Business Support Programmes

Business Support Programmes

Support and advice available for Folkestone and Hythe businesses

Folkestone and Hythe District Council offers business briefings with Pro-actions.

 

 

 

Folkestone and Hythe District Council offers free business briefings in partnership with Pro-actions.

Businesses in Folkestone and Hythe can benefit from free half-day seminars delivered by experienced business coaches on topics including

  • Marketing
  • Business Planning
  • Raising Finance
  • Growing Your Business
  • Increasing Profitability

Business Support Organisations

Federation of Small Businesses

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) supports UK small businesses. For a small annual fee they will offer services to help protect your business, save you money and offer advice to grow your business.

Cost: Membership fee

Eligibility: Any business/ entrepreneur

Contact: fsb.org.uk

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce

The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce is a membership organisation that provides a full range of business support services, ranging from networking, international trade, business support to representation

Cost: Membership fee

Eligibility: Any business/ entrepreneur

Contact: kentinvictachamber.co.uk

 

Locate In Kent

Locate in Kent offers confidential and free business investment and relocation services to international, UK and Kent-based companies looking to expand in the area.

Cost: Free

Eligibility: Any business/ entrepreneur/ investor

Contact: locateinkent.com

Business Support Programmes

Better Business for All

BBfA is a partnership designed to improve the way regulation is delivered to ease the burden on the local business community. The aim is to create a safe and fair trading environment that supports business growth, encourages fair competition and protects customers by working together to remove real and perceived barriers to growth.

Eligibility: All businesses but especially SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). All regulators working with the local business community.

Website: bbfa.biz/info-for-businesses

New Romney Business Incubator Centre

The New Romney Business Incubator Centre is a hub for helping business start-ups on the Romney Marsh, providing free/low cost office space, guidance and support to the small businesses in the area.

Cost: Free advice/cost competitive accommodation

Eligibility: Any business/ entrepreneur

Contact: romney-resource.co.uk

Pro-actions Group

The Pro-actions Group is a business improvement specialist company that works in partnership with Folkestone and Hythe District Council to help local businesses address challenging issues to improve sales and achieve growth.

Cost: Free

Eligibility: Any business/ entrepreneur

Contact: pro-actions.com

Upcoming Event:

 Date Time Title Location

To book your place call 07766 442232

or visit the Events page of the Pro-actions website pro-actions.com/events

 

Folkestone and Hythe Business Advisory Board

The Folkestone and Hythe Business Advisory Board is a forum for business in our area chaired by local businessman Geoff Miles that meets bimonthly. It offers networking opportunities with other local businesses and an opportunity to understand and influence local and national policies affecting business.

Cost: Free

Eligibility: Any business/ entrepreneur

Contact: Katharine.harvey@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk

See the video showing the Folkestone and Hythe Business Advisory Board in action

Visit Kent Tourism Business Advisory Service

The Visit Kent Tourism Business Advisory Service helps tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses succeed if you are looking to start up, develop, diversify or grow.

Cost: Free to local businesses

Eligibility: Any tourism business/ entrepreneur

Contact:  visitkentbusiness.co.uk/tourism-business-support-and-advice

Breaking Barriers: Inclusive Employability for Employers & Job Seekers

Inclusive Employability scheme from Social Enterprise Kent

Breaking Barriers focuses on inclusive employment practises working with both job seekers
and organisations. It will explore barriers that people from marginalised/minority groups may
face when accessing work and what organisations can do to welcome a diverse workforce
that is representative of their community.

Breaking Barriers will:

  • Support 100 job seekers
  • Work with 60 organisations in Canterbury, Folkestone and Thanet
  • Run for 6 months from January to Jun
  • Provide research from the project, which will be used to inform future local and national
    employment support programmes

As the project lead, SEK will be working in partnership with a number of organisations across
East Kent to deliver a high-quality programme focused on equality, diversity and inclusivity.

Participating Organisations will:

  • Receive a detailed recommendation report following a free Equality,
    Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) review with one of our trained members of
    staff looking at:

Existing policies and procedures
Recruitment practices
Staff retention
Working environment
Marketing
Supporting EDI development across the organisation

  • Be invited to attend an EDI training course with two highly skilled and
    experienced business consultants
  • Have the opportunity to apply for a grant of up to £1000 to support the
    implementation of their report recommendations
  • Have access to further training to help businesses explore EDI at a greater
    depth and roll out the training to the wider staff team
  • Access to our market research and best practise toolkit
  • Be invited to attend one of our best practise/sharing events in May or June

To apply, organisations must be:

  • A small or medium-size business based in Folkestone, Canterbury, or
    Thanet
  • Willing to participate in the EDI review and complete the EDI training

To get involved as either an organisation or a job seeker, email Jess Bartindale,
Employability Project Manager j.bartindale@sekgroup.org.uk or call 07718 975721

You can also download the following leaflets for both Employers and Job Seekers:

Breaking Barriers – Employers Leaflet            Breaking Barriers – Job Seekers Leaflet

 

 

 

 

Kent Fire & Rescue Service

Reduce your business risk with FREE impartial business advice from your local fire safety office and the opportunity to book FREE fire and safety seminars, plus access to Government guides to fire safety.

Cost: Free to local businesses

Eligibility: Any owner / manager / person responsible for commercial premises

Contact: kent.fire-uk.org/your-safety/business-safety/reducing-business-risk/

The Kent Foundation

The Kent Foundation is a charity dedicated to providing free business support and advice to Kent’s young people who wish to start or grow a business. Their Business Mentors hold a wide range of skills and knowledge just waiting to be used as a tool to help your business and offering you advice and support, recognition of your business aims, undivided attention to help you and someone to talk to.

Cost: Free

Eligibility: Young people who wish to start or grow a business

Contact: kentfoundation.org/business-support-kent/business-mentoring-in-kent/

Innovate2Succeed

Innovate2Succeed is a new programme designed to drive business growth by harnessing innovation.

Fully funded by the European Commission and Innovate UK – and delivered through Enterprise Europe Network – Innovate2Succeed is for ambitious companies who want to unlock their innovation management potential.

Cost: Fully funded

Eligibility: Ambitious companies who want to unlock their innovation management potential

Contact:  mailto:contact@enterprise-europe.co.uk /  http://www.innovateuk.gov.uk  / www.enterprise-europe.co.uk

 

 

Kickstart Scheme

Kickstart provides funding to create new jobs for 16 to 24-year olds who are currently on Universal Credit.

Employers of all sizes can apply for this funding to create new jobs for young people, rather than to replace existing roles within their organisation.

Kickstart covers 100% of the National Minimum Wage or the National Living Wage for employers, depending on the age of the participant, for 25 hours per week for a total of six months.

The Kickstart scheme will also cover associated employer national insurance payments and any relevant workplace pension contributions.

Employers can spread the job start dates up until 31 December 2021, and they’ll get funding until 30 June 2022 if a young person starts their job on 31 December 2021.

Employers can also offer additional hours to Kickstart employees at their own cost and are also free to top-up the salary payments should they wish to do so.

Also, unlike previous schemes you no longer need a minimum of thirty job placements to apply for Kickstart funding.

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce are the largest Gateway Organisation in the Southeast with more than 1500 placement applications from 600+ businesses.

They partner with the Kent Colleges of Further Education to provide the optional wrap around support required under the scheme.

Eligibility: Any business / entrepreneur

 Contact:  kickstart.campaign.gov.uk and locally kickstartkent.co.uk

British Business Bank

British Business Bank is the government owned economic development bank. It is a centre of expertise on smaller business finance offering a range of finance programmes.

British Business Bank make finance markets work better so smaller businesses across the UK can survive, prosper and grow.

Eligibility: UK small businesses

Contact: British Business Bank – Finance Hub

GOV.uk Website

Cost

Free/ paid for

Eligibility

Any tourism business/ entrepreneur

Contact

gov.uk/browse/business

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Cost

A SME would be expected to contribute a 1/3 of the project costs

Eligibility

Any business / entrepreneur

Contact

ktponline.org.uk

MentorsMe

Cost

FREE to use site

Eligibility

Any business / entrepreneur

Contact

mentorsme.co.uk

UK Trade and Investment

Cost

Varies

Eligibility

Businesses looking to export

Contact

ukti.gov.uk

Kent and Medway Growth Hub

Find out more about South East Business support from Kent and Medway Growth Hub.

kentandmedwaygrowthhub.org.uk

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