BRADFORD based start-ups can now get free support to start, protect or grow a small business through the new Business & IP Centre Local at City Library.

The new Centre is one of several across West Yorkshire libraries - including Calderdale and Wakefield - to offer spaces, business resources and services to local residents. Now Bradford residents will also be able to access up-to-date market research, business information and databases and attend specialist events and one-to-ones at their local library.

These new services are part of the British Library’s expansion of its network of library-based Business & IP Centres to 100 regional and local libraries across England. The new BIPC locals across West Yorkshire build on the popular service already available through Leeds Libraries.

The Business & IP Centre in Bradford will officially open on Monday, but as a prelude to this, on Thursday as part of the British Library’s Start-up Day event, budding entrepreneurs are invited to join a morning of demonstrations of the resources and databases, designed to get new business ideas off to a flying start.

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The British Library is embarking on ambitious plans in the region, having secured government funding to reimagine its Boston Spa site: home to 70 per cent of the growing national collection. In addition, the Library hopes to open a new public site in Temple Works, Leeds, this decade, providing greater access to its collections and building on its current programme of events, exhibitions and workshops in the city.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “The Bradford district is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and in 2017 it was named as the best city to start a new business. Having a new BIPC in Bradford will be great for our budding entrepreneurs, helping them to get the information and access to resources they need to get their business off to a flying start.”

Bradford-based entrepreneur Omar Bahadur, founder of Faraday Drinks Ltd in Bradford and previous user of the Business & IP Centre Leeds, said: “The business support offered through the Leeds library service has been invaluable in helping me research my market and understand my customers. It was really easy to access support throughout the pandemic and the information provided by the BIPC helped me to develop my business plan. It’s great that even more people can now access free support locally around West Yorkshire to help with their own businesses.”

Liz Jolly, Chief Librarian at the British Library, said: “At their heart, libraries are trusted spaces with professional staff who have a mission to connect people with information. From Glasgow to Brighton, our BIPC Network harnesses the power of libraries, bringing in expertise from the local community to help people from all walks of life turn an idea into a successful business.

"We’re delighted to mark this next chapter in the Network’s journey, growing from 14 to over 100 new regional and local Centres across England, with a longer-term ambition to expand across the UK. Our mission is to put business support in every library, but we’re also learning lessons from the past year, by making sure more and more of our business and IP workshops, events and 1-1s are open to everyone online.”

Anyone wanting help to start or grow their own business in Bradford can visit BIPC Local at Bradford’s City Library.

Further information about the Business & IP Centre Leeds City Region and where to find your nearest centre can be found by visiting www.leeds.gov.uk/bipcleeds.