The Local Business Accelerator scheme is an initiative by the regional press industry to boost local businesses, fronted by the Dragons’ Den’s Deborah Meaden and supported by the Business in You.
The initiative offers small businesses aged between one and five years old the opportunity to win a free ad campaign in their local paper as well as dedicated mentoring support from local business leaders. The businesses that are deemed to be the most promising will then go forward to a national competition and the winner of that will win a local ad campaign devised by a top London creative agency and also a year’s mentoring from Deborah Meaden.
The Business Growth Fund, set up by the Britain’s biggest banks to improve access to finance for SMEs, has also contributed a £10,000 cash prize and th winning business will also receive free membership of the CBI for a year, free business advice from the ICAEW valued at £2,000 and an iPad from Freeagent along with free access to its accountancy software form one year to each of the national finalists, valued at £300 each.
The initiative also ran last year and was won by Yorkshire based Ilkley Brewery – their orders have doubled and they have also expanded their workforce.
If your business is still young enough to enter, you can do so by completing the application on the Local Business Accelerators site. All entries must be received by November 16th.
To enter visit the LGA website – here
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