The University of Essex and Sciopay Limited KTP 24_25 R4

Small and medium-sized businesses will soon be able to see, in real time, exactly how currency fluctuations could hit their bottom line—and what to do about it. Most SMEs lack the resources to hire financial specialists or buy expensive hedging software. When the pound drops or the euro jumps, they simply absorb the loss, which can destabilise cash flow or wipe out profit margins. Larger corporations, by contrast, have dedicated treasury teams that lock in favourable exchange rates months in advance. This platform closes that gap by giving SMEs the same kind of tailored, machine-learning-driven hedging advice that big companies use, but packaged into an accessible tool with built-in education. If the platform works as designed, a small manufacturer importing raw materials from Europe could see a dashboard showing which hedging options best protect their next shipment—without needing a finance degree. The result is greater financial resilience for thousands of businesses that currently operate without a safety net. This is applied commercial research with a direct, practical outcome: fewer SMEs blindsided by currency volatility, and more stable cash flow across the UK economy.