01.11.13
SME funding streams should be unified – NAO
Government funding initiatives for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) could work in a more unified way, the National Audit Office (NAO) has highlighted in a new report.
The NAO found that there is no formal research programme joining BIS and the Treasury with other departments with an interest in SMEs, and that government must articulate more clearly what the various schemes in place are expected to deliver as a programme.
Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, said: “Access to finance is a significant and enduring problem for many small and medium-sized businesses. There is a range of schemes led by the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills to address areas of the market where there are problems. But there is work to be done in terms of managing the schemes as a unified portfolio and articulating what they are intended to achieve as a whole.
“Given the importance to the Government of promoting growth, greater benefits and public value could be achieved through treating the interventions as a programme, with a clearer focus on assessing what results can realistically be delivered.”
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