1^st April 1995
After securing ERDF funding the Business Bridge collaborative project begins

         

8^th October 1996
BB2 begins with a further ERDF funding

    

9^th September 1997
Business Bridge hosts national conference at Peter Jost Enterprise Centre entitled 'Business Bridges' to raise awareness

1998
As a spin off of Business Bridge, Community Bridge is created to assist organisations in the voluntary sector

25^th Feb 1998
2^nd Business Bridge Conference at Peter Jost Enterprise Centre to gain feedback from 1^st conference

1^st April 1999
BB3 starts with nearly 3 more years of ERDF funding

Business Bridge North East Launched: Summer 1999
University of Sunderland adopt Business Bridge model and set up similar project under the same title, with the help of Business Bridge

LENW 1: October 1999
Learning from Experience in the North West: Business Bridge selected as model for evaluation to promoe best practice through different pilot schemes

Jan 2000-Sept 2002
Another Spin-off the DOiT project is created to expand markets to larger companies through students working on projects in teams

LENW 2: 2001 LENW Personnel Assistant created:
A product of the initial evaluation , a package for SMEs to utilise to assist their limited Human Resource capacity
The LENW Personnel Assistant
LENW web site

1^st January 2002
BB4 begins securing a further 3 years of ERDF funding

March 2002
Graduate Survey
- What they said about us
-former BB students
feedback their feelings of the service upon graduating

10^th October 2002
Business Bridge Web application launched:
Client relationship management tool created internally to increase effectiveness of the internal process & enhance external realtions with clients
Click here for a screen shot

18^th December 2002
Investors in People Quality standards achieved

Jan 2003
Business Bridge student in the Financial Mail

NASES
Jan 2003
Business Bridge becomes NASES member

13^th Febuary 2003
Government White paper Video on HE:
Business Bridge involved as part of training video to promote best parctice for HE/Business relations

December 2003
Business Bridge features in the THES:
Part of the report on the Lambert Review

January 2004
First Business Bridge graduate retention study, retention rate: 39%

Febuary 2004
Gordon Brown includes Business Bridge in his annual Keynote Speech under Business Engaement
Gordon Browns Speech

April 2004
Business Bridge hosts Business Event at Anfield: Government agencies & members of HE brought together to promote their services

Marketing Database:
further developments in Client Relations Management

AGCAS
September 2004
SME AGCAS booklet published Business Bridge selected to write graduate 'booklet' to explain the SME market and the opportunities for graduates

SME booklet

December 2004
Business Bridge begins full transition to 'Knowledge Exchange Centre' under new HEIF funding backed by the NWDA match funding