The British Hospitality Association (BHA) will manage a £1.6m, two-year Skills Agenda project aimed at developing support products and services for small- and medium-sized businesses.

The programme is currently being piloted with partnership funding from the European Social Fund, the BHA, People 1st Sector Skills Council and the Food Standards Agency.

The programme aims to increase the quality of service among small businesses in the hospitality and tourism industry by conducting national research into the skills needs of small- and medium-sized businesses and by carrying out pilot work on improving food safety.

In a pilot scheme in Yorkshire, around 200 catering businesses successfully completed a Safer Food Better Business workshop with a specialist follow-up programme.

Initially the programme will focus on establishing compliance modules in food safety, nutrition and diet, fire safety, health and safety and employment law.