DEPARTMENT FOR
BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2009/89)
issued by COI News Distribution Service on 31 March 2009
The Government has
today delivered on its promise to provide a simplified framework
for publicly funded support for businesses.
The Department for Business has announced that the design and
rollout of Solutions for Business, its streamlined portfolio of
business support products, is complete with over 3,000 schemes
reduced to an opening 30. For the first time all government help
for business now shares an easily identifiable banner and can be
accessed mainly via Business Link. From March 2010 these will be
the only products businesses will see.
Solutions for Business will 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.
To conclude the rollout nine products join the portfolio today,
and from 1st April, Train to Gain and Business Link brokers will
come together in a new service under the Business Link brand to
offer advice on skills, reinforcing Business Link's role as
the main route to government support.
High quality business support, directed to where it will have
most impact to help businesses start, grow and succeed, is an
essential weapon in the government's fight back to economic
health. It is estimated tighter targeting of schemes will
collectively add up to £1.4bn per year of value for businesses.
Rationalisation of support schemes will ensure effective use of
taxpayers' money and help businesses start, grow and succeed.
Minister for Business, Ian Pearson (draft) said:
" To succeed in a competitive global environment UK
businesses need ongoing access to help and support. The
streamlined Solutions for Business portfolio makes it simpler for
businesses to access the help they need, providing long term,
sustainable, support to business".
Chair of the Solutions for Business 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. The benefits of the new
system will soon become apparent."
John Wright, National Chairman of the Federation of Small
Business said:
"Small businesses do not want to be swamped by a range of
different schemes and proposals that take too long to understand,
let alone take advantage of. The FSB welcomes this streamlined set
of solutions for business which, we hope, will make it more
straightforward for small firms to get the help they need to get
started, grow and expand."
Notes to editors:
1. The Solutions for Business portfolio was arrived at through
the Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) which 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. Today, to conclude the rollout nine products join the
portfolio: Enterprise Coaching, Improving Your Resource
Efficiency, Collaborative R&D, Networking for Innovation,
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, Innovation Vouchers, Low Carbon
Energy Demonstration, Grant for R&D, Rural Development
Programme for England.
2. Solutions for Business products are:
Starting Up
1. Enterprise Coaching
2. Starting a
Business
3. Intensive Start-Up Support
4. Starting a High
Growth Business
Grow Your Business
5. Coaching for High Growth
6.
Business Collaboration Networks
7. Business Premises
8.
Manufacturing Advisory Service
Employing People
9. Train to Gain
Finance and Grants
10. Finance for Business
11.
Understanding Finance for Business
12. Small Loans for
Business
13. Grant for Business Investment
14. Enterprise
Finance Guarantee
15. Rural Development Programme for England
Exploit Your Ideas
16. Innovation Advice and Guidance
17.
Networking for Innovation
18. Innovation Vouchers
19.
Designing Demand
20. Business Growth: Specialist Facilities
and Environments
21. Collaborative R&D
22. Knowledge
Transfer Partnerships
23. Grant for Research and Development
Environment and Efficiency
24. Improving Your Resource
Efficiency
25. Low Carbon Energy Demonstration
International Trade
26. Accessing International
Markets
27. Developing Your International Trade
Potential
28. Export Credit Insurance
29. Maximising
Foreign Direct Investment
3. Real Help Now Products are:
Automotive Assistance Programme
4. Eligibiity and application criteria apply to products.
5. Businesses looking for support can contact Business Link by
online (http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/solutions),
phone (0845 600 9006) or face-to-face by contacting their local provider.
6. The business community, Regional Development Agencies, Local
Authorities and other organisations and individuals are involved
in the development of the Solutions for Business framework..
7. As per Budget 2008, brokerage for UKTI will integrate with
Business Link June 2009 and Resource Efficiency October 2009.
8. 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