This is a SFEDI Advisory Board ‘award of awards’ event, recognising all providing excellence in enterprise training and support. It is a successor to the events we held at the Bank of England between 1998 and 2004 and at HMS BElfast in 2007 and BAFTA in 2008.  It provides the SFEDI Advisory Board members the opportunity to showcase to press, opinion formers and policy makers the importance of excellence in small and home business owner training and support 

The awards will showcase the individuals and organisations which have done most to help start ups, the self-employed and small business owners to survive and thrive during 2008.  Most nominations for the awards are taken from small and home run businesses, which make up 99 % of the UK’s total business community.  Categories include awards for professional advisers, such as accountants, through to volunteer business mentors.  There is also an award for the business owner or entrepreneur who has done most to support other small and home business owners.  The awards will be presented at an informal UK Enterprise Support Awards Lunch at The Magic Circle Headquarters in London, on 16th April 2009.

SFEDI aims to raise the quality of small business support and training by setting standards.  It also accredits and endorses the people, products and programmes that meet these standards and are 'proven in practice' with prospective and existing small and home business owners. This work is guided by the SFEDI Advisory Board who are the hosts for this UKEnterprise Support Awards 2009. The SFEDI Advisory Board includes the key business membership and enterprise support bodies in the UK, including the British Chambers of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the Forum for Private Business, the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, the Association for Chartered Certified Accountants, the International Association of Book-keepers, Customer First UK, Institute of Leadership and Management and representatives from UK Sector Skills Councils