Liverpool City Region’s “one front door” access point for business support is extended and expanded in a significant step forward for driving entrepreneurship across the region.
Today (26 November) saw the official launch of the second phase of the Enterprise Hub programme, marking the continuation of support available to those who are thinking about starting or growing a business.
Maggie O’Carroll, CEO of The Women’s Organisation (left) with Julia Sweeney, Director of European Programmes and Local Growth and MHCLG (centre) and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram (right) |
The launch event took place here at The Women’s Organisation, which is the lead and accountable body for the Enterprise Hub.
The launch was attended by special guest speaker Julia Sweeney, Director of European Programmes and Local Growth at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), along with the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Anna Rothery, and Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, Mr Steve Rotheram.
Over 100 people joined Enterprise Hub to mark the occasion |
Since launching its first phase in December 2015, Enterprise Hub support has helped to create over 1,060 new businesses so far. In a change to the first programme, this second phase of support now includes the provision of business growth support for those in their first three years of trade.
This move comes in response to the successful first phase of the programme which showed that there was real entrepreneurial spirit across the region, resulting in the creation of over 1,000 new enterprises. This second phase is now able to ensure the sustainability of those businesses through an ongoing programme of support.
During the launch event reflections were made on the importance of investing in entrepreneurship and developing core entrepreneurial skills to grow our local economy.
Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram speaking at the event |