WIREDGOV

Scarborough crowned Europe's most enterprising place

DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENTERPRISE AND REGULATORY REFORM News Release (2009/164) issued by COI News Distribution Service on 14 May 2009

Seaside resort beats Helsinki and Valencia to win Europe's top award for enterprise

The reigning champion of the Enterprising Britain competition, Scarborough, is celebrating again after being named the most enterprising place in Europe at this year's European Enterprise Awards. Run by the European Commission, the Awards saw Scarborough take the Grand Jury Prize, making it the overall winner, and in the jury's view, the most creative and inspiring entrepreneurship initiative in Europe.

The seaside town was up against the best of European enterprise, including Finland's capital city, Helsinki; Spain's second biggest port, Valencia; and Liege in Belgium, known for its beer, chocolate and water exports. Despite its population of just 50,000 - tiny in comparison to its competitors - Scarborough's work to encourage people to start-up and grow businesses and create jobs saw it awarded the top prize at a gala dinner in Prague's Zofin Palace on Wednesday evening.

Part of European SME Week, which runs from 6 - 14 May 2009, the European Enterprise Awards recognise outstanding initiatives that support enterprise and entrepreneurship. The awards are inspired by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's (BERR) successful Enterprising Britain competition, which celebrates and rewards the most enterprising places in the UK.

Congratulating the winners, Secretary of State for Business Minister, Lord Mandelson, said:

"A strong enterprise culture inspires communities and creates jobs - something which is vital during these uncertain economic times.

"I would therefore like to congratulate the Scarborough Renaissance Partnership on their success and in being recognised not just as the most enterprising place in UK but in Europe".

Scarborough's winning bid was led by the Scarborough Renaissance Partnership, a coalition of local entrepreneurs, Scarborough Borough Council staff and residents, which transformed what was a seaside resort in decline into a thriving enterprise hotspot. Achievements include stamping out seasonal unemployment, diversifying to grow new industry sectors and attracting more than £200m of private sector investment.

The Partnership's work reduced the town's economic dependence on the declining tourism and fishing industries, capitalised on the physical regeneration of the harbourside, kick-started a boom in business start-ups and introduced free wifi internet access along the coast, making the internet accessible to all.

Scarborough businessman, Tony Peers, leader of the Partnership's Town Team which steers the project, said:

"This win, on top of being named the most enterprising place in Britain, means the world to us. I'm incredibly proud of everyone who's been involved. The whole town has embraced the enterprise cause and to be recognised again in this way will really spur us on to become even more enterprising in the future - especially given the current economic climate. Coastal towns have traditionally experienced economic challenges so I hope what we've achieved inspires people to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel if entrepreneurs are supported and encouraged."

Scarborough was named winner of Enterprising Britain 2008 at a Downing Street awards ceremony held last October.

Harry Rich, Chief Executive of Enterprise Insight, the national enterprise campaign which runs the Enterprising Britain competition on behalf of BERR, said of Scarborough's continued success:

"Scarborough is stunning evidence of what happens when businesses, local people and the public sector work together to beat economic challenges by embedding a vibrant enterprise culture. Enterprise will get the UK out of the downturn and Scarborough wining the European Enterprise Awards is a richly deserved boost for the town and for the UK as a whole. Enterprise Insight is working hard with government to help places up and down the country to learn from Scarborough's success as a beacon of enterprise."

Media Opportunities

* For interviews with the Scarborough team or Harry Rich, Chief Executive of Enterprise Insight, please contact Katie Peden on 020 7612 8835 or email katie.peden@kindredagency.com
* Case studies and photography are available from Katie Peden on 020 7612 8835 or email katie.peden@kindredagency.com

Notes to Editors

* Enterprising Britain is a nationwide competition that celebrates and recognises enterprise achievement throughout all the regions of the UK. For more information please visit http://www.makeyourmark.org.uk/enterprisingbritain
* Enterprising Britain is open to all places (in the UK) that can demonstrate how they have transformed the community through enterprise in the last two years. All entrants must represent an identifiable geographic area, such as a town, a city, a parish or neighbourhood and be able to demonstrate that enterprise is central to the economic and or social transformation of the place.
* The competition runs across the UK and operates in two stages: a regional nomination stage and a national competition between the regional finalists
* The regional heats for this year's competition run from 25 February to 29 May 2009. The 12 regional winners will be visited by members of the judging panel over the summer
* Scarborough Renaissance Partnership won Enterprising Britain 2008 for its 'Waking Sleeping Beauty' project which transformed the declining seaside town, stamping out seasonal unemployment, creating new industry sectors and attracting more than £200m of private sector investment along with hundreds of new jobs
* The Enterprising Britain 2007 winner was North Staffordshire Regeneration Zone (http://www.nsrz.org) and the runner-up was The Paper Trail http://www.thepapertrail.org.uk
* The Enterprising Britain 2006 winner was West Kilbride Craft & Design Town. For more information go to http://www.westkilbride.org.uk
* The Enterprising Britain 2005 winner was Sherwood Energy Village, Ollerton. For more information go to http://www.sherwoodenergyvillage.co.uk
* The overall winner and runner-up of Enterprising Britain 2009 will be entered into a Europe-wide competition - the European Enterprise Awards. For more information visit http://www.european-enterprise-awards.org. The European Enterprise Awards are inspired by the Enterprising Britain competition, and aim to reward local and regional initiatives that are improving business prospects. The European Enterprise Awards are open to the 27 Member States of the European Union as well as Iceland, Norway and Turkey.

Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
7th Floor, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET

Public enquiries +44 (0)20 7215 5000
Textphone +44 (0)20 7215 6740 (for those with hearing impairment)
http://www.berr.gov.uk