A CONSORTIUM to boost social enterprise has clinched nearly £8m of funding.
The seven-strong team will use £3.9m of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) investment and their own match funding to help small and medium- sized enterprises compete with big businesses for contracts.
The investment, which will focus on business growth, productivity and franchise development across Liverpool, Sefton, Wirral and Knowsley, will create jobs and support growth at a time when many of the region’s small firms and enterprises are struggling in difficult economic times.
The consortium is led by Alt Valley Community Trust and includes delivery partners Plus Dane Group, Blue Orchid, Wirral Biz, Inclusive Access, Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and the Muslim Enterprise Development Service.
Phil Knibb, executive director at Alt Valley Community Trust, said: “This is a golden opportunity to promote business growth to small and medium enterprises in the Merseyside area, it is a great partnership approach and I am looking forward to working alongside all our partners to make a real difference in these challenging economic times.”
Gerard Murden, Plus Dane Group managing director, added: “Liverpool’s social enterprises plough their profits back into their communities, creating jobs and training opportunities for local people, so it is vital that they get all the support they need to continue that work and expand.”
Network for Europe, a support group which helps voluntary and community organisations gain access to European fund programmes played a key role in the successful bid and its chief executive, Andy Churchill, said: “Starting with nine possible projects at the end of 2010 we encouraged applicants to work together to create one single partnership bid, supporting businesses in the worst-off areas of Merseyside.”
Mr Churchill added: “Now that the bid is approved, it’s time to get out and put European money to work on the ground, supporting local businesses.”
The enterprises which will benefit will typically include firms that reinvest profits into their workforce or neighbourhoods.
All participating enterprises will be offered a business support package that is tailored to individual need in order to sustain, maintain, or revive their business.
There will also be a demand-led offer of business advice/services to target barriers to growth experienced by small and medium enterprises based in, and from, disadvantaged communities, including the offer of specialist services to black, minority and ethnic groups, people with disabilities and from economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods
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