DEPARTMENT FOR
BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2008/241)
issued by COI News Distribution Service. 22 October 2008
The Government
today launched 'Solutions for Business - funded by
government', a national package of publicly funded business
support products.
Peter Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, speaking at the
Northern Regeneration and Renewal Summit revealed the 30 advice,
loan and grant products and services that make up the simplified
portfolio alongside their common look and feel.
The products will be accessed via Business Link. A new Business
Link Strategy Group will ensure customer input directly helps
drive up Business Link performance by bringing senior business
leaders into the strategic oversight of the service.
All the 'Solutions for Business' products will be in
place by March 09 and are a result of a streamlining exercise
whereby the government committed to reduce over 3,000 products to
less than 100. Monitoring will ensure the number of schemes stays low.
The aim is to make it easier for companies, small and large, new
and existing, to find the right products to help them with common
business issues such as getting started, growing, finance, export,
skills, innovation and the environment.
Businesses had complained they found government support complex
and confusing. 'Solutions for Business' responds to
their concerns and the business community has been involved in
developing the package.
It is estimated tighter targeting of schemes will collectively
add up to £1.4bn per year of value for businesses whilst having
clearly identifiable products will save them up to £1.4m in saved
search costs.
Rationalisation will ensure effective use of taxpayers'
money through more efficient delivery. All levels of government -
national, regional and local will share the same products for the
first time.
Economic, social and environmental goals will be met where the
Government needs to intervene.
Secretary of State for Business, Lord Peter Mandelson said:
"Single Government "Solution for Business" will
help companies prosper and flourish. We have made it better and
simpler for businesses to access the support they need.
"Better business support is about better customer service -
reducing backroom wastage and delivering greater impact with the
same resources. BSSP is about helping the UK to become the most
enterprising economy in the world".
Chair of the BSSP Transition Management Board Martin Temple said:
"For far too long, help which has been available to business
has not been taken up because it has been too complex, confusing
to understand and hard to find quickly and easily. This programme
will simplify access, make clear what is available and improve the
quality in order to match business needs.
"As a consequence, government support for business will make
a greater contribution to economic growth at a regional and
national level and provide better value for money for the taxpayer.
"However, the sheer scale of transition from the current
plethora of schemes to a more streamlined approach will take time
to be introduced but the benefits of the new system will become
apparent within eighteen months"
CBI Deputy Director-General, John Cridland, said:
"Once fully implemented, the simplified portfolio should
mean small and growing businesses will find it much easier to
understand the support on offer from government. Together with
improvements to Business Link, the delivery of the portfolio comes
at a time of tough trading conditions when, more than ever,
businesses need access to high quality, independent advice and
support to boost their chances of survival and growth."
Notes to editors:
1. The Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) was
announced during the Budget 2006 to reduce the number of publicly
funded business support schemes from over 3,000 to less than 100
by 2010.
2. 'Solutions for Business' products are:
1. Export Credit Insurance
2. Grant for Business
Investment
3. Maximising Foreign Direct Investment
4.
Accessing International Markets
5. Developing Your
International Trade Potential
6. Train to Gain
7.
Business Collaboration Networks
8. Business Premises
9.
Business Growth: Specialist Facilities and Environments
10.
Starting a High Growth Business
11. Intensive Start-Up
Support
12. Starting a Business
13. Manufacturing Advisory
Service
14. Designing Demand
15. Innovation Advice and
Guidance
16. Coaching for High Growth
17. Support to
Lenders
18. Small Loans for Business
19. Understanding
Finance for Business
20. Finance for Business
21.
Enterprise Coaching
22. Improving Your Resource
Efficiency
23. Environmental Land Management Funding
24.
Environmental Land Management Advice
25. Collaborative
R&D
26. Networking for Innovation
27. Knowledge
Transfer Partnerships
28. Innovation Vouchers
29. Low
Carbon Energy Demonstration
30. Grant for Research and Development
3. Products will migrate to 'Solutions for Business' on
a rolling basis between now and March 09. Five products join the
portfolio today: Grant for Business Investment, Maximising Foreign
Direct Investment, Accessing International Markets, Developing
Your International Trade Potential and Train to Gain.
4. Businesses looking for support can contact Business Link by
phone (0845 600 9006), online (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk)
or face-to-face by contacting their local provider.
5. The Business Link Strategy Group will consist of Martin Temple
as Chair plus businesses, representative members from business
organizations, RDAs and Business Link.
6. A similar streamlining exercise undertaken at the former DTI
found that, with tighter targeting of products, every £1 spent on
support delivered a £2.80 benefit to business. These numbers when
scaled up across Government equate to an estimated £1.4bn of
economic benefits per year, adjusting for already improved schemes
and products with wider benefits. Economic benefits, depending on
the support scheme, will include new products, more investment,
and improved productivity. Wider benefits will include greater
employment in assisted areas, lower carbon emissions and greater
opportunity for minority groups.
7. The Business Support Simplification Programme is led by BERR
in central government and the RDAs in the regions.
8. The business community, Local Authorities and other
organisations and individuals have been involved in the
development of the 'Solutions for Business' package.
9. The Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
helps UK business succeed in an increasingly competitive world.
It promotes business growth and a strong enterprise economy, leads
the better regulation agenda and champions free and fair markets.
It is the shareholder in a number of Government-owned assets and
it works to secure, clean and competitively priced energy
supplies. More information on BSSP can be found at: http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/enterprise/simplifyingbusinesssupport/page44805.html