Cavendish Consortium
Cavendish Consortium Ltd is a group of highly respected enterprise agencies from across England, who work in partnership to deliver nationwide contracts supporting start up and growing businesses. In February 2012 a total of six of the largest regional enterprise agencies, together with the National Enterprise Network came together to form Cavendish Consortium Ltd. In January 2016 a smaller internal consortium formed Enterprise for London, expanding the scope for delivering support into the capital. At this time Cavendish Consortium Ltd changed its trading name to Cavendish Enterprise.
Through the regional enterprise agencies working together the consortium has successfully delivered government initiatives such as the Growth Vouchers scheme and Ready for Business programme, to thousands of entrepreneurs and businesses nationally across England. The benefits to these businesses have been both financial and supportive, with qualified advice and training from expert business advisors within each region.
By providing support and finance, Cavendish Enterprise is proactively helping the economy by creating jobs, and partnerships for the benefit of both the local and wider communities.
Initiatives
Cavendish Enterprise has successfully developed and delivered business support programmes across England through its consortium partners who are strategically placed to cover each region within the country. Each of the partners has over 30 years experience in providing extensive invaluable support and advice to start-up and growing businesses.
The government's Growth Voucher initiative is a random controlled trial to evaluate the impact that professional strategic advice can have on the growth and sustainability of small businesses. The findings are still to be analysed but an interim report can be found on Cavendish Enterprise's website.
Another government initiative, the 'Ready for Business' programme, was funnded by the Regional Growth Fund in association with Barclays Bank. This support programme for business start ups created in excess of 20,000 jobs, and saw in excess of 10,000 business starts over a 2.5yr period. Again. an evaluation of the programme can be found on Cavendish's website.
The newest business support programme came in September 2015 when Cavendish Enterprise announced that it would be rolling out 'Start and Grow' across the country.[1] The Start & Grow programme provides a range of premium pre and post start support to individuals looking to start a business and have aspiration and the capability to make the business a success. The programme is available to those looking to start a business which expects to employ people from its early stages and where start-up financing will be required to get the venture off the ground. The support provided is tailored to the individual needs of the owner and the business idea, and could include one to one support and advice, workshops and training, mentoring and help to access appropriate start up funding.
Typically entrepreneurs will have access to:
- One-to-one assessment with an experienced, independent business adviser who will review your business ideas and formulate the next steps
- An intensive personalised support programme, including guidance, advice and peer learning, leading to the development of a robust business plan
- Dedicated support in an application for external funding
- Ongoing support after business start-up
The programme is not available to everyone however. The eligibility criteria include:
- The main trading address or home address of one of the owners falls within an approved local authority area
- Business owner will be fully engaged in the business
- Business owner expects to be trading three years after the business starts to trade
- Business will create at least one additional job
- Business is expected to benefit from investment, either personal equity or a loan/grant
The support and advice that can be accessed by Start & Grow clients has been valued at approximately £5,000, and there is a small joining and administration fee for entrance onto the Start & Grow programme of £100 (+VAT).
The programme is funded through the Regional Growth Funds, delivered by the partners in Cavendish Enterprise, within the local authority areas across England identified as those areas requiring additional investment in economic growth.
Start & Grow is designed to accelerate business growth ambitions and lead to increased turnover, profitability, job creation, and business expansion.
Members
The following organisations are members:[2]
- National Enterprise Network
- TEDCO Business Support
- Nwes
- NBV Business Solutions
- Enterprise First
- BBV
- Business West
- Enterprise for London
References
- ↑ "New scheme helps businesses to Start and Grow". Business Quarter. 25 September 2015.
- ↑ "Our partners".