---

Business Support

Answer

The Department of Trade and Industry supports a comprehensive range of business support services in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland. The first step in gaining access to these services is to contact the local Business Link which is part of a network providing services in every part of England. The Business Link network provides the information, advice and support that is required in order to start, to maintain and to grow a business and includes an award-winning national website.Business Link exists:"To help anyone who is thinking of starting a business""To help small and medium-sized businesses to grow""To help businesses to deal with problems, challenges and opportunities."The Business Link service is a crucial part of the Government's campaign to promote enterprise and to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.The local Business Link's office is Business Link Tees Valley. During 2005–06, Business Link Tees Valley received £1,441,979 from the core Business Link allocation. Business Link Tees Valley has used this funding to lever in significant additional funds—current estimates suggest that Business Link Tees Valley will deliver support and solutions worth £7,714,528 in 2005–06.Business Link provides access to the following DTI branded services:"Selective Finance for Investment in England""Knowledge Transfer Networks—a grant to bring together businesses, universities and others with an interest in technology applications.""Collaborative Grant for Research and Development—funding for collaborative R and D projects""Knowledge Transfer Partnerships—a grant to transfer and embed knowledge into a business from the UK knowledge base via a strategic project""Grant for Research and Development—a grant to carry out R and D.""Grant for Investigating an Innovative Idea—subsidised consultancy to help businesses to implement their ideas""Support to Implement Best Practice—a free diagnostic with subsidised consultancy""Small Firms Loan Guarantee—encouraging commercial lenders to provide loans to businesses lacking security"In addition to the aforementioned, the DTI provides additional specialist support such as:"Manufacturing Advisory Services—delivers hands-on advice and assistance from experts in a wide range of manufacturing disciplines.""UK Trade and Investment—supports companies in the UK doing business internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to set up or expand in the UK"In addition, the region's regional development agency, One NorthEast delivers its own business support in conjunction with Business Link Tees Valley. These are:"Resource Efficiency Business Support Service—aims to improve the resource efficiency of regional businesses, impacting on productivity and profitability through the efficient use of energy, water and materials. Delivered through brokerage, the service is supported with £1,650,000 of funding by One NorthEast to 2007–08.""Flexible Skills Fund—provides £650,000 per year funding for SMEs, matched by business contributions to support accredited or non-accredited training at level 3 or above, linked to a business objective.""Raising Skills in Tees Valley—providing a package of support for businesses and individuals aimed at driving demand for skills and generating sustainable economic growth in Tees Valley.""Tees Valley Area Tourism Partnership—currently in development. This provides a holistic package of support for tourism businesses in the region, encompassing business support in conjunction with Business Link branded services, product development and marketing support, and skills development. These significant catalysing activities will stimulate the tourism and hospitality sector in Tees Valley, generating sustainable growth in a key sector for the North East."Businesses and individuals in the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland are benefiting from Business Link's support as the recent performance demonstrates:

	Start-ups	Established businesses
2003–04	73	227
2004–05	130	268
2005-present (February)	183	331

In addition, businesses and individuals in Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland have benefited from support, resulting in:"1,097 jobs created or safeguarded""866 businesses supported or advised""7,423 people assisted in their skills development in Tees Valley since April 2005 as a result of sub-regional Single Programme investment."Throughout the region, an additional:"11,520 jobs have been created or safeguarded""10,089 businesses supported or advised""55,043 individuals assisted in their skills development since April 2005"As from September 2005, Business Link Tees Valley have spent £154,000 on providing 38 businesses with skills development training.Business Link Tees Valley also provides a Workforce Development events entitled ‘Better People, Better Business' which attracted 41 attendees in February 2005 and 43 attendees in January 2006.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

443 c1724-6W;443 c1724-6W; 56128

Session

2005-06

Subjects

Small businesses Middlesbrough

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk