Support for Businesses
We offer a number of different services to support existing businesses in the city and to encourage new businesses into the area. Details of some of the programmes are below.
Commercial Vehicle Training Courses Now Available. Find our more.... Soho and Middlemore Property Improvement Programme (SMPIP) to provide grant assistance to businesses in the Holyhead Road Industrial Estate and Soho Road Local Centre.. Find out more .....Our overall strategy is to support the LEP to create 100,000 jobs by developing a culture and climate where innovation and enterprise can thrive, prosper and invest in infrastructure, which supports private sector development and business growth.
This involves developing a wide ranging and major programme of activity across the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership area funded through European Regional Development (ERDF) and Regional Growth Fund (RGF), which will seek to stimulate enterprise, business growth, improve access to finance, further develop procurement opportunities for the small business sector as well as encourage innovation amongst such businesses.
The package of support builds on successful initiatives such as Finance Birmingham, Business Development Fund, finditinbirmingham, high growth mentoring and coaching programme, Birmingham Energy Savers and company engagement with major companies. In addition, a programme to provide face to face business diagnostic and small scale consultancy support to fill void left following the demise of Business Link.
We have submitted a number of partnership based ERDF, RGF and Interreg funded proposals including:
• Outline Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership wide High Growth and Mentoring programme
The proposal builds upon our successful Enterprise City High Growth Programme delivered in partnership with Deloitte.
It is designed to assist high growth businesses to improve their competitiveness and performance through in-depth mentoring and coaching as a catalyst for business growth leading to jobs being created and increased economic prosperity.
The above two applications have been approved at outline and will now proceed to full application.
• Euro District+ proposal
‘Science Park Without Walls’ will create a network of regions who will participate and develop a global virtual business support system.
This project has now been approved.
• Euro District+ proposal
Next Generation Science Parks aims to develop and implement incubator space to attract national and direct foreign investment in the region.
This project has now been approved.
• Euro Complex Cities, Innovative Challenges
The project is aimed at increasing the levels of innovation amongst SMEs from partner-regions through R&D and technology transfer.
• Euro Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS)
The proposal is aimed at building CSR capacity within SMEs to strengthen their supply chain with a view to promoting responsible and sustainable regional development and growth.
• Euro EDEN4YOU Project
A project aimed at the development of young people and women’s entrepreneurial activity and self-employment.
• Euro Smart-Labs
The Living Labs is a shared start-up business incubator designed to encourage self-employment and business growth.
• Euro ENINVO Index
The aim of the project is to stimulate environmental innovations across the EU partners by linking this knowledge to the tourist entrepreneurs.
• Euros CIP ICT PSP OPEN innovation for internet enabled services - HEALTHY SMART CITY
The project addresses the need to reduce energy consumption of the public sector in Europe by a very significant amount to meet overall emission reduction targets.
This page will be updated as soon as we hear the outcome of these submissions.
Initiatives have included:
Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative*New
Business Recovery Package
Business Development Grants
Birmingham Skills for Enterprise and Employability Network
Design Space
Loans to Businesses
Prince's Trust
Retail Development Programme
Stimulating Demand High Growth Programme
Enterprise City High Growth Programme
Find it In Birmingham Initiative
Science Park Without Walls
Making Knowledge Work
Next Generation Science Park
Please click on the links above or the tabs at the bottom left of this page to find out more about these initiatives.
Contact Us
Telephone: 0121 303 3150
Useful Links
www.businesslink.gov.uk/newservices
www.britishchambers.org.uk
www.financebirmingham.com
www.birmingham.gov.uk/backingbirmingham
Be Birmingham
ART
www.creativeadvantagefund.co.uk
Prince's Trust
European Regional Development Fund
Solutions for Business
Digital Birmingham
If your focus is digital, or you want to learn more about how your business could benefit from digital technologies, take a look at the Digital Birmingham site and the activities the city is leading on, to increase the usage and understanding of digital technologies in order to help local businesses: www.digitalbirmingham.co.uk
The Development Directorate leads on the city council’s‘succeed economically’ strategic outcome, and provides a range of statutory and other services to businesses and householders that includes Investment, Enterprise and Employment.