About X-Forces Enterprise
Our Patron
The Rt Hon Earl Howe GBE PC
Lord Howe was Deputy Leader of the House of Lords between May 2015 and July 2024. He started his relationship with X-Forces Enterprise while he was Minister of State for Defence from May 2015 to 26 July 2019. He is a Conservative member of the House of Lords.
He was educated at Rugby School and Christ Church, Oxford.
Lord Howe served as Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from 1992 to 1995 and as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence from 1995 to 1997. In opposition he served as Spokesperson for Health from 1997 to 2010.
He joined Barclays Bank in 1973, where he served in a number of managerial and senior managerial posts both overseas and in London before being appointed London director of Adam & Co plc in 1987.
Lord Howe is married with 4 children.
Our Board
Chairman
Lt Gen (Ret’d) Richard Nugee CB CVO CBE
Non-Executive Director
Andrew Morgan
Non-Executive Director
Deana Rouse
Non-Executive Director
Diane Côté
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Ren Kapur MBE
Chief Operating Officer
Martin Wing
Our Team
Senior Business Advisor
Akshat Garg
Event Coordinator
Cayla Ballantine
Learning, Development and Community Events Manager
Doug Thomson
Finance Assistant
Kristyna Racz
Start-Up Coordinator
Mark Plunkett
Training Manager
Roger Cawte
Credit Manager
Simon McCormack
Projects Assistant
Zoé Harris
Our Associates
Projects Associate
David Mason
Digital Marketing Associate
Michael Brash
Projects Associate
Sarah Walker
Our Ambassadors
SEO Consultant – SEM Help
Jen Bradburn
Co-Founder – Carma Earth
Jim Holland
Enigmatic Business Solutions
Heather Warner
Wirral Estate Agent
Liam Gretton
Click Marketing
Amy Rawcliffe
The Afghan Rug Shop
James Wilthew
Our thanks go to all those within the community who have previously undertaken the role of Ambassador, and continue to advocate on our behalf.
Activity Reports
X-Forces Enterprise Activity Report 2023-24
The activities and impact of X-Forces Forces Enterprise during the year April 2023 to March 2024.
X-Forces Enterprise Activity Report 2022-23
The activities and impact of X-Forces Forces Enterprise during the year April 2022 to March 2023.
X-Forces Enterprise Activity Report 2021-22
The activities and impact of X-Forces Forces Enterprise during the year April 2021 to March 2022.
Activity reports for the periods prior to 2021 are available on request.
Our History
Established in 2013 by Lt Col Ren Kapur, MBE, X-Forces Enterprise (XFE) has been instrumental in supporting veterans, service leavers, reservists, spouses and family members in their business ventures.
The inception of XFE has its origins with Ren who, having seen how organisations such as the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development boasted 90% success rates for their micro-financing in Eastern European Countries, asked the question; Why we as UK PLC were ready to accept much poorer success rates? The additional influence was the 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review, which led to a significant reduction in military personnel and thousands of people entering the job market.
Recognising the challenges faced by those serving personnel transitioning to civilian life, Ren developed a comprehensive blueprint for self-employment support tailored to the Armed Forces community. This initiative was bolstered by collaborations with the Ministry of Defence, the Cabinet Office, and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.
A pivotal achievement was the policy change in 2013 allowing Government supported Start Up Loans funding for individuals over 30, broadening financial support for aspiring entrepreneurs. Money alone was not the answer, the educational wrap around from the MOD and the third sector also being key to support transition to the commercial world.
Since 2013, XFE has facilitated the launch of over 3,000 businesses, providing access to more than £30 million in start-up funds and delivering over 50,000 hours of training. In 2023, XFE celebrated its ten-year milestone anniversary at the London Stock Exchange, highlighting its significant contributions to the military community’s entrepreneurial landscape.
Today, XFE continues to champion enterprise learning, offering free-at-point-of-delivery training so individuals can navigate the complexities of self-employment and business ownership. The importance of enterprise learning is emphasised further by the organisation’s focus on training and education through the Cadets in Enterprise programme.
