Bridging the gap in support for ethnic minority owned businesses: the case of Devon and Cornwall

This paper presents findings from recent research undertaken into the characteristics and support needs of ethnic minority owned businesses (EMBs) in Devon and Cornwall. The study was commissioned by PROSPER (formerly Devon and Cornwall TEC and Business Link), in collaboration with the Rural Race Equality Project in South West England. EMBs have been the subject of growing interest from a variety of sources in recent years, generating considerable debate about their distinctiveness in comparison with other small firms and their needs in terms of public policy. Not surprisingly, perhaps, a great deal of this research has focused on areas where EMBs are concentrated, such as London and Birmingham. In contrast, this research focuses on EMBs in an area which is some distance from the main centres of EMB concentration and where the ethnic minority population is more dispersed, many in a rural context.