Recent Changes to the Endorsing Bodies List
On 20/04/2026, the Home Office updated the list of recognised endorsing bodies for Innovator Founder and Scale-up visas. As part of this update, Innovate Britain was removed from the Legacy Innovator Endorsing Bodies list.
Endorsement Requirements
Individuals who wish to remain in the UK under either the Innovator Founder or Scale-up licence routes must secure endorsement from an organisation that has been approved by the Home Office. This endorsement is a key requirement within the application process.
Current Approved Endorsing Bodies
At present, there are only four bodies authorised to provide endorsements for these visa categories:
- UK Endorsing Services
- Innovator International
- Envestors Limited
- The Global Entrepreneurs Programme (available for Innovator Founder applications only)
The Legacy List
In addition to the current list of approved endorsing bodies, there exists a ‘Legacy list’ of organisations. While these legacy bodies are no longer permitted to endorse new applicants, they retain the authority to maintain and monitor migrants who were previously endorsed under their sponsorship.
The removal of Innovate Britain from this list means that they can no longer accept new applications nor continue to monitor those they previously endorsed.
By: AbiGail Gledhill