Sheffield Chamber operates the BME Forum in order to provide a strong voice for Black and Minority Ethnic businesses and entrepreneurs in the corporate governance of Sheffield and to represent the forum at a regional and national level.

The forum has now been running successfully for the last two years and has over 100 members and hosts an annual showcase event to highlight the work of its members.

Its mission is to act as a strategic body of local Black and Minority Ethnic businesses and entrepreneurs whose aim is to influence change through contribution to the economy of Sheffield and the development of communities.

The BME Forum has a number of key strategic aims:

• To advise on the development and delivery of appropriate business support services to improve the competitiveness of BME businesses in Sheffield.
• To work in partnership with key strategic organisations in the private and public sectors to ensure that services provided by the BME forum match and exceed the needs of the BME businesses in the city.
• To work towards strengthening the capacity of BME business, raising it from the margins to the mainstream.