ABOUT 40 local companies are to be given a helping hand with new technology.

Business Link Bolton and Bury has announced a successful partnership bid under the Government's Local Competitiveness Challenge.

It has secured £185,000 from the DTI which is being boosted to £360,000 by financial contributions from Business Link partners.

The cash will help businesses use telematics.

This is any combination of information, computing or communications technology.

The aim is to improve communications, customer service, use of information and to develop employees through flexible training using the technology.

Mr Mark Allanson, General Manager of Business Link Bolton and Bury, is delighted with the result.

He said: "This was a very competitive bidding competition and is a great win for us on two counts.

"Firstly, for local companies who we can now help to access and use the latest technology to develop their business and secondly, this was a true partnership bid and demonstrates the success of the Business Link partners working together."

The partners are Bolton Institute, Bolton Bury Training and Enterfprise Council, Bury Council, Bolton Council, Bolton and Bury Chamber of Commerce, Bolton Business Ventures, the Bury Partnership and the Engineering Employers' Federation.

Business Link is now looking to work with companies from the Bolton and Bury areas who are keen to develop up to date communications internally and externally.

The scheme is aimed at those who so far have had neither the money nor the expertise to pursue matters to the depth required.

Business Link says its readily available expertise can take organisations from square one to become leading edge exponents of this "dynamic and exciting technology."

Anybody interested in the scheme is asked to contact the Business Information Researchers at Business Link on 0345 660704.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.