A new website is to be launched to provide disadvantaged groups with the advice and support they need to start their own companies.

The site is targeted at those who may be finding it challenging to find work, such as people in their 50s who have been made redundant, or Asian women who may might not feel confident as employees due to cultural influences.

It has been created to form part of the Be Enterprising scheme deisgned to foster a new generation of businesses in the city.

The scheme is being adminsistered by Bradford Council and is financed by the £21.4 million Local Enterprise Growth Initiative (LEGI) grant which Bradford won in November 2005.

The long term project aims to tackle unemployment and worklessness and help the local economy expand by getting people to start their own firms.

Be Enterprising turned to a Bradford-based company, Webmotion, for its design.

Robert Campbell, enterprise programme manager for the scheme said: "Webmotion bid for the work for this very novel website and we chose them because they had passion and vision for the project, which was extremely important.

"It is a Bradford-based business who have the technical expertise for this job and they brought good solutions to enable us to do what we wanted."

The interactive site and network of support will allow users to make the website part of their lives, so they feel supported when they are going into business.

It will enable visitors to engage in live chats with business mentors, load up their profiles, use video and audio podcasting, and invite new contacts to join the community.

The secure website will also provide business tools, so people do not have to possess special software. It will provide as much encouragement as possible to people who aspire to go into business.

Ragbir Singh, managing director of Webmotion, said: "We are really excited to be working on such an enterprising and original initiative that is bound to bring people together and provide help exactly where it is needed."