How Maybe* Is Revolutionising Public Sector Business Support Nationwide
Client Profile
Multiple UK local authorities, including Birmingham City Council (the UK's largest local authority), Buckinghamshire, St Helens, North Kesteven, Essex County Council and Harrogate City councils, all dedicated to driving economic growth and supporting local businesses within their communities.
Key Challenges
Local authorities across the UK faced significant challenges in modernising business support services to effectively meet the evolving needs of entrepreneurs.
Traditional public sector approaches were often fragmented, with siloed and inconsistent services varying across different regions, leading to uneven access to resources and guidance. Limited availability outside standard working hours further restricted support, as many entrepreneurs, particularly small business owners, needed assistance beyond the typical 9-to-5 model, but resource constraints made extended service hours difficult. Additionally, scaling personalised assistance while maintaining quality remained a challenge, as public sector organisations often lacked the technology and data-driven insights necessary to deliver tailored, high-quality advice efficiently.
Without modern, data-driven solutions, local authorities struggled to provide entrepreneurs with the seamless, accessible, and effective support they needed to thrive.
→ Language barriers when serving diverse business communities
→ Need for accessible, on-demand training solutions for busy entrepreneurs
→ Inefficient use of public resources with traditional in-person support methods
"Traditional methods of business support needed to evolve. We needed a solution that could serve our diverse business communities 24/7, in multiple languages, while making efficient use of public resources."
Ben Hau, Birmingham City Council
The Maybe* Solution
To transform public sector business support services, multiple government authorities partnered with Maybe* to implement an AI-driven ecosystem that would revolutionise assistance delivery nationwide. The partnership focused on creating a comprehensive, scalable approach that could serve businesses of all sizes across different regions. The Maybe* platform continues to expand across UK government authorities, setting new standards for public sector AI implementation while maintaining secure, compliant operations at scale.
→ Multilingual 24/7 support across council boundaries, breaking down geographic limitations
→ AI-powered digital assistant technology providing instant, consistent guidance
→ Personalised digital health checks identifying specific business improvement opportunities
→ Seamless integration with existing government support frameworks
→ Centralised knowledge sharing between previously siloed local authorities
→ Data-driven insights to inform future public sector business support initiatives
“Maybe* has a proven solution that can be used as a central pillar of town centres support across the UK.”
Professor Cathy Parker, Lead of the High Streets Task Force
Results
The implementation of Maybe* across UK local authorities has transformed public sector business support, delivering measurable results and unprecedented scale.
A total of 1,757 Herefordshire businesses participated in the pilot program, compared to 5,600 non-participating businesses in the same region.
The results were compelling: throughout the test period, participating businesses saw a 15.0% increase in physical foot traffic and engagement compared to overall town trends across the county.
Furthermore, these businesses outperformed their non-participating counterparts by 7.4%, demonstrating the tangible impact of the program on customer engagement and business activity.
→ Nationwide Expansion – From serving 300 businesses locally to 25,000+ nationwide
→ 24/7 Support Availability – Providing assistance outside traditional business hours when entrepreneurs most need it
→ Digital Capability Improvement – Significant enhancement in participating businesses' online presence and engagement
→ Efficient Resource Utilisation – More effective use of public funds through AI-augmented support services
→ Cross-Council Collaboration – Enhanced knowledge sharing between previously isolated local authorities
→ Measurable Community Impact – Tangible local economic growth through enhanced business support
→ Consistent Service Delivery – Standardised quality of support regardless of business location