Competition to find the East of Englands most enterprising place
17/03/2006
The East of England Development Agency (EEDA) is searching for the most enterprising place in the region, as it today launched the regional heat of ‘Enterprising Britain 2006’.
As part of the Department of Trade and Industry’s (DTI) nationwide competition to recognise and reward enterprise activity, EEDA is looking for the town, city, place or area that best demonstrates the entrepreneurial spirit of the East of England.
The winner of the regional heat will go forward to compete in the national finals, where the overall UK winner will be selected.
David Marlow, chief executive at EEDA, said: "The Enterprising Britain competition is a great opportunity to celebrate some of the enterprise success stories in the East of England that not only change the lives of those individuals directly involved, but also those of the wider community.
"The East of England has long been a region associated with ideas and innovation, and enterprise is a vital part of our economy and culture. We are pleased to have the chance to not only show what makes working in the East of England so special, but also demonstrate why the region is home to some of the most enterprising places in Britain."
Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Alan Johnson said: "Enterprise and innovation are key to the UK's future economic growth and success in today's global market. It is only by creating a "can do" attitude in society that we can compete with the levels of entrepreneurship that can be seen in the US. Hopefully Enterprising Britain will inspire many more people to take the plunge and turn their ideas into successful business ventures."
Enterprising Britain 2006 is run by the Department for Trade and Industry's Small Business Service in partnership with the regional development agencies and devolved administrations. It aims to identify enterprise champions, which are essentially places that have created jobs, brought communities together, and made a real difference to local businesses and local people.
Each sub-regional economic partnership (SREP) will choose a representative to go forward to the regional final, where they will be judged by a panel of business experts against representatives from other places in the region. The overall national winner will represent the UK at the European Enterprise Awards in 2006.
Source: EEDA
