A pilot programme aimed at supporting business owners to scale up and succeed is launching in Bradford.
Business in the Community – The Prince of Wales’ responsible business network - has partnered with NatWest to deliver a new initiative aimed at business owners from underrepresented groups, and will help them access support services.
As part of the Small Business Support Programme, Business in the Community and NatWest will be working with organisations and local authorities already operating in West Yorkshire. It is hoped the scheme will ultimately establish successful small businesses at the heart of the communities they are based in.
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Needs and barriers will be identified, with gaps plugged with training or signposting.
Hannah Tankard, business emergency resilience director at Business in the Community, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with NatWest in Bradford to support local communities to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. By working together, we will meet small businesses’ immediate needs, whilst creating access to the right tools and resources required for sustainable growth. Small businesses have worked tirelessly to keep their communities going through the last 18 months, now we hope to create opportunities for small businesses to flourish in the recovery period and beyond.”
Earlier this year, NatWest published the findings of its 2021 Small Business Report, an industry wide review into 海角视频 SME recovery which revealed that better targeted and personalised support for SMEs could unlock a £140 billion boost to the 海角视频 economy.
The report also highlighted the need for unlocking untapped potential outside of London to support long-term economic growth as there are approximately 290,000 highly ambitious, diverse SMEs scattered across the 海角视频.
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To support the rollout of the pilot, Business in the Community is keen to speak to local support organisations to understand what they are doing and how they can support SMEs in key locations.
Rachael Middleton, NatWest’s local enterprise manager in West Yorkshire, said: “The business support landscape can be challenging to navigate, particularly if you are a small business owner with competing priorities and the current economic environment. Through our new partnership programme with Business In The Community, we want to empower business owners across Bradford, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to succeed and support their communities as the wider economy recovers.”