INVESTMENT READINESS: HELPING ENTERPRISES ACCESS EQUITY FINANCE FOR GROWTH
30 March 2001
INTRODUCTION
The Government places high priority on improving the climate for enterprise creation and growth across the UK. As part of this strategy, the Treasury and DTI have introduced in recent years a portfolio of policies designed to improve the supply of finance, particularly risk capital, to enterprises with growth potential. For this capital to be used effectively, more small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) need to have a better understanding about whether external equity is relevant to their business strategy, and if so how best to secure and manage this investment. To complement its supply-side measures, the Government intends to stimulate wider access for SMEs to advice to help them to become ?investment ready'.