NFEA is the national enterprise network. Our members are drawn from local enterprise agencies and a wider range of enterprise support organisations and provide an array of services to new and emerging businesses, including independent and impartial advice, training and mentoring.
In 2008 alone, the NFEA network of enterprise support organisations supported over 100,000 pre starts, nearly 25,000 start ups and 130,000 established businesses - totalling over 250,000 clients across the country.
The role of NFEA is to:
- Represent the interests of enterprise support organisations and individuals with central government, official agencies, the private sector and other non-governmental organisations operating in the enterprise field
- Provide services to NFEA members which include the NFEA Enterprise Academy, a training and development programme designed exclusively for NFEA members to develop the leadership and management skills of their current and future leaders
- Act as lead contractor on national contracts such as the Barclays Let’s Talk Business series which is delivered by NFEA members. Events are run for those in the early stages of business and for those establishing their business - covering issues such as finance, marketing, time management, negotiating, networking and business plans
The aims of NFEA are to:
- Position NFEA members as the natural source of reference for all in their area who need to develop their enterprise skills
Position the NFEA network as the preferred route to market for those in the public and private sectors wishing to engage with our market
Add value by supporting, setting standards and building the capability of the NFEA network.
Another key role of NFEA is to manage the BIS Approved Enterprise Agency process on behalf of the Secretary of State, Trade & Industry. As a BIS Approved Enterprise Agency, tax relief can be claimed on contributions (whether cash or in-kind) to an approved local enterprise agency by a sponsor carrying on a trade, profession or vocation.
NFEA also part owns Customer First UK in a partnership with QED Professional Development Limited. As the awarding body for Putting the Customer First ©, the national standard for customer service, Customer First UK has supported hundreds of businesses across the UK in achieving the quality standard – including many NFEA membership organisations in the business support sector.
In July 2009 NFEA committed to achieving the Putting the Customer First standard, and as of February 2010, we are pleased to report that the organisation is officially fully compliant.
