About Us

The Business Matters project has grown out of the Working with Business National project and continues to be the leading project in the UK to progress data sharing between Local Authorities, Businesses and related other agencies.

Business Matters is now working on the fourth phase of its work supported by funding from Business Link West Midlands and the Regional Development Agency, Advantage West Midlands. Earlier phases have been supported by West Midlands RIEP and WMLGA.

The project has developed a data sharing schema, the Business Description Schema, (BDS4) which has been adopted by other projects in the UK. Importantly, the work with Business Link has now also designed a methodology to keep different partners’ and agencies business related data sets synchronised and up to date as circumstances change: The Core Index Update System. This is now being piloted as proof of concept and if extended will lead to significant efficiency gains and cost savings. It will also lead to the development of a database of Businesses for the whole of the West Midlands that is always up to date and accurate. This will be a model for the other 8 regions in England to follow.