New Entrepreneur Scholarships (NES)

NES is an innovative programme for entrepreneurs, pioneered at MMUBS to help people from less advantaged communities develop business ideas, and equip budding entrepreneurs with the skills, confidence and know-how to start a business career.

What does NES offer?

NES is a FREE part-time business development programme for people wanting to start and manage their own businesses. Once scholars graduate from the programme, they can apply for business support funds to help turn their business ideas into a success. NES is open to any employed or unemployed person who lives in designated areas across the North West, who is over the age of 18 and not in full-time education.

NES scholars are of all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience – and have established a diverse range of enterprises from clothing, design, animation and catering through to market trading, joinery, music production and IT.

Specifically, NES offers:

• Part-time development programme
• Individual professional support
• Full access to computer and IT facilities
• Help with finance and investment
• Expert advice from successful entrepreneurs
• Optional qualifications
• Business support funding upto £1500

How did NES start?

The original idea for NES came from the Treasury and was developed by the DfES through the Learning and Skills Council. NES was originally piloted in Manchester, Cornwall and London in 2000, with MMUBS selected to carry out the pilot scheme in the North West. The aim was to design a free part-time business development programme, funded by the government, which would help people from less advantaged communities develop business ideas, and start and manage their own business.

“Initially, back in 2000, we were just asked to run the pilot programme with 18 entrepreneurs,” explains Dominic Martinez, NES Project Manager at MMUBS. “We were delighted when our pilot scheme was chosen as the national prototype and adopted throughout England. Since then, over 40 NES courses have run throughout the North West, helping hundreds of entrepreneurs set up a business.” NES programmes are now run in Manchester, Rochdale, Oldham, Liverpool, Lancashire, Cumbria, Barrow-in-Furness, Lancaster, Blackpool and Skelmersdale. Examples of successful NES graduates are on the North West NES website at www.nesnw.co.uk

£5 million investment for North West

Since 2000, NES has gone from strength to strength. In the North West alone, more than 1,000 entrepreneurs have graduated from the programme in the past 7 years. This has brought over £5 million in investment into the region to help start new enterprises and generate revenue and employment for local areas. The majority goes directly to successful NES graduates in the form of business support funding, which they apply for to help launch their business. This pays for vital start-up costs, such as equipment, stock, rent and insurance. Scholars spend much of their NES money in the region, again boosting the local economy.

In August 2007, MMUBS was given the Government’s go ahead to run the NES programme for another year. As a result, a further £1.2 million in government funding came into the region with the prospect of 500 new places for NES entrepreneurs across the North West who will receive help, advice and training to start up a new business in the region.

Dominic Martinez, NES Project Manager at MMUBS explains: “The renewed contract for NES is fantastic news for budding business men and women throughout the region. Not only does it mean additional funding to help boost the regional economy, it will also directly fund 239 NES start-up businesses. With matched funding from various partners across the region, this means that North West NES partners can aim to offer 500 places to people on NES courses around the region in the coming year.”

What has NES achieved?

NES has achieved a great deal in 7 years. Since the start of the national pilot programme, it has consistently broken targets for programme completion and start-up rates. Nationally, over 3,000 entrepreneurs have benefited from the programme so far. The majority have started up their own business, but others have gone on to find full-time jobs or returned to education.

Strong partnerships

NES’ success is also based on strong local partnerships. It is funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and managed nationally by the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, in partnership with The Prince’s Trust and the Association of Business Schools.

It is also funded locally by Rochdale MBC, Oldham MBC, and West Lancashire District Council. MMUBS is the regional contractor for the programme and works with a growing range of partners in the region helping to deliver NES. These include Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, Liverpool John Moores University, Rochdale Borough Economic Partnership, the University of Central Lancashire, Furness Enterprise, Manchester Business Consortium, Oldham Enterprise Factory, University of Cumbria and Edge Hill University.

Contact

NES is always interested in hearing from budding entrepreneurs eager to learn how to set up and manage their own business or partners interested in running a NES programme.

To find out more contact Dominic Martinez, NES Project Manager on 0161 247 3954 or email: d.martinez@mmu.ac.uk

Also visit www.nesnw.co.uk