information on the restart grant open from the 1st April and other business support programmes
The restart grant is a one off payment of up to £18,000. The grants application will go live on the 1st April 2021 with a closing date of 30th June 2021. For more information visit Wealden District Council website and click on ‘restart grants’. Guidance on the grant can be found here.
South East Business Boost are offering businesses less than 12 months old free access to a wide range of expertise. Businesses will receive a consultation with a business advisor followed by participation in 11 x 60 minutes workshops (online) and a number of masterclasses. The Ready to Grow programme is targeted at businesses who have been trading for less than 3 years. Find out more on the Ready to Grow website.
SEED Project – South East Export Development
A free virtual programme of support for exporting funded through SELEP (the South East Local Enterprise Partnership). The programme focuses on helping companies to make new virtual connections overseas. The project runs for 1 year from March 2021 and will focus on food and drink, health and life sciences and digital and creative sectors. Please visit the SEED Project website for more information and to express your interest.
Support for food and drink businesses
Buy Local South East are holding a number of 1:1 sessions for food and drink businesses focusing on getting online, online retail, digital marketing, PR and marketing. There are also a number of recorded webinars to re-watch including Embracing eCommerce, Content Marketing and PR Strategy. Bookings for the 1:1 sessions and links to the webinars are available on the Buy Local South East website.
BT Small Business Support Fund
This scheme has been designed to help businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It enables firms to build their recovery and growth and includes a series of measures aimed at boosting connectivity, cash flow and confidence.
The scheme will help fund the cost of ultrafast business connection by subsidising the total cost by up to £2,500 alongside a new bursary scheme to give 1,000 tech start-ups and entrepreneurs a financial head start. More information on BT Small Business Support Fund webpages.
Events and Webinars:
Covid-19 Workplace Testing Webinars
Organised by the Department of Health and Social Care, the free webinars are to support workplaces in the delivery of Covid workplace testing. Employers already undertaking workplace testing will share their experiences and answer queries. Sessions are taking place on Monday 29th March at 3pm and Wednesday 31st March at 3pm. Register your interest here.
The future of UK-EU Trade relations webinar series – British Chambers
The British Chambers Virtual events library has a number of recordings to help guide businesses on the new trading environment. The events cover topics such as ‘Building on the Deal’, ‘Services and Data’, ‘Looking at VAT Implications’, ‘The NI/GB Border Arrangements’, ‘UK-EU Customs and Border’, ‘Rules of Origin’ and ‘The Future of the UK-EU trade relations’. All are available to view on the British Chambers of Commerce website.
Make it Click – Build a business
Learn how to get your small business online and start selling products or services to customers. Then start promoting your work and using social media, all while staying secure. The Make It Click small business hub provides free online resources, tools and courses. For more information visit the Make it Click website.
For all the latest information on business support and advice available from Wealden District Council please visit the Information for Businesses page of the Council’s website. For information on accessing grants please visit the Wealden District Council Covid-19 webpages which are regularly updated.