Business Compliance Support has now launched across Greater Manchester (GM). All local authorities from across GM have come together to support the project. Over the next two years Business Compliance Support will offer free regulatory and compliance support and signposting to small and medium businesses across GM allowing them more time to focus on growth. The new service will cover environmental health, trading standards and licensing regulatory functions for businesses in the foundational economy* including support with food safety, product safety and labelling, fair trading, consumer rights, food labelling and premises licensing. The expanded service will benefit businesses across Greater Manchester and will be provided by a brand new team working alongside established, trusted and knowledgeable trading standards, environmental health and licensing teams to ensure that businesses get the best support. Julian Jackson, Director of Place at Tameside Metropolitan Council said: "We are thrilled to see this investment and support for businesses across the region. The foundational economy accounts for over 42 per cent of jobs in the Greater Manchester city-region and it is made up of more than 60,000 businesses. The new service will ensure businesses can get compliance right first time and free up their time so they can innovate and grow. The service will also support businesses to reduce the risk of future enforcement action that could be financially and reputationally damaging. We are creating a reactive and proactive business regulatory support service that operates across Greater Manchester to ensure that businesses can access consistent compliance support regardless of the local authority in which they are based." Robert Downes, Development Manager at Federation of Small Businesses - Manchester said: "It's really great news for small businesses in GM that all councils in the city region area have come together to embrace a new way of working. This will help some of the smallest private sector firms make sense of regulations and compliance, and take the stress out of something many business owners see as complicated and difficult, ultimately saving them time and money." Over the coming months the team will be contacting businesses initially in the hospitality and food and drink sectors across Greater Manchester to offer support, but if you would like help now you can find out more and contact the team at www.gmbcs.co.uk The project has been made possible with funding for the project coming from the Regulators' Pioneer Fund**. Science, Research and Innovation Minister, Andrew Griffith, said: "From AI in healthcare to drone delivery to nutraceuticals – the rapid development of technology has created a huge opportunity for the UK to be a global leader in testing new technologies and taking new regulatory approaches which ensure investor and customer confidence. "Our funding is supporting 24 pioneering projects to experiment and innovate, while helping businesses to introduce game-changing products and services to market – which in turn creates new jobs and grows our economy."
