The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is slashing Enterprise UK’s £3.8m budget.

Enterprise UK, the not-for-profit body set up to promote entrepreneurship, already saw its funding cut from £5m to £3.8m earlier this year, but BIS’s decision to cut Enterprise UK's funding entirely comes as a surprise. Confirming the funding cuts, a spokesman for BIS says: “The government would like Enterprise UK to take charge of its own destiny and, where possible, be financially self-supporting. We’re currently looking at all the options to establish how we can best achieve this and over what timescale."
Speaking to the Financial Times, Tom Bewick, the CEO of Enterprise UK, says he’s “extremely positive” that Enterprise UK has a future, independent of public subsidy.
“Philosophically, I’m on the same side as the government, in that we don’t want them to fund quangos,” Tom Bewick comments.
“We’ve got a fantastic track record and some assets, such as Global Entrepreneurship Week and Make Your Mark With a Tenner.”
Indeed, Vince Cable, the business secretary, and Mark Prisk, the small business minister, attended the launch of Global Entrepreneurship Week just last month; hence the surprise around today’s announcement.
Enterprise UK was generally seen as a successful organisation, promoting a worthy cause. With BBC Dragon Peter Jones as its chairman, it acted as a strong voice for UK enterprise. Enterprise UK was also backed by other business groups, including the CBI, the Institute of Directors, the British Chambers of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses.


Statement from Tom Bewick, CEO of Enterprise UK
Tom Bewick, CEO of Enterprise UK, has released a statement to the organisation's stakeholders, confirming the government's intention to withdraw grant-in-aid funding from Enterprise UK from April 2011.


"While this news is disappointing to us in the context of the discussions we were having with BIS in the run-up to the Spending Review, it didn't seem as wholly a surprise, given the financial pressures on BIS.


"We have to be the change we have to see, and being so reliant on state funding is clearly not the way to go. The best way to achieve a more entrepreneurial culture is to be more self-reliant and innovative ourselves."
He added that Enterprise UK will continue to operate in its current form until at least April 2011. In terms of what happens afterwards, the organisation will first undergo an internal consultation process, Tom Bewick said.


What are your views on Enterprise UK? Was it another quango that deserved the chop, or is this a cut too far? Leave your comments below.

Young entrepreneurs face the badger

During Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 young people from Hull pitched their business ideas to former BBC Apprentice star Ruth Badger. Young people from across the city entered the Badgers Sett Enterprise Challenge under four different categories and the winners  pitched their idea for the chance to double their winnings from the first round.

The competition had over 1,500 hits on the website www.hullbadgers.co.uk, which resulted in 112 enquiries, 42 entries and 21 projects that were shortlisted to 'pitch' to the judges. All the entrants had to present their idea to the first judging panel, made up of people from the public, private and community sectors. There were some fantastic entries, and many of them walked away with vouchers and sponsorship deals. 

The finalists were


Under 11 Team was Longhill Records UK, East Hull

Under 16 Team was Crazy Critters West Hull

16 - 18 Team was Xuro Computers East Hull

19 - 21 Team was Heista Fuels Ltd West Hull

The final judging panel took place on Thursday 18th  November and Ruth Badger was joined by Mark Jones, the council's Head of Economic Development and Regeneration, Neil Hudgell the Chairman of Hull Kingston Rovers, Richard Tuplin from the Institute of Directors, Phil Batty, Managing Director of Force-7 and Sarah Longthorn, Founder of Wedge Welly.

The overall winner was Crazy Critter World led by Bronwyn Wlson and her cousin Ben who overall secured £1,750 investment into their busness idea and the chance to develop a new website with the support of Ruth Badger.




A special merit award went to Longhill Records UK who secured £600 investment into their Xmas CD

Ruth Badger, said:

"I love visiting Hull as it is an enterprising city and I really enjoy sharing my journey with budding young entrepreneurs who really want to make a difference in the business world. I am really pleased that our partnership with the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank has bee such a great success and all those that reached the finals are a credit to the city of Hull."

http://www.hullbadgers.co.uk/

Liverpool's Hero of Enterprise! is from Hull

I'm very pleased to inform you that Hull's Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2010 Dave Garbera KH Smilers and Garbera Enterprises has been selected by both the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE) and the University of Liverpool as a Hero of Enterprise! Dave will be shocked that I am letting you all know for as you know he is not a self publicist!!


I have extend our congratulations on behalf of the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership as it shows the success of our coordinated approach.


Dave gets the chance now with four other entrepreneurs a chance to promote their business to a network of over 20,000 students and graduates by agreeing to participate in one of NCGE's webinars to share his experience and expertise. Furthermore he will be given opportunity to contribute to a case study feature forming part of a book on 'Liverpool Enterprise Heroes'. The book will be available from bookshops and on Amazon and is another opportunity to raise the profile of his business.


They will run five webinars on Tuesday’s at 6pm (7,14,21, December and 4,11 January) which will last up to one hour. Each webinar will feature one of the ‘Liverpool Enterprise Heroes’. The entrepreneur will talk for around 20-30 minutes and then provide a Q&A session for the next 30 minutes. So no doubt he will mention the support he gets from us here in Hull



This is a fantastic opportunity for Dave to develop his personal network, but also to broaden the scope and profile of his business as well as promote us here in Hull.

Day 5 Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hull

Day 5 of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hull saw 190 young people and their teachers ( ncluding a delegation from Great Yarmouth College's  Enterprise Club attend an event at Staff House at University of Hull with the Lord Mayor of Hull Cllr Dave Gemmell, His Excellency The High Commissioner of Mauritius Abhimanu Kudasamy, Alan Johnson Shadow Chancellor and Ruth Badger. They also heard from Phil Batty MD Force-7 about CV writing and presentation skills that employers look for.

In the morning the young people came up with ideas for inclusion in the proposed Myplace facility and in the afternoon the teams were given a challenge to come up with an enterprising product from a range of random objects linked to the Olympic Games. The six finalists were My Torch - Sidney Smith who won £500, Can Cam - St Mary's college who won £250, Moo Moo/Country Collectables - Andrew Marvell Busness enterprse College who won £150 and following won £100 Nation Calls - Newland High School for Girls, PortoFresh - Archbishop Thurston and  Aid Olympics - Andrew Marvell

The schools taking part on the day and the number of students were:

Malet Lambert

Sir Henry Cooper

Hull Trinity House

Kingswood

Newland School for Girls

Andrew Marvell BEC

Sydney Smith

Winifred Holtby

Archbishop Sentamu

Hymers College

Hessle High

Sirius Academy

St Marys

Young Entrepreneurs Gt Yarmouth


Feedback from teachers included the following comments:


"The students enjoyed the event, particularly the networking aspect."

Peter Rhodes – Sirius Academy

"Once again an excellent event. Students learnt more about running a business and have gained some more team work experience."

Sharon Dunn – Kingswood College of Arts


"The speeches were all very interesting…The challenges were very interesting and pupils appeared to thoroughly enjoy these. Lunch was excellent. Thanks for a lovely day"

Jayne Nuttal – St Mary;s College

Ruth Badger also presenteded the winner of her Badger's Sett Enterprse Challenge competition, Bronwyn Wilson and her cousin Ben, with a £1,000 to invest in her business and Longhill School won a merit award and £300. The Dragon's Den-style competition was launched in the summer to reward the best business idea from teenagers aged 19 and under. Ruth told the audience that

"Bronwyn's idea was the most viable and she runs a genuine business and will make money and employ people." Bronwyn's business, Crazy Critters, makes handmade  business mascots.


Celebration Event

In the evening over 180 sponsors and supporters of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hull 2010 attended the end of week Celebration Event at Staff House at the University of Hull ( sponsored by St Stephen's Centre)  including visitors from UK's most Enterprising Place 2010 Rotherham and from Bradford and Hartlepool.

At this event William Wilberforce and His Excellency The High Commissioner of Mauritius Abhimanu Kudasamy were awarded patron status for their past present and ongoing support to Hull's enterprising young people.

Also Lynn and Eric Hope were recognised for their many many years support and raising funds to support the city's young people. Also KH Smilers, Amanda's Blue Orchid, Mail News and Media, Force-7, University of Hull, Hull College, Xing Smoothies, Arco, St Stephen's and HWS Hosting were recognised for their support to the cause of supporting Hull's youth enterprise programme.

Venus Duo entertained the guests with two sets of 1980's and 1990's popular hits that was enjoyed by all the guests.

Day 4 and 5 Global Entrepreneurship Week In Hull

Day 4 Global Entrepreneurship Week

Saw 170 young people aged 16 - 19 year olds learn about enterprise and heard international business woman and BBC Apprentice star Ruth Badger talk about her business journey before and after the Apprentice at an event sponsored by the Bondholders, Business Link Yorkshre, University of Hull and Hull Traning.

They heard from Judy Ward about how the Hull Daily Mail considered itself as being at the heart of the community for the last 125 years and how the newspaper operates as a business. They also heard about the wide range of goods and services provided by the Co-operative from its Chairman Len Wardle. Three West Hull entrepreneurs Mally Welburn, Amanda Hartley and Phil Benson also outlined their enterprise journey.

The teams were given a challenge to come up with an enterprising product from a range of random objects linked to the Olympic Games. The six finalists were Binoculars from St. Mary's College who came third winning £150 , Moulded Souvenirs from Hull College , Streamers from Wyke College who came second winning £250, Torch from Hull Tec, Witi device Hull Training Catering and Ticket LCD from Hull Tec .


The winners came from the Catering section of Hull Training who received £500 made up of vouches and a cheque from the judges and the chance to spend half a day with Ruth Badger early next year and either breakfast or lunch.  Also Ruth Badger became a Patron of the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership.


Badgers Sett Enterprise Challenge

In the early evening the winners of each section who had won through to the Badgers Sett Enterprise Challenge competed with each other to present their enterprising idea the winner overall was 15 year old Bronwyn Wilson and her 13 year old cousin Ben of Crazy Critter World who won £1,000 worth of investment and will get mentor support from Wedgewelly founder Sarah Longthorn as well as advice and support from Ruth Badger. Longhill Records gained sponsorship for their business idea and Xuro Computers and Josh Wilson were congratulated on their excellent pitches and given some business tips to move their business forward.

The winners of Badgers Sett Enterprise Challenge Crazy Critters World Ben and Bronwyn with Ruth Badger

Day 5 Global Entrepreneurship Week

Day 5 to-day Hull hosts an event for nearly 200 secondary school pupils sponsored by Arco, Hull Training and the Hull Enterprise Partnership with Abhimanu Kudasamy the High Commissioner of Mauritius, the Shadow Chancellor Alan Johnson MP and Ruth Badger as well as young entrepreneurs Phil Batty, Amanda Hartley and Phil Benson.


Like the Post 16 event the pupils will be given a challenge to come up with an enterprising product from a range of random objects linked to the Olympic Games and win prizes.


Charles Cracknell said

"I would like to thank all the sponsors in particular St Stephen's, Hull Training, Enterprise Partnership, the Co-operative as well as  members of the GEW planning committee, speakers for GEW 2010 in Hull including the young entreprenurs but most of all the young people of Hull who without doubt are very enterprising and with their leadership in the future we will be a enterprise zone with great potential in the coming years."


"My thoughts to-day as GEW 2010 comes to a close are drawn to two of our supporters of youth enterprise in Hull Lee Creamer and Jack Brignall MBE who have died this year and tonight I present youth enterprise awards in their name at our end of week celebration evening along with William Wilberforce and Abhimanu Kudasamy the High Commissioner of Mauritius."

Day 3 GEW 2010 - Hull

The third major event organised by the Hull Youth enterprise Partnership to celebrate Global Entreprenurship Week in Hull took place at Staff House at University of Hull for 19 primary schools.


The day was sponsored and supported by the Bondholders, Co-op, Business Link Yorkshire, Yorkshire Forward, Hull City Council and HWS Hosting at the event the young people undertook a range of activities to show how enterprising they are as well as learning about how a city works and look to see how planners help with the development of city's.

In the afternoon the Hull Daily Mail gave the young delegates a task to see how they would promote a restaurant to the media. When the young people went left the conference they were given the opportunity at school to develop their own newspaper based on their experience to-day.

Former BBC Apprentice star Claire Young worked with the young people through out the day and spoke about her career and her time on the Apprentice. Claire is seen as a great role model and this year was awarded the status of Patron of the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank and the Youth Enterprise Partnership because of the work she has done to support Hull's enterprising young people. At the event she announced a new enterprise competition with the Youth Enterprise Bank called The Rainbow Challenge.

At the end of the day a First Prize donated by Places for People Neighbourhoods was given Gillshill Primary School to the best team of the day of £500 and the opportunity to go bowling with Claire Young. Runner up prizes from the Co-operative Group and Andrew Marvell Business Enterprise College going to respectively St Nicolas Primary School and East Halton Primary School. The winners of the Championship Football competition was announced as Bellfield Primary as they correctly named players and the country they were born in that played in Hull City AFC's victory over Preston North End on 12th November.

Global Entrepreneurship Week is a worldwide celebration of entrepreneurial people unleashing their enterprising talents, turning their ideas into reality and sowing the seeds of future dreams and aspirations and the young people on the day certainly showed how enterprising they are.

Claire Young certainly enjoyed her day in Hull meeting Hull's enterprising young people

The schools taking part during the day were:


Appleton

Bellfield

Bethune Park

Broadacre

Cleeve

Clifton

Collingwood

East Halton

Endike

Gillshill

St Nicholas

St Thomas Moore 

Stockwell

The Greenway

The Parks

Thorpepark

Victoria Dock 

Wold


Feedback from teachers included the following comments:


"A super day. Children enjoyed taking part in all of the activities and really enjoyed the day. Children gained and benefited from working together as a team."

Mrs Christine Dawson - Gillshill Primary School


"The event was well organised, both informing and inspiring the children. In the car on the way home, one child was outlining her plan to set up a small business when she is a bit older."

Maria Lusby – East Halton Primary School


"Thank you very much…The children thoroughly enjoyed the day."

Heather Hardcastle – Cleeve Primary School

Day 2 Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 in Hull

Day 2 of Global Entrepreneurship Week in Hull sponsored by Hull City Council, Hull Ready,  and St Stephen's (http://www.ststephens-hull.com/ ) saw four primary schools Gillshill, St Andrews, Victoria Dock and Griffin tell an invited audience of local and regional business and education leaders about their business in school and about the 13 Enterprise Skills - they also heard from motivational speaker Miles Hilton Barber ( sponsored by St Stephen's) who also happens to be blind and undertaken a range of dare devil challenges such as crossing the North and South Poles, flying across Australia and walking on the sea bed of the Red Sea and flying an aircraft.

The young people set the adults the task of coming up with a t-shirt that promoted Children in Need, World Toilet Day, Anti Bullying Week and Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011. The three winning designs came from the Blackbirds Team, the Ladybirds and the Squirrels. The team with the day's sponsors Ruth and Jim from St Stephen's was not considered good enough by the young people as they felt there table with representatves of HKR, HDM and the Council only demonstrated 9 of the 13 skills and felt they should have done better.

The winners t-shirts all focussed on anti bullying week though the winning design from a group of teachers also featured Children in Need. Funds provided by the Youth Enterprise Bank to support charities during the week were distributed to two of Ruth Badgers nominated charities Compton Hospice or Noah’s Ark Trust [ £150 each ] and in memory of Lee Creamer a member of the Youth Enterprise Bank's Management Group to the Royal British Legion [£200].

Miles Hilton - Barber was invited to be a Patron of the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership. He said

" I felt very honoured indeed to receive your lovely award and trophy today and accept been a Patron of the Hull Youth Enterprise Partnership. The trophy is already in pride of place in our lounge display cabinet.

"I have very vivid memories of the young girl from Monday's winners in tears, along with lots of happy memories from both days"

The sponsors and supporters of Global Entrepreneurship Week 2010 in Hull Neil Hudgell of HKR and Jim Harris of St Stephen's received 'unique' business mascots designed and made young entrepreneur Bronwyn Wilson [15] of Crazy Critters.