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Young companies in London can develop the skills needed to stay afloat and grow thanks to a new service launched by the London Development Agency (LDA) recently. 

The Business London: Start-Up and Micro Business Support and Skills Development Programme is a £9.9 million initiative that will generate 4,000 jobs and support 18,000 businesses across London by 2009. Targeting small businesses and entrepreneurs in their early stages, it will develop commercial skills by providing workshop training, seminars, one-to-one advice, networking events and organising conferences. 

Manny Lewis, Chief Executive of the London Development Agency said: 

“Figures show that businesses are most likely to fail in the first three years of activity. Through Business London we will equip young companies with the skills needed to survive and grow. We are delighted to support business in London and to help more people get jobs.”

Funded by the London Development Agency and the European Social Fund, this service to support entrepreneurial activity will be provided free of charge across all London boroughs, and will particularly help women, disabled people and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority groups who face more difficulty in starting up new businesses and getting into employment. 

The Business London programme will be delivered by a consortium of specialist business support agencies working in five hubs: Central, North, South, East and West London . By accessing the programme within any region, new enterprises can take advantage of a range of quality services which address their individual needs and will also strengthen the local business community.

For media enquiries, please contact Katy Atkins at the LDA Media Team on 020 7593 8386 ; for out of hours media enquiries, please call 07977 439 371. For business support, please refer to the lead regional contacts in the editor’s notes below.

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1. The London Development Agency works to improve the quality of life for all Londoners and drive sustainable economic growth.

2. Regional Contacts for Business London Programme: 

Central London :  GLE Alex Blakelock on 020 7403 0300 www.enterprisecentral.co.uk .GLE is an economic development company that maximises the potential of individuals, small enterprises and growing businesses. GLE is leading the Central London Enterprise Consortium which covers Camden, Islington, Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea , Lambeth, Southwark and   Wandsworth.            &nb sp;              ;             & nbsp;            &nb sp;              ;             & nbsp;   

East London Small Business Centre Pauline Barnett on 020 7377 8821 www.goeast.org . The East London Small Business Centre leads an experienced consortium called Helping East London Prosper (HELP) which covers Lewisham, Greenwich, Bexley, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Barking & Dagenham,Havering, Redbridge, the City of London and Hackney.

North London : Urban Futures 020 8352 5928 www.pathwaystoenterprise.org.uk . Pathways to Enterprise is run by Urban Futures which leads the consortium covering Barnet, Haringey, Enfield, Waltham Forest . The partnership aims to meet the needs of North London’s pre-start, start up and micro businesses, focusing on the wholesale and retail, high value manufacturing, construction, creative industries, food and drink, transport and logistics, clothing, leisure and hospitality sectors.

West London : West London Business (WLB): Paul Davies on 020 8607 2514 www.westlondon.com . WLB leads the Business London West Consortium which covers Harrow , Hammersmith & Fulham, Ealing, Brent, Hillingdon and Hounslow. WLB brings together private and public sectors to ensure West London is able to compete in the London , national, European and global economies.

South London : The Enterprise Zone: Barbara Harding on 020 8268 2855  www.theenterprisezone.co.uk . The Enterprise Zone leads the South London Consortium and acts as a portal and provider of skill development for SMEs and business advisers in Richmond upon Thames, Bromley, Croydon, Sutton, Kingston upon Thames and Merton.            &nb sp;              ;             & nbsp;            &nb sp;              ;             & nbsp;            &nb sp;          

3. Start-Up support is for new entrepreneurs and businesses up to 18 months old, and Micro support is for businesses over 18 months old. Micro businesses are defined as those with 1-9 employees. Figures for job and business creation are from the LDA Business Support Review 2005.

4.  The CBI recently noted in the CBI/KPMG London Business Survey, May 2006, that one third of businesses trade for less than three years, with London having one of the lowest three-year survival rates, and that business support needed to focus on businesses looking to grow as well as Start-Ups.