One of Britain's leading banks has teamed up with De Montfort University (DMU) to sponsor a major business conference in Leicester this year.

Lloyds TSB Commercial will be the Gala Dinner sponsor of the 15th Annual Ethnic Minority Business Conference - an event organised each year by DMU's Centre for Research in Ethnic Minority Entrepreneurship (CREME).

This year's conference - seen as the UK's benchmark event on diversity and enterprise  - will bring together more than 100 delegates to discuss the theme 'Making diversity and enterprise everyone's business'.

The partnership with Lloyds TSB Commercial renews a relationship that began in 1997, when Lloyds - as it was then - sponsored the first ever conference.

Professor Monder Ram, Director of CREME, said: "I'm really delighted that Lloyds TSB Commercial is sponsoring this flagship event.

"This marks the start of an exciting and ambitious collaboration that will add real value to minority businesses and the finance sector."

Lloyds TSB Commercial has also agreed to join CREME's Enterprise and Diversity Alliance - a group of public and private sector organisations dedicated to developing new ways to support minority enterprise. 

Stephen Pegge, Director SME Markets at Lloyds TSB Commercial, said: "At our own bank, we are actively promoting the use of mentors to help small firms deal with financial issues, as we recognise the valuable support mentors provide and the role they can play as a source of advice to small business owners.

"We are therefore delighted to be part of this pioneering initiative and look forward to working with CREME to improve the quality of support that's available to ethnic minority businesses."

The 15th Annual Ethnic Minority Business Conference will take place in Leicester's Holiday Inn Hotel on 12 October 2011.