London Development Agency
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London Development Agency Plans More Support for Business and Jobs

The London Development Agency is giving top priority to keeping London working - given the current economic downturn – and has announced plans for an additional £23 million package of public sector support for small businesses in the capital.

This will bring forward a range of access to finance programmes so that it can provide even better support to start-up companies and small and medium sized businesses who have good prospects. This will be in addition to the £150 million the London Development Agency invests in London’s jobs, skills and business support this year.

The new programme includes a series of LDA-sponsored business recovery seminars run by KPMG & Deloitte and coincides with an LDA market awareness campaign, with pamphlets in local borough papers setting out where to get advice on jobs and training, as well as supplying contact details for support and guidance.

The announcement coincides with a campaign to make sure Londoners know about the range of support available for businesses and skills across the capital. Many people in London are not aware of the help that could help them get through this period and prosper.

The LDA is reminding people of the support available through Business Link in London, JobCentre Plus and the specific LDA-funded schemes in London. These include Relay London Jobs, a network of job brokerage services that aims to match individuals to jobs across the capital.

London Development Agency Chair, Harvey McGrath said:

“The LDA recognises the significant challenges faced by London's businesses in the current economic downturn and is treating this with the highest priority. By investing public money in support programmes that will help London’s businesses survive and prosper and that will help Londoners get and keep a job, the London Development Agency is at the forefront of maintaining London’s economic success.”

The LDA is also looking to target those people who have lost – or are about to lose – their jobs, to help get them back into work as quickly as possible. Another programme – Personal Best - aims to get people closer to the job market through volunteering – using the excitement building toward the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games – and providing the basic skills needed to get a job. The LDA is also working within the framework set by the London Skills Employment Board to get a coordinated and business focussed approach from the agencies working on skills and employment in London.


For further information please contact the LDA Media Team: Robert Beasley 020 7593 8437 LDA out of hours: 07977 439371 Public enqs: 020 7593 9000


Notes for editors

• The London Development Agency aims to improve the quality of life for all Londoners - working to create jobs, develop skills and promote economic growth.

• The London Development Agency’s new support leaflet can be downloaded from www.lda.gov.uk/keepinglondonworking

• The London Development Agency is working with the London Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of British Industry, JobCentre Plus, the Learning Skills Council and the London Boroughs to ensure London’s businesses have access to – and know about – the comprehensive, integrated package of support available.

• The LDA has contracted Business Link to provide business support services in London. Business Link provides businesses large and small with access to advice and support twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Business Link can identify what individual businesses need and match them to suitable business support.

• Companies register onto CompeteFor and then get notification of contracts that match their products and services. The CompeteFor system also identifies those companies that need further support to become ‘fit to compete’ – and refers them onto another LDA-funded service called Supply London.

• The LDA’s Childcare Affordability Programme helps thousands of parents overcome one of the biggest barriers to sustained employment in London – the high cost of childcare. These costs can make it impracticable for many parents to work. The LDA’s programme successfully supported around 8,000 parents and central Government plans a national expansion from April 2009.

• The London Development Agency is sponsoring a series of business recovery seminars run by KPMG & Deloitte on Cash Management and Cost Reduction, New Money, Doing Deals in Difficult Times and Strategies for Winning New Business.

• The business support services currently backed by the London Development Agency include:
- Business Link in London: http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/home?site=181 
- Knowledge Connect: http://www.knowledgeconnect.org.uk/ 
- Designing Demand: http://lda.designingdemand.org.uk/ 
- Supply London: http://www.supplylondon.com/ 
- British Library Business and Intellectual Property Centre http://www.bl.uk/bipc/index.html 
- Business London: http://www.lda.gov.uk/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.2616 
- Think London: http://www.thinklondon.com/ 
• All the LDA’s business support products can be accessed through Business Link in London.
• The LDA’s partner organisations include:
- Learning Skills Council www.lsc.gov.uk/ 
- JobCentre Plus www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk 
- London Chamber of Commerce and Industry www.londonchamber.co.uk 
- Confederation of British Industry www.cbi.org.uk 

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