Grow your SME the Amazon Way with

The Amazon Innovation Accelerator

Amazon started in a garage 30 years ago. Today, it’s a $2 trillion business with 1.5m employees, built on a relentless focus on innovation, efficiency, and customer obsession. Now, Amazon is opening its doors to SMEs across the UK, sharing the tools, strategies, and leadership principles that have powered its growth. Through the Amazon Innovation Accelerator (AIA), you’ll learn how to innovate, scale, and automate your business—just like Amazon does.

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AIA is more than an accelerator—it’s a platform to drive meaningful, practical change in your business, giving you access to Amazon’s leading practices, practical skills, valuable certification, and a national network of like-minded SME leaders. AIA can transform your SME from a small player to an innovation leader in your industry.

Experience business-boosting workshops, explore Amazon’s Innovation Principles, tour the cutting-edge robotics centre, and connect with key stakeholders from Amazon, AWS, and the local community.

Upcoming

Bolton

25 April 2025

Bridgewater Ave, Bolton BL5 1EE

Exclusive on-site day at Amazon: See cutting-edge innovation in action.

Innovation Leadership Accreditation: Access the exclusive AIA Innovation e-learning course.

Prizes for Your Innovation Ideas: Enter to win a share of £100k in the Innovation Challenge Prize.

Learn from Amazon’s
 Innovation Framework

Gain exclusive insights into how Amazon drives efficiency, automation, and continuous improvement, and apply these strategies to your business.

Unlock 
Growth Opportunities

Access expert-led workshops, a digital learning platform, and a chance to win a share of £100,000 through the Innovation Challenge Prize to fuel your innovation journey.

Connect 
and Collaborate

Join a community of forward-thinking SMEs, industry experts, and policy influencers to share ideas, challenges, and opportunities for growth.

Find an AIA Event Near You

Find your region and date that works for you and apply now to join that AIA cohort.

Filter by date

Bristol

21 February

Warrington

7 March

Gateshead

21 March

Invite only

Bolton

25 April

Tilbury

2 May

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Dartford

8 May

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Rome, Italy

23 May

Dunfermline

30 May

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Birmingham

3 June

Dartford

13 June

Birmingham

27 June

Derby

11 July

Swansea

12 September

Invite only

Dartford

25 September

Invite only

Bolton

30 September

Leeds

3 October

Invite only

Birmingham

16 October

Invite only

Bolton

28 October

about

Growth Studio drives growth and innovation for startups and established businesses, partnering with global brands like Cisco and Amazon to deliver impactful results.

As AIA’s delivery partner, we provide tailored, hands-on support, equipping SMEs with actionable insights, valuable connections, and the confidence to thrive in a dynamic business environment.

I loved taking part in the programme. The visit to LCY3, the Amazon fulfilment centre in Dartford, was an eye opener on its own! So much of the layout, systems, processes and mechanisms were transferable across to what we do at the Felix Project. Thank you Amazon!

Charlotte Hill

Chief Executive, The Felix Project

I found the tour fascinating and the conversations and work we did through the day have given us lots to think about.

Daniel I’Anson

Head of Business Intelligence, SCOPE

It was good to develop my understanding of Amazon and see how some of your methodology can be applied to our work at TeenTech – I’m still digesting all the information.

Maggie Philbin

CEO , TeenTech

Hearing about how Amazon has embedded leadership principles and culture into the business was fascinating and something we’re keen to learn from.

Connor Blunt

Sales Operations Manager, Millennium Cargo

The Amazon Innovation Accelerator has given me quite a lot of inspiration including how we can learn from Amazon’s attention to detail on the factory floor and how small improvements to processes can lead to efficiencies. We have started to look at how we can incorporate similar improvements.

Thomas Baumgartner

Finance Director, Voestalpine Metsec

Seeing the behaviours and the values of Amazon and how they foster innovation as an employer, it’s good to see how they make that sustainable with so many people which has made us look at what we do. We have continuous improvement processes but not as systematically as Amazon. That process has helped us reinvigorate what we do.

John Wingfield

Managing Director, Flambeau EuroPlast

The information we have learned from the course from Amazon will help feed into how we look at systems, IT projects and what we ultimately prioritise to make the best improvements.

Jon Booth

Head of Sustainability & Performance, AV Dawson

This programme will accelerate local businesses around them to grow, become more successful and employ more people so that everyone’s winning. Amazon do an awful lot to help the wider population.

Daniel Stewart

, McDonald Water Storage

It was great to see how a big company is doing things and we can try and pick some of that and use those for our own little company.

Andrew Pailor

Managing Director, JJ Hardy

It was great to meet like-minded people from other SMEs from around the Greater Manchester area who have similar problems, but just in different markets with different products, and hear about what they’ve been doing.

Mike Jenkinson

Managing Director, Booth Industries

Our partners

Grow your SME the Amazon Way with

The Amazon Innovation Accelerator

Bolton

Learn from Amazon’s Innovation Framework

Unlock Growth Opportunities

Connect and Collaborate

Find an AIA Event Near You

Bristol

Warrington

Gateshead

Bolton

Tilbury

Dartford

Rome, Italy

Dunfermline

Birmingham

Dartford

Birmingham

Derby

Swansea

Dartford

Bolton

Leeds

Birmingham

Bolton

Learn from Amazon’s
 Innovation Framework

Unlock 
Growth Opportunities

Connect 
and Collaborate