The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS Group) and the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) are delighted to have formed a long-term strategic partnership to support the small business sector. Together we will be able to deliver a range of financial services and business development activities at an international, national and a more local level, to be announced in the upcoming months.

As part of RBS Group’s commitment, we are the new headline sponsor of the National Chamber Awards for the next three years. RBS Group, which includes business banks NatWest and RBS, will sponsor the ‘Achievement in International Business’ category and have doubled the prize money available to the national ‘Winner of Winners’, the award for ‘Outstanding Business Achievement. At RBS Group we understand what it takes for a business to be successful in business and to recognise this achievement we shall be presenting the overall winner of this prestigious award a cheque for £50,000.

Steve Pateman, Chief Executive for Royal Bank of Scotland Group UK Business Banking added: “I am really proud to launch this long term partnership with the BCC, starting with the National Chamber Awards in November. The partnership will not stop there of course, as we use our extensive network of branch-based business managers and the BCC local chambers to deliver a range of banking services and business development activities to support the local small business sector. ”

David Frost, Director General of the BCC commented: “We are delighted that RBS Group has become our national and international banking partner. RBS Group has one of the largest banking teams, encompassing all areas of business banking. Like us, their roots are set firmly in the local community helping business there to grow and prosper. They share our commitment to this sector both nationally and locally. We are looking forward to what promises to be a very fruitful relationship for British businesses over the coming years.”

RBS Group, which includes NatWest and RBS, are proud to be Britain's leading small business bank. That position has been earned because we have invested time and effort to understand the issues that matter to small firms. We have used this knowledge to develop products and services that meet their needs. We believe in providing a full banking package for our customers, offering the widest range of practical benefits to support small businesses, from start up to stock market floatation.

NatWest and RBS business banking are committed to providing free face to face advice through locally based experienced managers, recently introducing a further 500 locally based business managers into our network of 2,277 branches.

For more information on how RBS Group can help your business, visit rbs.co.uk or natwest.com