Information about non-financial support programmes available to you as a business are listed below. You’ll find the key information you need about each programme by clicking on the “i” symbol.
Tick the boxes relevant to your business to find the support available to you.
Ashford Borough Council have partnered with East Kent Colleges to deliver a range of fully funded courses for those over the age of 19 who live in, and those who are employed by a company registered in the Ashford Borough Council region.
From Green Skills to Coaching and Mentoring, the range of courses are deigned to help you develop your skills and unlock future job opportunities in the area.
*Places are funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to eligibility.
Apply for a course here: Adult Courses for Ashford
Businesses of any size and their employees can sign up to the free programme of online learning courses.
Each course lasts one hour and is delivered in real time giving you the chance to interact and ask questions. Recordings of each course can be viewed afterwards.
There is no limit on the number of courses a business or employee can take.
Book your place onto a course here: Home – Sevenoaks District Council (seedl.com)
Retrofit and Green Skills: Green skills courses targeted around ensuring we have the skilled workforce to achieve the government’s net zero and wider environmental ambitions.
Construction Skills: Support for local areas to fund local skills needs. This includes technical and vocational qualifications and courses, and training for vocational licences relevant to local area needs and high-value qualifications where there is a need for additional skills capacity that is not being met through other provision.
In doing so, the aim is to:
Links will be made available so you will be able to apply for these courses directly via East Kent College.
Their offering will include the following:
If you are looking to enrol on one or more of these courses, either as an individual or employer/ organisation, you should enrol through East Kent College directly.
*Link to EKC website will be added shortly.*
Browse and start your learning experience straight away by accessing the courses here
A one year, 80% funded* programme of support for a maximum of 40 businesses in the Kent and Medway area that have the capacity and ambition to grow.
These monthly sessions are designed to impart knowledge, educate, and introduce business tools and techniques.
Our approach maximises the value for money while delivering the right level of support for individual businesses with costs kept to an absolute minimum, yet with the delivery of a minimum of 36 hours of focused support for each business through:
Eligible businesses will need to be,
* A contribution of £50 (+VAT) per month is payable quarterly in advance
To register your interest please follow the link and complete the expression of interest form.
This course, which starts in FEBRUARY 2025 (actual date to be advised), combines theory with practice, draws on from industry case studies and includes facilitated peer learning. It uniquely brings together elements of computing, business and law, and addresses topics such as transparency, privacy, bias, governance, impact and implementation.
It offers 15 hours of learning spread across 4 x half-day sessions, and is designed to complement full-time work.
This course is ideal for SMEs and beneficial to professionals from any industry. Contents can be adjusted to meet different industry and professional needs. It is delivered by renowned University of Kent academics and experts in partnership with Pinsent Masons.
This course uniquely combines perspectives from computing, business and law. It consists of the following workshops:
1. What is AI?
2. How does AI work?
3. AI specifics and applications
4. AI: Relevant legal frameworks
5. AI ethics
6. Emerging digital technologies
7. Digital analytics
8. AI tools and their business uses
9. Theory in practice: Drafting key AI legal documents
By completing this course at Kent, you will:
Registrations are now open for our February course. To register, fill in the form below. If for some reason you are unable to do so, please get in touch at gllpdt@kent.ac.uk.
PDT Course Registration: AI in Business: Challenges and Potential (office.com)
A programme provided by Medway Council with support from Intelligence Linking and facilitation from Dragon Coworking and Ascend Coworking.
It offers free business advice and support to businesses of any size, from pre-startup to established and growing companies.
This is completed via 60 minute direct meetings held at
For more information:
To book a place with the Adviser, please follow this link:
Help to Grow Management is a 12 module, hybrid course with a mix of live webinars and in person workshops at Kingston. Follow the link for each start date to see the full schedule and register. Once we receive your registration, we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Did you know if you have between 10-249 employees, 2 people can sign up on the 90% funded Help to Grow course.
Help to Grow Management is 90% funded by the Government and costs just £750.
Location: Kent Business School, Medway Campus
Register for the event below. Alternatively, to find out more or request training better tailored to your needs, complete this form email us at gllpdt@kent.ac.uk
Unlock the potential of your organisation with expert-led workshops covering key areas such as finance, marketing, business strategy, and HR. Held across Canterbury, Whitstable, and Herne Bay, these sessions are designed to upskill sole traders, micro-businesses, non-profits, and small businesses alike.
This dynamic initiative tailored for organisations in the Canterbury District, is available to you thanks to funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Canterbury City Council, making this comprehensive training program entirely *FREE of charge.
Customise your learning journey by registering today. Don’t miss out on this chance to enhance your organisation’s capabilities and achieve your growth goals!
*Eligibility criteria apply
*For sole traders, micro-businesses, non-profits, and small businesses operating in the Canterbury District including Whitstable, and Herne Bay
There will be a series of Bite-sized courses, each approximately 1hr, delivered in a mixture of remote sessions, daytime, evening, weekends and in-person, to suit your demands.
Finance:
• Understanding and improving financial management/models
• Managing cash flow
• Efficiencies – Controlling back-office costs
Business Strategy:
• Business planning
• Your Business and The Circular Economy (Green Economy)
Human Resources:
• Managing people effectively
• Supervisions and appraisals
• Having difficult conversations
Marketing and Business Development:
What are you waiting for, get in touch and book your sessions today!
What are you waiting for, get in touch and book your sessions today!
Business Skills – Social Enterprise Kent CIC (sektraining.org.uk)
Are you thinking about setting up a new business? Her Biz, the ‘virtual’ Women’s Start Up programme is returning to support aspiring female entrepreneurs in East Sussex and Kent.
Her Biz is designed specifically to encourage more women to start a business, why not, turn your idea or hobby into a reality with the chance to WIN £500 towards your start-up costs!
This programme will help you to:
Eligibility:
Identify as female
Living/based in East Sussex/Kent
Open to anyone that’s not yet up and running or has registered as self-employed or a company within the last 12 months.
To apply for the Jan / Feb 2025 workshop, please sign up here: Her Biz | Women’s Start Up Support — Let’s Do Business Group
To apply for the March 2025 workshop, please sign up here: Her Biz | Women’s Start Up Support — Let’s Do Business Group
The fully funded and free training programme has two elements:
Eligibility
The project will run until 31st March 2025 and offer up to 40 businesses the opportunity to boost their green credentials or access a new green market.
The application process is quick and simple. First of all, please provide us with some initial information here about your business and our support team will be in touch with information about the next training session or event that you could attend.
Are you under 40 yrs of age? do you have a business idea? or you are already trading and want to grow your business? Join the network of business mentors to access FREE business support!
The Kent Foundation is a highly valued and trusted community providing a framework of support for young entrepreneurs to take their first steps in business. Experienced business owners in Kent offer mentorship and coaching helping young people make their own decisions and learn the fundamentals of business development whilst boosting their confidence and resilience in business.
Our mission is to ensure young people of Kent get the support they need to be successful in starting and growing a business, so contributing to the overall success of Kent.
The Kent Foundation is an essential part of the business community, supporting innovative young people to grow new enterprises, create employment opportunities, and contribute to the economic well-being of the County.
With over 100 mentors as part of The Kent Foundation it’s safe to say we have a wealth of knowledge for you to draw upon.
We’ve refined our mentor matching process so that we can give you the best support available.
A business mentor provides guidance, shares expertise, and offers valuable perspective. They can help you navigate challenges, set goals, and grow your business. It’s like having a trusted advisor who’s been there before, offering you insights that can save you time, money, and stress. A mentor can be a game-changer for your business.
We pride ourselves on the vast experience we have within The Kent Foundation across all our mentors. This helps us make sure we match our mentees with the mentor that will give them the best help.
We don’t have specific requirements such as “10 years in business”. We care more about your passion and that you have a good enough understanding of business to be able to help a young entrepreneur who’s completely new to the business scene.
If in doubt, get in contact and we can have a chat.
www.kentfoundation.org
Working out how to start and grow a business can be tough at times. That‘s where Enterprise Nation comes in.
Enterprise Nation is a vibrant community of small businesses and business advisers that exist to shortcut your route to trusted business support.
Whether you‘re starting or growing a business, they have the resources, expertise, and connections to help you get it right.
Access support at a selection of events, or online via a dynamic platform that gets you to answers and advisers fast.
Six month programme to Support businesses in their next phase
Follow the link to application page and sign up for the 6 month programme for £1795+VAT.
Did you know that the Ashford Borough is home to around 400 hospitality businesses and food and drink producers? And this includes an ever-increasing number of vineyards! With the growing popularity in English wine and the strength of the locally grown produce, there is an opportunity for us to capitalise on the visitor demand for authentic food and drink experiences.
Ashford Borough Council has teamed up with Visit Kent to deliver a programme designed to support the development of new visitor experiences that showcase the incredible local produce available in the Ashford and Tenterden area. The aim is to create exciting new products and experiences by linking together different types of visitor economy businesses, such as accommodation providers, attractions and experiences.
The Ashford on the Map programme is open to both existing businesses, as well as entrepreneurs who have an idea for starting a new business with a connection to local food and drink. Businesses who participate in the programme will have access to a package of support as well as featuring in a dedicated marketing campaign and a new wine trail map.
Whether looking to diversify your existing business or start a new enterprise, if you have an idea for a new visitor experience that showcases and tells the story of our local produce, then this project can help you!
This programme is for New or Established businesses. However, there are different applications for each. Please click on the appropriate link:
For all those who have an existing business – On the Map – Ashford & Tenterden Visitor Economy Programme
For all those who would like to set up a new business – On the Map – Ashford & Tenterden Visitor Economy Programme
If you’ve started your journey in business, or are thinking about starting-up in Maidstone, our workshop can give you the tools and knowledge to kickstart your venture! Join us for FREE sessions all from Maidstone Experts!
Sessions include:
– Business Planning – Led by Chris Lyle, Let’s Do Business Group
– Accountancy/Tax – Led by Gemma Pryor, Trinity Accounting
– Journey of a Startup – Led by Lauren Hampshire, The Milky Tee Co.
– Digital – Led by Karl Cowell, Cork Digital
– Social Media – Led by Joe Bennett, Box Crab Digital
This is a FREE workshop for Maidstone Start-ups only. To be eligible for our workshop you must be a pre-start up or a business in its early stages (no more than 18 months old). Businesses that attended any previous MBB Start-up workshop are unable to join this event.
Lunch is included for all attendees (please provide dietary requirement info when booking)
This is a FREE workshop for Maidstone Start-ups only. To join this workshop click here: Start-up September Workshop Tickets, Thu 28 Sep 2023 at 10:00 | Eventbrite
This Business Support Programme includes:
Your business must be based in either Sevenoaks, Tonbridge & Malling or Tunbridge Wells district councils.
If you have any questions please drop us an email at hello@westkentbusiness.com
Please register with WestKentBusiness.com
Take your business to new heights with a £5,000 grant, a year of mentoring with an expert entrepreneur, and a bundle of prizes designed to support your small business.
We’ve set up this new fund to recognise small business owners whose work is driven by their values.
There will be three winners across three categories, which are based on Enterprise Nation’s own values; Entrepreneurial, Trusted and Community-Led.
Select your category based on the one that best applies to your business, and the mentor who would be most beneficial to your growth.
As part of your application, you’ll also share your own unique values that drive you and your business each day.
The Enterprise Nation Fund | Apply to win a small business grant
Kick Off in Business is a free, fully funded, short online business start-up and self-employment programme that can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home.
The courses are designed to give you an insight and understanding of business start-up and self-employment to provide you with the foundational skills should you wish to take this path now or some time in the future.
We can also support you if you have already started your business.
To register your interest, please click the following link: Free online business & self-employment courses | Eventbrite
The programme is provided by Canterbury District Council, delivered by Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce and is designed for owner-managers and social enterprises to explore and develop high growth approaches.
By the end of the programme you will have:
Businesses in Kent who have engaged with this type of programme previously have seen:
Our offer
Commencing from August 2023 and delivered online, you will receive in excess of 36 hours of support over a 12 month period from expert business advisors who have a track record of improving performance and building growth in the businesses they work with made up of:
The programme is 80% funded and delivers more than £4,500 of support. The cost to you is £50 per month for 12 months of support, payable quarterly in advance.
Who is eligible?
Businesses who have an appetite for growth in the Canterbury area and have been:
Complete the expression of interest form, then we will be in touch to go through the details and to enrol you on the programme – Expression Of Interest
Our programme is funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport until March 2025.
So, if you’re a social entrepreneur or social enterprise in Thanet, there’s never been a better time to sign up to the Thanet Social Enterprise Boost programme. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your enterprise to the next level, we’re here to help you achieve your goals. Sign up today and let’s start building a better future together!
For the purpose of this programme, social enterprise is defined as either:
“a social enterprise is a business with primarily social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners”.
A start-up is considered to be an organisation:
Support (including grants of up to £10,000 to help kickstart or grow social enterprises, supporting the development of innovative ideas to tackle issues in Thanet) will be available to social enterprises delivering activities or services that provide social or environmental benefit within Thanet.
If you have any questions, email boost@sekgroup.org.uk
To register, please complete the Enquiry Form or telephone 01843 210005
Israel is home to a dynamic community of renewable energy innovators. The renewable energy industry in Israel is growing rapidly and is attracting international players to establish research partnerships. The Israeli energy market is changing at a pace and poses opportunities for innovative solutions that have applicability worldwide.
Who is this GBIP best suited for?
If you are an innovative UK business looking to explore international partnership opportunities to help bring your ideas to commercialisation or may have a new technology, service, process or supply chain model which could be of interest to Renewable Energy in Israel to help achieve their energy climate goals – then this programme is for you.
Businesses must directly benefit from participation in the programme and have the necessary resources to articulate their objectives and ambition for participation clearly.
Innovate UK is committed to ensuring that anyone from any background has an equal opportunity to be successful. We welcome applications from underrepresented groups and will do our utmost to make reasonable adjustments.
15 Places will be allocated based on those businesses most aligned with this suitability criteria.
How can you apply?
The online application takes approximately one hour and must be completed and submitted in a single session. To facilitate the process, we have created a Word document, which you can download and pre-populate with your answers. You can then paste these answers into the online form and submit your application.
To download the Word application form, please click here.
Create South East is designed to help creative businesses. The programme will support you to develop the skills to secure investment so that you can achieve your ambitions for your company to grow. It is tailored to the needs of different creative disciplines, their respective markets, governance, and distribution models.
What do I get from the programme?
This programme is free to the business as the activity has been funded by Create South East through the Create Growth Programme. The programme has a financial value of approximately £10k.
Companies can apply at any time by submitting an Expression of Interest form
Homepage (creativeengland.co.uk)
Eligible companies should a) be based in Essex, Kent & Medway or Sussex, b) have a registered company with creativity at its heart.
If you are eligible, we will invite you to meet a member of the team so that we can find out more about your business, and you can ask more questions about the programme.
Whether you’re an artist or accountant, baker or bricklayer, if you live in Thanet, Dover, Folkestone & Hythe or the wider Kent area our award-winning course will help you find your own path to self-employment.
Our live course consists of ten sessions of practical and easy-to-digest content giving you all the fundamentals you need to get a business off the ground and start making money.
The ten sessions are spread out over 10 days: all running from 10am until 3pm, either from Rebel HQ online via Zoom.
Through the course, you’ll learn:
How to start a business for free, Sales, Marketing, Pricing & Negotiation, Tax & Accounting, Building a Website for Free, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Social Media, Pitching & Mindset.
To find out more or Register a Place, please click here: Rebel Business School Kent (Events
There are four main stages in the Food Accelerator programme.
Idea and Feasibility Check
We will work with you to help make sure your concept is ready to move on to the next stage.
Starting with establishing a proof of concept, you will develop a proposition to clearly define why your product or service will be of value to a consumer. You will then write a plan to take your idea to market.
Business model consolidation
We will support you to develop a clear business model, check the size of the market demand and establish how ready your business is for investment.
Validation and prototyping
Our technical team will help to test and develop your prototypes, using the cutting-edge facilities at the Medway Food Innovation Centre.
We will also be able to offer an assessment of the potential to scale-up your business.
Fundraising and-go-to-market
Once you have a clear proposition and have tested the product, it’s time to get funding to get your product to market.
We will work with you to develop an innovation and funding strategy, get you pitch-ready and introduce you to potential investors and commercial partners.
The programme will run over a four month period and include training, workshops and events. There will be lots of opportunity to network and meet other businesses operating in the sector.
The Accelerator is aligned to our Mentoring programme which offers one-on-one business coaching and peer support.
Who is eligible to apply?
If you’re ambitious and interested in scaling-up your business, and fast, the Food and Drink Accelerator programme could be right for you.
We will support plant-based food and drink businesses from across the supply chain, including food products, technology or related services.
Your business must be based in Kent or Medway.
Why should I sign up for the Accelerator?
You will receive intensive support and guidance to help make your business goals a reality.
We cover a broad range of areas, including technology, consumer insight, regulatory factors, financial support and marketing.
Reasons to join the Accelerator:
Please get in touch using the contact form below and our team will be in touch to talk you through our programme to see if this is right for you.
Get in touch with us at Growing Kent & Medway | Growing Kent & Medway (growingkentandmedway.com)
Take the first step and get help to:
If you are eligible, you can access a discount of up to 50% on the costs of buying approved software, worth up to £5,000, on the Help to Grow: Digital website.
Discounts will be available for approved software that helps your business to:
Click following link then select ‘Start Application’ to be taken to the Help to Grow: Digital website
Help to Grow: Digital – GOV-UK Find a grant (find-government-grants.service.gov.uk)
Business & IP Centre Kent (BIPC Kent), is part of the British Library’s Business & IP Centre National Network, and we are transforming the way ideas grow into successful businesses.
By partnering up with Kent Libraries, we’re supporting a thriving community of bright and inspiring people, whether you’re a new or existing business owner, we are here to support you in Kent.
Home » Resources
It’s crucial when you are starting a business to understand your market, competitors, and customer trends. Being part of the BIPC Network, BIPC Kent can provide you access to over £5 Million worth of resources, such as online market reports from top publishers, company data for over 144 million UK and global companies, start-up books and business directories, 700,000 historical annual reports, and over 60 million patents.
Have a questsion? Book a free consultations with one of our experts:
Digital Boost is a free online platform that supports people who work at small businesses and charities to get the essential skills and advice they need to adopt new digital ways of working and grow their businesses. We are owned by the educational charity Founders4Schools.
+ Free 1:1 online conversations with a wide range of volunteer expert mentors:
– Fast answers to their unique business questions
– Personalised guidance & advice
– Objective feedback & ideas
+ Hands-on workshops covering topics such as SEO, Facebook Ads, cloud computing, payment systems, and much more
+ Personalised recommendations for short courses
+ A resource library to access at their own pace
The Programme content will be as follows:
Entrepreneurs will be invited to join a 12-hour programme of activity to help develop a business plan, financial model, and pitch-deck. The course will cover the following topics:
Investment Pathway
Investment Readiness
Investment Closure
The course is available until the 30-Jun-2023 and dates in 2023 at Maidstone Innovation Centre are planned as follows:
Eligibility
Entry will be on a first come first served basis. NCL reserve the right to consolidate workshops if there are insufficient numbers in a workshop
Interested entrepreneurs and companies should contact Graham Hutchins via email at seip@ncltv.co.uk for details of upcoming events and how to join.
Follow the Ask Phil link and fill in the contact form to request a call back – Ask Phil
Call 01622 239300 or email us at getstarted@maidstone.gov.uk
Follow the link for more details and complete the contract to arrange a call back from an adviser
The South East Business Boost is now CLOSED to new applications to allow for the current applications to be processed in time for the programme’s completion.
Online Export Support; 24/7 access to guidance, tools and services to help with the following:
No need to apply, you can use the tools provided online or alternatively contact them by filling out the enquiry form.
Contact Visit Kent via email , call 01227 812900 or follow this link to find Visit Kent Contact details
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Follow the link and register your interest via phone or email – Business Advice – Swale Means Business
Follow the link for more information and to sign up for the programme
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Follow the link to application page and sign up for the 12 week programme.
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Follow the link to application page and sign up for the 12 month programme.
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