Provision of Business Support Consultants for DRIVE Project

To secure the drive Project Affilius have joined forces with Selnet Ltd, the Social Enterprise Network for Lancashire. Selnet are nationally recognised as one of the UK’s top 100 Social Enterprises and the lead body representing social enterprise in the Lancashire sub-region.

Selnet provide a range of business support services delivered through partners that build capacity, provide resources and opportunities to help increase competitiveness, sustainability and impact of the business supported. Selnet have many years’ experience in contract management and are the lead partner in the delivery of the drive project.

At Affilius we aim to provide an enjoyable service which guides our clients through a digital evolution to increase competitiveness, profitability, employee engagement and client satisfaction. We are a small team that gives clients flexibility and high levels of personal responsibility, expertise supported by a strong network of industry partners. “drive” is a new, bespoke, stand-alone programme for Lancashire enterprises and entrepreneurs that fills a gap in both business start-up and growth support provision across Lancashire.

As a trusted project partner Affilius have agreed with Selnet to deliver specialist business support through a team of advisers, support activity will focus in Lancashire districts:

Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn Ribble Valley and Blackburn with Darwen. Affilius have committed private match funding to enable the partnership to access ERDF grant funding and are committed to achieving the project deliverables for the Lancashire economy.

Over the lifetime of the project we will reach over 200 Businesses including social enterprise that will benefit from support tailored to their individual business needs.

Through a blend of one-to-one and one-to-many activities, drive will cater to the specific needs of both new enterprises and to established enterprises looking to grow;

• Provision of specialist start-up support to potential entrepreneurs and to new (under 12 months) SMEs and social enterprises, and;
• Provision of development, growth and capacity building support to established entrepreneurs, SMEs and social enterprises.

As part of the drive countywide partnership, the Affilius team will work across East Lancashire supporting project beneficiaries to improve the competitiveness and productivity of SMEs by increasing their capacity and capability and promoting entrepreneurship, with a particular emphasis on Social Enterprise (SE).

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced business advisers to operate on a consultancy basis as part of the Affilius supply team. To provide business planning support to drive beneficiaries from specified Boroughs within East Lancashire (Burnley, Pendle, Rossendale, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley). In order to encourage positive engagement in all Boroughs we are seeking to appoint up to 3 experienced advisers who have knowledge of the area, links to local business and business networks and connections with Lancashire Business growth hub, Boost Lancashire. The applicant should be aware of all existing business support provision across Lancashire, able to encourage engagement from businesses that will benefit from the package of support the drive project will deliver, and provide targeted support for businesses that are outside the scope of Boost.