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Google To Back UK Start-Up Scheme
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Google has thrown its considerable weight against a new project designed to give a helping hand to aspiring businesses.
Called StartUp Britain, the scheme will give preferential rates to entrepreneurs and small firms.
Sky's City editor Mark Kleinman has revealed that Barclays, O2, serviced offices group Regus and directories publisher Yell are also backing the scheme.
"I'm told that as part of StartUp Britain, about which Microsoft has also been in talks to back, Regus will offer eligible start-up companies access to its 150-plus business centres across the UK," he said.
"O2, meanwhile, is expected to offer preferential packages of BlackBerry products and telecoms support to help entrepreneurs overcome issues related to their credit rating that many confront when launching a business.
"The nature of Google's and Microsoft's involvement in StartUp Britain is still being finalised, I'm told, but is likely to be on a similar footing to that of O2 and Regus."
Kleinman's finding comes a day after the Chancellor dedicated a significant part of his Budget speech to outlining his plans to nurture a new generation of entrepreneurs.
Central to his list of measures includes the creation of 21 new enterprise zones across England, offering discounts on business rates and "radically" reduced planning restrictions.
The exact locations for the first four zones have been revealed - in Manchester Airport, Mersey Waters, east London’s Royal Docks and Lenton, Nottingham.
All the zones will have a business rate discount worth up to £275,000 over five years for firms that move into the area over the course of this Parliament.
Inventor and entrepreneur James Dyson told Sky News he welcomed tax relief moves for young businesses, which would help to better exploit British creativity.
"These are real serious measures which will make it much more likely for people to invest in these high risk start-ups - and also for people with these technology ideas to want to do it themselves."
The Institute of Directors also gave a cautious backing to Mr Osborne's attempt to boost business confidence.
But director-general Miles Templeman added: "While the 21 new enterprise zones have real potential, we question why the whole of the UK can't be an enterprise zone."
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