PROPOSALS for a Business Links scheme for East Lancashire are expected to be put forward by May.
Top level discussions have been going on between the local councils, ELTEC, the Chamber of Commerce, enterprise agencies and other groups since the DTI turned down the last bid to set up a scheme.
The Business Links scheme aims to simplify advice and information services for small and medium-sized firms and iron out overlapping of current provision.
More than 70 Business Links are now open across the country but East Lancashire was recently revealed to be the only area in the country without one or without approval for a scheme.
Steve Hoyle, acting director of economic development in Blackburn, told councillors that progress was being made towards bringing together all the partners and that it was hoped a bid would be ready to submit to the DTI by the first week in May.
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