Business Support
Local authorities and other Thames Gateway Kent partners offer a range of services to support businesses in their area. The following links provide more information.
Online resources in Kent
The Kent and Medway Growth Hub is the go-to point of contact for signposting to business information and advice. This is part of the South East Business Hub funded through the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.
Contacts:
- Website: www.kentandmedwaygrowthhub.org.uk
- National Helpline: 0300 456 3565
- K&M Growth Hub: 01233 225 447
- Email: business@kentandmedwaygrowthhub.org.uk
Other online resources
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Business Support Helpline (England)
Telephone: 0300 456 3565
Textphone: 0191 581 0052
enquiries@businesssupporthelpline.org
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
The Government's Business is Great website provides a wide range of information to support UK businesses.
Kent County Council's Business website offers comprehensive information about sources of funding for businesses, as well as links to other resources.
Inward Investment
Locate In Kent provides inward investment information and advice and support for enterprises looking for premises to start-up, grow, re-locate or expand their business. including commercial property search and sources of finance.
Email: enquiries@locateinkent.com
Telephone: 01732 520700
Website: www.locateinkent.com
LoCASE
Low Carbon Across the South East (LoCASE) is an EU funded project set up to help businesses tackle and adapt to climate change.
Contact: Rob Robinson, Sustainable Business Project Manager at Low Carbon Kent.
Email: lowcarbon@kent.gov.uk
Tel: 03000 415111
Local authority support
Streamlining business regulation
Better Business For All (BBFA) is a partnership designed to improve the way regulation is delivered to ease the burden on the local business community. This initiative is supported by local authorities in Kent and Medway, Kent Fire & Rescue Service, the Health & Safety Executive and Trading Standards, together with Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses and Produced In Kent. The ethos of BBFA is to support businesses to achieve compliance with regulatory requirements, and to reduce regulatory burdens by eliminating duplication and spreading good practice. For more information, go to www.bbfa.biz.
Swale Borough Council
For information and support for all types of business, visit the Swale Means Business website .
For business enquiries in Swale, contact:
Email: edu@swale.gov.uk
Telephone: 01795 417398
Business support services in Swale are available through the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce. Contact the Business Support team on 01233 503838 or email businesssupport@kentinvictachamber.co.uk.
Medway
Services to businesses in Medway are led by Economic Development and Social Regeneration at Medway Council.
For business enquiries in Medway, contact:
Email: business.support@medway.gov.uk
Telephone: 01634 338215
Website: http://www.medway.gov.uk/businessandinvestment/businesssupportandadvice.aspx
The Partners for Growth Start Up Service is a scheme operated by Medway Council offering advice and the possibility of small-scale grants to help people start a new business. For more information email business.support@medway.gov.uk or telephone Economic Development on 01634 338138.
Gravesham
For business enquiries in Gravesham, contact:
Email: economic.development@gravesham.gov.uk
Telephone: 01474-337258
Website: www.gravesham.gov.uk/services/business/business-support-services
Are you thinking of starting or running a business in Gravesham?
Business support is available from Enterprise First. To make a free appointment to see an advisor call 0800 652 6254.
Website: www.enterprisefirst.co.uk
Dartford
Dartford Borough Council, together with ProLogis, is sponsoring Pioneer10, a programme based at The Nucleus Business and Innovation Centre to inspire entrepreneurs and drive commercial growth in this region. For more detail, contact:
Email: pioneer10dartford@oxin.co.uk
Telephone: 01322 312004
Website: www.pioneer10-dartford.co.uk
For general information about business services in Dartford, follow this link to the business section of the council's website.
Start Ups
Business Start Ups in Swale and Medway
Thinking about starting your own business in Kent or considering self employment as a new career path? The “KICCTM Start” programme is free to individuals in Swale and Medway. For more information contact the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce on 01795 379012.
The Let'sDoBusiness Group is an Official Delivery Partner for the national Start Up Loans scheme, delivering loans along with mentoring and support across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and Hampshire to entrepreneurs aged 18+. For more information, go to the Let'sDoBusiness Start Up website.
Exporting
Kent International Business (KIB) is a Kent-wide initiative which aims to encourage Kent businesses to access overseas markets and to provide information, advice and support to help them do so. For more information, follow this link.
Kent County Council is leading for Kent & Medway on a number of programmes, supported with EU funding, to help innovative SMEs to internationalise their businesses, get exporting and build collaborations with counterparts overseas. These programmes - such as Innovative Sector Exchange - are FREE of charge for participating companies. For more information follow the link above or go to KCC's EU funding page.
Department for International Trade
The Department for International Trade (formerly UK Trade & Investment, (UKTI)) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets, and encourage the best overseas companies to look to the UK as their global partner of choice. For further information, including answers to Frequently Asked Questions and contact details for enquiries about exporting overseas and investing in the UK, go to the DIT website.
DIT South EastUnit 10 |
DIT London |
Skills and training
Visit our Education & Skills page for more information about further and higher education and skills training in North Kent.
The Skills Hub Kent and Medway is a collaboration between North Kent College and MidKent College offering employers a range of off-the-shelf and bespoke training courses, apprenticeship training and traineeships to help boost the skills and qualifications of the existing workforce and to assist in recruiting new talent.
For further information go to www.skillshubkent.org, email skillshub@midkent.ac.uk or telephone 01622 624900.
Other Sites
The Kent Investors' Network comprises a group of experienced business people who co-invest, assist and when requested advise growing companies. For more information visit their website.
Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce
North Kent office: Tel: 01634 565 162
Federation of Small Businesses - Kent & Medway Region
Development Manager - Kent & Medway Region: Alison Parmar, Tel: 01892 541399
Institute of Directors - South
Kent Branch Manager: Wendy Smitherman, Tel: 01795 435918
The Thames Gateway Kent Partnership is not responsible for the content of external websites.