Solutions for Business

To succeed in a competitive global environment UK businesses, whether small or large, need ongoing access to help and support, and providing it is a Government priority. The right advice, loan or grant – at the right time - can be the difference between success and failure.  Providing simple, top quality business support also forms part of BERR’s wider policy pledge to help make the UK the most enterprising economy in the world.

Solutions for Business – funded by government is a package of business support products and services to help companies start, grow and succeed, both in the present, difficult economic circumstances and in the long term when the upturn arrives.

To make it easier for businesses to get help, the Government is streamlining the thousands of publicly-funded support products, that businesses have said they find so confusing, into a package of 30, easily identifiable products and services, accessible via Business Link. Before Solutions for Business, support was in many forms and from many sources, at national, regional and local levels.

Solutions for Business products are simple to understand and access, good value for money and directed to where they will have most impact to help businesses grow. Research estimates that better targeted assistance will add up to £1.4bn per year of value for businesses; having clearly identifiable products will save them up to £1.4m per year in search costs alone.

The products will help businesses with common problems such as starting, growing, innovation, finance, skills and the environment. There is evidence that businesses receiving support are more likely to flourish; research into businesses helped through BERR-funded support services show that most of the schemes benefit, or expect to benefit, more than 80 per cent of firms through substantial increases in productivity and competitiveness.

Solutions for Business is good for the UK economy too. The Department estimates that for every £1 it spends on business support programmes, at least £2 is added to GDP.

The Solutions for Business portfolio will be in place by March 2009, when it will be the home for all government support. Products will be reviewed regularly to make sure they are delivering for business, and added to and replaced  as necessary.

Solutions for Business products are:

•     Export Credit Insurance
•     Grant for Business Investment
•     Maximising Foreign Direct Investment
•     Accessing International Markets
•     Developing Your International Trade Potential
•     Train to Gain
•     Business Collaboration Networks
•     Business Premises
•     Business Growth: Specialist Facilities and Environments
•     Starting a High Growth Business
•     Intensive Start-Up Support
•     Starting a Business
•     Manufacturing Advisory Service
•     Designing Demand
•     Innovation Advice and Guidance
•     Coaching for High Growth
•     Enterprise Finance Guarantee
•     Small Loans for Business
•     Understanding Finance for Business
•     Finance for Business
•     Enterprise Coaching
•     Improving Your Resource Efficiency
•     Collaborative R&D
•     Networking for Innovation
•     Knowledge Transfer Partnerships
•     Innovation Vouchers
•     Low Carbon Energy Demonstration
•     Grant for Research and Development

For more information on Solutions for Business, please contact Carol Chaffer on 020 7215 0059.