Enterprising businesses in poorer areas are set to benefit from £6 million of government cash.

The latest round of grants from the Phoenix Fund were announced by trade secretary Patricia Hewitt on Monday.

The scheme is designed to develop enterprise among disadvantaged communities and under-represented groups.

Among those to benefit was the Women's Employment, Enterprise and Training Unit in East Anglia which received £750,000 to develop training, access to finance, networking and childcare provision for women on low pay.

Another to gain was Social Firms UK, which will get £976,000 to spend on increasing business opportunities for people with disabilities.

A further 10 groups have benefited from the scheme for a diverse range of projects including inner-city retail businesses to refugee start-up programmes.

The Phoenix Fund has now awarded more than £100 million since 1999.

Getting small enterprises to succeed in areas blighted by social exclusion was vital to tackling poverty, the trade secretary argued.

"Boosting enterprise among groups under-represented in business and in disadvantaged communities is the key to social inclusion," she said.

"The government is committed to enterprise for all, no matter where people live or whatever their circumstances."