Southend Enterprise Agency

SEAL is currently delivering contracts for:

• The Jobcentre Plus self-employment programme throughout Essex. This includes Awareness, Business Planning and Test Trading.
• Business Link for Essex business support services in the Southend, Castle Point and Rochford districts, including advice & guidance, intensive assistance and pre and post start-up monitoring.

As the sole contact for the PRIME initiative in Essex, and with the co-operation of the Prince’s Trust, SEAL has been able to help many of the potential entrepreneurs attending the above mentioned programmes to obtain the grants or soft loans required to establish their business.

The company has also delivered a European Commission project to encourage Women into Business and a GO-East ‘Pathfinder’ project.

It is now engaged, with several European partners, in an EU ‘Leonardo’ pilot programme for language trainers.

As a training centre approved by OCR, LCCI, City & Guilds and Btec, SEAL’s highly qualified staff are able to deliver training and accreditation for a wide range of business support and related qualifications. These include:

• Business Information level 3
• Business Advice level 4
• Preparing for Enterprise level 2
• C & G 7317 A1/A2 and V1
• The new SFEDI endorsed course for the re-assessment and certification of experienced business advisers.
• A 2 day awareness programme for new business advisers.

SEAL has available a CD/Rom package ‘Starting Your Own Business’ that has been developed, with the aid of EEDA funding, to assist potential entrepreneurs. This is available with an audio sound track to aid those with visual impairment or those for whom English is a second language; a version for the hard of hearing with a British Sign Language insert, and a qualification version related to the Preparing for Enterprise Btec level 2 certificate or to help in achieving the OCR Business Start up level 3 qualification.

As a member of the National Federation of Enterprise Agencies, and a Board member of the Eastern Association of Enterprise Agencies, SEAL has access to databases containing details of current legislation, new initiatives and various sources of business information and advice that is readily available to SME’s.

Through membership of local committees SEAL representatives are able to keep abreast of local and regional requirements in order that programmes that will contribute towards the economic regeneration of the region may be developed.

As an active member of the National SFEDI Adviser Forum SEAL’s chairman, Tony Vincent, has been involved in helping to draft, pilot and evaluate many of the standards and is currently working with SFEDI’s Qualification Forum for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship to develop a broader range of standards that will encourage Micro business and SME development.

SEAL seek to develop a close working relationship with organisations that deliver quality business support.

Website: http://www.southend-enterprise.com