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
Digital Accelerator Programme
Using disruptive technology to streamline your business, the programme is for business leaders looking to unlock innovative new products and services and uncover business growth opportunities using industry 4.0 technologies.
For further information, take a look at In4Group's website. IN4 Modern Workplace Programme | IN4 Group
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).
Skills Bootcamp in International Trade
Lancashire is one of only two regions in the UK to be awarded its own Skills Bootcamp in International Trade.
This unique funding has been made available to provide training and development of your employee's International Trade skills. The Skills Bootcamp in International Trade offers 10 flexible courses over 16 weeks, giving people the opportunity to build up Import and Export skills. Contact: s.heywood@chamberelancs.co.uk or call on 01254 356454.
Fit For Nuclear
Helping UK manufacturers get ready to bid for work in the nuclear supply chain. Fit For Nuclear (F4N) helps UK manufacturers get ready to bid for work in the nuclear supply chain.
F4N lets companies measure their operations against the standards required to supply the nuclear industry - in new build, operations and decommissioning - and take the necessary steps to close any gaps.
For more information, head on over to the Nuclear AMRC website.
Intellectual Property
For those who need help identifying and protecting the intellectual in your business. Intellectual Property covers any original creation, not just inventions, and can include your business name, logo, images, promotional material and even your website.
For further information visit the Intellectual Property Office.
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.
Lancashire Cyber Security Programme
Funded cyber security support for micro, small and medium-sized businesses based in Lancashire. For further information please visit the NWCRC website.
National Cyber Security
Cyber security advice for businesses and sole traders to protect your business and the technology you rely on.
For further information, take a look at the National Cyber Security Centre website.
Lancashire Universities' Innovation Programme
Brings together extensive industry and academic expertise, state-of-the-art facilities and technology, together with tailored support enabling businesses to turn ideas into realities. The aim of Lancashire Universities' Innovation Programme is to support businesses based in Preston with their innovation needs. Delivered by the University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University and Edge Hill University.
For further information please see Lancashire Universities' Innovation Programme.
Digital Eagles
Make the most out of being online. Free support delivered by Barclays. For further information, please visit the Barclays Digital Wings website.
Engineering & Tech Scaleup Accelerator
The Shott Scale Up Accelerator is a twelve-month programme that develops, nurtures and strengthens the leadership capabilities of senior decision-makers in high-growth engineering and tech SMEs to scale their business to the next level. Delivered by Royal Academy of Engineering.
For further information, please visit the Enterprise Hub website.
Two Zero
A specialist support service from Lancashire County Council for scaleup businesses to help and inspire business leaders to grow their business, create jobs and develop the Lancashire economy. Through a range of programmes on specific sectors and topics providing, one-to-one advice, educational content and focused peer-to-peer learning, scaleup leaders will develop their mindset and grow their people, giving their business a platform for sustainable growth.
Watchtower Programme
A fully funded initiative providing support for Lancashire-based businesses to build competitiveness and resilience through insights around digital pathways and sustainability, innovation and diversification Delivered by North West Aerospace Alliance
Please see NWAA website for more information.
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 options from £100
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.