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Local Factsheet - Cheltenham

The Growth Hub Gloucestershire (DS)

The Growth Hub offers funded business support, designed to help Gloucestershire businesses grow.

From pre-stage through to established Companies, there is one to one business advice and support, expert-led events and online self-service resources .

Gloucestershire Growth Hub has grown to become one of the most highly recognised and successful Growth Hubs in the country.

The team of Business Navigators, deliver support and signposting across all disciplines include strategy, finance, leadership, export, operations and HR. In addition our sector specialists can focus in on business sustainability, green recovery, waste management and energy management,. 

The Growth Hub also offers a Mentoring Programme, where businesses at any stage, for a period of time, can work with a trained and experienced Mentor on specific challenges within their business.

Where is it for?
The Gloucestershire Growth Hub has dedicated Growth Hub centres in Gloucester, Cirencester, Tewkesbury, Stroud, Cheltenham and the Forest of Dean.
The network provision does not extend to South Gloucestershire, as this area is supported by West Of England.

Eligibility:
All pre-start, early stage and established Businesses in Gloucestershire.  Once you submit an online form the Growth Hub Team can advise which services you are eligible for.

Website: https://www.thegrowthhub.biz/

Telephone: Contact details for each can be found at https://www.thegrowthhub.biz/local-hubs/

E-mail: talktous@thegrowthhub.biz

Online Contact Form: https://support.thegrowthhub.biz/

Gloucestershire Library Growth Hub Network

Growth Hubs in the libraries will provide access to an online database of free business support and a wide variety of printed resources. Selected libraries will have co-working spaces and business areas, whereas some will simply have literature and guidance. This initiative is organised by Gloucestershire County Council in partnership with GFirst LEP.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/

Cheltenham Borough Council

Cheltenham Borough Council provides a great range from information on starting a business and signposting to local business support providers. You can also source guidance business rates and licensing, environmental health, food and health safety, commercial property and procurement.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/info/6/business

Tel: 01242 262626 - General enquiries
Tel: 01242 264255 - Business rates
Tel: 01242 264135 - Licensing

E-mail: enquiries@cheltenham.gov.uk

Gloucestershire County Council

Gloucestershire County Council can provide signposting to sources of business support, finance and funding, information on licenses and permits, trading standards guidance, procurement, premises and flooding. They also offer business information and research service from the Library service team.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/business-property-and-economy/

Tel: 01452 425 000 - Main switchboard

Tel: 01452 887 667 - Trading Standards

E-mail: customerservices@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Business West

Business West offers a range of excellent business solutions, including mentoring, access to finance, digital hub resources, events and workshops, premises, exporting (including documentation), training and networking.

Some charges for services may apply.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://www.businesswest.co.uk/

Tel: 01275 373 373

Kick off In Business

Are you thinking about starting a new business or becoming self-employed?

Free, fully funded, short courses offered online, providing an introduction to key considerations of starting a business or becoming self-employed.  Learners will gain two enterprise qualifications, and receive ongoing support for three months afterwards.  To register your interest, complete the online form.

Following completion of the course, participants have the option to join further free programmes focussed on digital promotion and digital skills in the business, covering areas including using digital technologies and software for word processing, presentations and spreadsheets and digital skills career progression.

For ex-offenders who have left the prison service, Kick off in Business offer Through the Gate Support, providing learners with the opportunity to gain a recognised business qualification.  Through a series of engaging sessions, the course covers all the basics of starting up, and supports learners to work with other specialist ex-offender agencies as part of their resettlement journey.  To make an enquiry contact the team by emailing referrals@kickoffinbusiness.co.uk

Eligibility: Available for people over the age of 19, not started trading or within the first 12 months of trading.

Website: https://www.kickoffinbusiness.co.uk

General contact form: https://www.kickoffinbusiness.co.uk/contact

Gloucestershire Rural Community Council

The Gloucestershire Rural Community Council is a charity offering advice and support to businesses & community groups who offer services in rural areas.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.

Website: www.grcc.org.uk

Tel: 01452 528 491

E-mail: info@grcc.org.uk

The Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West

Led by serving police officers, the Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West provides guidance and support to small businesses and charities to protect themselves from cyber-crime. Their free core membership package offers simple and comprehensible guidance on reducing cyber risks. Other services such as vulnerability assessments and security awareness training are available at a cost – more information can be found on the website. 

They are also running a series of free cyber resilience workshops on behalf of The Growth Hub Gloucestershire.

Eligibility: Available to all stages of business. 

Website: https://www.swcrc.co.uk/

Online contact form: https://www.swcrc.co.uk/contact-us  

Boost – Digital Business Growth Tool

The Digital Business Growth Tool is an interactive tool that helps to assess and support businesses to improve their online presence. The free diagnostic takes users through a series of questions looking at various aspects of their current online presence before offering up guides, tips and resources to help you improve.

Eligibility: Available for businesses that have begun trading.

Website: http://boost.thegrowthhub.biz/welcome.php

Innovate UK Business Growth

Innovate UK Business Growth (was Innovate UK EDGE) is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth. It provides intensive, specialist-led support to ambitious innovation-led businesses to help them grow and scale.

Each high-potential, innovative business is supported by a dedicated innovation & growth specialist local to them. The specialist will consider a business in the round and, working closely with its leadership, identify the most productive ways to accelerate its growth. This could be by working on the core business plan and value proposition or through exploiting innovation, accessing funding and finance, and/or expanding into new markets.

In particular, the specialists can help companies to develop an innovation-driven business plan; understand how to protect and create value from their intellectual property; develop a strategy to fund and finance their innovation, growth and be investment ready; connect to new partners for commercial, technology and R&D collaborations; and discover opportunities in overseas markets learning how to capitalise on them.

Innovate UK Business Growth  also offer the Scaleup Programme for enhanced support, the Global Incubator Programme and the Global Business Innovation Programme.

Eligibility: Available for businesses that have begun trading (innovative businesses, looking to grow and scale their business in the UK market and internationally) with up to 500 employees (250 in Northern Ireland). It is not suitable for pre-starts, or for those businesses who have no ambition to grow through innovation or internationalisation.

Website: https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/business-growth/

Online Contact Form: https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/business-growth-contact/ 

Tel: 0300 123 3066  (National Gateway)

Lawyers For Your Business (LFYB)

Do you need legal advice? Lawyers for your business is a scheme offering a free half-hour consultation with a member of the Law Society.

The lawyer will not be able to deal with existing legal issues but can help with general legal enquiries about starting a business, employing people, contracts with customers and suppliers, taking on leased premises, business structures, health and safety and raising finance. When contacting a solicitor for a 30-minute free consultation you must advise you are calling regarding the Lawyers for your business scheme and use the named contact on the sheet sent to you from the service.

Eligibility: Available for businesses trading up to 12 months including businesses not yet trading.

Website: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/

Tel: 020 7320 5650 - If you need help with using the find a solicitor section, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm

E-mail: lfyb@lawsociety.org.uk - please include postcode or town/city in the e-mail.

For solicitors interested in joining the LFYB scheme
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/individual-accreditations/lawyers-for-your-business


SWIG Finance

Are you based in the South West of England and are looking for a business loan?

SWIG Finance provides a range of business loans to viable businesses. Loans range from £500 up to  £250,000.  To find out more, visit the website or contact the team who will connect you to the right options for your business.

Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading but may vary depending on the scheme.

Website: https://www.swigfinance.co.uk/

Tel: 01872 227 930 / 01872 227 932

E-mail: info@swigfinance.co.uk

BCRS Business Loans

BCRS offers business loans from £10,000 to £150,000 to businesses that are unable to access mainstream finance from sources such as banks. They also offer loans to businesses making a positive contribution to the social, environmental, or economic well-being within their area.

Eligibility: Available for businesses that have begun trading. Lend to most market sectors including construction, engineering, IT services, manufacturing, service providers and wholesalers.

Website: https://bcrs.org.uk/

Tel: 0345 313 8410

E-mail: enquiries@bcrs.org.uk

South West Investment Fund (SWIF)

Offering a range of finance options, SWIF aims to provide finance to new and growing small businesses that may otherwise struggle to access it, across the whole South West region.
Funded by the British Business Bank and delivered by selected finance partners, organisations can apply for a range of loans starting at
£25,000, through to equity finance of up to £5 million.  They can support investments in various projects such as expansion, product or service innovation, and new processes, skills or purchase of capital equipment.  The individual funds support different areas of the South West, further details are available on the website.

Eligibility:
Available for all trading stages, subject to the eligibility criteria of the specific fund.

Website: https://www.british-business-bank.co.uk/finance-options/nations-and-regions-investment-funds/south-west-investment-fund

Tel: 0203 772 1340

Contact Form 

Procurement, tenders and winning contracts in Cheltenham

Cheltenham Borough Council
Guide on how to tender, and tender and procurement processes.
https://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/info/27/tenders_and_contracts

Gloucestershire County Council
Information on doing business with the council.
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/business-property-and-economy/doing-business-with-us/how-to-do-business-with-us/

Supplying the South West
Regional suppliers portal which details tender opportunities for councils across the South West.
https://www.supplyingthesouthwest.org.uk/

Events and networking groups in Cheltenham

Gloucestershire Growth Hub
https://www.thegrowthhub.biz/events/ 

South West Chambers of Commerce (Bath, Bristol, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire) - Business West
Membership organisation (fees apply).
https://www.businesswest.co.uk/members 
http://www.businesswest.co.uk/events

Institute of Directors (IOD) South West
Membership organisation (fees apply)
https://www.iod.com/events-community/regions/south-west

Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
Events calendar for UK based businesses.
https://www.fsb.org.uk/event-calendar.html

Find Networking Events - Gloucestershire
http://www.findnetworkingevents.com/in/gloucestershire/

BNI Cheltenham
http://bni-gloucestershire.co.uk/en-GB/index

South West Tourism Alliance
Offers membership to the business-to-business tourism sector in the South West of England. Members include trade associations, business groups, large stadia and major attractions.
http://www.swtourismalliance.org.uk/home/