New Business Link Operator for London
Serco selected as the new Business Link Operator for London from April 2007
19 April 2006
Serco Group plc ("Serco") today announces that it has been selected by the
London Development Agency (LDA) to provide a range of advice and support
services to London's 600,000 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
The Business Link service is due to start in April 2007. The period between
then and now will see a handover from existing provider Business Link for
London to Serco. The agreement is worth £60 million over three years plus an
option to renew for two additional years. The successful bid draws on skills
and experience from across the group, including Serco Science and Solutions.
Serco will manage London's Business Link operation, which provides a range of
services to support the competitiveness of London's business community through:
* web-based and call centre-distributed business information
* diagnostic services to assess the needs of individual businesses
* introducing service providers to the assessed SME clients
In London, Serco activities include running Docklands Light Railway and traffic
management support for Transport for London, ground support for the Helicopter
Emergency Medical Service based at Whitechapel and IT services to seven London
Boroughs.
The new award builds on Serco's recent success in knowledge transfer
opportunities. In November 2005, Serco announced a contract worth up to £125
million over nine years to operate the national www.businesslink.gov.uk
programe on behalf of the Government's Small Business Service.
Manny Lewis, LDA Chief Executive said: "Ensuring that small and medium sized
businesses have access to the right type of support is a key area of
development for the LDA. Over the three years, Serco will support more than
half of London's business entrepreneurs including women and those from Black
and Minority Ethnic Groups (BAME) who sometimes find it more difficult to
negotiate the business world.
"Together with Serco we can share expertise and experience to achieve the
maximum impact for London's rapidly-moving economy, while at the same time
providing value for money."
Chris Hyman, Serco Group Chief Executive said: "We are very pleased to be
chosen by the London Development Agency to contribute in this way to London's
economic success. We share the LDA's ambition, to encourage, advise and support
small businesses across the capital to help them grow, thus maintaining and
building on London's pre-eminent position as the best place to do business in
Europe."
Ends
For further information contact:
Serco Group plc: +44 (0) 1256 745 900
Graham Capper, Head of Media and Public Relations
Richard Hollins, Head of Investor Relations
Notes to editors
* Serco improves services by managing people, processes, technology and
assets more effectively in the transport, defence, education, health, home
affairs, local government, science, technology and commercial sectors,
working in 37 countries. Serco advises policy makers, designs innovative
solutions, integrates systems and delivers to the public. More information
can be found at www.serco.com.
* The London Development Agency is the Mayor's agency for business and jobs.
The LDA prepares the Mayor's business plan for London and mobilises the
support and resources of hundreds of partner organisations to help build a
thriving economy for London's people, businesses and communities. The LDA
is dedicated to improving sustainability, health and equality of
opportunity for Londoners.
For further details contact:
Serco Group plc, Palm Court, 4 Heron Square, Richmond, Surrey TW9 1EW, United
Kingdom
T +44 (0)20 8334 4336 F +44 (0)20 8334 4301 www.serco.com
Press Release
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