The Business Growth Factory is a programme designed to help local businesses develop sustainable business models and scale to new heights. With tailored support, expert-led mentoring, hands-on workshops and critical investment pitch training, businesses will gain the tools and insights needed to thrive in today’s competitive marketplace.

This exciting new initiative is delivered by Incuhive in partnership with Winchester City Council. The programme is provided completely free of charge thanks to funding from the UK government though the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

To find out more, download the flyer at the right hand side of the page.

Check out the Business Growth Factory workshop schedule below.

Commercialisation Support Programme
Workshop 5: Investment Pitch Training (online)	13 December	10 – 11am
Mentoring and 1-1 sessions (ongoing)	Until January
Pitch Event	17 January	10am – 12pm
Review and wrap-up workshop (online)	24 January	10 – 11am
Incubation and Scale-Up Support Programme
Product/Service expansion strategy and Operational Efficiency and Scaling	16 January	9am – 12pm
Funding and Investment Readiness	30 January	10 – 11.30am
Mentoring and 1-1 sessions (ongoing)	Until January
Acceleration Support Programme
Product Development and Scaling and Marketing and Sales Strategy	12 December	10am – 4pm
Team Building and Leadership and Pitch Practice	23 January	10am – 4pm
Mentoring and 1-1 sessions (ongoing)	Until end of January
Investor meetings (online)	January
Post programme support and final wrap up	6 February	10 – 11am
SME Digital Productivity Programme
One day course	10 December 7 January 11 February	9am – 5pm
Sustainability
Workshop two (online)	5 December	10 – 11am
Workshop three (online)	15 January	10 – 11am
Workshop four (online)	13 February	10 – 11am
Mentoring and 1-1 sessions (ongoing)	Until February

To apply, visit the Incuhive website and complete the online application form.

Unlock business success at our Winchester district growth clinic with one-to-one expert guidance

Are you looking to grow your Winchester district-based business but facing challenges? Would you like practical solutions and clear action plans to help you succeed?

The government recently reported that only one in four SMEs sought external advice or information in the past year. Don’t be one of those businesses. Take the opportunity to meet Hampshire Growth Hub’s Senior Growth Champion, Andy Swift, and discover solutions to grow your business in a one-to-one meeting at a Growth Clinic we are hosting in partnership with Winchester City Council, on Thursday 23 January.

Andy is a qualified Chartered Banker with more than 35 years of experience in senior management roles at a leading UK High Street Bank, specialising in business and commercial customers. He’s also the founder of AS Consultants for Business Ltd and has worked for many years as a professional business mentor. Additionally, he served as Associate Programme Director for the Help to Grow Management course at Solent University Business School.

Andy will be joined by his colleague Kurt Moxham, Business Coordinator, who will be on hand to discuss apprenticeships, skills and training programmes, to help you attract and retain talent in your business.

To book your place at the Growth Clinic, please contact the Economy team at Winchester City Council by emailing ecodev@winchester.gov.uk

 

📍 Location: Winchester City Council, City Offices, Colebrook Street, Winchester, SO23 9LJ. 

🅿️ www.winchester.gov.uk/parking/parking-and-car-parks

📅 Date: Thursday 23 January 2025

A new Find a Grant digital service has been launched to help eligible individuals and organisations can search and apply for government grants. Explore here.

Citizens Advice has information and advice if your small business can not afford its energy bills.

Business Companion offers free, impartial, legal guidance to businesses on the basics, concise guidance and also detailed advice if required. 

Visit Winchester's Partnership & Marketing Programme offers businesses across the local visitor economy the chance to work more closely with the Visit Winchester team to shape and grow the local visitor economy. Our main aims are to raise awareness of the Winchester district and generate additional tourism visits and spend.

Click here for full information and how to get involved.

The UK has left the EU, and the transition period has ended. There are new rules for businesses trading with the EU and all information can be found at www.gov.uk/transition. 

You can also sign up for Government email alerts on Brexit.

Regional business leaders are being urged to sign up to a new executive development programme accredited by the Small Business Charter. The University of Winchester is one of the first business schools in the UK to deliver the Government's Help to Grow: Management Scheme.

The scheme, which is part of the UK Government's Plan for Jobs, aims to support senior managers of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to scale up as the country recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and to hone existing and develop new skills to thrive in the post-pandemic world. Courses should cost £7,500 each, but the 90 per cent UK Government subsidy means employers will pay just £750.

You can book your place with the University of Winchester Business School and find out start dates, here.

The Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is a membership organisation, owned and managed by local businesses whose goal it is to protect and promote business interests. They help to make businesses become more successful by providing networking opportunities, business support and advice.

To speak to someone directly, call  01329 242 420 or email info@hampshirechamber.co.uk

Hampshire Digital is a new and free Hampshire-wide network for marketers, strategists, digital experts, and general business owners to connect, share ideas, meet new people, and help each other out with all things digital.

From veteran digital marketers to those stepping out into the world of digital for the first time, the Hampshire Digital network is a diverse bunch. Anyone in and around the county can join – the only criteria is that you have a genuine interest in digital marketing.

For more information and how to get involved.

Barclays Eagle Labs has been chosen by the government to help boost small and scaling tech businesses across the UK. This package of support includes a series of business growth programmes, in partnership with industry experts, as well as access to mentoring and educational resources.

Applications are now open for the first series of programmes, which includes:

HealthTech and AgriTech Industry Bridge Programmes , delivered in partnership with Codebase, will connect corporates to startups and scaleups, and enable connections to relevant peers working within their chosen industry, with the potential to share experience, drive collaboration and foster further growth.  

Funding Readiness Programme, delivered in partnership with Capital Enterprise, is a three-month series of webinars, networking and workshops to educate founders on funding and help give them the knowledge they need to attract investment and fund their business growth.

Gigabit-capable broadband connections offer the fastest and most reliable speeds available.

Homes and businesses in rural areas of the UK may be eligible for funding towards the cost of installing gigabit-capable broadband (up to 1000Mbs) when part of a group scheme known as a 'Community Fibre Partnership'.

Use the following guide to see if your business can benefit from The Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme:

The Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme is a government funded programme which provides funding to rural communities with inadequate broadband provision. The programme will deliver gigabit capable networks with full fibre to the premises.

What is meant by 'rural'?

There are specific definitions of rural communities which the Department of Media, Culture and Support apply in administering this scheme.

The easiest way to check whether your premises is classified as rural is using the online checker on the Gigabit Voucher website.  

This will also indicate which suppliers are delivering the scheme in your area which will be important when you reach the stage of seeking quotations.

How much funding is available?

The standard Government Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme will allocate vouchers to the value of £1500 per residential premises and £3500 for each small to medium-sized business (SME); so, the more businesses included in your 'Community Fibre Partnership', even those working at home, will increase the value and scope of your project.

What is defined as 'community'?

The minimum requirement to qualify for this scheme is two premises, however owing to the work involved in preparing an application, it is likely that larger bids will be more cost effective to develop.

Remember, the more businesses included in your 'Community Fibre Partnership', even those working at home, will increase the value and scope of your project.

There is however no specific size or scale that your project needs to be as this will be dependent upon the geographic layout of your community and relation of proposed premises to existing network infrastructure.

It is suggested that a broad community approach is adopted including involvement of the parish council where possible.

The most important element of establishing a bid will be to organise a group of individuals who are willing and able to develop the bid. Ideally this will involve a person with a level of technical knowledge and/or an individual who is able to help work up and establish the business case.

What is the process for applying?

There are several technical steps you'll need to work through to develop your project including identifying the scope of your programme.

There is a community led broadband schemes page on GOV.UK which sets out the steps which you will need to consider before a bid can successfully be completed.

In as little as an hour, you could change the course of a young person’s life just by sharing your story or helping them to understand more about the world of work.  

The Give an Hour campaign invites you to make a difference to the young people in your area by giving as little as one hour of your time. They would particularly like to hear from you if you own or work in a small or medium sized business. Hear from some of the employers who are already engaging with young people in their local areas, here.

It might feel like an hour is too short to have a real impact, but they know from experience that an hour can create new perspectives and inspire new ideas. Just to hear someone’s career story or be able to speak to someone who can listen and give advice. Could you be that someone?  

Find out more here.  

Sparsholt College provides training to business, industry and employers, offering professional accreditation courses as well as one-day workshops and training courses.

SMEs who don't have enough staff to warrant a specialist course can benefit from workshops and courses with individuals from different sectors and industries, where they can share ideas and best practice with colleagues and bring that back to the workplace. For larger groups, courses can also be run in the workplace.

Professional qualifications are delivered in small groups by experienced trainers, working to industry body accreditation standards, which are externally verified for quality assurance. A wide range of courses cover a variety of industries.

To find out more and view the current training calendar, click here.

To get in touch email: business@sparsholt.ac.uk 

Social enterprise means generating your own income through selling your services and or expertise. The income derived is reinvested in your charitable or social purposes. Action Hampshire gives information and support to social enterprises and also run the Hampshire School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Action Hampshire understand that the business development needs of social entrepreneurs are very similar to those of private entrepreneurs but there are also key differences such as legal structures available.

For further information, please contact Action Hampshire.

The Entrepreneur Handbook is a UK information website providing expert advice and guides on every aspect of starting and growing a business including sales, finance, marketing and much more.

Go to the website for more information here.

A peer-to-business lending platform connecting businesses and investors, where businesses get fast business loans and investors earn great returns on their investments. Funding Circle has funded over £570m in business loans so far.

For more information you can visit their website.

• Find out about writing a business plan with Start Ups UK or Discover Business
• Work on your time management
• HMRC have a range of short e-learning courses such as Working for Yourself

For local Trading Standards approved traders, go to the Buy With Confidence web pages available in the column on the right.

The local branch of the Hampshire Chambers of Commerce holds a member directory.

Employers and persons in control of a premises have a duty to ensure that a fire risk assessment is carried out.  Hampshire fire and rescue have produced some guidance to help businesses, including how to carry out a fire risk assessment.  It is also important to ensure that your employees have suitable training in what to do in the event of a fire.

A publication called "Do you have Paying Guests?" has been issued by the Department for Communities and Local Government and seeks to address difficulties that the hospitality industry, specifically bed and breakfasts, guest houses and self catering properties, have faced in understanding the new rules. It explains the risk assessment process, sets out sources of further advice and guidance and offers some practical information for owners on what may represent appropriate and proportionate fire safety measures in these types of premises.

For more information, click here.

Employee Volunteering is when a company’s employees offer their time and expertise for the benefit of local voluntary and community groups during work time, all with the support of their employer. Volunteering is promoted, encouraged and recognised by the company.

Community First works with local charitable and voluntary organisations so that local businesses can get involved in the community, from sharing skills of employees to helping out on a one-off project.

To find out more, please contact Janet Duggan on volunteer@cfirst.org.uk or on Tel: 0300 500 8085. Alternatively, take a look here.

Worthy Down Garrison and Winchester City Council are encouraging local businesses to provide benefits to the Armed Forces Community as part of the Armed Forces Covenant. Benefits could include:

• supporting the employment of veterans young and old
• supporting the employment of service spouses and partners
• offering a degree of flexibility in granting leave for service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment
• supporting employees who chose to be members of the Reserve forces
• offering a discount to the members of the Armed Forces Community

If you are interested in finding out more about how you could help please contact Lieutenant Colonel Mark Cox AGC(SPS), Worthy Down Support Unit | Bld 10, Worthy Down, Winchester, Hants, SO21 2RG | Mil: 94271 2295 | Civil: 01962 887295 | e-mail: WDTrgSpUnit-HQ-CO@mod.uk