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Summaries of local and national support, funding, events and networking.

Visit Britain's Visit England - Business Advice Hub

Practical tips, legal obligations and local support for businesses in the tourism sector.

Invoice Financing

Information on selling your unpaid business invoices to a third party, to help ease your cash flow. It covers the different ways to do this and how they work.

British Business Bank

The British Business Bank is a government-owned business development bank, dedicated to making finance markets work better for smaller businesses.

Santander Breakthrough

Tools and resources to start and grow your business.

Department for Business and Trade (previously DIT) - Preparing to Export

A range of resources for companies starting to sell overseas.

Health and Safety: The basics for your business

Useful information for your business regarding Health and Safety.

Useful Resources and Contacts

Managing IP Overseas

How to manage your intellectual property in other countries.

Register of Overseas Entities

Strike-off Objection FAQ

Grants Management Function - Find a grant

Find a Grant is a free, central place for businesses, individuals and organisations to find and apply for government grants

Chartered Institute of Arbitrators - (CIARB)

CIArb is an international centre of excellence for the practice and profession of alternative dispute resolution (ADR).

CICM - Chartered Institute of Credit Management

The Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) is the largest recognised professional body in the world for the credit management community.

Access to Work

Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.

DWP - Support with employee health and disability

This service offers free advice to employers, tailored to the needs of smaller businesses

Start Up Loans

Government-backed loans and mentoring for people starting a new business or within their first three years of trading.

Finance Hub

An online hub to help businesses find the right finance programme for their business.

Asset Finance Guide

The Asset Finance Guide from British Business Bank sets out the benefits of asset finance to help business owners decide if this type of finance can help them achieve their growth plans.

Business Finance and Support Finder

The government's business support and finance finder tool on gov.uk.

Time Finance

Specialist funding provider for the UK business market.

Useful Guides for Data Protection

A range of online resources around protecting data in your business.

Invoice trading/selling

If you have a business that is already trading, you might be able to sell/trade outstanding invoices from customers to free up working capital.

Procurement, tenders and winning contracts in West Northamptonshire (formerly Northampton)

Organisations that provide support and guidance to help win contracts through procurement and tender opportunities.

Business Finance Guide

The Business Finance Guide provides businesses with information on the finance options that are available to them throughout their business finance journey.

IP Finance Toolkit

Guidance on understanding the value of your Intellectual Property (IP) to potential lenders.

FLA - Finance and Leasing Association

The Finance & Leasing Association (FLA) is a UK trade association for the consumer credit, motor finance and asset finance sectors.

Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding is a method of getting finance by sourcing small amounts from a large number of people, rather than getting large amounts from one or a few.

UK Export Finance

Information and guidance from the UK's export credit agency to help businesses to access finance and insurance in relation to exporting.

Finpoint Business Finance Platform

If you are looking for finance you may be able to source funding through Finpoint Business Finance Platform.

CMA - Competitions and Market Authority

Competitions and Market Authority work to promote competition for the benefit of consumers, both within and outside the UK.

London Stock Exchange – AIM Programme

AIM helps founders and entrepreneurs fulfil their growth ambitions and potential.

YFM Equity Partners

Equity investment for early-stage small businesses with growth potential.

CDFI - Community Development Finance Institutions

CDFIs are a type of social enterprise that provides support and lends money to businesses and people who struggle to get finance from high street banks.

Big Society Capital

Big Society Capital connects capital with social enterprises, charities and social purpose organisations.

Flexible Finance Fund

4m of funding and support to 15-25 Black and Racially Minoritised charities and social enterprises in England with a material package of funding and support

Recovery Loan Scheme

Loans to help businesses recover after the pandemic and transition period.

British Business Bank - Programmes for Scale-up

British Business Bank can point businesses in the right direction when it comes to rapid scale-up plans.

National Funding Tools

Grants, Finance & Support Schemes - National Portals

Century Business Finance

Century Business Finance specialise in providing business finance with speedy decision making and no hidden fees.

Bank Loan Appeals

Information on how to appeal a business bank loan decision.

ScaleUp Institute

The ScaleUp Institute is a private sector, not-for-profit company focused on making the UK the best place in the world to scale up a business.

British Business Bank - Programmes for Staying Ahead

Established businesses looking to achieve particularly rapid growth, might wish to consider some of British Business Banks scale-up partners through their Staying Ahead initiative.

Making Business Finance Work for You guide

NESTA

NESTA is an innovation charity with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life.

Barclays Business Insights

Barclays Business Insights is an online tool that offers business resources and tips.

Barclays Green Trade Loans

Debt finance from Barclays for sustainable purposes.

Co-operative & Community Finance

BVCA - British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

An industry body for the private equity and venture capital industry in the UK.

National Careers Service - Skills Toolkit

The National Careers Service has created a finder tool to help you source free skills training.

UnLtd - Starting your social business

Funding and support on offer to social entrepreneurs looking to start a social enterprise.

UnLtd - Growing your social business

Funding and support on offer to social entrepreneurs looking to grow their social enterprise.

Lloyds Bank Resource Centre

Practical guidance and resources for businesses through guides, case studies, articles and videos.

Thrive Together Fund

The Thrive Together Fund (TTF) provides a funding package of loan (75%) and grant (25%) to eligible charities and social enterprises in England

Digital Boost

A national programme of support to help businesses develop digital skills.

Returnerships

A range of initiatives to help people over the age of 50 with the skills for a career change or to get back into work.

Trade Associations - Finance (including Accountancy and Insurance)

Websites and contact details for trade associations for the finance, accountancy and insurance sector.

Small Business Guide

Useful resources for small businesses from Companies House

Accredo Secured Finance

Accredo provides secured finance products through a UK-wide network of finance professionals and brokers.

ECF - Enterprise Capital Funds

Enterprise Capital Funds (ECFs) bring together private and public money to make investments in high growth businesses.

Be the Business - Boards

Free guidance from successful business leaders.

British International Investment - The UK's Development Finance Institution (DFI)

Information about British International Investment, which supports companies that help to develop and emerging countries grow.

Horizon Europe

Horizon Europe is an international research and innovation programme for businesses.

Innovate UK Business Growth

Are you an established business looking to grow through innovation? 

EIS - Enterprise Investment Scheme

The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) is designed so that your company can raise money to help grow your business.

General Export Facility

General Export Facility (GEF) provides partial guarantees to banks to help UK exporters to gain access to trade finance facilities.

Lawyers For Your Business (LFYB)

A free 30 minute legal consultation with a solicitor approved by the Law Society.

Community Shares Unit

Community Shares Unit provides resources and guidance via the website including a directory of businesses with Community Shares and listings for news and events.

European Space Agency (ESA)

The European Space Agency aims to help businesses develop services that use satellite communications, Earth observation, satellite navigation, or other space technologies.
More Summaries of local and national support, funding, events and networking.