Starting Date: 22-06-07

Closing Date: 14-09-07

Government wants to simplify business support in England from around 3000 schemes to no more than 100 by 2010. We want to make sure business support funded by Government is simple for business to access, has a real impact on public policy goals and represents value for money.

The chancellor made a commitment to consult in the 2007 Budget and this consultation outlines and seeks views on the business support government might fund in the future. It sets out the role of Business Link as the primary route to publicly-funded business support and seeks views on how Business Link can be developed to play this role. Finally, it seeks views on how to avoid business support schemes proliferating again once they have been simplified.

The consultation is aimed at business (including social enterprises) and their representatives; local authorities and other public sector organisations involved in business support; and private, public and third sector organisations that are contracted to provide publicly funded support to business.

View the consultation on the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform (formerly the DTI) 

Or leave your comments here.

A new website has appeared for the first ever Liverpool Art Prize.

This competition comes from the people behind the Art in Liverpool website - the city’s premier source for local arts news and events listings.

The Liverpool Art Prize comes as a response to Tate Liverpool hosting the Turner Prize. It aims to recognise outstanding local talent. Art in Liverpool initially called for nominations from local people and artists. There are now six artists shortlisted for the grand prize:

• Mary Fitz
• Emma Rogers
• Gareth Kemp
• Imogen Stidworthy
• Jayne Lawless
• The Singh Twins
  

There will be an exhibition of work by all six artists in October 2007.

Good luck to all the artists.