PBS Sector Plan Launches!

23 June, 2025. Today’s launch of the UK government’s new Industrial Strategy signals a bold step forward in recognising the critical role PBS plays in driving economic growth.

Professional and business services are the backbone of the UK economy, supporting one in every seven jobs and contributing over £300 billion each year to the UK economy. The PBS Sector Plan puts PBS at the heart of the UK’s Industrial Strategy for the first time, recognising its critical role in unlocking growth across all UK regions and sectors.

What’s the ambition? The Plan sets out the sector’s ambition for 2035 with the UK to be the most trusted adviser to global industry for PBS, the most dynamic and productive PBS sector and remaining the world’s second largest exporter of PBS.

What are the key things this Plan aims to do?

The government will now work closely with the PBSC and wider sector on:

• Government investment: Government commitment through the Spending Review of over £150 million to fund five transformative programmes to increase technology adoption and innovation in PBS SMEs to take advantage of AI and new emerging technology sectors
• R&D: Working with the PBSC and the sector to identify research and development priorities, enable growth of emerging technology sectors, identify and assess the opportunities and barriers to AI adoption and digitalisation of trade, investment and processes.
• Smarter regulation, less friction: Simplifying the rules byintroducing more proportionate money laundering regulations and expanding regulatory sandboxes to help you test and deploy new tech with confidence
• Talent development: Developing a highly skilled and inclusive workforce capable of adapting to evolving technological and business demands through a more flexible growth and skills levy, and dedicated support to enhance staff training and reskilling, particularly in specialised skills such as digital technology.
• Market access: Exploiting new overseas market opportunities through the removal of access barriers in high growth markets a renewed focus on negotiating mutual recognition of professional qualifications.
• Trade promotion: Missions and initiatives to promote the UK’s PBS offer in key overseas growth markets and support more PBS firms to internationalise.
• Finance: Enabling access to growth finance across the UK through the British Business Bank and work with the banks to improve funding options for IP based businesses.
• Inward investment: A renewed focus on attracting inward investment into PBS across the UK’s regions and nations through our overseas network of Posts.
• International branding: Working with the professional bodies to provide international leadership in setting standards and regulations which puts UK professional services at the forefront of international business.