Who funds the funders

So Business Link finally gets what it deserves! Or is it a case of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Are most people who have used, or tried to use, Business Link  dissapointed? Advisors who are not really qualified to advise, know nothing of business, just follow the rules because it is easy and recomend their own chums for work? I have heard all this before and it may be true, I really do not know. What I do know is that some companies refuse to use them prefering instead to use their own money and expertise. Now that says quite a bit! When a company will not pursue funding simply because they have no trust or belief in the body that administers the grant there is surely something wrong! But what will replace them....................?

BUSINESS Link West Midlands has cut the majority of its grants and scaled down its services after losing £11.3 million funding from axed Advantage West Midlands.

After weeks of uncertainty, the boss of the business support organisation has revealed how the government’s decision to scrap regional development agencies will affect them and up to 1,000 local suppliers.

The government’s move towards Local Enterprise Partnerships has left Business Link with a 28 per cent reduction in funding from AWM – forcing them to slash grants worth £4.5 million and begin downsizing the business. Staff were dealt the devastating blow last week and invited to take voluntary redundancy.

Business Link chief executive Lorraine Holmes confirmed that if they are unable to do this through a voluntary process, then compulsory redundancies will be made. However, the number of workers affected is still not known.

Ms Holmes added: “As the comprehensive spending review is not yet complete, we will not know the full impact on Business Link WM staff; however we anticipate there will be a significant number of job losses.

“The impact of budget cuts for SMEs is that Business Link WM now has to significantly reduce its services and cut most of its grant subsidy budget with immediate effect.”