South West Regional Development Agency

What we are doing

Government is setting out how it is simplifying publicly funded business support to make it more effective, easier to access and value for money.  
A single, 'Solutions for Business - funded by government' package of measures includes:

• Business Link as the main route to support, offering impartial assessment and advice to bespoke packages of suitable support.
• A single portfolio of 30 targeted support products and services shared across government for consistency - nationally, regionally and locally. This includes new and existing products, bringing together the best of government help. By March 2009 all 30 products will be in place, underpinned by a robust economic rationale.
• A uniform look and feel to all 'Solutions for Business' products, ensuring recognition and a sign of quality.

These measures will make it easier for companies - small and large, new or existing, starting or growing - to find the right products to help them with common business issues such as startup, finance, export, skills, environment, innovation and growth. 
 
The 'Solutions for Business' package offers a long term, sustainable remedy to publicly funded support and sets out the government offer to business. The products will be tightly managed, monitored and evaluated to ensure they continue to meet business needs and are effective. The portfolio will also be kept flexible and responsive to business needs with new products added, or taken away, accordingly. 
 
For details of the products and services covered, download the Solutions for Business leaflet (Adobe Acrobat Reader Document - 746.45kb). 
 
The South West RDA leads the simplification of business support in South West England, working closely with local authorities, Government Office South West and other partners. 
 
The Government Office for the South West (GOSW) is also involved, actively promoting BSSP to Local Authorities and their partners and encouraging them, as part of the Local Area Agreement discussions, to simplify their support in line with BSSP principles.

Regional Transition Management Plan

The RDA has been working with regional partners to develop a Regional Transition Management Plan (RTMP phase 2) (Microsoft Word Document - 1748.99kb) (BSSP Annexes 5-8 (Aug 08) (Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet - 45.56kb)) setting out how we will move from the current plethora of business support projects and schemes to less than 100 by end of 2010. The second phase of the RTMP has been completed and accepted by the Regional Transition Management Board.

Business Link

The South West RDA has transformed Business Link operations in the South West, creating northern and southern arcs, each managed by a separate Business link Operator.  
 
The Business Link Providers have developed a single business start-up offer for the region and Business Link is at the heart of a number of specialist gateways including the Rural Enterprise, Creative Industries and Social Enterprise.  
 
Business Link will also be the primary access channel providing information, diagnostic and brokerage for a new social enterprise regional business support service. 
 
All businesses wanting business support should visit Business Link for information, an assessment of their support needs and advice on the best products for them. Find out more at: www.businesslink.gov.uk/southwest

Contact details

Greg Taylor 
Head of Business Support 
South West RDA 
Tel: 01392 229539 
Email: greg.taylor@southwestrda.org.uk