When Nottingham Trent University audited their Higher Level Skills programme, designed to support small and medium-sized businesses in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire to identify their skills and talent needs, it found that just under a fifth of the businesses that have received support through the programme have been Black-led.
As a way of developing this trend, the University approached a number of groups that are under-represented in business support programmes, including Black and BAME-led businesses to further break down barriers, enabling more Black and BAME-led businesses to access the support available.
This project is part-funded by the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.