Member Article

£30m Business Link deal is signed

A funding agreement worth at least over £30m over five years was signed yesterday between One NorthEast and the company chosen to deliver the Business Link service in the North East. The regional development agency’s Chairman, Margaret Fay, the Chairman of the Coalition of Ambition which won the tender, Paul Callaghan, and the other Coalition members signed the contract to deliver the business support service from April 2007. The contract signing also sees the end of the name Coalition of Ambition. The company which will deliver business link branded services from April 2007 will be called Business Link North East (BLNE). BLNE will also be responsible for delivering the regional Skills Brokerage Service under the Train to Gain brand.The North East is the only region in the country where the regional development agency and the Learning and Skills Council managed a joint procurement process, to find a company to deliver the service. Margaret Fay said: “After an extensive and rigorous procurement process it is fantastic to get the contract signed and soon start delivering.“As part of the agreement we have made detailed plans with the Coalition to ensure that by March 2007, when the four current Business Link contracts come to an end, everything is in place for a smooth transition to the new regional service. “We are confident that the Coalition, under the new banner of Business Link North East, will deliver a service which ensures the highest standard of quality and support for businesses, across the whole of North East England.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .