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Single Government ‘Solution for Business’ to Help Companies Succeed
Thu 23rd Oct 2008
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 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, starting and growing, small and large, new and existing, to find the right products to help them with common business issues such as starting, 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 tax payers’ money through more efficient delivery as all levels of government – national, regional and local – will, for the first time, share the same products.
Economic, social and environmental goals will be met where the Government needs to intervene.
Secretary of State for Business, Peter Mandelson said:
“It is our vision to make the UK the most enterprising place in the world but we are aware more can be done to create the right environment for enterprise.
Publicly funded business support - advice, loans and grants - can help individuals realise their entrepreneurial potential, businesses start and succeed, and communities prosper and flourish.
Better business support is about better customer service - reducing backroom wastage and delivering greater impact with the same resources. This is what businesses tell us they want.
For the full press release click the following link to a PDF: