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Globally Competitive Business Environment - 2003 to 2009 Reports

The reports listed below contain evidence on the environment for business offered by the UK, in particular whether it enables the start-up of new businesses and growth of existing ones. They include evidence on the ease of accessing finance and business support, the impact of the regulatory and legal framework and the impact this has on such factors as the ease of start up, research and development, training and innovation within business. The reports below go back as far as 2003. Reports for 2002 and 2001 can be accessed from the links on the right hand side of this page.

2010

• RVCF and EGF interim evaluation: recipient business and stakeholder surveys. Summary paper (589KB)
• Economic evaluation of the small firms loan guarantee (SFLG) scheme (928KB)
• Results from the 2009 finance survey of SMEs (470KB)
• Results from the 2009 finance survey of mid-cap businesses (809KB)
• Small firms loan guarantee (SFLG) scheme recipient and comparison group survey results  (2897KB)

2009

• Early stage assessment of the impact of the enterprise finance guarantee (EFG) on recipient firms (1344KB)
• RVCF and EGF interim evaluation: qualitative research paper (684KB)
• The supply of equity finance to SMEs: revisiting the 'equity gap' (2359KB)
• SMEs in a low carbon economy (1153KB)
• Growth challenges for small and medium-sized enterprises: a UK-US comparative study (755KB)
• Business Link: research into drivers of perceptions of Business Link (7320KB)
• Early assessment of Business Link health checks  (946KB)
• Mystery shopping the early stages of the Business Link service (946KB)

2008

• Developing time series data on the size and scope of the UK business angel market (674KB)
• UK Survey of SME Finances 2007
• The impact of regulation on small business performance  (2066KB)
• An investigation into payment trends and behaviour in the UK: 1997-2007  (6867KB)

2007

• Anticipated administrative burdens on businesses of proposed personal accounts arrangements  (361KB)
• Enquiry for BERR and DWP on the predicted administrative costs of additional payroll services to support personal account pensions  (163KB)
• The operation of the SME transfer market  (1196KB)
• The impact of perceived access to finance difficulties on the demand for external finance  (315KB)
• Economic impact study of Business Link local service  (2889KB)
• Evaluation of the Welland strategic alignment project: final report to the SBS  (1356KB)
• Evaluation of the Welland strategic alignment project: final report to the SBS. Welland Enterprise Agency: provider and business case studies  (13673KB)
• Evaluation of the Welland strategic alignment project: final report to the SBS. Annex volume 1  (12930KB)
• Evaluation of the Welland strategic alignment project: final report to the SBS. Annex volume 2  (3048KB)

2006

• Business start-ups, closures and economic churn: a review of the literature. Final report  (584KB)
• Myths surrounding growing a business: a focus group based study on behalf of the small business service  (361KB)
• Mapping of government services for small business: final report  (527KB)
• Small businesses in rural areas: an analysis of the annual small business survey 2004  (528KB)
• Factors determining the performance of early stage high-technology venture capital funds: a review of the academic literature.  (859KB)

2005

• Regulation and small firm performance and growth: a review of the literature  (320KB)
• SME Funding Report 
• A mapping study of venture capital provision to SMEs in England  (840KB)

2004

• Evaluation of the investment readiness demonstration projects and fit4finance  (335KB)
• Passing the baton: encouraging successful business transfers. Evidence and key stakeholder opinion  (244KB)
• International review of business support and brokerage  (1167KB)
• SME growth trajectories: a pilot study of UK SME growth and survival using the CBR panel data  (4797KB)

2003

• Developing better regulation and policy [evidence base section 8]  (275KB)
• Qualitative research into small business experiences of using government services  (974KB)
• How do innovating small and medium sized enterprises use business support services?  (718KB)
• Improving small businesses' experience of Government services [evidence base section 7]  (250KB)
• Tracking Euro preparations amongst UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) with European Union (EU) links: Summary  (53KB)
• SBS diversity in public sector procurement survey  (1179KB)
• Improving access to finance for small businesses [evidence base section 5]  (290KB)
• Small Business Service. Early assessment of the company rescue scheme pilots: final report  (183KB)
• Encouraging a more dynamic start-up market [evidence base section 3]  (240KB)
• Barriers to self-employment for disabled people: summary  (55KB)
• The contribution of the self-employed to employment in the EU: summary  (87KB)
• Building the capability for small business growth [evidence base section 4]  (340KB)
• Making a difference: the contribution of graduates to small business success: summary  (73KB)