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<p>The Government is committed to supporting all entrepreneurs to start and grow a
business, it is a key aspect of our ambitious Industrial Strategy. We want to make
the UK the best place to start and grow a business, to create jobs and spread prosperity.</p><p>
</p><p>We already provide support to businesses through the <a href="http://www.gov.uk"
target="_blank">www.gov.uk</a> website. We also offer support through our Business
Support Helpline (0300 456 3565). Last year we helped c.31,500 businesses, 65% were
entrepreneurs and start-ups.</p><p> </p><p>Businesses can also access local support
through anyone of the 38 Growth Hubs across England which join up local and national
business support. Details of Local Growth Hubs can be found on the following webpage:
<a href="http://www.lepnetwork.net/growth-hubs/" target="_blank">www.lepnetwork.net/growth-hubs</a></p><p>
</p><p>The Start-Up Loans programme, now part of the British Business Bank (BBB),
has supported nearly 61,000 entrepreneurs with loans totalling over £468m, and was
extended in the autumn budget to April 2021 to enable an additional 10,000 loans to
be made.</p><p> </p><p>BBB programmes are currently supporting £954,419 of finance
for SMEs in Copeland across 23 businesses and £1,842,918,743 of finance for SMEs in
the North West across 12,484 businesses (as at September 2018).</p><p> </p><p>As of
February 2019, since the BBB-owned Start-Up Loans programme launched, 24 loans have
been made, totalling £256,600 in Copeland and 7,561 loans have been made totalling
£56,967,713 in the North West.</p>
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