Page 33 - BOSS Today Issue 11

A £1bn increase in the information about choosing
regional growth Fund and and accessing business finance,
additional spending on improving their financial helP iS out there
infrastructure was announced planning, and making a
at the same time, along case to potential investors. It
with measures to leverage provides advice on cash flow ✱ You can find out more about Finance
private sector investment on management, securing prompt Fitness at www.bis.gov.uk/policies/enterprise-
infrastructure for roads and payment and maintaining a and-business-support/access-to-finance/
energy. good credit score. finance-fitness.
Like the BPIF, BoSS has Also in December, Deputy ✱ A good source of information on Government
repeatedly urged government to Prime minister nick Clegg support for business – and a useful suite of
ensure that public procurement announced £1bn worth of business support products – can be found at the
decisions are not made solely funding investment to create Solutions for Business website: www.businesslink.
on price considerations and 400,000 training places for gov.uk/bdotg/action/detail?itemId=1081389933
instead give proper consideration young employed people. Under &type=CAMPAIGN.
to value for money, financial the so-called Youth Contract, ✱ Companies interested in export markets should
security and sustainability. We at least 410,000 work places also take a look at the support available from
were therefore encouraged will be found from April 2012 UK Export Finance - see www.ecgd.gov.uk. This
when the Chancellor said the for 18- to 24-year-olds by 2015. Government department aims to complement
government “intends to make Another 250,000 will have the the private market by providing assistance to
it easier for UK-based firms opportunity to undertake work exporters and investors, principally in the form
to compete for government experience placements lasting of insurance policies and guarantees on bank
procurement contracts and up to eight weeks. And at least loans, particularly if they have not been able
make new applications out of 20,000 additional incentive to access finance though the normal commercial
government data”. payments will be available routes.
for firms in england to create
In December apprenticeships for 16- to
Following on from the Autumn 24-year-olds.
Statement, in December prime “the government intends
minister David Cameron unveiled
£95m of regional growth Fund to make it easier for
money directed at Smes. the
month also saw the launch of a uK-based firms to compete
new Finance Fitness campaign. for procurement contracts.”
this aims to provide Smes with

March 2012 | BOSS TODAY 33

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