Scarborough—officially the most enterprising place in Europe

Scarborough has been crowned the Most Enterprising Place in Europe at the Enterprising Europe Awards

How did Scarborough get into the running?

The seaside town had already won BERR’s Enterprising Britain competition in October 2008, and had therefore been put forward to the European awards. At the final awards evening in Prague in May 2009, Scarborough beat off 12 other European finalists (including Helsinki, Valencia and Liège). The shortlist of 13 had been whittled down from 350 projects from across Europe.

Why was Scarborough nominated?

Scarborough was recognised for its recent transformation from tourist destination to enterprising hotspot. Achievements include stamping out seasonal unemployment, diversifying to grow new industry sectors, and attracting more than £200m of private-sector investment. This has been achieved through the Renaissance programme supported by Yorkshire Forward, offering proof that our region has the ability to position itself for the 21st-century global economy.

Who helped to achieve Scarborough’s transformation?

The Scarborough Renaissance Partnership comprises Scarborough Borough Council, local stakeholders, businesses, representatives from the local community and Yorkshire Forward.

Who organises the awards?

The European Enterprise Awards are run by the European Commission’s Enterprise and Industry Directorate. The purpose is to recognise those places of enterprise excellence across Europe which have helped to transform the social and economic fortunes of their area, and which are the best at improving economic prospects and encouraging enterprise in their countries.