Welsh Government initiative creates 4,350 new businesses and 10,000 jobs

The Welsh Government Business Start-up Programme has helped create more than 10,000 jobs to date – with a further 13,000 jobs set to be created by June 2015, Business Minister Edwina Hart announces today.

To date 4,350 new enterprises have been established – creating 10,000 plus jobs – since the programme was launched in July 2008. The milestone 10,000 jobs figure was achieved last month.

The Business Start-up programme, jointly funded by the Welsh Labour Government and the European Regional Development Fund, runs until June 2015 when it is forecast a further 13,000 jobs will have been created by an additional 5000 new businesses.

The Welsh Labour Government is also implementing a number of key recommendations in the Micro-Business Report for Wales to support small enterprises. A Micro-Business Loan Fund has been launched and a new mentoring service for SMEs and the Business Wales – One Stop Shop will become operational in January 2013 to provide