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Better outcomes with Data for Good

Turning trusted data into insight that drives change.

“The Sage SME Pulse provides reliable data that illustrates the performance of small businesses and their employees. These insights help policymakers work on the right measures to make life easier for UK SMEs, like taking steps to tackle late payments.”

Emma Jones, Small Business Commissioner
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Power of data

Data for Good is our commitment to unlocking the power of anonymised data to drive insight that supports better decisions.

Responsible data use

We ensure data is used ethically, securely, and transparently—protecting privacy while enabling insight in the public interest.

Trusted partnerships

In partnership with Smart Data Foundry and CEBR, we translate anonymised data into independent evidence‑based insight that supports better decision‑making.

The Sage SME Pulse

The Sage SME Pulse is a regular view of the health and behaviour of British small businesses and enterprises (SMEs) and their employees, based on real anonymised data from more than 350,000 SMEs in our accounting and payroll products.

Sage SME Monthly Workforce Pulse

Key highlights (April 2026)

  • Median gross earnings: £2,196, up 4.6% year-on-year
  • Median take-home pay: £1,790, up 3.7% year-on-year
  • Total headcount: up by 0.4% on a year-on-year basis
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Sage SME Performance Pulse

Key highlights (Q4 2025)

  • Revenue: rose by 3.3% on a year-on-year
  • Productivity: fell by 2.6% year-on-year
  • Real expenditure: increased by 2.1% year-on-year
  • Late payment: average days to pay an invoice - 31.4 days
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Sage SME Annual Workforce Pulse

Key highlights from each theme (2026)

  • Across the age spectrum: under-18s workforce share halved from 4.7% (2022) to 2.0% (2025)
  • Inside SME job growth: West Midlands leads the UK on SME wage growth (+6.6% in 2025)
  • Scale‑ups in focus: 913 businesses scale-ups out of 100,000 examined
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Reports hub

Access our central home for our Sage SME Pulse data driven reports and publications.
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"Financial data holds untapped potential to reveal the realities of UK economic wellbeing. Smart Data Foundry responsibly unlocks this data for researchers, NGOs, policymakers, and the public sector to enable meaningful solutions for economic growth. We work with trusted partners like Sage UK to access de-identified data under robust agreements and within our secure data safe haven. In partnership with Sage and Cebr, we publish the quarterly Small Business Tracker and the Sage SMB Workforce Tracker, delivering real-time insights to help government and decision-makers prepare for market shifts and support productivity."

Dougie Robb
Smart Data Foundry CEO

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