The Government Office for the East Midlands have recently confirmed a grant of European Social Fund which will enable the six Groundwork Trusts in the East Midlands to deliver business support to locally based social and community enterprises. The approach sees peer-to-peer support being delivered by practitioners from within Groundwork to practitioners of new and fledgling social enterprises. The concept was developed by Groundwork Greater Nottingham and subsequently piloted by them to critical acclaim. The pilot, which was funded by Social Enterprise East Midlands, enabled the value of structured practitioner led and experience focussed information giving to be demonstrated. Its application has directly led to the funding grant, which will see around 200 enterprises assisted over the next twenty-four months.

" I am delighted that the creativity of Groundwork Greater Nottingham staff has translated itself into this regionally significant commission" says Zbig Szulc, Executive Director, "As successful social enterprises in their own right, all Groundwork Trusts are acutely aware of the challenges faced when trying to establish an enterprise whose primary focus is to deliver community benefit as opposed to profit for share-holders. I am pleased that our own knowledge and experience can over the next few years inform other social enterprises and assist their aspirations. This project fills a very noticeable gap in provision."