Wales Targets 100 EO Businesses in 2025 After Surpassing Gov Target

Wales is aiming to reach one hundred employee owned businesses after surpassing the target set by Welsh Government in 2024.

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In a powerful sign of employee ownership’s growing power across the UK, Wales is aiming to reach one-hundred employee owned businesses (EOBs) by the end of 2025 after surpassing its EOB target last year.

According to data from Wales, the nation now boasts ninety-five EOBs. This greatly exceeds the Cardiff Bay administration’s programme for government commitment to double the number in Wales and reach seventy-four by 2026.

It is now aiming to hit one hundred before the end of the year. A feat that’s almost inevitable given the nation’s incredible achievement. 

This is a true validation of the power of employee ownership. Because this is more than just a number. This is about people’s livelihoods. 

The growth of EO we’re witnessing in Wales creates enormous opportunity, not only for those already working in the sector, but for providing a pioneering example for other businesses to follow.

Setting Targets

Both the eoa’s Manifesto and our work as part of the Mutuals and Co-operative Business Council acknowledge the importance of setting national targets. 

These drive much needed investment and resources. And, as we’ve seen with Wales, they work as catalysts, helping the sector to rise to greater heights. 

As we continue to work with our partners and decision-makers to take employee ownership into the mainstream, these targets will prove increasingly important.

What Does Our Data Say?

The makeup of business size in Wales is almost identical to what we see at UK-level, according to the EO Business Register monitored and managed by the eoa and the White Rose Employee Ownership Centre.

Industry composition is also very similar, despite a few subtle differences in shares take up by the main sectors, with professional services being the most prominent component by a long way. 

Growth patterns are particularly interesting to dive into. Wales seems to have been slightly slower than the rest of the UK to benefit from the EO sector growth boom which followed the 2014 introduction of the EOT.

Celebrating Our Welsh Members

We’ve got almost thirty members based in Wales spanning the full gamut of our membership offering. 

We’d love to profile them all, but we’d be here all day, so we’ve selected a few based on certain milestones. 

Aber Instruments

The first ever Welsh business to join the eoa all the way back in 2006. 

Cwmpas

After Aber Instruments followed Cwmpas, Wales’ own economic development co-op, who serves as a Supporter member of the eoa. It’s been a decade and we still enjoy a close working relationship.

Shaw Healthcare 

The fifth Welsh business to join us and representing the care sector. We’ve worked with Shaw closely since they joined in 2018 and became a Trustee member, including on the ‘People Powered Care’ report. They were also crowned ‘Employee Owned Business of the Year’ at the 2024 UK EO Awards. Nominations for the 2025 awards are open now.

CMC Partnership Consultancy

2020 saw the tenth Welsh business join us. 

Recruit 121 Group

The latest member to join us in June 2025 was Recruit 121 Group.