Sponsors
Yorkshire Forward
Yorkshire Forward is the Regional Development Agency charged with improving the Yorkshire and Humber economy.
Our 270,000 businesses contribute to an economy worth in excess of £80 billion, while over 5 million people mean this region ranks alongside countries including Ireland, Greece, Norway and Singapore.
Yorkshire Forward drives the success of the region by using the £2.50 we get each week on behalf of each of our taxpayers to provide them with more jobs, access to new markets for businesses and to regenerate our town and city centres.
Our region has so much to offer: great businesses, a fantastic quality of life and people with diverse talents and skills. Yorkshire Forward is developing this extraordinary potential, to make our region a truly world class location in which to live, work and invest.
For more information contact us on 0113 394 9600 or visit www.yorkshire-forward.com
The Business Enterprise Fund.
The Business Enterprise Fund is a unique funder for new and start up businesses. Operating across Yorkshire we have assisted well in excess of 200 businesses within these areas with funding or to find funding.
With an expert team of mentors and business advisors the fund will assist their clients put together a business plan and then seek to access their funding requirements through our connections with the banks and other financial institutions.
Our loans range from £500 to £60,000 and we offer a range of complementary business support services that include mentoring, book keeping, legal advice and marketing support, all for a nominal monthly fee.
The kind of clients we work with include those who have been unable to secure funding through conventional sources and requiring assistance to access the funding they require.
For more information contact them on 01274 207217 or visit our website www.befund.org.
Leeds LEGI, Sharing the Success programme
The vision for the Leeds LEGI Programme is about ‘Sharing the Success’ with the ambition that our deprived residents will share in the City’s present success and play a key part in its future growth. We will specifically target approximately 46,000 residents who live in the top 3% most deprived areas nationally.
The cornerstone of our Programme is the development of five ‘Catalyst Centres’, which will provide a physical enterprise presence in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods within the United Kingdom. They will be the key access point for local residents and will also provide a central and single point from which our three themed work streams will be delivered from, as well as to. Theme one is based around ‘Engaging People’ to encourage our deprived residents to become more entrepreneurial. Theme two is about ‘Engaging Business’ by tackling head on barriers to growth and Theme three ‘Engaging Investors’ embedding existing investment and ensuring our target neighbourhoods become a credible option for inward investment.
By 2010 we are looking to start 550 new businesses in our target areas, assist 650 businesses to survive and grow, attract 75 new businesses and create 1,100 new jobs.
For more information contact them on 0113 220 6350 or visit our website www.sharingthesuccess.co.uk.
Key Fund Yorkshire
The Key Fund’s aims are to further economic, social and environmental regeneration in deprived and disadvantaged communities throughout Yorkshire and the Humber.
We do this by giving financial and enterprise development support to local people involved in social enterprises, charities, community and voluntary groups.
If you have an idea that could benefit your community, then you could be eligible for funding and support from us. To support you, we have a dedicated development team, with proven knowledge and experience in helping third sector organisations to grow and achieve sustainability.
For more information contact Matt Smith, Fund Manager, 01302 815647or visit www.keyfundyorks.org.uk
Doncaster LEGI - Success Doncaster
Success Doncaster, a £19 million programme funded by the government’s Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) is committed to regenerating the most deprived areas of the Borough by promoting business growth, enterprise and an aspirational culture.
This ambitious new programme is being managed by Doncaster Council and delivered in partnership with the private sector.
Success Doncaster will actively encourage the entire community to take advantage of the help available including women, younger people, over-50’s, disabled people, lone parents, ethnic minorities and unemployed people.
Practical support such as personalised advice, long-term mentoring and financial incentives is now being offered to local residents, start-ups and existing businesses FREE of charge.
Success Doncaster’s overall objectives are to:
Create 550 new businesses in Doncaster by 2010.
Create 719 new jobs by 2010.
Attract at least £60 million Inward Investment into Doncaster.
For more information contact them on 0845 434 7003 or visit our website www.successdoncaster.co.uk.
Business Link Yorkshire
As a national brand, Business Link is the first point of contact for anyone wanting to start a business or grow their existing business. Business Link Yorkshire works with local partners to provide accessible services for local people and businesses. There is a tremendous range of business support available and one of our key roles is to simplify access and identify support on behalf of our customers.
Our primary roles are to provide business information, diagnose needs and identify appropriate solutions at the right time for customers and we work closely with partners and intermediaries to achieve this. We also provide a wide range of free workshops and seminars from “Is Self Employment Right for You?” to subject areas including accounting, marketing and sales.
Business Link Yorkshire have a team of advisers who meet customers on a one to one basis where appropriate. The advisor team have a range of specialisms and include strategic business advisors, high growth start up team, diversity advisors and under Social Enterprise Link a dedicated resource to assist social enterprises to realise their potential. In partnership with Yorkshire Forward, Business Link Yorkshire have identified target client groups who require additional intensive assistance to start prosper and grow and customer relationships often becomes long term as we help the business to fulfill its potential over a sustained period of time.
For more information contact them on 0845 6048 048 or visit www.businesslinkyorkshire.co.uk.