A fund established to support businesses grappling with the complexities of Brexit must not be the Government’s final action, one of Lancashire’s leading exporters has said.
Mick Mayor, chief executive of Team Leyland International, said the combined pressures of additional regulations and the coronavirus pandemic was unsustainable for many businesses.
The £20m SME Brexit Support Fund announced last month offers traders a £2,000 grant to pay for practical support for importing and exporting.
Team Leyland International, a major exporter of automotive parts across the world, is sponsoring the Global Business of the Year Award at this year’s Be Inspired Business Awards, The BIBAs, which is open for applications until the end of April.
Mr Mayor said: “The fund is a welcome step but it cannot be the last one which the Government is willing to take to support exporters.
“We must monitor the success of the fund carefully and ensure it is making a real difference and, even at this difficult time for the nation’s finances, be willing to grow it if necessary.
“In Lancashire alone, thousands of jobs rely on the success of businesses exporting and the risk of allowing them to fail could be catastrophic for our economy.”
Mr Mayor, a former chairman of the North West Chambers of Commerce, said the past 12 months had been “hugely challenging” for exporters, but said the innovation shown by many businesses had been an inspiration.
He urged businesses in Lancashire to put themselves forward for The BIBAs which is offering a prize fund of £36,000 shared among its winners.
The fund will be taken from profits generated from the awards’ ceremonies with organisers saying it had never made a profit from the event.
There are 19 prize categories open to applications now with a lifetime achievement prize, Lancastrian of the Year, decided by a panel of former winners.
For further details and to enter, visit thebibas.co.uk.