Burnley Council partners with Boost to provide new funded support to borough’s businesses

The new partnership has been created after Burnley Council agreed to invest almost £285,000 into Boost through its UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) allocation. UKSPF is part of the Levelling Up agenda and succession to EU structural funds.

Business owners and leaders looking to start, grow and scale a business can access six core services through the new Boost partnership. They include:

Business Support Helpdesk: Offers advice and guidance on available local, national and sector business support

Business Advice Service: Matches a business with an adviser and includes a business review, a business support action plan, business clinics and regular updates

Growth Catalyst: Helps established businesses ready to take their business to the next level

Scale to Thrive: An exclusive service for businesses over £1 million turnover looking to scale 20% year-on-year

Flying Start: Helps people start a new business or grow a young business

Access to Finance: Assists businesses find and secure the finance and funding they need.

Boost also provides an online directory of all funded business support available in Lancashire, as well as an event directory, a knowledge hub and information about private sector business support.

Boost has supported more than 14,000 businesses since its launch in 2013, creating over 3,500 jobs. The Growth Hub is aiming to support over 1,000 more businesses, in addition to helping 125 new businesses start and create more than 1,000 new jobs.

Burnley Council’s executive member for economy and growth, Coun. Mark Townsend, said: “"This is great news for our borough. The funding will create jobs, safeguard existing posts, and give local businesses a major boost. It will help existing businesses to become more productive, open up new markets, and explore the latest technologies, and to support entrepreneurs to establish and grow new businesses, all of which can only be good news for growing our local economy.”

County Coun. Aidy Riggott, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for economic development and growth, said: “It’s been ten years of impact for Boost and we are firmly setting the dial towards the future with a comprehensive range of services to help more entrepreneurs and leaders start, grow and thrive, especially those that have not received support from Boost.

“We understand that our local Lancashire economies are unique and this new partnership will help us provide a tailored business support solution to local businesses and the people that run them.”

The Boost business support services will be delivered by a number of specialist local and national business support organisations including Growth Lancashire, Selnet and the Growth Company, with Lancashire County Council delivering the Access to Finance service.

If you want to find out what support is available and to check eligibility criteria, you can contact the Boost Business Support Helpdesk on 0800 488 0057 or visit the Boost website at www.boostbusinesslancashire.co.uk