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Free help offer after 90% of firms say they'll "Buy Cornish" |
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Tuesday, 29 January 2008 |
Cornwall Enterprise is searching for 120 companies to
benefit from free local trading support, after a survey revealed that improving business between Cornish firms could boost
the county's economy by up to a staggering £1 billion per year.
Over three hundred businesses with a base in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly completed the questionnaire, the
start of the six month "Buy
Cornish" project run by the Enterprise Edge service and the first
serious research into how much money local firms spend in their own
area.
Initial results show nine out of ten Cornish companies would like
to buy more of their goods and services from local suppliers in future: a
finding which could have far-reaching implications for prosperity in the
county.
Cornwall Enterprise Managing Director John Berry explains: "If
Cornish companies spend on average £80,000 a year on goods and services and can
find local suppliers for even half those needs, the money spent locally in a
single year would total more than all Cornwall's Objective One and Convergence grant funding put
together.
"We want to stop this money leaking out of Cornwall's economy, so we're looking for 120 companies to work
with us to develop more business with other local firms."
Any company
with employees in Cornwall or the Isles of Scilly can apply for the free "Buy
Cornish" assistance in finding new local business customers and suppliers, as
long as it has been trading for at least two years.
Up to 20 companies
could qualify for secondary market research to pinpoint suitable business and
marketing opportunities, while a further 100 could gain help in locating and
striking up working relationships with relevant local firms. Assistance will be
allocated on a strictly "first come, first served"
basis.
Enterprise Edge Manager Dominique Tregenza-Hall says: "Our initial research shows that buying Cornish
offers huge potential benefits - both for county as a whole and the individual
businesses concerned. We hope that helping companies throughout
Cornwall to increase their trade with other local businesses
will be the start of a significant shift towards prosperity and distinctiveness
in our economy."
The Buy Cornish Local Sourcing Project is supported by
Rural Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Partnership Rural Renaissance Funding and the
South West of England Development Agency.
Local business interested in
applying for free "Buy Cornish" assistance should call Enterprise Edge on 0800
052 3942 or visit www.buy-cornish.co.uk.
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