Business Support
Find help to support your business growth
At Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils, we recognise the diversity of business types in our area and provide multiple approaches to support them. Whether you’re a start-up or an established business, we make it easy to find the help you need to boost productivity, profitability, and resilience.
Business Support
The Growth Hub – A One Stop Shop For Support And Advice
Whether you are an established business or considering starting a businesses in Babergh and Mid Suffolk the best place to get advice is the New Anglia Growth Hub. You can fill out the form to make contact or call them on 0300 333 6536. The Growth Hub advisors can point you to available support programmes and funding opportunities. As advisors they are also able to help you develop plans for your business, connect you to networks, funding and training opportunities.
You can also find government advice and support for starting, growing or exporting your business at the Help to Grow website. This site will help with setting up a business, growing a business and starting to trade internationally.
If you are growing rapidly you might also consider applying for the high growth network programme. After 12 weeks you will have an action plan tailored to help grow your business over the coming 12 months. You will also have built a cohort of relationships within other rapidly growing companies.
Of course, other types of support can be hugely beneficial. We work closely with partner organisations and providers of skills training – fantastic for upskilling not only your existing staff but also your supply chain.
Financial Support
In addition to advice and resources, we offer financial support through grant funding programmes. Visit the grant and funding page to learn more about the grants that are available.
If you are considering decarbonising your business consider the free consultancy available from Groundwork East to develop a plan tailored for your business. This is often the starting point before an application is made to identify the most effective interventions for your business which can then be supported by a grant.
Creative Industry Business Support
If you are in a creative business, you can apply for the Creative East – Create Growth Programme and there is also StartEast, a resource for creative people.
Learn about this programme and more on our dedicated page for creative industry support.
Tourism Industry Business Support
Whether you’re starting out or building up your business, Visit England provides essential information, advice and resources for the tourism sector – useful contacts, training and guidance on your legal obligations and hints and tips of marketing and sustainability.
VisitEngland Business Advice Hub, UK | VisitBritain.org.
Net Zero Business Support
There is lots of Net Zero Business Support available too, aside from our grant funding. Find out how to Become Carbon Charter accredited through the Carbon Charter website, and learn about support offered by Green Suffolk and Groundwork. The UK Business Climate Hub is a collaboration between the UK Government, businesses and business groups across the UK. The Hub is the UK partner of the SME Climate Hub, the global initiative which empowers small and medium-sized enterprises to take climate action.
This section of the website aims to give you a greater understanding of how we support business in the Heart of Suffolk. Follow the links on the right to learn more.
