A NEW breed of businessmen and women in Bury will be propelled towards potential prosperity.

For the town is to benefit from a key business start-up programme which aims to launch 100 new firms before March 31, 2003.

With small and medium enterprises already the lifeblood of Bury's business base, the project will help create many more start-ups.

Enterprise agency, Bolton Business Ventures (BBV) has landed the contract for the ambitious "Working for Myself" initiative, which is co-financed by the Government's Single Regeneration Budget (SRB) .

BBV, which was awarded the contract by the Bury Strategic Partnership, is to encourage Bury people to consider the self-employment option and give practical advice, counselling and grant incentives to enable sustainable business enterprises to get under way. It will provide valuable training skills, development and employment opportunities to more than 500 local people.

Mr Paul Davidson, chief executive of BBV, said: "Working for Myself is not just another start-up programme.

"It has been designed to meet the specific need within the Bury Partnership Business Programmes aimed at supporting the developing of entrepreneurs.

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with colleagues in Bury to deliver this exciting new initiative."

The new programme follows on from the Bury Headstart initiative which has been delivered for the past few years by Business Link Bolton and Bury.

In the first few weeks BBV has already received 60 enquiries from prospective business people and has held its first Awareness Day at Link House, Bury for 25 eager entrepreneurs.

To find out more about "Working For Myself", booking on an awareness day or making an appointment to see a business adviser contact BBV on 764 7820 and speak to Tony Morley or Dennis Vint.