Ryan FowlerLeading enterprise organisations are calling on the Government to end the repeated changes in business support policy and funding and instead implement a consistent, nationwide system offering professional business guidance with local on-the-ground delivery.
The National Enterprise Network (NEN), a key provider of community-based business support for micro-enterprises and start-ups, has urged the Government to heed growing calls from major business support providers for a unified, easy-to-navigate programme with a single point of contact.
Delegates at the NEN’s recent 2024 conference united in their plea for a business support service that combines national consistency with local expertise. The appeal is reinforced by new research from the Economic and Social Research Council (ERC), in collaboration with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), which highlights how entrepreneurs often struggle to find reliable advice amid frequent policy and programme changes, such as those involving Business Link, Growth Accelerator, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and Growth Hubs.
The ERC report recommends that the Government create a streamlined service by building on existing small business support networks. Alex Till, chair of NEN, said: “The concept of a national service with local delivery at its core has been discussed for a while and is crucial for UK small and micro businesses who struggle to navigate the complex web of Government policies, funding options, and compliance requirements.
“A single point of guidance reduces confusion by providing consistent, reliable advice, avoids contradictory advice from multiple sources, and means our small and micro business leaders spend less time searching for answers and more time focusing on growing their businesses. For decades, our NEN members have played a pivotal role within communities, supporting successive generations of entrepreneurs and micro-businesses to get the right advice at the right time and relevant to them. This approach aligns perfectly with what we have championed: accessible, trusted, and effective support embedded at a local level.”
The NEN, FSB, and ERC welcomed the Government’s recent announcement of the upcoming Business Growth Service (BGS), due to launch in 2025, which promises to simplify and streamline business support with a locally delivered, UK-wide approach. The NEN hopes to play a key role in shaping the service and has organised a round table event on January 8th, bringing together its members and Department for Business and Trade representatives to explore how the BGS can improve coordination across local and national delivery partners in both public and private sectors.
