Scarborough has been named the enterprise capital of the UK, beating off stiff competition in this year’s Enterprising Britain initiative.

The competition, organised by the Make Your Mark Campaign on behalf of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, culminated in a ceremony at No. 11 Downing Street last week.

The Scarborough Renaissance Partnership took home the award for its Waking Sleeping Beauty project, which has had a dramatic affect on the economic fortune of the once declining seaside town.

Nick Taylor, manager of the Scarborough Renaissance Partnership, told Startups:

“We’re chuffed to bits. We’ve been running the project for five years now and it’s been going really well. We’ve already been seen regionally as a town of capable operators but this puts into a different league altogether because now we’ve been nationally recognised.”

The strategy of the project focused on weaning the town off its dependence on tourism and fishing industries. Initiatives included the regeneration of the harbourside, the development of sectors such as surfboard manufacturing and the introduction of WiFi along the coast.

Minister for competitiveness and small business, Shriti Vadera, said:

“The Scarborough Renaissance Partnership has established a strong enterprise culture in the region, created jobs and stamped out seasonal unemployment – all the more vital during these uncertain global economic times.”

Peter Jones, Dragons’ Den panellist, and one of the Enterprising Britain judges, said Scarborough was a town with enterprise in its blood.

“This is a town that has learnt to tap into its latent entrepreneurial talent and harness it with tremendous results,” he added. “Scarborough’s story is really compelling and the visible impact of renaissance is clear – the creation and growth of a thriving creative and digital industry where one previously did not, and could not have, existed is a huge achievement.”

Other finalists in the competition include Herefordshire Council for its work on the sustainability of the county, and Furness Enterprise for its support of growing social enterprises in the rural North West.

 

To celebrate and highlight the town’s business accomplishments, Scarborough Business Association with Yorkshire Forward will be hosting a two-day International Business Forum at The SPA Complex Scarborough on 5th - 6th November 2008