Each event will cover the following:

• Replacements to the existing Enterprise suite of qualifications
• New SFEDI Awards qualification offer
• Your centre development needs
• Enterprise Apprenticeship
• Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE)
• Get Mentoring
• SFEDI Standards

The events are taking place at:

Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, London      15^th May

Hilton Milton Street, Nottingham      17^th May

Raddisson Blu, Leeds                              22^nd May

The events are free of charge and will begin at 10.00am – 1.00pm with networking and lunch from 1.00pm – 2.00pm

We would encourage all centres and those interested in becoming a centre to attend, come and meet the SFEDI Awards team and learn first hand about the new qualification offer.

To book your free place,  please use the link provided SFEDI Awards Road Show

Reservations for these events are being taken on a first come first serve basis so don’t miss out and reserve your place today

We look forward to seeing you.

If you have any questions please contact the customer service team at customerservices@sfediawards.com

From 1^st July 2012 these qualifications will no longer accept new registrations. The changes do not affect those who are registered on the current qualifications by this date and they will be able to complete and be certificated.

We have recently submitted the replacement qualifications to the Standard Setting Body  as the first stage of the renewal process and aim to have these qualifications available to the centre network during May 2012 for new registrations.

Centres who currently deliver these qualifications will be automatically authorised to offer the new qualifications once they are available and a centre update will be circulated once the titles and structures have been agreed by the regulatory bodies.

There will be a period of time where a centre can register on both the existing and the new qualifications to allow a transition period  to minimise disruption.

We recommend that centres attend the recently publicised SFEDI Awards Road Show events to hear about the changes to the qualifications and have a chance to ask questions in person.

Places are still available for the SFEDI Awards Road Show and you can reserve your place by clicking here. Reservations are being taken on a first come first served basis so book early to avoid disappointment.

If you have any questions please contact the Customer Service Team at customerservices@sfediawards.com

Each event will cover the following:

• New and existing SFEDI Awards qualification offer
• Your centre development needs
• Enterprise Apprenticeship
• Institute of Enterprise and Entrepreneurs (IOEE)
• Get Mentoring
• SFEDI Standards

The events are taking place at:

Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, London      15^th May

Hilton Milton Street, Nottingham      17^th May

Raddisson Blu, Leeds                              22^nd May

The events are free of charge and will begin at 10.00am – 1.00pm with networking and lunch from 1.00pm – 2.00pm

We would encourage all centres and those interested in becoming a centre to attend, come and meet the SFEDI Awards team and learn first hand about the new qualification offer.

To book your free place,  please use the link provided SFEDI Awards Road Show

Reservations for these events are being taken on a first come first serve basis so don’t miss out and reserve your place today

We look forward to seeing you.

If you have any questions please contact the customer service team at customerservices@sfediawards.com

The qualifications that are currently available through this centre are:

Level 3 Award in Enterprise Mentoring

This sees a continued growth in the SFEDI Awards centre network providing support through qualifications and programmes.

If organisations are interested in becoming a Centre of Excellence or a SFEDI Awards Centre then please contact our Customer Service team via customerservices@sfediawards.com.

Details of Toni & Guy Business Academy can be seen through our ‘Find a Centre’ section of the website.

Laura Lee completed the Preparing to Run Your Own Business Course at The Results Consortium Ltd

“I enjoyed the course. It provided a recap on some of the basics of business, which may have been new to some learners. But where I really benefitted was the business plan. The way the course was structured made it incredibly easy to put together. I had always thought that this was a complicated and time-consuming process but I found that I’d done it almost without realising.”

With a plan of action in place, Laura has already made huge strides with her company Laura Lee Bookkeeping. She has taken on a design company, a painter and decorator, a recording studio and retail shop as clients and, with a website on the way (www.lauraleebookkeeping.com), she hopes that she’ll be adding to that list soon:

“I’m currently speaking with a make-up artist and estate agents to add to my portfolio. Ideally, I’d like to take on more work with creative people. I enjoy working with companies who have that creative edge.”

Laura is also quick to point to the value of having the support of a mentor when setting up an enterprise:

“I have a mentor who runs her own accountancy firm. She also works from home and likes to work with similar clients so I respect the advice that a businesswoman like that can give me. Also, having someone like Emma on hand is great for networking – we can share ideas and pass recommendations each other’s way.”

It seems that Laura is now not only prepared to run her own business; she’s put it into practice and is already well on the way to making it a success.

For more information on the Level 2 Certificate in Preparing to Run Your Own Business, or any of the other SFEDI qualifications available see the SFEDI qualifications page.

PGS Training & Development is the latest new member of the SFEDI Awards delivery network, gaining approval as a SFEDI Awards Centre showing their commitment to enterprise and entrepreneurs.

The qualifications that are currently available through this centre are:

Level 3 Certificate in Enterprise Coaching

Level 4 Certificate in Providing Skills Advice to Business

Level 3 Award in Enterprise Mentoring

Level 4 Certificate in Enterprise Mentorin

Level 1 Award in Exploring Enterprise

Level 2 Award in Aspects of Enterprise

Level 3 Award in Aspects of Enterprise

Level 2 Certificate in Preparing to Run Your Own Business

Level 3 Certificate in Preparing to Run Your Own business

Level 2 NVQ Certificate in Starting Your Own Business

Level 3 NVQ Diploma in Starting Your Own business

Level 2 Award in Planning and Delivering One Off Social enterprise Activity

Level 2 Certificate in Planning and Delivering Ongoing Social Enterprise Activity

Level 4 Diploma in Career Information and Advice

Level 6 Diploma in Career Guidance and Development

This sees a continued growth in the SFEDI Awards centre network providing support through qualifications and programmes.

If organisations are interested in becoming a Centre of Excellence or a SFEDI Awards Centre then please contact our Customer Service team via customerservices@sfediawards.com.

Details of PGS Training & Development can be seen through our ‘Find a Centre’ section of the website.

The qualifications that are currently available through this centre are:

Level 2 Award in Aspects of Enterprise

Level 2 Certificate in Preparing to Run Your Own Business

Level 3 Award in Enterprise Mentoring

Level 3 Certificate in Enterprise Coaching

This sees a continued growth in the SFEDI Awards centre network providing support through qualifications and programmes.

If organisations are interested in becoming a Centre of Excellence or a SFEDI Awards Centre then please contact our Customer Service team via customerservices@sfediawards.com.

Details of Pathway Group can be seen through our ‘Find a Centre’ section of the website.

The week-long Congress in Liverpool will see a range of activities to champion the entrepreneurial spirit of business people in the UK and around the world. Today, Mark Prisk has announced that the Get Mentoring initiative to recruit 15,000 volunteer business mentors has now passed the halfway mark with more than 7,500 signed up.

Once trained, they will join 11,000 mentors already available through the mentorsme.co.uk portal launched last year. 4,000 of the Get Mentoring volunteers have already been trained meaning that there are now 15,000 mentors available through the portal.

Business and Enterprise Minister Mark Prisk said:

“The Government is committed to making the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.

“We have already launched a new BusinessLink website to provide a single comprehensive place for people to get the information they need to start a business and will be providing coaching opportunities for high growth potential businesses.

“Creating a network of thousands of business mentors will give SMEs access to a wealth of knowledge from entrepreneurs who have been there and done it before. It’s encouraging that so many people are signing up to be business mentors and that we are continuing to get the support of influential entrepreneurs who are joining our campaign to boost business mentoring across the UK.”

In another step forward for the programme, prominent entrepreneurs Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones, Mike Southon, Carl Hopkins and Penny Power will take on the voluntary roles as mentoring ambassadors, throwing their support behind plans to create a network of tens of thousands of business mentors and promote the Get Mentoring initiative and mentorsme portal.

Entrepreneur and founder of Ecademy, Penny Power said:

“Mentoring has been a critical aspect of my personal journey, often informally provided in conversations with business friends, when I have talked through challenges, opportunities and how to achieve goals and execute my vision. I am delighted to be supporting the Mentorsme programe and look forward to encouraging many more people to ask for help and receive it from people who have been there and care about their success.”

Entrepreneur and founder of The Black Farmer, Wilfred Emmanuel-Jones said:

“I am a great believer that anyone serious about starting a business should make sure they have a mentor they can turn to, especially someone who has trodden the same path before them because the advice that they give will be borne out of a similar experience to their own. I am a huge supporter of the Get Mentoring scheme and pleased to be a part of it.”

The total number of volunteers signed up to the Get Mentoring initiative is now 7544.

This year the Government is running the Business in You campaign to encourage more people to start or grow their business throughout 2012 using a range of existing support services, including mentoring. More information is available at businessinyou.bis.gov.uk.

Labelled is the latest new member of the SFEDI Awards delivery network, gaining approval as a SFEDI Awards Centre showing their commitment to enterprise and entrepreneurs.

The qualifications that are currently available through this centre are:

Level 1 Award in Exploring Enterprise

Level 2 Certificate in Preparing to Run Your Own Business

Level 2 Award in Aspects of Enterprise

This sees a continued growth in the SFEDI Awards centre network providing support through qualifications and programmes.

If organisations are interested in becoming a Centre of Excellence or a SFEDI Awards Centre then please contact our Customer Service team via customerservices@sfediawards.com.

Details of Labelled can be seen through our ‘Find a Centre’ section of the website.

As a result of the changing nature of the Business Support industry, SFEDI Awards and the IOEE have worked in partnership and will, later this year, formally launch the IOEE Faculty of Enterprise Support. This will provide a community and directory within a nationally recognised Institute which will enable potential clients to find, engage with and verify the credentials of Business Support professionals. This new approach replaces our previous re-approval process.

In order for an individual to be listed within this directory they will be required to complete a SFEDI Awards Enterprise Support qualification, for example the Level 5 Certificate in Business Support. This will entitle them to one year’s free Membership of the IOEE and entitle the individual to use the post-nominal letters MIOEE. After the first 12 months membership is then charged at £75 per annum but is always free to those volunteering to be part of the IOEE Mentor programme. IOEE Mentors will also feature in the Mentor Directory linked to from the national mentoring portal Mentorsme.

In addition, to retain ongoing membership of the IOEE’s Faculty of Enterprise Support an individual must, upon request, be able to demonstrate having undertaken CPD activity that:

1. Clearly shows how they have developed

2. Is relevant to their initial accreditation

3. Is of an appropriate/valid nature

4. Is demonstrably applied in their practice as a Business Support professional

This new approach provides a great opportunity for individuals who are currently listed on the SFEDI Directory to remain listed within the Institute’s new Faculty of Enterprise Support which also allows access to a virtual mentoring network to gain and offer knowledge and support.

As a member of the SFEDI Directory you will automatically gain free Membership of the IOEE Faculty of Enterprise Support – details of which will be issued in the next 14 days along with more detailed CPD documentation. If you would also like to take advantage of the current offer of full professional membership with mentor status then please visit the IOEE Mentor microsite for further details and to register.

If you have any questions relating to this change please contact the IOEE atcustomerservices@ioee.co.uk and we will be more than happy to support you.