Warning over directories

9:32am Thursday 21st August 2008

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BUSINESSMEN and women are being advised to take care if they are offered a directory for £250 telling them how to obtain government grants.

The offer first appeared in 2003/04 and is circulating again.

The directory gives information about grants and contact details for the providers, and comes in a binder sealed in a shrink wrap plastic cover.

The terms stipulate that once the shrink wrap is broken it cannot be returned. However, it cannot be examined until the wrap is removed.

It is thought unlikely that money would be refunded if the directory were returned with the seal intact.

The warning about the directory comes from Business Link and Small Business Advisory Service, which is run by former Business Link manager, George Trytsman.

Business owners receive what appears to be an article cut from a magazine to which is attached a post-it note encouraging the recipient to check it out and signed with a single letter, often J.

The article is headed Grants.Loans.Assistance. Government funding, programmes and more... How you can acquire money quickly!

If recipients call the free phone number (0800 072 1796), they will be connected to a man who talks about grants being available in their area and that they will qualify for free money in a number of business areas. He encourages them to look at the website www.govprogrammes.co.uk and to buy the grant directory at £250.

Grants are for specific purposes and are largely post code driven, so if you are not in the right area you won't qualify.

Business Link points out that all grant information is available free on the internet and can be accessed via the Business Link website and www.grantsnet.co.uk And, it says, there are many other grant-making bodies, including trade associations and local authorities.

Andrew Tilley of Wiltshire Trading Standards said his department had received a couple of complaints about a similar offer.

"This is something we would suggest anybody steers well away from. People should think hard about buying something like this and be aware that there are a number of other channels that are free. As Business Link says, this sort of information is available free from government websites," he said.