Project Title: Tees Valley Business Support Partnership
(The Area Brokerage Partnership for the Tees Valley)

Project Description:
This project emanates from the Review of Business Support in the North East which One NorthEast initiated and led during 2002/03. The Review concluded that effective support was not available in an easily accessible and understandable format and that the remedy would require the four Business Link Operators in the region to create Area Brokerage Partnerships (ABPs). The ABP in the Tees Valley is entitled Tees Valley Business Support Partnership (TVBSP) to reflect its remit to take responsibility for both brokerage and delivery of support in the sub-region. The TVBSP will employ a small team to (a) handle the increased level of enquiries expected from the regional and local marketing and promotional activities, (b) expand the capacity for brokerage in the Tees Valley by working closely with Providers and other Agencies, by providing a comprehensive internet-based CRM system to record all Customer interventions together with a Supplier database to underpin the provision of brokered support and (c) enhance the quality of both brokerage and the delivery of programmes and services. The TVBSP has a primary target of increasing market penetration by 10 percentage points over three years.

Lead Organisation (underlined) and Key Partners:
Business Link Tees Valley, Five local authorities, Joint Strategy Unit, Colleges, Universities, Learning and Skills Council.