Implementing Solutions for Business in the South East
The Solutions for Business portfolio of services was finalised and introduced in March 2009. The 2009 Budget confirmed that from March 2010 the Solutions for Business services should be the only publicly funded business support services that businesses will see.
The Regional Development Agencies are responsible for leading the necessary changes to bring existing services into line with the new Solutions for Business portfolio. SEEDA has developed a Transition Management Plan which is overseen by the South East Business Support Advisory Board (SEBSAB). The Plan can be downloaded here.
The South East Transition Plan includes:
- Details of how Solutions for Business services will be delivered in the region
- How SEEDA funded services will be migrated to the new Solutions for Business services
- Details of local and sub regional services funded by other bodies which also will migrate to the new Solutions for Business services.
SEEDA Area Teams are working with local authorities and other local partners to raise awareness about Solutions for Business and to support them in migrating services to the new portfolio. Many partners have already agreed that it would be helpful for businesses if all public funded services were to be fully aligned with Solutions for Business, no matter which organisation funds them.
It is intended that all business support in the South East will be fully aligned by March 2010 and regular progress updates are made to SEBSAB. You can read the latest updates here.
In order to help partners align services aimed at starting a business, SEEDA will be developing a Start Up Framework for the region which will aim to bring more coherence to how the four Solutions for Business business creation products - Coaching for High Growth, Innovation Advice and Guidance, Starting a High Growth Business and Business Collaboration Network - will be delivered.
How will Solutions for Business appear to business?
The look and feel of Solutions for Businesses services will be the same throughout England . The Solutions for Business brand will make it easier for business to recognise what they are getting and act as a guarantee of quality.
If you are a funding organisation or deliverer of business support, the following documents provide more information about the use of the Solutions for Business brand.
SEEDA has developed a checklist to assist those responsible for business support programmes in Local Authorities, SEEDA and other key partners to make the transition of relevant business support services/products to the Solutions for Business product portfolio.
Case Study – South East Business Innovation and Growth
The Regional Economic Strategy (RES) has identified that to in order to meet the challenge of increasing global competitiveness, the development and internationalisation of innovative companies is a key priority. The measures of success are:
- To increase the percentage of total South East business turnover attributable to new products from 12% in 2004 to 20% by 2016
- To increase the percentage of total South East turnover attributable to significantly improved products and services from 18% in 2004 to 25% by 2016
- To increase the percentage of businesses located in the South East operating internationally from an estimated 8% in 2003 to 12% by 2016
To deliver these goals, SEEDA reviewed existing support for innovation and business growth and following extensive consultation is introducing a new approach to supporting business growth and innovation. A regional network, South East Business Innovation and Growth, comprising eight locally based teams, will drive business innovation and growth in the South East. These teams will deliver specialist support to businesses that have potential for significant growth and will focus primarily, but not exclusively, on areas of the region where there is an existing or developing community of innovation.
The aim is to integrate the numerous regional and local innovation and growth programmes into one regionally implemented, locally delivered package of support. The purpose is to develop a broader approach to promoting innovation, where innovation is not restricted to new products or technological breakthroughs and includes new services, new business models or processes. The delivery teams are managed on a local level by partnerships that comprise key stakeholders, businesses and delivery organisations. These managing partnerships will oversee a team of high calibre experts that will deliver a number of targeted Solutions for Business products, including Coaching for High Growth, Innovation Advice and Guidance , Starting a High Growth Business and Business Collaboration Networks.
By using the new Solutions for Business products and bringing together all the bodies with an interest in innovation and growth, South East Business Innovation and Growth will enable target client businesses to access help tailored to their specific needs throughout the region in a consistent and highly focused way.
For more information, please visit the South East Business Innovation and Growth website.
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