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Search is on for the most enterprising place in Britain

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2009/37) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 25 February 2009

The hunt begins today for the UK's enterprise success stories with the launch of the Enterprising Britain 2009 competition. Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, is calling for hotspots of innovation - locations which are tackling the economic downturn head on by creating jobs, boosting local businesses and nurturing budding entrepreneurial talent - to step up and show why they deserve to be named the UK's most enterprising place.

The Enterprising Britain competition, a key part of the Government's drive to create the right conditions for enterprise across the UK, seeks out areas of enterprise excellence from across the UK - villages, towns, cities and neighbourhoods which have embedded a culture of enterprise that supports and encourages their entrepreneurs and businesses, helping them to survive the downturn and emerge stronger on the other side.

The 2009 competition is being launched in Scarborough; the winner of last year's hotly contested competition. Following its Enterprising Britain success, the seaside town's enterprise credentials have just been recognised on an international scale by the European Enterprise Awards, where it is up against countries including France, Latvia and Norway on the shortlist for the Entrepreneurship Promotion category. The results will be announced at an awards ceremony in Prague in May.

The Scarborough Renaissance Partnership - a coalition of local businesses, residents and council representatives - transformed the declining seaside town into a shining example of enterprise achievement, stamping out seasonal unemployment, creating new industry sectors and attracting more than £200m of private sector investment along with hundreds of new jobs. It reduced economic dependence on the declining tourism and fishing industries, capitalised on the physical regeneration of the harbourside, kick-started a boom in business start-ups and introduced Freebay Wifi along the coast, making the internet accessible to all. This year, Enterprising Britain is encouraging businesses-led projects which have transformed their local communities to enter the awards and gain recognition for their fantastic work.

Secretary of State for Business, Lord Mandelson said:

"Enterprise is a long-term investment for the future and crucial for success in the current economic climate. In a downturn, it is more important than ever that entrepreneurs are supported and have the confidence they need to develop their ideas.

"Enterprising Britain allows communities to share their experiences of innovation, inspire others and drive forward enterprise."

Speaking at the launch, Carl Hopkins, entrepreneur and star of Channel 4's Secret Millionaire, said:

"Now more than ever, we need to tap into examples of what is working in places across the country in terms of supporting, encouraging and maintaining enterprise. Entering the Enterprising Britain competition is your chance to shout about what you've achieved and to ensure that other small and medium sized businesses, communities and enterprise projects can learn from your successes. The competition helps highlight and spread best practice in enterprise across the UK and I would encourage all the innovative projects out there that have used entrepreneurial spirit to make Britain a better place to live and work, to enter and have a chance at being crowing the UK's enterprise champion."

Nick Taylor, Renaissance Manager at Scarborough Renaissance Partnership will now become an Enterprising Britain judge for the 2009 competition. He said:

"Winning Enterprising Britain has put us on the map and raised our profile. People now realise that Scarborough is more than just a seaside resort; it's a hub of culture and business - a contemporary, vibrant, thriving town. Our win has generated increased interest from external developers and investors and the whole Enterprising Britain experience has engaged everyone in the town in enterprise - encouraging people to get involved and make their ideas happen, whether it is in school, at home or at work. We hope it will ensure that our next wave of entrepreneurs are supported and can take up the challenge to become more enterprising."

Enterprising Britain is free to enter and is open to all places in the UK that can demonstrate the impact enterprise has had on their community in the past two years. To register interest email your contact details to enterprisingbritain@makeyourmark.org.uk. Entries must be submitted by 30 April 2009 and the winner will be announced in October. The competition is run by Make Your Mark, on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), working in close partnership with the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Application forms are also available from RDAs and Devolved Administrations or can be downloaded from http://www.enterprisingbritain.org.

Notes to Editors

* Enterprising Britain is a nationwide competition that celebrates and recognises enterprise achievement throughout all the regions of the UK. For more information please visit http://www.enterprisingbritain.org

* Enterprising Britain is open to all places (in the UK) that can demonstrate how they have transformed the community through enterprise in the last two years. All entrants must represent an identifiable geographic area, such as a town, a city, a parish or neighbourhood and be able to demonstrate that enterprise is central to the economic and or social transformation of the place.

* The competition runs nationally across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and operates in two stages: a regional nomination stage and a national competition between the regional finalists

* The regional heats for the competition run from 25 February to 29 May 2009. The 12 regional winners will be visited by members of the judging panel over the summer

* Last year Scarborough Renaissance Partnership won Enterprising Britain 2008 for its Waking Sleeping Beauty project which transformed the declining seaside town, stamping out seasonal unemployment, creating new industry sectors and attracting more than £200m of private sector investment along with hundreds of new jobs

* The Enterprising Britain 2007 winner was North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone (http://www.nsrz.org) and the runner-up was The Paper Trail http://www.thepapertrail.org.uk

* The Enterprising Britain 2006 winner was West Kilbride Craft & Design Town. For more information go to http://www.westkilbride.org.uk

* The Enterprising Britain 2005 winner was Sherwood Energy Village, Ollerton. For more information go to http://www.sherwoodenergyvillage.co.uk

* The overall winner and runner-up of Enterprising Britain 2009 will be entered into a Europe-wide competition - the European Enterprise Awards. For more information visit http://www.european-enterprise-awards.org. The European Enterprise Awards are inspired by the Enterprising Britain Competition, and aim to reward local and regional initiatives that are improving business prospects. The European Enterprise Awards are open to the 27 Member States of the European Union as well as Iceland, Norway and Turkey.

* For further information on the Government's enterprise policy, please contact the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform press office on 0207 215 5614