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Simplifying Business Support

The Department of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) is leading the cross-government Business Support Simplification Programme; which aims to make it easier for companies and entrepreneurs to understand and access government funded services and advice with which to start and grow their businesses.

Since 2006 all levels of government have been working towards streamlining government funded business support, with a target of reducing the number of support schemes from over 3,000 to fewer than 100 by 2010.

'Simple Support, Better Business: Business Support in 2010', published by the Government following the Budget 2008 announcement, outlines what the business support landscape will look like in the future.

Simple Support, Better Business


National Programme Development

Launched on the 23rd October 2008, ‘Solutions for Business – funded by Government’ is a portfolio of government products covering a range of advice, loans and grants that will be provided collectively and consistently to businesses by all levels of government – nationally, regionally and locally via Business Link.

‘Solutions for Business: supporting success’ explains the new approach and the range of  business support products and services which will be available from March 2009.

Solutions for Business: supporting success

‘The Economic Drivers of Government Funded Business Support’ sets out the business case for each of the products and how business support can contribute to improving UK productivity.

The Economic Drivers of Government Funded Business Support

More detailed summary information on each product can be downloaded below.

Product Portfolio Summaries


Regional Focus

In the Northwest, the Agency and Government Office are acting as regional facilitators and communicating activity and progress on the programme. Key to this is the development of a partnership of regional organisations, local government and business to create a shared framework for business support in the future; better services for the business community to benefit the region's economy as a whole.

The Northwest Regional Transition & Implementation Plan outlines how the current business support landscape in the Northwest will be rationalised and simplified during the transition phase.

Regional Transition & Implementation Plan


The links below give more information about activities in the region:

For more information on the programme in the Northwest contact Laura Woods via Laura.Woods@nwda.co.uk. For more information on the national business support simplification programme visit the BERR website

Investing in England's Northwest (link opens in a new window)