Finance: Consultants to examine advice offered to social enterprises

Third Sector, 12 July 2006

The Cabinet Office has commissioned a management consultancy firm to investigate the quality of business advice being provided to social enterprises across the UK.

Rocket Science, which specialises in public sector consultancy, will be assessing how the Government's Business Link service has adapted its services for social enterprises in the past year. Responsibility for delivery of Business Link was devolved to nine Regional Development Agencies in April 2005.

Andrew Carter, director of Rocket Science, said: "The traditional perception is that Business Link is not accessible to the needs of social enterprises and that it should provide more specific information, as well as being more open about what it does. We are working to find out how we can make the generic support for businesses offered by Business Link more accessible to social enterprises."

He added: "There will also be some long-term aspirations to ensure minimum standards and levels of support across all Business Links."

This research, which is due to be completed by the end of August, brings together the results of existing surveys of social enterprises by support organisations and lobbying groups. The results will help RDAs to plan how to allocate contracts for the provision of Business Link services.

The deadline for final contract assignment is in just under a year's time.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: "The research is designed to ensure that the Business Link service maintains and enhances the valuable support it provides to the sector at a regional level.

"In addition, this project is a terrific opportunity to increase our understanding of how we can support social enterprises, and to spread innovation, intelligence and best practice."

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