Selnet has won a competitive tender to deliver a new funded startup service as part of a refreshed £3.9m business support programme.
The company will deliver the Flying Start service as part of Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, which has revealed a new funding deal.
The new funding will ensure that Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, continues until March 2025, with a potential extension beyond that.
If you are looking to turn your business ideas into reality or take your new business to the next level – the new Flying Start programme from Boost, delivered by Selnet can help you achieve your business goals.
The Flying Start programme is created for pre-start businesses and those who have traded for less than 3 years and is delivered by an experienced team of qualified business advisers. Our advisers can help you navigate the ups and downs of starting a new business, through support, mentoring and activities, tailored to suit your business needs.
Led by Lancashire County Council, Boost, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2023, has supported more than 14,000 businesses since its launch in 2013, creating more than 3,500 jobs.
The Growth Hub is aiming to support over 1,000 more businesses, in addition to helping 125 new businesses start and create more than 1,000 new jobs.
The £3.9million Boost programme is made up of contributions from Lancashire County Council (£1.2m), UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocations from 10 partner local authorities, and the Department of Business & Trade (£2.7m).
The partner local authorities are Blackburn with Darwen Council, Burnley Council, Chorley Council, Fylde Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Wyre Council.
Boost offers six core services including:
- Business Support Helpdesk: A service that offers advice and guidance on available local, national and sector business support.
- Business Advice Service: A service that matches a business with an adviser and includes a business review, a business support action plan, business clinics and regular updates.
- Growth Catalyst: A service to help established businesses ready to take their business to the next level.
- Scale to Thrive: An exclusive service for businesses over £1m turnover looking to scale 20% year on year.
- Flying Start: A service that helps people start a new business or grow a young business.
- Access to Finance: A service that helps businesses find and secure the finance and funding they need.
The Business Support Helpdesk is available to businesses across the whole of Lancashire, with the Business Advice, Growth Catalyst, Scale to Thrive, Flying Start and Access to Finance services available to businesses in the 10 partner local authority areas.
Andrew Leeming, programme manager of Boost, added:
“This is a powerful and exciting new Growth Hub partnership offering a rich breadth of business support to owners and leaders across the county.”
“We went through a rigorous tendering process and that has resulted a highly specialised and experienced new team of Boost delivery partners, well equipped to help Lancashire businesses start, grow and thrive.”
Liz Tapner CEO of Selnet said
“Through our Flying Start programme, we support pre-start and young businesses to start-up, establish, develop and grow – our team is excited to work with clients to determine the support THEY need to help them and their business”
County Councillor Aidy Riggott, cabinet member for economic development and growth, Lancashire County Council, said:
“It’s been ten years of impact for Boost and we are firmly setting the dial towards the future with a comprehensive range of services and programmes to help more entrepreneurs and leaders start, grow and thrive, especially those that have not received support from Boost.”
Lancashire business owners and leaders can get in touch with Boost by calling 0800 488 0057 or contacting Boost online.
About Boost:
Led by Lancashire County Council, supported by Government and ten local authorities, Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, one of 37 Growth Hubs in the UK.
Boost’s mission is to help Lancashire businesses thrive.
Since 2013, Boost has supported over 14,000 businesses, helping create 3,500 jobs while adding £100m to the local economy.
From September 1 2023, Boost is funded by Lancashire County Council, Department for Business & Trade (DBT), and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) contributions from ten Lancashire local authorities (Boost local authorities partners). UKSPF is part of the Levelling Up agenda and succession to EU structural funds.
Boost’s local authority partners are Blackburn with Darwen Council, Burnley Council, Chorley Council, Fylde Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire Borough Council and Wyre Council.
The Growth Hubs across England are designed to provide local businesses of any size or sector with access to advice and support via an impartial, funded, single point of contact. They bring together national and local support from across the public and private sectors to help businesses find the right support for their needs, at the right time, at any stage of the business journey.
The Business Support Helpdesk offers advice and guidance to anyone thinking of starting a business and all new and existing businesses in Lancashire. The Helpdesk provides information on local, national and sector programmes, and funding support help businesses start, grow and scale. The Business Support Helpdesk is available to businesses across all Lancashire local authorities.
Businesses located in the ten Boost local authority partner areas are eligible for the Business Advice Service, Flying Start, Growth Catalyst, Scale to Thrive and Access to Finance.
The Boost business support services will be delivered by a number of specialist local and national business support organisations including Growth Lancashire, Selnet and the Growth Company, with Lancashire County Council delivering the Access to Finance service.
The Growth Hubs across England are designed to provide local businesses of any size or sector with access to advice and support via an impartial, funded, single point of contact. They bring together national and local support from across the public and private sectors to help businesses find the right support for their needs, at the right time, at any stage of the business journey.
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