Business development support - help to grow your business
Developing your business? Find expert advice for growing it successfully.
This section provides an overview of business development services offering support and advice to assist with the growth and development of your Lancashire business. You'll also find information on financial support options, plus business networking and events that will help you make strong local contacts and provide opportunities to promote your business.
Local business support services
Boost - Lancashire's business growth hub
Boost Business Lancashire offers bespoke help designed to support ambitious businesses achieve significant sustainable business growth, plus the option of applying for growth mentoring to help tackle challenges you may be facing in growing your business
Through Boost, Lancashire businesses from start-ups to large companies can get access to a number of funded programmes in areas such as mentoring, scaling up, innovation, international trade, leadership development, and accessing finance. For more information visit Boost Business Lancashire or call 0800 488 0057. Preston City Council is funding Boost support in Preston through its UK Shared Prosperity Funding Preston Business Projects.
UCLAN - Grow your business
UCLAN - Grow your business offers a wide range of specialist business support with a strong track record for securing funding aimed at supporting and developing the region's small business community.
Women in Enterprise Hub
A dedicated online hub - The Women in Enterprise Hub - from Boost; Lancashire's Business Growth Hub. It provides details of current female business support, advice, reports and events services as well as showcasing inspirational women in the county.
Foreign Owned Company Support
If you are an internationally owned Lancashire based company, you are entitled to the same support as any UK registered business. However, you also have access to a dedicated Key Account Manager who can put together a bespoke business support package including access to a range of services such as business planning support, research and intelligence.
For details, contact the Lancashire Key Account Management team for Foreign Owned Companies:
Kane Lewis kane.lewis@lancashire.gov.uk or Tel 07745 108672
Mike Mccullough mike.mccullough@lancashire.gov.uk.
For details visit Invest in Lancashire - International.
Digital Acceleration
This newly developed programme, based on world leading research from Lancaster University Management School, will enable your firm to seize the opportunities for growth that digital adoption presents. Designed for senior decision makers from Preston-based professional services firms in the accountancy or legal sectors. This 4-month programme would suit businesses with 5+ employees. Delivered by Lancaster University and fully funded for Preston based professional services businesses. For more information contact Digital Acceleration for Professional Services - Lancaster University
New Export Accelerator
Considering exporting but unsure where to begin? New to export and looking for support? Ready to make the leap from reactive to proactive exporting?
The Export Accelerator Programme is part of Preston's International Trade Support and offers Free training, mentoring and consultancy to Preston businesses to enable you to hit the ground running on your export journey. For more information contact export@lancschamber.co.uk (Available to all Preston businesses, no need to be a member of the Chamber of Commerce).
Introduction to International Trade
- 8 November 2024 - 10:00-16:00
Gain confidence in import/export processes and procedures.
Planning for Export Growth
- 18 November 2024 - 9:30-12:30
Consider the factors affecting export growth and create an export plan for strategic exporting.
Half Day Consultancy
In addition to the training workshops, you will also benefit from one-to-one advice from the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce's International Trade Team.
Updated Government backed support
Help to Grow: Management Course
Help to Grow: Management Course is a national Government backed business growth programme for senior leaders being delivered in Preston by UCLan. Designed to be manageable alongside running your business, the programme is 90% funded by the Government and the fee payable by participants is £750.
The Help to Grow: Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. With just one session a week, it is designed to fit around existing work and personal commitments. You will finish the course ready to lead on the delivery of increased profitability, innovation and growth.
UCLan is delivering Help to Grow locally. If you are interested in finding out more about the Help to Grow Management Course please email helptogrow@uclan.ac.uk and they will arrange for a member of the team to contact you.
For general details about Help to Grow visit About the Help to Grow: Management Course | Small Business Charter
Help to Grow: Management Essentials
The Government has now launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials. This self-guided, 2-hour, online course is free to access and consists of a series of bite-sized videos and online resources. It will act as an introduction to the Help to Grow: Management Course.
For more information:Help to Grow: Management Essentials | Small Business Charter and the Government Help to Grow website.
Innovate UK EDGE
Innovate UK EDGE is a key part of the UK innovation agency's investment in the pioneering businesses that drive economic growth. It is a publicly-funded service available to all high potential small to medium sized innovation-driven companies.
- Support is bespoke but covers developing a commercial strategy; protecting & harnessing your IP; improving innovation management & accessing the innovation ecosystem globally.
- Sourcing funding and finance: Applying the right strategy to secure grants and capital for your business, enhancing investor appeal and getting investment ready to propel your growth
- Opening new markets: Creating connections to partners & leveraging insights
- Contact: About us | Innovate UK EDGE (ukri.org) Email: Philip Leigh, North Lancashire: phil.leigh@innovateukedge.ukri.org
Industry specific business support
Don't forget to look at our Fully funded support for Preston Businesses including low carbon technologies, support for international trade, innovation and digital and skills support
Health industry development support
As part of Lancaster University's £41m Health Innovation Campus, they are offering fully-funded opportunities for SME businesses in Lancashire to grow and innovate in health.
For details visit Lancaster University - Health Innovation Campus.
Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership
The Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership is part of the Lancashire Employment and Skills Hub and brings together public, private and charity sector organisations to address local digital skills needs. There is information on free digital skills training and support, great digital tools and resources and news of events and forthcoming support programmes.
Creative Lancashire
Creative Lancashire helps to strengthen existing businesses by building collaborations and networking opportunities, offering creative and digital business advice and providing information on finance, funding and growth.
Business Companion
Business Companion provides free, accurate and practical advice on all trading standards law. The website has been put together by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute with trading standards and consumer law professionals. They have also published a guide with advice on the top five issues faced by businesses that sell goods or services online, by phone or by mail order and businesses that sell in people's homes called Distance Selling.
Business growth financial support
For current business growth grants and loans to help you develop your business and take it to the next level see business finance support.
It's also worth checking GOV.UK - finance and support your business North West for other current development support options in the region.
Find business premises or office space
Whether you're looking to rent a commercial property or find larger office space to grow your team, Preston offers a wide range of options when it comes to finding the right workspace to develop your business.
For details see office and workspace.
Recruitment, apprenticeships, training and skills support
For advice and support around recruiting the best people to grow your business further, as well as apprenticeships and training support to assist in the upskilling of existing staff for both professional and business development see recruitment and training support.
Local business networks
The city offers a variety of business networking groups in and around Preston, which are great places to promote your business and make useful contacts. For a list of current networking meets in around the city see business networks.
Preston Partnership
Preston Partnership is an independent partnership of businesses and organisations that are passionate about and committed to the city. The Partnership is made up of organisations of all shapes and sizes with a common goal to champion the city of Preston and its surrounding area. The Preston Partnership aims to help make Preston a prosperous city to live, work, visit and invest in. Membership is free of charge until 31 August 2024.
For more details and how to become a member see Preston Partnership.
Local business events
To find out what business events, expos, conferences and exhibitions are happening in and around Preston see business events.
For events further afield in and around Lancashire visit Boost Lancashire - Events.
The North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce also host a variety of free events and training alongside their paid for events. For more details visit Lancs Chamber - events.
Follow our business blog
Keep up to date with all the latest investment and business news, such as new support initiatives and grants, by regularly checking our business blog.