Small and medium-sized firms in Britain have been encouraged by a range of government policies. In this paper, the impact of Business Growth Training Option 3 is examined, which between 1989 and 1991 provided financial assistance to small and medium-sized firms to employ consultants to help them train and develop their management staff. A novel methodology is employed; it follows a cohort of firms through their Option 3 project, and compares them with a matched sample of firms not in receipt of assistance. The evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of support for management training in small and medium-sized enterprises. It shows that Option 3 produced a substantial increase in the scale and range of management training. It also shows that Option 3 assistance led to improvements in management, organisation, and business performance in participant firms. Based on this evidence, a series of recommendations are made for both government policy and further academic research.
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