Simplifying business support

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has identified over 3,000 publicly funded business support schemes across the UK. Unsurprisingly, businesses often say they find it difficult to know where to get help and advice. The Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP), launched in 2006, is designed to make sure that businesses have easy access to the support available.   

So what’s being done about it?

The government wants to help businesses to achieve more, and at the same time they want to ensure that the public money invested in these support schemes benefits the economy.

So in 2008, the government published the Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) to make it easier for businesses and entrepreneurs to understand and access government-funded grants, subsidies and advice. The 3,000 schemes will be reduced to 100 or less by 2010, and Business Link becomes the main access point where individuals and businesses can identify appropriate support. (Business Link will also take over Train to Gain, UKTI and Defra services).

Government departments and agencies are involved in making this happen, as are local authorities and the regional development agencies-of which Yorkshire Forward is one.

How will support be presented?

A total of 30 ‘products’ will be launched between October 2008 and March 2009. This will make it much simpler for businesses to identify what’s on offer, and to match their needs to these products.  Access will be simpler too, as all products will be available though Business Link. All new national, regional and local business support offerings will have to fit in with the detailed descriptions for each type of product.

Will you know it when you see it?

All publicly funded business support products will have a unified brand, Solutions for Business, and will be accessed through Business Link. There will be some limited scope for co-branding, where an activity will become self-financing after public funding ends (for example, incubator units for new businesses).

What’s happening in Yorkshire & Humber?

Regional and local partners delivering publicly-funded business support are committed to BSSP, pending completion of detailed arrangements. The recently created Yorkshire & Humber Business Support Partnership (YHBSP) has developed a regional transition plan to manage the changeover of the existing business support services.

Contact

If you’d like to find out more about these issues, speak to a member of the Yorkshire Forward International Team:

Louise Roberts
Business Support Partnership Coordinator
(Louise.roberts@yorkshire-foward.com)
0113 394 9867 (49867) 

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