In 2001 the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) re-organised the National Network of 86 Business Links to 45 larger ones covering the same region. In that year the Ixion Holdings Limited group (Ixion) started trading as a single company called Business Link for Essex Limited.
The company won the Small Business Service (SBS) (an agency of the DTI) operating licence to operate Business Link branded services in the county of Essex. Business Link for Essex was one of the 45 Business Link operators providing the service across England.
At the same time, the Essex Learning and Skills awarded Business Link for Essex various contracts to deliver workforce development programmes, particularly Investors in People.
The main competences required of the Business Link for Essex company at the time, aside from competent management of public funding, was to provide an access gateway to all DTI and Learning Skills Council (LSC) business support and workforce development services for the 60,000 VAT registered businesses (and start-ups) in Essex.
In addition to providing "access", the core of these services to business is to provide information, diagnose business and training needs, and broker solutions from appropriate service and training providers.
Business Link operated as a "one stop shop" for the needs of its business customers.
In 2004 a change in government policy removed the Business Link brand from the operating company's names. To comply with the new brand rules, Business Link for Essex Limited changed its name to Essex Business Support Limited.
At the same time, the SBS also made a decision to move responsibility for the Business Link operator network to the 9 Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) from April 2005.
Simultaneously, National LSC decided to regionalise training and workforce development provision.
The fundamental reasons behind both these changes was to reduce infrastructure and back office support costs thus saving public funds, so more services could be made available to business customers and indirectly to individuals.
The complete regionalisation and revision of both Business Link and Workforce Development Services was expected to be completed by April 2007.
To meet these challenges, in 2004, Essex Business Support Limited conducted a business risk assessment and decided on a policy of market diversification and growth, by building on its huge experience and expertise in workforce development and business support and exploiting its reputation for excellence in delivery.
A key plank of this growth strategy was building collaboration with key public and private sector partners as an entry route into new markets.
In 2004, a decision was made to set up a commercially focussed business division, i.e. marketing and Events, Technologies and Environmental. As a result of this, Essex Business Support set up Ixion Business Limited (formerly The Service Brokerage Limited), to operate outside its traditional operating area in Essex. Ixion Business Limited achieved its first success in late 2004 by winning a £1.2 million, 2 year contract for Investors in People services in London, in partnership with Exemplas Limited.
In 2005 Ixion Business secured its first international contract to provide Investors in People support in the Middle East. In 2006 this company, operating as an unincorporated consortium with Reed in Partnership, and Exemplas Limited, secured the Train to Gain Specialist Skills Brokerage London contract.
Business Link for Essex Holdings Limited had been formed as the ultimate parent company of the emerging group. This company was later renamed Ixion Holdings Limited (IXION) to conform to the subsequent requirements of the BL brand changes.
In 2006 Ixion set up a joint venture, with Exemplas Holdings Limited, called East of England IDB Limited. This company successfully secured the EEDA contract to provide the regional Business Link service for the East of England and it began trading as Business Link East on April 1st 2007. This contract is worth in excess of £15m per annum and Ixion owns 50% of the joint venture company.
Also, in 2006 Essex Business Support Limited secured the Train to Gain Specialist Skills Brokerage contract for the East of England.
Ixion Holdings Limited is an accredited Investor in People Company and secured its Customer First accreditation on its first try in early 2007.