK Expansion Worker route allows overseas businesses expanding to the UK to bring in senior employees or specialist workers to establish the new operation.
Scale-Up Concierge Service
DBT is tendering for a private sector partner to run a pilot of the concierge service, which will operate on a tiered basis. The highest tier will provide direct, rapid government engagement for the most promising scale-ups. The service is intended to replicate elements of scale-up support models in France, Singapore, and the United States. High-growth firms are defined by the OECD as businesses of 10 or more employees with annual growth of 20% or more over three years. The government cited ONS data showing such firms generated £2.2 trillion in turnover and employed 3.9 million people in 2023, representing 0.8% of all businesses.
Penny Verbe has been appointed Scale-Up Adviser to ensure government support reflects what businesses need. She joins Entrepreneurship Adviser Alex Depledge in the role.
Context: Immigration and Talent Policy
The announcement arrives as the government is implementing the 2025 Immigration White Paper (CP 1326), which proposed tighter overall immigration controls while maintaining targeted routes for workers in high-value sectors. The visa fee reimbursement scheme signals an intent to preserve and strengthen business-facing talent routes even as the broader system tightens. The Skilled Worker route general salary threshold is already set at £38,700 following April 2024 changes.
The Global Talent visa, which does not require a job offer and is available to leaders and potential leaders in digital technology, arts and culture, academia and research, and engineering, remains a separate route unaffected by the concierge announcement. Eligible applicants in the relevant sectors may find the visa fee reimbursement scheme relevant if their employer qualifies as a scale-up under the DBT criteria.
