Apple is expanding its App Store Foundations Program to the UK with an initial focus on female founders.
Apple’s App Store Foundations Program provides developers with additional support to help create even better apps, according to the tech giant. Developers participating in the program benefit from a tailored curriculum in which they work closely in one-to-one and group sessions with App Store leaders from across the UK and Europe. The program has already supported over 1,000 developers across the Continent.
During these sessions, developers learn how to grow their business and expand the reach of their apps across the App Store’s 175 global regions. Among the topics covered is how best to use Apple’s technology and APIs, how to strengthen their editorial, and how to build their presence on the App Store. Other sessions cover monetisation, marketing, and a host of other topics that support developers on their path to growth.
Once their participation in the program has ended, developers have continued access to experts within Apple, ensuring they can continue learning and improving their apps over time as they benefit from the global exposure and user base the App Store provides. Developers can then become part of an alumni network where they can learn from the experience of others as they continue their journey to reach their potential.
“The UK has a thriving developer community and we’re thrilled to play a role in supporting it,” Jen Walsh, senior director of the App Store and Services, International, says in a press release. “Crucial to the continued innovation and progress of the App Store is ensuring there is a diverse set of developers that can build brilliant apps to meet the needs of users around the world. The launch of the App Store Foundations Program here in the UK, with its focus on female developers, will help nurture the existing community of female founders here and inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.”
UK Developers are Thriving on the App Store
Apple says the iOS app economy continued as an engine of economic growth and opportunity in the UK in 2021, supporting more than 440,000 jobs across the country — a 21% increase since 2020 — and helping small businesses find more success than ever. This makes the UK the leading provider of iOS app economy jobs in Europe, where it has grown to support 2.3 million jobs.
In addition, research from independent economists at the Analysis Group released earlier this year showed that smaller UK developers, defined as those making up to $1 million a year and with fewer than 1 million annual downloads, saw an 84% increase in earnings since 2019.
Walsh says the expansion of the App Store Foundations Program to the UK is another important initiative Apple offers to support European developers. Apple’s App Store Small Business Program, which aims to accelerate innovation and help developers propel their businesses forward, can benefit more than 95% of developers who sell digital goods and services on the store.
Developers can qualify for the program and a reduced, 15 percent commission on paid apps and in-app purchases if they earned up to $1 million in proceeds during the previous calendar year. Apple never collects a commission from the more than 85% of developers that sell physical goods and services or distribute free or ad-supported apps.
