More than 拢700,000 is to be invested to roll out business and intellectual property centres in four Humber towns - aiding and driving entrepreneurialism.
The funding is part of a 拢13 million Treasury pledge, with the existing Business & IP Centre Hull to enhance delivery and equip the towns of Beverley, Bridlington, Goole and Grimsby.
They will be located at central libraries and core resources will include the latest market research and business databases. Tailored programmes of events, workshops and one-to-one sessions will also be hosted, delivered in collaboration with the British Library, local business leaders, role model entrepreneurs and community partners.
Cllr Marjorie Brabazon, chair of Hull Culture & Leisure, the not-for-profit company behind library services, said: 鈥淭his is great news for the local economy. Business & IP Centre Hull is well placed to lead the Humber partnership by sharing the wealth of skills and expertise, offering our area the best possible chance for business success.
鈥淥ur trusted and community focused libraries are places of shared information and knowledge, and offer truly accepting spaces for anyone with a business or business idea.鈥
Business & IP Centre Hull is described as having 鈥渁 notably strong track record of supporting local people from all walks of life to start, protect and grow successful small businesses鈥.
It has been a factor in helping create 536 new businesses and 275 additional jobs, with 拢2.4 million of GVA attributed.
The services are also found to support a diverse community of entrepreneurs, of those people who used the services 54 per cent were women, 34 per cent were aged 35 and under, 13 per cent were black, Asian and minority ethnic, 50 per cent were from the most deprived areas and 19 per cent were disabled.
Liz Jolly, chief librarian at the British Library, said: 鈥淎t their heart, libraries are trusted spaces with professional staff who have a mission to connect people with information. 鈥淔rom Glasgow to Brighton, our BIPC Network harnesses the power of libraries, bringing in expertise from the local community to help people from all walks of life turn an idea into a successful business.
鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to mark this next chapter in the network鈥檚 journey, growing from 14 to over 100 new regional and local centres across England, with a longer-term ambition to expand across the 海角视频. Our mission is to put business support in every library, but we鈥檙e also learning lessons from the past year, by making sure more and more of our business and IP workshops, events and one-to-ones are open to everyone online.鈥
Analysis suggests the Business & IP Centre Network achieves a payback of 拢 6.95 for every 拢1 of public money spent.
Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage said: "It is brilliant that small businesses and entrepreneurs will now be able to access invaluable support and resources in more parts of the country than ever before. I'm delighted that, thanks to our 拢13 million investment in the British Library's Business & IP Centres, this important network is growing from strength to strength."
