A ‘celebration of entrepreneurs’ has begun following the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
With a theme of ‘pass it on’, the week’s aim is to pass on practical help and support to start-ups and people who are considering getting into business.
Over the course of the week a number of announcements will be made, including the recruitment of two entrepreneurs in residence by the Department for Business Innovation & Skills (BIS), who will help advice government on small business issues.
Furthermore, Warwick and Aston Business Schools have been chosen to host a new £2.9 million enterprise research centre.
A new £1.1 million Entrepreneurs and Education Programme will work with academics, researchers and students to promote enterprise, self-employment and help commercialise innovations.
Business secretary Vince Cable says that the UK needs to continue encouraging entrepreneurial spirit amongst people of all ages so they can ‘turn their ideas into business’.
He adds, ‘We have a great entrepreneurial knowledge base in our universities that we have to use to our competitive advantage.
‘The £1.1 million investment that we are making through the Entrepreneurs and Education Programme will help us unlock this potential by giving real support to people who are looking to commercialise their innovations.’
This week will also see a national start-up day being held on Wednesday 14 November when business and enterprise minister Michael Fallon will meet young entrepreneurs looking for advice on how to start up a business.
A promotion event for the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) on Friday 16 November will be held at the London Stock Exchange. Fallon and the entrepreneur Doug Richard will be meeting businesses to encourage more investors to make use of this generous tax incentive to help boost SMEs.
Fallon says, ‘Global Entrepreneurship Week is about celebrating our job creators. It provides a platform to promote enterprise and showcases the fantastic opportunities for entrepreneurs that exist in the UK.’
