July 23, 2026
Yesterday was one of the most special afternoons of my Shrieval year. Over 50 cadets and their dedicated Adult Volunteers from across Berkshire joined us at […]
May 19, 2026
The UK is navigating a prolonged period of economic uncertainty. Vacancies have fallen to around 711,000, the lowest level since early 2021, while job competition continues […]
February 25, 2026
As we move closer to International Women’s Day 2026, I wanted to pivot this episode slightly and take it up a notch. Yes, IWD matters deeply […]
February 18, 2026
So, it’s getting closer to International Women’s Day (IWD) 8 March and the mood music is definitely changing a gear or two… or at least it […]
February 11, 2026
Some stories demand to be told. Others insist on being felt. As we step into Week Four of our journey toward International Women’s Day, we turn to […]
February 4, 2026
She didn’t simply defend the rainforest. She defended the future. And the world continues to breathe because of that choice. Imagine living on land your people […]
January 28, 2026
She didn’t just break the rules. She rewrote them and the NHS is still living in her wake. Picture this: you’re told “no” at every door. […]
January 21, 2026
‘We won’t do this as nostalgia. We’ll do it as a reminder that the future isn’t something we wait for; it’s something we shape’ As my […]
December 3, 2025
The Government’s Strategic Defence Review 2025 makes one message unmistakably clear: cadets are now a flagship national priority for the United Kingdom. For the first time, […]
November 26, 2025
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is an international celebration of the innovators and changemakers who bring ideas to life. Every November, this remarkable event connects entrepreneurs across […]
November 11, 2025
Every year, Remembrance holds a special place in our hearts. It is more than a date in the calendar or a set of formalities; it is […]
November 4, 2025
On Wednesday 22nd October, the nation came together at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge for a night of celebration, pride, and heartfelt recognition at the 15th […]
November 3, 2025
Hosted at NatWest Group’s London headquarters, the X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) Biennial Symposium 2025 convened leaders from Defence, Government, Business and Education to explore how enterprise transforms […]
October 8, 2025
Last month, at 233 Squadron Pershore, something truly inspiring unfolded. A group of extraordinary young people from local Cadet Forces, joined by peers from Dudley and […]
September 17, 2025
On 22nd October 2025, the Soldiering On Awards will once again bring together our wonderful Armed Forces community at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel in […]
September 10, 2025
Leaving the Armed Forces is a major life transition, but one that opens a new chapter, full of opportunities. For many, the next step is employment […]
September 10, 2025
‘When the chips are down, human nature turns to nurture’ On 22nd October 2025, the doors of the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel will open […]
September 4, 2025
In the latest of our series of articles drawn from the Essential Guide To Starting A Business: Veterans Edition, published by X-Forces Enterprise in partnership with […]
September 4, 2025
The X-Forces Enterprise Symposium 2025, taking place in London on 30th October, is set to be our most ambitious yet. As the flagship gathering for Armed […]
August 28, 2025
When people hear ‘entrepreneurship’ they often picture Dragons’ Den pitches or risky start-ups. But for the Armed Forces community, learning enterprise skills is about something far […]
August 28, 2025
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the workplace faster than ever before. If you’re transitioning from the military or considering a career change, knowing where the fastest-growing, […]
July 28, 2025
On 25 July 2025, I had the privilege of taking part in a panel debate with Neil Jackson from Defence Relationship Management as compere, alongside Brigadier […]
July 24, 2025
As part of Reed in Partnership’s commitment to supporting the Armed Forces they are launching the Forces Community Entrepreneur Fund, in partnership with X-Forces Enterprise. Since […]
July 21, 2025
As the spotlight shines on the incredible individuals and organisations shortlisted for this year’s Soldiering On Awards, I’m delighted to share my congratulations with the 2025 […]
June 23, 2025
Ahead of Armed Forces Day, Start Up Loans and X-Forces Enterprise announce over £4m worth of loans has been delivered to members of the Armed Forces […]
June 18, 2025
Last week, the Soldiering On Academy was proud to deliver a workshop for Active Plus CIC beneficiaries in Truro, Cornwall, which proved to be a transformative […]
June 12, 2025
The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review 2025 outlines a powerful vision where innovation, small business, and community engagement sit within Defence strategy. For X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) […]
May 30, 2025
I am truly honoured to have been invited to attend Founder’s Day 2025 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea – one of the most cherished and historic […]
May 20, 2025
Op VALOUR is a new £50 million UK Government-backed initiative aimed at creating a UK-wide veteran support network. The goal of Op VALOUR is to […]
May 5, 2025
Eighty years. A lifetime for many, and yet a heartbeat in the grand annals of history. This week, we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, […]
April 3, 2025
X-Forces Enterprise recently hosted their Big Business supporting Small Business Steering Group that meets three times a year and now in its 8th year, bringing […]
April 3, 2025
April marks the start of the Month of the Military Child, a time to recognise and celebrate the incredible resilience, strength, and contributions of children from […]
March 6, 2025
Ahead of #IWD2025 and its theme of ‘Accelerate Action’, let’s be clear – this isn’t just a women’s issue. It’s a societal issue, an economic issue, […]
February 25, 2025
Today, I had the profound honour of officially launching the Women and Enterprise All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) report – The Future of Female Entrepreneurship: Strategies for […]
February 20, 2025
Starting and growing a business is an exciting but challenging journey, one that requires careful planning, strategic decision-making, and, crucially, the right funding. X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) […]
January 16, 2025
December 2024 was a momentous occasion for me, in the City of London. I was deeply honoured to have taken my Declaration of a Freeman and […]
November 28, 2024
On 22nd November 2024, we welcomed budding young entrepreneurs to the iconic London Stock Exchange (LSEG) to recognise their participation in the Cadets in Enterprise programme. […]
November 11, 2024
Attending a Remembrance reception at 10 Downing Street on Friday, 8th November, was a deeply meaningful experience that captured the heart of our mission at X-Forces […]
October 24, 2024
Wow – what a night! In the blink of an eye, another Soldiering On Awards has come and gone, but what remains etched in our hearts […]
October 1, 2024
A week ago today, I had the absolute pleasure to spend time with Rolls-Royce staff, at their magnificent site just outside Bristol, for a lunch and […]
September 24, 2024
Last weekend I had the absolute honour to spend time with a group of remarkable young people who opened their minds to learn about and embrace […]
July 10, 2024
It will be 15 years since Ren Kapur MBE was appointed by the then Labour Secretary of State for Education to lead on Business, Admin and […]
June 27, 2024
It was fantastic to co-lead our inaugural Connect 2 Innovate Roundtable with Prof Gary Packham and NCEE on June 27th 2024. Getting business and innovative […]
May 24, 2024
3000 Start Up Loans… and Counting! What a wonderful week it has been! I have been on the road celebrating a major milestone and had […]
April 23, 2024
Entrepreneurship Collides With Intrapreneurship, Creating Fast Progression. In a world buzzing with innovation and change, the entrepreneurial spirit is much more than a business characteristic – […]
March 28, 2024
If we truly want to achieve happiness, if we want to make the equality, diversity, and inclusion agenda a reality, we must walk the path together. […]
March 5, 2024
Writing on International Women’s Day (IWD) has been an annual event for me over the past four years, and one that is hugely important as its […]
January 30, 2024
February sees the launch of a new series of very special Enterprise For Life workshops, delivered in partnership with London Stock Exchange Group. But what does […]
January 15, 2024
Storytelling, Soldiering On Awards, and Where the Personal Meets A Community While storytelling is woven into the fabric of our personal lives and wider communities, […]
December 1, 2023
Just One Step At A Time… As a society we can tackle the growing population of those who are in danger of becoming economically inactive, unemployed, […]
November 8, 2023
Equality of access to finance is vital to the health of the SME sector, for start-ups and scale-ups alike. This is particularly poignant during Business […]
October 31, 2023
As X-Forces Enterprise embarks on a new channel partnership with Findr, now is an ideal time to reflect on the unique qualities of ex-military entrepreneurs […]
October 2, 2023
It is both an honour and a privilege to lead the Soldiering On Awards and bring to life fascinating, inspirational stories from across the […]
August 25, 2023
Due to popular demand, we are lifting the lid on our mentoring provision and bespoke IT platform, the X-Forces Enterprise Knowledge Exchange Hub. Over […]
August 2, 2023
“To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved.” Business owners in the Armed Forces community have been celebrated at the London Stock Exchange […]
March 4, 2023
So when #IWD announce the annual theme, it never fails to strike a chord, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed! Here we are for the […]
December 8, 2022
Wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year As Christmas trees are illuminated and advent calendars opened, we look forward to spending […]
November 20, 2022
What A Show! Over 650 guests gathered at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge on Thursday 27th October 2022, with 610 guests seated for dinner in addition […]
August 10, 2022
Not everyone is comfortable talking about cancer, but I believe that openness and honesty are extremely important, so I have been happy to do so about my own journey, whilst respecting […]
April 6, 2022
Much has been said and written about the Chancellor’s Spring Statement: who will benefit, who will not and what this means for the country as a […]
March 4, 2022
This was the question I was asking myself when preparing to write a piece for this year’s IWD and when I asked a few of my […]
December 3, 2021
As featured on Enterprise Nation – https://www.enterprisenation.com/learn-something/interview-ren-kapur-xforces/ An advocate for change In person, Ren is a powerhouse of energy. She’s worked tirelessly to bring together corporations, government […]
November 23, 2021
Social Value forms a cornerstone of the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria, a set of standards, through which investors and the wider public can better […]
September 10, 2021
As many of you will know, last month I wrote about my breast cancer diagnosis and posted a link to my blog. I would like to say a […]
July 29, 2021
Earlier this month I found out that I have breast cancer. It’s a shock looking at what I’ve just written. Looking back at that day in my life, it was a massive […]
June 30, 2021
As we reconsider easing out of lockdown, it has made me think about not only my own organisations and what that would look like for my team, […]
June 23, 2021
The Army Reserves make up one sixth of UK armed forces personnel, and I feel so proud and privileged to be making a difference to our […]
May 6, 2021
After more than a year of hardship for small and medium-sized businesses, the recent relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions is a milestone (let’s hope a turning point) […]
March 22, 2021
On February 23rd 2021 X-Forces Enterprise CEO and Founder, Ren Kapur MBE, was recognised for the voluntary work she does as the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Armed […]
March 8, 2021
At the age of 17, I gave birth to my first son and a year later I was involved in running my first business, a newsagents, […]
February 9, 2021
This week I was delighted to hear from one of our workshop attendees, Harry Boyt, and his experiences on our 2-Day Start Up Skills workshop. Offering […]
January 21, 2021
We know that the COVID-19 crisis is going to have a devastating impact on economies. Through numerous studies we know the crisis is affecting small and […]
January 6, 2021
Ren Kapur MBE, X-Forces Enterprise CEO and EM3 Board Member, recently shared insight into the support available for entrepreneurs in the Armed Forces Community, as part […]
December 15, 2020
END OF YEAR MESSAGE FROM REN KAPUR MBE – CEO, X-FORCES ENTERPRISE Partners, Beneficiaries, Associates and Friends, Much has been said about the downsides to […]
December 8, 2020
It’s that time of the year when we’re able to reflect on our previous 12 months as a company, who we’ve supported and how we’ve supported […]
November 23, 2020
NatWest opens up exclusive #GEW10K Challenge to the X-Forces Community Throughout Global Entrepreneurship Week this year, NatWest have been running hundreds of free virtual pitching […]
September 16, 2020
Lt Colonel Ren Kapur MBE: Ren is CEO and Founder of X-Forces Enterprises and Chair of the Soldiering on Awards. Enterprise skills are at the centre […]
August 26, 2020
After much deliberation, the Team and I at Soldiering on Awards, including the President, Vice-President, Sponsors and Stakeholders, have taken the sad but necessary decision to […]
August 5, 2020
Some good news, especially welcome within the SME community where every penny counts. On 21st July 2020, the Government published this consultation document to honour its manifesto commitment to back our […]
July 14, 2020
On Thursday 9th July the Government announced the launch of The Recovery Advice for Business Scheme, as a reaction to the economic implications of the COVID-19 […]
July 1, 2020
One of my favourite research pieces of recent times is the 2019 Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (this is well worth reading, even if you […]
June 24, 2020
As National Armed Forces Champion for FSB and a Reservist, in celebration of The Armed Forces Week, I’d like to share some thoughts and thank my […]
June 4, 2020
Outstanding Air Cadets deliver Unique Business Ideas in first Virtual Enterprise for Life® Programme
Wow! I have been simply blown away by the efforts of twelve young people for our first ever Virtual Enterprise for Life® programme, specially designed for […]
May 12, 2020
The current financial and business-support landscape is changing daily, with new advice and schemes being released more quickly than some may be able to keep up […]
May 7, 2020
I am always in awe of Lt. Col. Debs Taylor’s unceasing passion to support the community at large, and not least the work she continues to […]
April 24, 2020
Today was the day we’d originally anticipated finding out exactly who had won the Soldiering On Award for each of the 13 categories. Instead, we have […]
April 9, 2020
It has been a pleasure to know, support and work with Dorking Brewery owner, Neel Singh, over the past 4 years. The drive and passion he […]
March 20, 2020
Business Advice in Times of Uncertainty, during Covid-19 Here at X-Forces Enterprise (XFE), we pride ourselves in supporting the Armed Forces community in business, and even […]
March 18, 2020
I was humbled to be asked by ABF The Soldier’s Charity to do a feature on me for Women’s History Month. This allowed me to really […]
March 8, 2020
I was humbled to be asked by Amy Casey, at British Forces Broadcasting Services (BFBS), to do an interview for International Women’s Day. The interview was […]
March 5, 2020
I was delighted to interview Karen Tracey as part of our network of inspiring business owners from the armed forces community. One of the 5 barriers […]
February 21, 2020
Soldiering On Awards has hosted 41 Finalists and saluted their achievements at the 2020 Finalists Reception on Thursday 20th February, in a celebration of the very […]
February 6, 2020
I’ve always said that serving in the Armed Forces equips people with a fantastic ethos and skill set. Indeed, it has been said that the Armed […]
January 24, 2020
The United Nations International Day of Celebration is such an important marker not only for today, but to help future-proof all of our destinies. The UN […]
January 13, 2020
Today we are delighted to announce the amazing Finalists for the 2020 Soldiering On Awards The Armed Forces lead the way in demonstrating what it truly […]
January 10, 2020
The arrival of the New Year is a time of hope and optimism for the future; a time when customarily we generally reflect on our personal […]
December 18, 2019
At the time of year when many of us will be enjoying some R&R, and have the excuse for a little over indulgence, it is great […]
November 27, 2019
I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to record a very special interview with the extraordinary man and life-long entrepreneur, the Rt Hon Lord Young; […]
November 20, 2019
I’m proud of all of the entrepreneurs we have supported over the years at XFE, but I always get an extra special buzz knowing the number […]
October 31, 2019
As the leading organisation in the UK supporting the military into enterprise, X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) equips service-leavers and members of the military community with business skills […]