A pilot scheme aimed at increasing the number of women starting up in business in the West Midlands was officially launched last night in Birmingham.
The Regional Women's Enterprise Unit is funded by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands, the European Social Fund and the Department of Trade and Industry's Small Business Service. The scheme is the first of its kind in the UK and has been modelled on a pioneering project based in the United States.
It will provide training, mentoring and advice to women who are thinking about starting a business, as well as creating an entrepreneurial culture to inspire women to consider the idea.
It is being led by women's enterprise agencies the Women Business Development Agency (WBDA) and Women in Rural Enterprise (WiRE) in partnership with PROWESS, the national trade association supporting women into business.
The RWEU will aim to improve levels of female entrepreneurial activity in the West Midlands which are currently among the worst in the UK. It is based on a similar series of projects in Washington DC.
Key speakers at last night's launch event, which took place at AWM's Priestley Wharf complex in Birmingham, included Lorely Burt, the Liberal Democrat MP for Soli-hull and the West Midlands spokeswoman on small business.
Other speakers were Dr Richard Hutchins, corporate director for economic development at AWM, and Sally Arkley, director of the Women's Business Development Agency, one of the scheme's delivery partners.
