Wales SME succession planning gap threatens local businesses, Economic Intelligence Wales report says

• Development Bank of Wales-backed analysis flagged a widening succession-planning gap among Welsh SMEs, raising risks to local ownership, jobs, supply chains.
• Economic Intelligence Wales report published in July found succession planning remains underdeveloped; prior research cited only 16% of Welsh SMEs planned long term.
• Family-owned Welsh SMEs showed 47% without a formal succession plan; UK benchmarks cited 34% of family owners with plans.
• ExitRadar analysis cited more than 800,000 UK companies with directors over 60 without a plan; over 90% of small firms marketed fail to sell.
• Report urged a single national support offer to speed earlier planning, improve access to advice, finance for ownership transitions.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Development Bank of Wales Public Ltd Co published the original content used to generate this news brief on July 15, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.