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BME Businesses: Get involved

EEDA’s grants for research and development

Running the Guantlet

Useful links

BME Businesses: Get involved

MENTER is exploring a Regional BME business network. Please e-mail your details to office@menter.org.uk with BME business network in the subject line, if you are interested. Below is information about two existing local networks.

Minority Business Sector (Peterborough)

The Minority Business Sector is run by the Cambridgeshire Chamber of Commerce. It was launched in March 2005 and is sponsored by Business Link. The sector aims to work with BME businesses in the Cambridgeshire area and provide a forum to deal with business issues, lobby on behalf of members and organise events specific to the sector. It will become a conduit of information for all BME businesses and will offer help and support to ensure they succeed in the mainstream.

The Steering Committee, chaired by Ravi Pathak of PowerWeb, meets regularly to discuss and take forward issues relevant to BME Businesses in the Cambridgeshire area and plan events.

For information on how to join please visit www.cambridgeshirechamber.co.uk or contact Alistair Turner or Helen Bosett on 01733 393333.

Queens Park, Bedford Business Networking

The Queens Park Business Networking Club, which is mainly aimed at BME businesses, held its inaugural meeting on 13th December 2005 at the community centre. The meeting was attended by over 30 people. Local BME businessmen and others, such as the chair of Queens Park Mosque, Asif Nadim, were excited about the potential of the network and have taken it upon themselves to spread the word.

Most importantly business was done at the meeting. A human resource consultant was offered work, a Shefford business specialising in the care of dark skins was offered shelf space by the local Chemist and several found a source of help with the English language.

For more information please visit www.businessclubs.biz/queenspark.asp or contact Pam Woods on pam@businessclubs.biz

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EEDA Grants for Research and Development

Last year EEDA spent £5.9 million helping some of the region’s innovative and dynamic businesses with high growth potential - through its administration of the DTI’s grant for research and development.

This year £5.5 million funding is available for businesses undertaking innovative projects that may be too high risk for other forms of investment, but that have the potential to lead to high returns. Businesses may be eligible to apply for one of three different types of grant – worth up to a maximum of £200k.  

Full details and the criteria for selection can be found on www.eeda.org.uk/192_43.asp

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Running the Gauntlet winners to share the ideas exchange stage

The running the gauntlet winners will be announced as part of the exciting line-up planned for the ideas exchange – the fifth in a series of ideas talks hosted by the East of England Development Agency.

The ideas exchange will take place in Newmarket on 14 November 2006 and offers leaders of small and medium enterprises the opportunity to exchange ideas with renowned entrepreneurs, including running the gauntlet judge Doug Richard.

The line-up includes; Barbara Cassani, former chief executive of GO Airlines, who will be sharing her valuable management and leadership experience with delegates as well as marketing gurus, John Barnes and Richard Richardson, who will demonstrate how they turned Harry Ramsden's from a single fish and chip shop into a highly successful international brand using marketing judo techniques.

This promises to be the business event of the year – don’t let your members miss out! Further details are available http://www.eeda.org.uk/ideas-exchange/

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Useful links

www.refugeesintobusiness.org.uk
Refugees are up to six times more likely to be unemployed than non-refugees. Like many disadvantaged groups, refugees starting up in business face a number of barriers. Refugee community organisations do not have the necessary skills to provide basic business advice and mainstream advisers are not sufficiently aware of the barriers and how to offer appropriate support. Refugees into business was set up to address some of these problems by the Refugee Council, in partnership with other agencies.

www.sedi.org.uk
SEDI (Social Enterprise Development Initiative). We are a not-for-profit social enterprise located in Cheetham, North Manchester.
SEDI is a specialist BME social enterprise organisation that helps to lobby and support the creation of other social enterprises and carries out community-based research in diverse communities throughout the UK.

www.prowess.org.uk or www.eeda.org.uk
EEDA’s Directory of Business Support for Women

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