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Phoenix Development Fund

The Phoenix Development Fund closed on 31 March 2006

It was set up in 2000 to support innovative demonstrator projects working in disadvantaged areas and with under-represented groups. During its lifetime it supported an impressive range of initiatives that:

• explored innovative ways of promoting business start-ups in disadvantaged areas.
• helped existing businesses in those areas to diversify, to provide better services and become more profitable.
• provided specialist support to encourage isolated people and groups in those areas to consider setting up and running their own businesses.

Do you develop or deliver services in disadvantaged areas or work with under-represented groups?

The Phoenix Development Fund legacy provides you with a rich source of materials and ideas on policy development and implementation around enterprise development, social inclusion and regeneration.

Find out more with the following downloads and links:

Investing in Success (103 pages) – reflections and conclusions from over 50 Phoenix Development Fund projects whose funding ended in March 2006; ideas, tips and case studies of 'what works' when providing enterprise support to disadvantaged communities and under-represented groups.

Investing in Success (11 pages) – an executive summary of the above.

Leading Lights: Experiences from the Phoenix Fund (107 pages - Please note this is a large document and may take some time to download) – celebrating the achievements of people involved in over 90 Phoenix Development Fund projects supported between 2001 and 2004; lives changed because provision matches their culture, expectations, interests and motivations.

Evaluation of the Phoenix Development Fund Final Report (151 pages) – the Enterprise Directorate Analytical Unit's commissioned report.

Eight Themed Report Summaries have been produced by Enterprise Directorate staff. The summaries focus on the respective projects and cover context, emerging lessons, strategic issues and key policy messages.