Finalists’ line up for ‘Enterprising Britain’
The 12 finalists of this year’s ‘Enterprising Britain’ competition – which identifies the most enterprising places in the UK – have been announced. The places show the depth of innovation of the projects that are helping to address social issues and turn the economies of local communities around.
Nottingham and Southampton science and technology businesses are booming, having been nurtured through small-business incubator schemes. Combating climate change and creating opportunities for young people are common themes uniting all the enterprising places.
In Luton, Scarborough and Hawick, a cultural renaissance has sparked town-wide regeneration and enterprise.
Bioscience competes with carnival arts
Announced by the Department for Business, the 12 finalists are all hoping to win the title of the most enterprising place in Britain. They include a centre using carnival arts to transform lives; one of the largest, most successful bioscience business incubators in Europe; and a charity tackling deprivation in one of Northern Ireland’s most divided areas.
As well as the UK Centre for Carnival Arts in Luton, Bio-City Nottingham and the Ashton Community Trust in North Belfast, other finalists of ‘Enterprising Britain 2008’ include an arts and creative industries regeneration project in Scotland called Heart of Hawick; the Scarborough Renaissance Partnership, which has turned around the prospects of a seaside town in decline; and Furness Enterprise which has inspired a low-skill, low-wage, low-aspiration population to become enterprising.
‘Enterprising Britain’ is a key part of the UK Government drive to increase entrepreneurship in the UK. The competition identifies areas of enterprise excellence: those places that have created jobs, forged links in communities, and improved the local climate for businesses and residents. Innovative initiatives pioneered by this year’s finalists include an entrepreneur’s bootcamp in Plymouth, a virtual college in Tynedale and a crop sharing scheme in Herefordshire.
The 12 projects that have been short listed were nominated by each of the nine regional development agencies and three devolved administrations (Scotland, N Ireland, Wales) and will compete against each other at the UK final in October, to be crowned the national winner of ‘Enterprising Britain 2008’. The winner will then represent the UK in the European Enterprise Awards later this year.
The full list of finalists:
- Heart of Hawick, an arts and creative industries regeneration project, nominated by Scottish Enterprise & Highland and Islands Enterprise;
- Furness Enterprise, a public-private partnership supporting enterprise, nominated by North West Regional Development Agency;
- Herefordshire Council, which enables people and businesses to work together to bring about sustainable prosperity, nominated by Advantage West Midlands;
- Milbrook Technology Campus, based in Southampton transformed a redundant space into a successful enterprise hub, nominated by the South East England Development Agency;
- UK Centre for Carnival Arts, a Luton-based centre using carnival arts to transform lives, nominated by East of England Development Agency;
- Plymouth Business Growth, which offers enterprise support to deprived communities and encourages inward investment, nominated by the South West Regional Development Agency;
- Ashton Community Trust, a charitable organisations at the centre of the physical and social regeneration of a deprived area of North Belfast, nominated by Invest Northern Ireland;
- The Scarborough Renaissance Partnership, a community partnership working to transform the fortunes of a declining seaside resort, nominated by Yorkshire Forward;
- Tynedale Enterprise Network, which stimulates enterprise by engaging with small businesses in remote areas, nominated by One NorthEast;
- BioCity Nottingham, one of the largest and most successful bioscience business incubators in Europe, nominated by the East Midlands Development Agency;
- Wandsworth Youth Enterprise Centre, whose client-led business counseling scheme has enabled more than 600 young people to set up and develop their own businesses, nominated by the London Development Agency; and
- Mentor Mon, an engine for altruistic entrepreneurship in the Isle of Anglesey, nominated by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Business minister Shriti Vadera said, “I would like to congratulate the Enterprising Britain 2008 finalists for their enterprising sprit, innovation and hard work. A strong enterprise culture creates jobs, reverses decline in communities and attracts more people into business - all vital for the UK economy. We need more entrepreneurs like these finalists to continue to improve our international competitiveness and productivity. I hope others will be inspired by their success.”
National competition judge, Peter Jones, entrepreneur and social enterprise ambassador added, “I am inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit both shown by the projects and their communities. These twelve projects are beacons of entrepreneurship and social enterprise and their impact is being felt both in regions the length and breadth of the UK and, in some cases, across the world. The Enterprising Britain competition is a great chance to recognise people at a local level who have inspirational ideas and can galvanise communities and resources to create sustainable positive change.”
The finalists have been recognised for their success in the regional heats. It is now up to an expert panel of national judges, who will be visiting the projects, to decide which one best deserves the accolade of most enterprising place in the UK.
Last year, national Enterprising Britain winner, North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone, helped reverse the economic decline of the area by setting up various innovative enterprise initiatives. As well as supporting over 500 new start-up businesses, and helping to create more than 1,000 new jobs, NSRZ, set up numerous enterprise education projects, including a ‘live’ fruit trading floor game for primary school students that teaches the basics of profit and loss.
For further information on the Enterprising Britain competition click here.
Comments on this story? Send an email to the editor: address - editor [@] thechilli.com
 |
|
|
© Chilli Publishing Ltd 2008 |
12 JUN 2008 |
