soutions for business

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Solutions or Business unded by government


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Solutions for Business funded by governmentIn an internationally competitive, global environment business support matters.

The right advice, loan or grant at the right time can help a company deal with toughproblems, setting them on a course to succeed.

Solution or Business is a package o publicly-unded support products oering helpor companies to start, grow and succeed. It includes the Real Help or businesssupport schemes such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee.

Businesses complained that government schemes were too complicated and hardto access. So, weve made it easier or businesses to get the advice and assistancethey need.

Weve streamlined the thousands o publicly-unded schemes that businesses oundso conusing into a package o easily recognisable products that can be accessedvia Business Link.

Products will help companies with common business and sector issues such asaccessing nance, research and development, knowledge sharing, training andskills, exporting and overseas trade and resource eciency, including low carbon.

The portolio is a mix o nationally and regionally / locally unded products, includingsupport rom Europe. By March 2010 Solutions or Business products will be theonly ones companies will see.

This guide gives a summary o the Solutions or Business products, letting you knowhow each can work or you.

And, were going to keep support simple yet fexible or the long term so that ibusiness or economic circumstances change, businesses will have stability andconsistency whilst still allowing or dynamism and innovation.

Companies looking to access Solutions or Business support can contact BusinessLink online (www.businesslink.gov.uk/solutions), by phone (0845 600 9006), or ace-to-ace by contacting their local provider.


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Solutions for Business products

Export CreditInsurance

Whats the product?

Export Credit Insurance oers insurance policies or contracts

involving the export o capital equipment and project relatedgoods and services.

What does it aim to achieve?

To beneit the UK economy by helping exporters o UK capitalgoods and services win business, and UK irms to investoverseas. Insurance is provided to UK exporters against non-payment by their overseas buyers; guarantees to banks thatmake loans available to overseas buyers to purchase goodsand services rom UK based companies; and insurance or UK

investors in overseas markets against political risks.

Whos eligible?

Any person carrying on business in the UK, who is exportingcapital goods and services or is investing overseas, is eligibleto apply or cover. Acceptance is subject to rigorous credit riskassessment processes.

Grant forBusinessInvestment

Whats the product?Grant or Business Investment is a grant to support theacquisition o key assets, such as buildings, plant and machineryand to support the creation o new jobs or to saeguard existingones.


Grant or Business Investment supports sustainable investmentand job creation projects, and promotes the expansion,rationalisation, modernisation and diversiication o economicactivities o businesses located in deprived areas, in particular byencouraging irms to set up new establishments in such areas.

Whos eligible?

Most businesses operating in Assisted Areas (as deinedby the European Union) can apply or Grant or Businessinvestment. Small and medium-sized business (SME) inmany other disadvantaged areas (as deined by the RegionalDevelopment Agencies (RDAs)) are also eligible to apply.

ProductName

Description


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MaximisingForeignDirectInvestment

Whats the product?

Inormation, advice and tailored help or potential and existinginward investors, to help them with the decision to invest in theUK and, once invested, to develop their UK based business.


This product aims to increase the contribution o oreign direct

investment to economic activity in the UK, including research anddevelopment.

Whos eligible?

Overseas companies primarily identiied by UK Trade &Investment (UKTI). Selection or atercare o inward investors(i.e. once a UK base has been established) is acilitated by UKTIand the RDAs.

AccessingInternationalMarkets

Whats the product?Tailored inormation and other help in speciic markets, orindividual companies and or sectors or other groups o UKbusiness or collective beneit, drawing on the commercialsections in UK Consulates, Embassies, and High Commissionsoverseas.


The purpose o this product is to strengthen UK productivitygrowth and uture economic prosperity by overcoming barriers

aced by UK businesses and sectors in speciic overseas markets,which would otherwise limit the beneits gained rom internationaltrade.

Whos eligible?

Eligibility is dependant on the tailored support being sought:

Support for market introductions is open to all UK registeredcompanies.

Support for market visits or for exhibiting at overseas tradeshows is open to businesses alling within the EU deinitiono an SME and which are working with one o UKTIsInternational Trade Advisors, or equivalent, and which areengaged in a trade development activity.

Support for sector events and for group delegations tooverseas exhibitions is prioritised in accordance with high levelstrategic priorities identiied, and in accordance with strategicmarketing plans or individual sectors.


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DevelopingYourInternationalTradePotential

Whats the product?

Inormation and advice to businesses who are consideringexporting or entering new overseas markets, or who have limitedexperience in exporting or other aspects o international businessdevelopment.


The product seeks to strengthen UK productivity growth anduture economic prosperity by ensuring that UK businesses,especially high productivity, innovative, and research anddevelopment intensive businesses, are able to identiy and exploitopportunities in overseas markets successully, and to respondrapidly and eectively to changing international opportunities.

Whos eligible?

UK registered companies of all sizes can receive inormationand advice on beginning to export or seeking to do business

in new overseas markets.

Small-medium sized enterprises seeking to enter newmarkets can access co-unding or agreed export capabilitydevelopment projects.

Small-medium sized enterprises who are either new to export orinnovative and between 1 and 5 years old can access support orgeneral export capability.

Train to Gain Whats the product?

Train to Gain is the Governments lagship skills service providingadvice, support and unding to employers in England, o allsizes and in all sectors. It puts buying power and inormationin their hands, giving them better access to a wider range oopportunities or improving the skills o their employees, and

the productivity o their business. It helps businesses to meetthe challenges they are acing now, and the strategic skillsneeds they will ace in the uture. Its coverage includes National

Vocational Qualiications, Apprenticeships, leadership andManagement training, basic skills and sector-speciic skills.


The service helps improve productivity, business perormanceand individual achievement through investment in the skills andcompetencies o the workorce and potential entrepreneurs,

helping the UK to become a world leader in skills by 2020.


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Train to Gain

(continued)

Whos eligible?

All employers in England are eligible or the core Train to Gainoer which includes ull unding or Skills or Lie and a 1st level 2qualiication.

SMEs will be top priority or Train to Gain unds including the350m growth over the next two years. Key elements are:

Funding or stand-alone accredited training modules, andpart-qualiications or thin qualiications, in business-criticalareas to raise productivity

Fully unded Level 2 qualiications and subsidised level 3qualiications, regardless o whether the employee already hasa qualiication at this level.

The extension o the leadership and management programme

to SMEs with between 5-250 employees

For those in pre-redundancy/employment:

Access to ully unded repeat level 2 and part unded repeatlevel 3, irrespective o the size o the employer they join.

BusinessCollaborationNetworks

Whats the product?

Collaboration networks typically provide acilitated opportunitiesor businesses to collaborate together to develop and pursuemarket opportunities which they would be unable to do ontheir own. They have been established or will be established oridentiied growth sectors, markets or technologies within theEnglish regions.

Collaboration networks will be developed and acilitated byappropriate organisations in line with priorities in RegionalEconomic Strategies


This product will encourage collaboration and the sharing o best

practice between businesses operating in key regional sectors,markets, and technologies to exploit opportunities that stimulateand accelerate economic growth.

Whos eligible?

Businesses will be able to join a network, where one is available,that is relevant to the sector, market or technology they operatewithin or look to move into. The composition o a network willdepend upon its ocus and the sector/market/technology it isrepresenting. Eligible businesses will primarily be small and medium

sized irms, although some networks will have more large irmparticipants than others.

Not every sector, market or technology will have a supportedCollaboration Network


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BusinessPremises

Whats the product?

This product allows provision o cost-eective, managedworkspaces and business parks in priority localities to help newand existing businesses grow.

Typically Local Authorities, and Regional Development Agencieswill seek to develop appropriate business premises to meet local

needs where these are not being met by the private sector.What does it aim to achieve?

This product is designed to acilitate growth or businesses in areascritical to the delivery o regional or local economic strategies.

Whos eligible?

New or existing small and medium sized businesses looking to indnew or larger premises within a local area.

Availability o premises will be advertised locally

BusinessGrowth:SpecialistFacilities andEnvironments

Whats the product?

This product helps to provide cost-eective, supportive, sharedpremises with specialist acilities such as specialist knowledge,equipment and technologies to help new and existingbusinesses grow. Types o premises to be provided will includeIncubator Units, Science parks, and Demonstrator acilities.

Typically Regional Development Agencies and Universities willseek to develop appropriate business premises and acilities to

stimulate the growth o key business sectors as identiied withRegional Economic Strategies.


The product will enable businesses to beneit rom a mix ospecialist equipment, acilities, knowledge and support whichthey would otherwise not be able to access in the market place.

The mix o physical and specialist business support will allowbusinesses to grow aster and will improve business survivalrates.

Whos eligible?

These premises will be made available or businesses romwithin priority sectors as set out in regional and local economicstrategies. To be eligible or support businesses must displayentrepreneurial and growth potential and match the purpose andentry criteria o the individual acility.

Availability o these premises will be advertised locally


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Starting aBusiness

Whats the product?

Free access to clear inormation and advice or anyone thinkingabout starting a business.


It aims to achieve an increase in enterprise activity leading to ahigher rate o business start-up and survival.

Whos eligible?

Anyone starting a business.

IntensiveStart-UpSupport

Whats the product?

Free advice and mentoring (in addition to that oered by Startinga Business) or individuals and groups actively exploring startingbusinesses who are targeted by their RDA as underrepresentedin sel-employment and business ownership.


The additional support provided is intended to address currentinequities. This should lead to the creation o additionalbusinesses and improved survival rates.

Whos eligible?

Each RDA will determine using its Regional Economic Strategy which individuals or groups to assist.

Starting aHigh GrowthBusiness

Whats the product?Extra help or new businesses (and people developing a businessconcept) identiied as having high-growth potential.


It aims to give businesses with high-growth potential access tosophisticated, multi-aceted support packages to enable them tonavigate the above average lead-in time to proitability and theincreased complexity o business issues they experience.

Whos eligible?

Businesses with the potential to achieve turnover o 500,000 to1m or higher within three years o starting to trade.


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ManufacturingAdvisoryService

Whats the product?

The Manuacturing Advisory Service (MAS) is a business supportprogramme or manuacturing companies, delivering hands-on advice and assistance rom experts in a wide range omanuacturing disciplines.


The aim o MAS is to deliver a service that results in increasedproductivity and competitiveness or manuacturing businesses.

Whos eligible?

UK manuacturing irms, ocusing on those employing 250 orewer people. Any dealings with non-SMEs will only be providedat ull market rate.

DesigningDemand

Whats the product?

Designing Demand is a support programme developed to help

businesses use design to improve perormance.


The programme helps businesses to become more competitive,increase their proits and boost their perormance through thestrategic, eective use o design.

Whos eligible?

Designing Demand is or businesses with ambition to grow,appetite or change and the resources and management time to

invest in running strategic design projects. Eligible businessesrange rom micro through to 249 employees.

InnovationAdvice andGuidance

Whats the product?

The product is the provision o innovation advice and guidance.


The purpose o this product is to provide businesses with expertknowledge and highly specialised, technical and advanced skills,enabling them to innovate and improve perormance.

Whos eligible

The product is targeted at businesses (including socialenterprises) experiencing challenges that are holding back thepotential to grow signiicantly and which are open to seekinginnovative approaches to surmounting these. Any dealings withnon-SMEs will only be provided at ull market rate.


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Coaching forHigh Growth

Whats the product?

The product is a structured coaching programme, assistingirms to build their inherent capabilities and achieve acceleratedgrowth.


The aim is to increase the stock o strongly growing SMEs in

each region.

Whos eligible?

The product is targeted at businesses with the potential toachieve high growth but which would not achieve such growthwithout intervention. Any dealings with non-SMEs will only beprovided at ull market rate.

Enterprise

FinanceGuarantee

Whats the product?

The Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG) Scheme will support upto 1.3bn o new lending by banks to viable SMEs with workingcapital or investment needs. The Guarantee can be used tosupport new loans, reinance existing loans or to convert part orall o an existing overdrat into a loan to release capacity to meetworking capital needs. Businesses may seek loans o 1,000 to1m, repayable over a period o up to 10 years.


To improve companies access to working capital in the current

diicult economic climate and increase start-ups and growth.

Whos eligible?

The EFG Scheme is open to businesses with an annual turnovero up to 25m. Most businesses in most sectors will be eligibleor the scheme. However, state aid rules exclude businesses inthe agriculture, coal and steel sectors.

Small Loansfor Business

Whats the product?

Small loans o up to 50,000 or businesses with viable business

plans reused bank inance, typically linked to ongoing mentoringand support.


Social inclusion by extending opportunity to entrepreneurs whomight otherwise struggle to raise inance rom mainstream lenders(including women, members o ethnic minority groups andindividuals in deprived areas).

Whos eligible?

Small and medium start-up and growth businesses unable toraise the unding they need rom mainstream lenders.


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UnderstandingFinance forBusiness

Whats the product?

Advice and support to ensure that entrepreneurs and businessesunderstand their options or getting the money they need to startand grow a business, with acilitated introduction to potentialsources o inance.


Increased awareness o inance options leading to increasedstart-up and business growth.

Whos eligible?

Small and medium start-up and growth businesses lacking anunderstanding o inance options, the skills to develop theirpropositions and/or access to potential investors.

Finance for

Business

Whats the product?

Flexible inance solutions or businesses with viable businessplans unable to get support rom commercial banks andinvestors.


Increased start-up and growth through increased access to theright unding at the right time or the business.

Whos eligible?

Small and medium businesses unable to raise all their inance

needs in the commercial market despite having a viable businessplan.

EnterpriseCoaching

Whats the product?

One-to-one coaching to cultivate interest in enterprise amongstpeople who would not otherwise consider setting up in businessas an option.


To increase enterprise in targeted areas and amongst under-represented groups who are otherwise unlikely to considersel-employment or starting a business. This is done throughcoaching and reerral to mainstream business support services.Where enterprise isnt the right option or individuals, coachesmay also help them ind alternative routes into economic activity.

Whos eligible?

Individuals eligible or Enterprise Coaching will be residentso areas o deprivation, people rom groups who are under-

represented in enterprise, or individuals who are economicallyinactive regardless o place o residence or social/demographiccharacteristics.


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ImprovingYourResourceEfficiency

Whats the product?

Initial and specialist support which enables businesses tocontribute to a low carbon resource eicient economy whilstachieving cost savings.


It identiies various practical cost-eective actions business can

take to be more energy eicient, reduce, reuse and recyclematerials, cut waste, water use, discharges and pollution.

Whos eligible?

Most o the services, especially at initial level, are available to allbusinesses. Specialist support will be targeted at businesseswith signiicant potential to reduce their environmental impacts orthose that have made a public commitment to do so.

CollaborativeR&D

Whats the product?

A grant to businesses working together and with the knowledgebase to develop and exploit new ideas.


This product aims to increase knowledge exchange and businessspend on R&D, and to encourage technological diusion betweenbusinesses and knowledge base institutions through collaborativeR&D activities.

Whos eligible?

Businesses rom all sectors that have the willingness andpotential to collaborate on developing innovative products,processes or services.

Knowledge institutions who are willing to engage in an innovationcollaboration activities with the primary purpose o assistingbusinesses to exploit knowledge through new products, servicesand processes.

Businesses seeking to join pan-European R&D projects.


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Networkingfor Innovation

Whats the product?

Support to help business build relationships with knowledge baseinstitutions to develop and exploit new ideas.


This product aims to encourage businesses to build relationshipswith other businesses, intermediaries, knowledge base institutions

and government thereby improving knowledge exchange and linkages acrossbusiness supply chains and leading to more collaborativeinnovation activity.

Whos eligible?

Businesses rom all sectors that are interested in developinginnovative products, processes or services, or adopt newmanagement, organisation or business models.

Knowledge base institutions who are willing to engage innetworks with the primary purpose o assisting businessesto exploit knowledge through new products, services andprocesses.

Trade Associations and similar organisations that wish to promotethe interests o their members in the context o innovation andregulatory rameworks.

KnowledgeTransfer

Partnerships

Whats the product?

A grant to enable the placement o a recently qualiied person

(i.e. NVQ level 4 in an appropriate subject, HND, oundationdegree, degree and higher degrees, including post-doctorate)in a business, or the exchange o sta between businesses andknowledge base institutions.


This product aims to increase knowledge exchange betweenbusinesses and knowledge base institutions e.g. Higher EducationInstitutions, thereby encouraging a cultural change wherebusinesses share the risks and costs associated with innovation

collaborations.

Whos eligible?

Businesses rom all sectors that have the willingness andpotential to develop innovative products, processes or services.

Knowledge base institutions who are willing to engage as deliverychannels with the primary purpose o assisting businessesto exploit knowledge through new products, services andprocesses.


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InnovationVouchers

Whats the product?

A voucher to enable a business to buy support rom a knowledgebase institution in order to explore potential opportunities oruture collaboration in developing and exploiting new ideas.


This product aims to increase knowledge exchange between

businesses and knowledge base institutions through collaborativeactivity thereby encouraging a cultural change wherebusinesses share the risks and costs associated with innovationcollaborations.

Whos eligible?

Small and medium sized businesses rom all sectors that havethe willingness and potential to collaborate on developinginnovative products, processes or services.

Knowledge base institutions who are willing to engage inan innovation project with the primary purpose o assistingbusinesses to exploit knowledge through new products, servicesand processes.

Low CarbonEnergyDemonstration

Whats the product?

Finance to assist a business in a range o demonstration activityin order to commercially exploit R&D in low carbon energy-generating technology.


This product aims to increase single business involvement ina range o demonstration activity to commercially exploit R&Din low carbon energy technologies where the high risk anduncertainty around the expected results is seen as a barrier.

Whos eligible?

Businesses engaging in low carbon energy demonstrationprojects.


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RuralDevelopmentProgrammefor EnglandBusinessSupport

Whats the product

Support or businesses to access speciic training and knowledgetranser, and grants or business development and expansion.


The product aims to build proitable, innovative and competitivearming, ood and orestry sectors, that meet the needs

o consumers and make a net positive contribution to theenvironment, and to enhance opportunity in rural areas in a waythat harnesses and builds upon environmental quality

Whos eligible?

Farmers, oresters, businesses in the ood industry, andbusinesses in rural areas. There are speciic opportunities orbusinesses in areas where Local Action Groups have beenselected to implement the product through the Leader approach.

Grant forResearch andDevelopment

Whats the product?Finance to assist a business to develop and exploit new ideas.


This product aims to increase business involvement in a range oR&D activity where there is a high risk and uncertainty around theexpected results, and where ability to commercially exploit themis seen as a barrier.

Whos eligible?

Commercially driven projects by pre-start, start-ups and SMEswithin all sectors, except deence. When supporting low carbontechnologies eligibility or this product extends to large businesses.


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AutomotiveAssistanceProgramme

Whats the product?

A loan guarantee package unlocking up to 2.3bn whichguarantees to unlock loans o up to 1.3bn rom the European

Investment Bank (EIB) or investment in lower carbon initiatives orloans or loan guarantees to support o up to 1bn o lending orlower carbon initiatives or non-EIB backed projects


To help the car industry emerge rom the current downturn withthe skills and technology base needed to be competitive in theglobal automotive market and to develop lower carbon transportthrough creating or sustaining jobs, developing cutting-edgetechnology, bringing special value to the UK, reducing CO2

emissions and maintaining R&D in UK vehicle manuacturing.Whos eligible?

Viable Automotive companies that come within the main sectoraldeinitions and ulil certain investment project criteria. Companieswill be trading above 25m in sales and seeking support roma project with a value at least in excess o 5m. The applicantneeds to demonstrate that they were unable to und theproposed project rom own resources, and have been unableto obtain suicient external inance. Automative Assistance

Programme (AAP) aims to help automotive companies unlockbank inancing by the Government guaranteeing a proportiono the banks lending (typically 50% o EIB debt and 75% oUK bank lending). The project requires a strong business case,demonstrating economic additionality and value or money whileadvancing new greener technologies.


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Trade CreditInsuranceTop-upScheme

Whats the product?

The scheme enables eligible businesses to purchase additionalcredit insurance to top up the cover they receive rom theprivate sector. It is a transitional measure to provide real helpto businesses whose credit insurance cover has been reducedby their provider. Up to 5 billion o support is available under

the scheme. Eligible businesses who have had their creditlimit reduced can purchase top-up cover via their existingcredit insurance provider, who will administer the scheme onGovernments behal.


Trade credit insurance provides suppliers with insurance againstthe risk o a buyer deaulting on their payment or goods.

The product gives suppliers conidence to extend sometimeslengthy payment terms to their buyers and is sometimes used

to support provision o inancial products such as loans, invoicediscounting and actoring services. Reduction or withdrawal ocredit insurance can thereore lead to inancial pressure on bothbuyers (as suppliers may wish to shorten payment terms) and onsuppliers (due to its interaction with other orms o credit).

The Government scheme is targeted to cushion against theimpact o a reduction in credit insurance cover, and to providegreater breathing space or businesses to respond eectively toincreased risks in their supply chain.

Whos eligible?The top-up scheme is open to businesses o all sizes and in allsectors provided that

they hold a whole-turnover trade credit insurance policy;the trade takes place within the UK with payment terms o nomore than 120 days;the original level o cover was in place or at least 30 daysbeore it was reduced;cover was reduced on, or ater 1 October 2008; and

the reduction in cover was triggered by the credit insurance provider.

Businesses can buy insurance to the value o the lower o theollowing amounts:

the amount which restores the level o cover to the amountthey had previously; orthe amount equal to the level o cover now oered under theircredit insurance policy; or1 million

Further inormation is available at www.business-link.gov.uk/creditinsurance.


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VehicleScrappageScheme

Whats the product?

Government will provide a 1,000 incentive, with matchedunding rom vehicle manuacturers, or consumers to replacetheir 10 year old or older vehicle with a brand new vehicle. 38manuacturers have signed-up to take part in the scheme, whichwill run rom 18 May 2009 to end February 2010 or until the

300 million Government unding has been allocated, enough toprovide up to 300,000 new vehicle sales.


The scheme is intended to provide a boost to demand andimmediate support on a short-term basis to the car industry andits supply chain in the wake o alling sales. It will also get oldervehicles o the road and encourage consumers to invest in new,saer and potentially more environmentally riendly models.

Whos eligible?

The scheme applies to cars and commercial vans (up to 3.5tonnes) registered in the UK on or beore 31 August 1999. Theold vehicle must have been registered in the UK to the consumeror at least 12 months, have a current MOT and tax disc or within14 days o expiry at the time o the order, and be insured. Thereis no distinction between commercial or private buyers. Vehiclemanuacturers and car dealers are not eligible.


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Indicative guide to products by company size and stage

Product Pre-Start up

NewCompany

SME LargeFirm

Export Credit Insurance X X

Grant or Business Investment X X X

Maximising Foreign Direct Investment X X

Accessing International Markets X X

Developing your International Trade Potential X X

Train to Gain X X

Business Collaboration Networks X X X

Business Premises X X

Business Growth: Specialist Facilities and

Environments

X

Starting a Business X X

Intensive Start-up Support X X

Starting a High Growth Business X X

Manuacturing Advisory Service X X X

Designing Demand X X

Innovation Advice and Guidance X X

Coaching or High Growth X

Enterprise Finance Guarantee X X X

Small Loans or Business X X

Understanding Finance or Business X X X

Finance or Business X X

Enterprise Coaching X

Improving your Resource Eiciency X X

Collaborative R&D X X

Networking or Innovation X X X Knowledge Transer Partnerships X X

Innovation Vouchers X

Low carbon Energy Demonstration X X

Rural Development programme or Englandbusiness support

X X X X

Grant or Research and Development X X X X

Automative Assistance programme X X

Trade Credit Insurance Top-up Scheme X X X

Vehicle Scrappage Scheme X

NB: Large companies may have to contribute to the costs o some products.Some products specically oer more support to smaller companies


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soutions for business

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