The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is recruiting two successful entrepreneurs to help the government address the needs of small and medium sized businesses and keep the county ahead in the global race.

The two distinct roles - Scale-up Entrepreneur in Residence and SynBio Entrepreneur in Residence - will include acting as consultants to advise government in helping to deliver specific projects or programmes, as well as to be ambassadors for BIS.

Scale-up Entrepreneur in Residence role

BIS is looking for someone with substantial experience of starting and scaling-up businesses, to help the government in its mission to help small businesses grow. The department and the Entrepreneur in Residence will work together to develop a programme of activity on the full range of issues that affect small businesses from finance to skills, exports to regulation. The ‘Scale-up’ Entrepreneur in Residence will be expected to cultivate networks within and outside government, speak at events and help officials develop policy to boost business growth.

SynBio Entrepreneur in Residence role

The winning candidate will have a strong background in technology based start-ups in sectors of relevance to synthetic biology (SynBio). He or she will help the government develop a flourishing UK industry in Synthetic Biology (SynBio), which is expected to benefit the life sciences and energy sectors. The department and the successful applicant will together develop a programme of activity  which will include networking with SynBio start-ups and research and innovation centres, promoting collaboration and informing the work of the SynBio Leadership Council.

The Entrepreneurs in Residence will be the second pair to fill the post and will spend a year working closely with BIS, helping them to design and guide policy.

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 29 April, and you can read further details about the roles and how to apply on their website.

The outgoing Entrepreneurs in Residence at BIS are business owners Lawrence Tomlinson and Rekha Mehr, who fought off competition from over 200 other applicants. Experienced Leeds-based entrepreneur Lawrence Tomlinson runs businesses in a number of sectors including construction, software, chemicals, cars and care homes. Rekha Mehr is the founder and owner of Pistachio Rose, a London-based business creating high-end Anglo-Indian cakes and sweets and Moonrekha, a business support consultancy.

Rekha was hired to be a voice for start ups, and here, she describes how she has found the role “Starting my own business and seeing it grow has been challenging, exciting and hugely rewarding. Becoming an Entrepreneur in Residence has allowed me to use my own knowledge and experience to champion other start-up entrepreneurs within the heart of government.

As part of my role I’ve travelled with trade delegations, contributed to the design of new initiatives, discussed policy with the decision makers and met incredibly inspiring business owners. It’s been a fantastic experience and I would recommend it to any entrepreneur looking to contribute towards positive change.”

Launching the recruitment process, Skills and Enterprise Minister Matthew Hancock said: “In launching our search for two new Entrepreneurs in Residence, we are asking for business people to tell us what more we can do and I hope the programme proves to be as popular as it was last time.”

If you are a budding entrepreneur, need help with a start up or just looking for business support and guidance, take a look at our business support pages or call us on 01494 568941.