Interactive kiosks linked to on-line advice through a digital website and videophone may come to North Yorkshire if a Business Link partnership becomes a Small Business Service.

The innovative concept for 28 kiosks to be based in remote local communities is proposed in Business Link North Yorkshire's bid to become one of the Government's new Small Business Services which will succeed the national Business Link network. The bid, developed through a small working group that has overseen more detailed consultation with a broad range of partners and intermediaries, details a series of innovative opportunities to further develop business support and advice services throughout the county.

Also among the proposed initiatives are a new mobile kiosk to take services to remote parts of the county, outreach and peripatetic services for new and young businesses - including clinics across York and North Yorkshire - and actively seeking out entrepreneurs and businesses with real growth potential for in-depth support.

The bid document also proposed a new customer focus group that would feed the views and experiences of customers directly to the board.

It is also proposed that Investors in People and access to other workforce development services - currently delivered by North Yorkshire TEC - would be integrated into the SBS franchise as part of an in-depth approach.

Business Link North Yorkshire chief executive Helen West said: "This is an exciting opportunity for all businesses throughout the county and for those whose role is to assist them. All of us who prepared the bid feel we can deliver a significant step-change for local businesses, particularly those in more remote communities where help is harder to access.''

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.