Interserve has been appointed by Allia, the UK Social Enterprise Charity, to design and build a £7 million business innovation centre in Cambridge that has a remit to grow businesses that benefit the community and the environment.

Interserve has worked closely with the charity, funding a planning application and providing financial expertise to enable it to develop and deliver the project.

The Future Business Centre, run by Allia, will be an enterprise hub that demonstrates the possibilities of combining good business practice with a philanthropic approach. It will support start-up and early stage social and commercial businesses, developing products that result in social or environmental benefits. Work has started on the site and the opening is planned for the end of 2013.

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Commenting on the project, Andrew Howard, Associate Director of Interserve said: "We are delighted to be appointed by Allia to deliver its vision for this important business innovation centre. We share the organisation's desire to grow businesses that benefit the community and the environment.

"We have worked closely with Allia over two years, funding a planning application and providing a loan facility to enable the charity to develop and deliver the project. The unique design, to match the expectations of changing occupiers and the requirements of funders, now has full planning consent, and building has commenced."

(CD/MH)