Support for SMEs and helping them to develop with greater social and environmental purpose is important, but there are a range of different pathways by which people can be enterprising and entrepreneurial.
· Projects will work with the Regional Enterprise council to promote supply chain opportunities towards other forms of ownership such as social enterprises.
· Where the principle of supporting local enterprise is built into projects, there will be a particular focus on diversifying models of ownership and encouraging enterprises to develop with greater social and environmental purpose, such as commitments to living wage and net-zero.
· Where projects are focused on providing business premises, this will be targeted towards local SMEs with a view to encouraging greater social and environmental purpose – again living wage and net-zero. Projects will also look to encourage and promote business space towards social enterprises and employee-owned businesses.