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There was some positive news last week amidst the continuing European economic gloom, as GDP figures showed the British economy grew faster than expected from July to September 2011. The figures, collated by the Office for National Statistics, showed GDP expanded by 0.5% over the last quarter, better than the 0.3% growth that was widely predicted.
While there is no doubt that times remain hard on the road to economic recovery, news like this reflects the hard work taking place in businesses up and down the country and the contribution this makes in helping the UK’s economy return to growth. To help businesses on this journey, both centrally and locally there have been a range of funds and initiatives recently launched to support enterprises as they continue to grow.
Locally, we recently launched the INV-ENT fund with Northamptonshire County Council which will help businesses to expand and create job via a business rate rebate, the savings of which will be re-invested into the business.
Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership also undertakes work with specific businesses sectors in Northamptonshire to best support their specific needs as they develop. We are currently working on a report on the scope within the region for High Performance Technology (HPT) companies,to get a clearer understanding of this sector in order to help businesses develop even more strongly in the future. We are also hosting an event on 16th November on ‘Future Proofing the Food and Drink Sector’ helping businesses learn from each other, and best prepare for the changes within the industry.
