Virtually any publicly funded organisation is potentially a provider of assistance to enterprise. However, by their nature, some are more directly involved than others. Awarding bodies will be of European, national, or local origin.

 

a) European

The European Commission is the man source of funds provided by the European Union. It administers a wide variety of schemes through its Structural Funds and by other means. Individual Directorates (i.e. Enterprise DG, Regional Affairs, Agriculture etc, also operate specific grant schemes)

b) National Government

In the UK national government can mean the Government of the United Kingdom (i.e. Parliament at Westminster) the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly or the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont. Each of these bodies has its own grouping of departments and agencies and, to a certain extent, its own policy objectives.

At any one time the number of awarding bodies who are nationally based probably exceeds one hundred. Amongst the most important of these are;

• Department of Trade & Industry
• Department for Education & Employment
• Department of Environment, Transport & the Regions
• Industrial Development Board (N.Ireland)
• Scottish Executive
• Welsh Development Agency
• Countryside Agency
• Enterprise Ireland
• Industrial Research & Technology Unit, etc

c) Local

In addition to the several hundred local government authorities, any of which are potential grant providers, there are a number of locally based agencies and organisations which have been established specifically to provide support for enterprise at local level. These include:

• Business Link
• Small Business Service
• Enterprise Agencies
• TECs
• LECs
• Business Connect
• Enterprise Trusts
• County Enterprise Boards
• Scottish Enterprise
• Highlands & Islands Enterprise