Google and Microsoft throw weight behind StartUp Britain

Tech firms including RIM, Microsoft and Fujitsu are offering free support through the government scheme

The government's StartUp Britain campaign was launched today with backing from some of the world's leading technology companies.

StartUp Britain, which counts Microsoft, Google, RIM and Fujitsu among its backers, was announced last Thursday during Chancellor George Osborne's Budget speech, and aims to foster an enterprise-driven recovery.

The backing from technology companies to start-ups or small enterprises includes:

• some 1,000 free start-up guides from RIM

• free advertising from Google

• technology training for 5,000 start-ups from Microsoft including £400 worth of free tech resources

• free access to Fujitsu's cloud-based IT infrastructure for 30 days, including computer processing power, an IT network, storage and backup.

StartUp Britain is also offering startups a benefits package worth about £1,500.

"New technology means that IT has become an enabler for businesses of all shapes and sizes, old or new, to compete on a fair and equitable level," said Simon Carter, director of government marketing for Fujitsu UK & Ireland.

"StartUp Britain is a way of bringing the 'Big Society' ethos to a business environment," he added.

The scheme's web site is being hosted on an enterprise cloud computing platform provided by Carrenza.