Business support programmes and organisations - East Sussex

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Getting in touch with other members of the local business community can help you grow and develop your business. Whether you meet people from other business sectors, or within your own industry, networking can provide advice, support and useful contacts. Your local borough or district council may also provide advice and support.

Business support programmes:

Ready To Grow and Big Ambitions business support programmes

Two new business support programmes will be running from February 2024 to March 2025, available to businesses based in the boroughs and districts of Eastbourne, Lewes, Rother and Wealden.

Ready To Grow is a training programme for early stage business owners, trading for less than three years. This will include in-person and online workshops, masterclasses, one-to-one support and networking opportunities.
Big Ambitions provides up to 18 hours of expertise for businesses who are growing, and likely to employ additional staff within the next 6-12 months. This will include one-to-one diagnostic action planning and specialist support.

To learn more and to sign up, visit the East Sussex Business Hub.

The programmes are funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and a collaboration between Eastbourne, Lewes, Rother and Wealden District/Borough Councils. It is supported by East Sussex County Council and delivered by Digital Islands.

Business support and mentoring organisations:

Business East Sussex

Business East Sussex is a free service to East Sussex businesses funded by East Sussex County Council, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

It provides unbiased navigation to the most relevant bodies, companies and organisations for business support needs.

Business East Sussex website
Telephone: 01273 335878

Locate East Sussex

Locate East Sussex, based in St Leonards-on-Sea, supports growing and start-up businesses in East Sussex and provides assistance with location decisions and access to funding to accelerate growth as well as providing valuable connections to local planning and economic development teams. Locate East Sussex contributes to the creation of a more desirable environment for the growth of new and existing businesses throughout the county, as well as promoting inward business migration. Locate East Sussex offers clear and impartial advice at no cost to businesses that seek its support.

Locate East Sussex website
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0844 415 9255

Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) Sussex

We offer a wealth of FREE online business resources that can help you to start your own business, build professional skills, connect with others, and grow.

The Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) Sussex is part of the British Library’s National Network of BIPCs across the UK.

BIPC Locals at Eastbourne Library and Hastings Library support entrepreneurs, start-up businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises in Sussex, from that first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business.

As well as being a hub for entrepreneurs to network and attend events, Eastbourne Library and Hastings Library will provides 121 expert advice and access to a wealth of free online information - business databases, market research reports, company data and information on intellectual property. Whether you are just starting out or are ready to take the next step in your journey, we are here to help.

BIPC Sussex website (East Sussex Libraries)
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07749 714546
BIPC Sussex Events (Eventbrite)

Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP)

An ERDF funded programme supporting SME Manufacturers. The MGP provides free advice and support to manufacturing SMEs to help:

identify opportunities and create plans for growth and improvement
work with the best external experts to implement those plans
cover up to 35% of the cost of implementing the plans through a growth or improvement grant
connect to wider support to maximise opportunities for growth.

Manufacturing Growth Programme website
Email: Keith Mabbutt
Telephone: 07773 228147