The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has launched its first, England wide, Local Government Awards, to showcase the local authorities that have gone ‘above and beyond’ to create the conditions for small business formation and growth.

During the pandemic, our staff and volunteers worked closer than ever with local authorities – especially in Worcestershire. This work has helped to ensure the distribution and eligibility of financial and pragmatic support worked as best as possible for our members. Today that work continues, to support post-COVID recovery as well as the many other issues affecting our members.

It is for this reason that we have decided that now is the time to bring our local authority awards together under one England-wide banner. The FSB English Local Government Awards will:

· Share best practice of local authorities across the England regions,

· Showcase the importance of local authority engagement with, and support of, small business, and

· Celebrate the positive impact that local authorities can have on small businesses and their outcomes.

At a time when small firms across England are faced with a cost of doing business crisis, supply chain disruption, recruitment challenges and soaring inflation, it is vitally important that councils do all they can to support their local economies. Where they do, we want to recognise and share best practise, so that more councils can work even more effectively with their small business communities. That way we will, together, deliver the investment, jobs and products and services that are so needed and valued locally.

More information about the awards is available here: https://www.fsb.org.uk/localgovernment.html