Search on for rising stars
AN ENTERPRISE support scheme aimed at start-ups and new businesses with significant growth potential has been launched in a Yorkshire city.
Rising Stars is part of a wider enterprise programme being delivered by Bradford Council and Bradford Chamber of Commerce designed to strengthen the city’s economy and create more jobs.
Business advisers will offer guidance and mentoring as well as advice on accessing other specialist assistance, funding and investment.
It is expected that the scheme will target assistance at around 750 businesses, thought to be about 5% of the total in Bradford, which are judged to have the best prospects for high growth and job creation.
Rising Stars: (Front row from left) Bradford Chamber of Commerce vice president Paul Mackie and Bradford Council executive member for regeneration and economy Coun David Green, with (back row from left) Rising Stars business advisers Peter Briggs, Thomas Knight, Bradford Council enterprise delivery manager Robert Campbell and business adviser Carolyn Townsley.
Coun Green said: “These are challenging times for businesses but there are still opportunities to become stronger, more competitive and ultimately grow and create jobs.
“The Rising Stars scheme will help deliver the long-term support for that to happen. The scheme won’t be suitable for every company – we are looking to support those with significant high-growth potential.”
Stephen Wright, president of Bradford Chamber of Commerce and managing director of Bradford-based Thorite Group, said: “Business support at this time is as important as ever. Focusing on firms that can be identified as having the potential for high growth means the support available will be very specific and targeted.”
Rising Stars is part of a major business and enterprise programme funded by Bradford Council and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The programme includes Kickstart, the community-based enterprise programme which helped more than 1,500 business start-ups in Bradford in the past five years. Kickstart will operate in parallel with Rising Stars.
