About the competition
Enterprising Britain is a nationwide competition to find the most enterprising place in the UK - a location where enterprise has helped transform a community and led to improved economic prospects for the area.
“The competition inspires other projects and organisations to take the plunge, have faith in their ideas and start putting their business plans into action… we can raise the profile of enterprise in the UK and begin to create a more dynamic and colourful enterprise culture that can be enjoyed by everyone”.
James Murray-Wells
Enterprising Britain is now in its fourth year and is a key part of the Government’s drive to increase rates of entrepreneurial activity in the UK. Make Your Mark have responsibility for running the competition, on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR), by working in close partnership with the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The competition is also used to identify the UK entries to the European Enterprise Awards.http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/smes/awards/index_en.htm
Who should enter Enterprising Britain 2008?
Enterprising Britain is free to enter and is open to all places (in the UK) such as a town, a city, a parish or neighbourhood that can demonstrate how they have transformed the community through enterprise in the last two years.
This may be anything from a town that has introduced specific ways to increase employment in the area, to an individual project, which has introduced an innovative enterprise strategy to overcome a particular local challenge.
All entrants must be able to demonstrate that enterprise is central to the economic and or social transformation of the area. The competition is not open to individual entrepreneurs or to businesses.
See examples of previous finalists.
What are the benefits for entrants?
Enterprising Britain 2008 is your chance to be recognised for the work you have done to transform your area through enterprise and to be rewarded on a national and international scale.The overall winner of Enterprising Britain 2008 will receive:
- Recognition and profile with government, business and policy makers
- National and regional media coverage
- Press and PR support
- A winner’s trophy, to be presented at the awards ceremony, and a commemorative prize
- Automatic nomination as the UK representative to the prestigious European Enterprise Awards
- The use of the Enterprising Britain 2008 national winner logo
- Invitation to join the Enterprising Britain Network of enterprising places and people
“Enterprising Britain is a great opportunity to celebrate some of the enterprise success stories around the UK. It raises awareness of those people who really have made a difference to their communities, and helped to create a more dynamic enterprise culture for everyone.”
Peter Jones
Enterprising Britain 2007 winner
Last year’s national winner was the North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone (NSRZ).The area was once home to thriving steel, coal, ceramics and tyre manufacturing industries. However, over the last 30 years, North Staffordshire saw irreversible decline in its traditional industries, resulting in the closing of many factories and businesses and the loss of over 60,000 jobs. This legacy affected all aspects of the economy creating significant challenges for business, skills, health and dereliction of the physical environment. By 2003 Barclays branded the area “the worst place in the country to start a business.”
Leaders from business and the public sector understood that this startling decline could not remain unchecked and NSRZ was established.
The project is about creating solid foundations upon which to develop a new generation of entrepreneurs and so far it has exceeded expectations. Over the last six years, NSRZ has supported over 500 new start-up businesses, helped create more than 1,000 new jobs and helped set up 21 sustainable social enterprises in North Staffordshire Schools. One example of a school business is The Mitchell Juice Bar, an enterprise that was set up in Mitchell High School with a £12,000 funding grant from NSRZ. The students run all aspects of the business and all profits are ploughed back into the enterprise.
How to get involved
Enterprising Britain 2008 opened to entrants on the 18 February 2008, with the closing date for entries on the 16th May. 12 regional winners from across the UK will be selected by the RDAs and Devolved Administrations by the end of May. These winners will be visited by members of the Enterprising Britain judging panel in June or July 2008, before going forward to the national Enterprising Britain final.
Please contact Alistair Jarvis alistair@makeyourmark.org.uk if you’d like to enter the 2009 competition.