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 For the South East to maintain its position and improve one of the world's top performing regions for business competitiveness it needs to encourage an increase in the business birth rate and in the number of businesses surviving. Development and Infrastructure Division meets this need by constructing incubator and managed workspace throughout the region. SEEDA has two types of incubator growth initiatives, which differ mainly in the type and size of business they are created to support. First is the Enterprise Hub, providing specific business services to occupiers, including those in the high tech sector and encouraging businesses to form clusters and to share knowledge. The second is the Enterprise Gateway, developed in partnership with South East Business Link, which gives business incubation support to businesses in general across the South East. Priority is given to rural areas and groups within those areas where entrepreneurship and business skills are low. In parts of the region there is a viability gap which stops the private sector developing appropriate premises to support the Enterprise Hub and Gateway initiatives – this means suitable property facilities are not being provided for the needs of young and growing businesses. As a result, public sector organisations like SEEDA need to provide a solution and create the necessary facilities so these businesses can thrive. In 2002 it was decided that for 20 Enterprise Centres should be developed by SEEDA within a ten year period to support the Hubs and Gateways initiative, with a long term option to transfer the assets into arms length companies which could recycle any property income to the benefit of running the centres and providing business support advice. To assist the development and management of the centres, SEEDA secured three partners to design, build and operate the centre. Framework contracts have been entered into and these will continue for the next seven years, started in January 2004. These Framework agreements have been signed with Ashgate, Basepoint plc and Incubation South East. To date, three centres have been identified as priorities by SEEDA – Newhaven, Adur and Medway Gateway Centre. A site for a fourth centre at Princes Risborough has also been acquired. SEEDA is well on its way of achieving its Regional Economic Strategy (RES) target of creating 20 Gateways by 2007 and has already created 22 Hubs. The agency is also responsible for creating more than 1,000 businesses across the region. Location of Hubs:
Click here for an overview of each Enterprise Hub. Location of Gateways:
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Click on a region below for further details:
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