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Solutions for Business: simplified business support
What is Solutions for Business?
Solutions for Business is the government’s streamlined portfolio of business support products accessible via Business Link.
In order to make government grants, subsidies and advice more targeted and easier to access the Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP) has reduced the thousands of publicly-funded support schemes to 29 via one, transparent, easy to find portfolio of products under the readily identifiable banner, Solutions for Business.
Solutions for Business products, which have been developed with the input of the business community, were in place March 2009 and will be followed by a twelve month transition period.
‘Solutions for Business: a Foundation for the Future’ is delivery of a Budget 2009 commitment to publish a progress report alongside the 2009 Pre-Budget Report. The report details the progress being made to meet the simplification commitment.
The report sets out what the shift to simpler support has achieved so far, the benefits it will deliver in the future and the work underway to maintain and further improve the strong monitoring and evaluation framework we are putting in place.
At this point, with four months before the target delivery date, the most recent information shows that from the original 3,000 schemes, we are now down to under 300, which brings us closer to delivering our target. We believe that we will achieve our aim of having no more than 100 publicly-funded business support schemes by March 2010.
2009-10 is a transition year. Although there is further work to be done in the remaining months of this transition year, strategies are in place to manage these remaining schemes. We expect that by March, the majority will be aligned to the Solutions for Business portfolio, or closed.
(3347KB)Why has the Government done this?
To succeed in a competitive global environment businesses, large and small, need ongoing access to help and support. Providing it to build the capacity and capability of business, people and regions as well as addressing inequality and environmental sustainability is a government priority.
Previously it was estimated over 3,000 publicly funded business support schemes existed. Businesses said they were confused and discouraged from applying. Solutions for Business will deliver a better support service to business, increase the impact of schemes, and make savings for government through the removing complexity, cost and confusion from the system.
Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and Local Authorities are partners in the delivery of Solutions for Business and regional funders, such as RDAs, have a role in deciding how much money to put into each product and whether or not to make all products available in their area. Local Authorities can choose to co-fund products. In addition, it is recognised that variation of the national products may be needed to meet exceptional business challenges, so products have some flexibility around the core offer.
Read more about their work in What’s happening in your region? and Business Support at the Local Level.