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Business Support

Whether you’re based in the UK or overseas, North East Lincolnshire has a team of specialists waiting to help you.

The Economic Development team for North East Lincolnshire Council supports businesses and provides assistance with the following services:

  • Commercial property, premises and land search service
  • Access to information on grants, funding and finance
  • Helping with workforce recruitment and skills development
  • Providing familiarisation tours to help you make the most of North East Lincolnshire’s offer
  • Working as a strategic partner and consultant with your project team
  • Help to manage the relationship between businesses and council departments e.g. planning, environmental considerations and access to initiatives and grants
  • Providing local market intelligence through up to date information.
  • Business relocation and market information
  • Listings of relevant local suppliers

Aftercare Programme

  • Encouraging business retention, support and growth
  • Expansion opportunities
  • Support and advice when applying for grants
  • Introduction to business networks and other business professionals

Business Support Services

E-Factor Group Ltd is an organisation that works in partnership with NELC to provide local business support through one to one support from qualified Business Advisors, local business networks, business workshops and events, support in sourcing finance and funding, links to the local supply chain and the unique Business Hive Club. E-Factor Group Ltd has commercial property available, all with excellent facilities and ongoing support in all aspects of starting or growing your business.

E-Factor provides a range of services to businesses in North East Lincolnshire with an emphasis on one-to-one support to both aspiring entrepreneurs and the owners of established companies.

These include:

  • Start-Up Support: A comprehensive support structure for start-ups including the ‘Be Your Own Boss’ workshop, for individuals exploring both self-employment for the first time and the development of a robust business plan, together with tailored support from a specialist Start-Up Advisor. Ambitious entrepreneurs in their first 18 months of trading can also apply to join E-Factor’s Start-Up Academy which provides a focussed and inspiring development programme for business owners looking to accelerate their growth.
  • Business Premises: Help with identifying suitable commercial property, including co-working in E-Factor shared workspaces and a range of dedicated office, retail and light industrial units.
  • Business Planning: Assistance is available to help develop comprehensive business plans, including market analysis, financial projections, and growth strategies.
  • Upskilling and Self-Development: Signposting to workshops, masterclasses and networking opportunities through E-Factor’s Business Hive Club, leading to leadership development, team building, and business skills enhancement.
  • Grant Funding and Loan Applications: With direct contacts within the Growth Hub and its delivery partners, Advisors can carry out grant searches and help with the completion of applications.
  • Energy Efficiency and Decarbonisation: Identifying physical and management actions to reduce energy use and carbon emissions, and signposting to grants and finance to assist with the transition.
  • Business Development: With some sectoral knowledge and experience within the team, Advisors can assist  in identifying new markets, developing marketing strategies, and creating plans to expand the business.
  • Financial Analysis and Management: Help with the evaluation of financial statements, and considerations of profitability, whilst advising on financial management practices, cash flow management, budgeting, and financial forecasting.
  • Operations Improvement: Analysing business operations to identify inefficiencies, recommending process improvements, and implementing strategies to enhance productivity.
  • Strategic Planning: Developing longer-term strategic plans, setting goals and objectives, and providing guidance on implementation strategies.

If you are experiencing or planning for growth in your business and are in the North East Lincolnshire area or are considering starting up or relocating to the region, then the Investment Hub can help you by directing you to suitable sources of finance, funding and business support services. 

Investment Hub NEL are a FREE and impartial signposting service, supported by North East Lincolnshire Council, who work with North East Lincolnshire based businesses of any size or sector. The Hub can make valuable introductions to introduce you to the right lenders, funders, support networks and other contacts.

With over 66 years of banking experience between Sarah and Ian, the team bring a plethora of business knowledge, acumen and experience to the business arena. This means that they are able to help any size business in any sector with both practical advice and solutions. This together with extensive local contacts and signposting experience enables them to provide a full and extensive solution to clients. As well as signposting to solutions, Investment Hub can also identify other local businesses where they think mutual benefits exists.

For enquiries, please email info@investmenthubnel.org.uk 

Hub Business referrers:

Ian Girdley ACIB, Hub
Director, 07701 056374

Sarah Rock, Team
Leader, 07946 600711

Businesses operating in North East Lincolnshire can benefit from a range of business support offerings, delivered by the Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub. Available support includes:

  • Information Diagnostic and Brokerage Service
  • Shared access to the specialist adviser pool. Specialist Advisers include:
    • Manufacturing
    • Retail, Leisure & Hospitality / Visitor Economy
    • Carbon Reduction
    • Digitalisation
    • Agriculture and Horticulture
  • Shared access to a comprehensive virtual workshop / events programme
  • Shared access to specialist support programmes which include:
  • Managed referrals through to other sources of Local and National Support such as – Made Smarter, Create Growth, Education and Training Providers, National Government support such as Innovation, Exporting and High Growth
  • Ongoing coordinated marketing and PR activity & website functionality

Government website, tools and guidance for businesses – https://www.gov.uk/business

August 2023, North East Lincolnshire Council approves Skills Acton Plan for North East Lincolnshire.

The Plan, which identifies some of the key challenges facing people in our area, looks to identify and take advantage of opportunities to improve the awareness of high-skilled careers and the educational attainment of adults.

The action commits the Council to:

  • Collaborating with authorities across Greater Lincolnshire to ensure that the needs of local residents are ‘fully represented’ in matters relating to devolution.
  • Liaising with, and supporting, national, regional and local organisations where their aims align with local strategic aims to raise aspirations, support careers progression and increase adult participation.
  • Collaborate with skills leads across Greater Lincolnshire to share best practice.
  • Collaborate with, and support the development of, the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Greater Lincolnshire.

If you would like to discuss your companies workforce requirements and challenges or to learn more about the skills and training provision in the region, please contact Amy Gresham – amy.gresham@nelincs.gov.uk.

Smarter Energy NEL

Grimsby Community Energy are working with partners to help local business decarbonise and cut their energy bills. This is part of the Smarter Energy North East Lincolnshire project, funded through North East Lincolnshire Council with the Community Renewal Fund. This fits neatly into NELC’s Zero Carbon Road Map.

Since January 2022, the Smarter Energy NEL service has already supported 121 local businesses, with projected savings of £182,000 every year.

GCE have 8 x £1,000 zero-carbon start up grants to help local organisations begin their journey. GCE check out the premises, operations and energy use to check that the carbon savings are real, and provide a detailed report.

Bigger businesses who have good opportunities for solar PV are being signed up, and will feature in our next community share offer. The typical interested business would be a manufacturer out on the industrial estates, experiencing high energy bills, with a suitable roof, not wanting to invest in solar PV themselves, but happy for GCE to provide the solar panels and sell them discount clean electricity.

To find out more, including how businesses can sign up to the programme, visit the Smarter Energy NEL website.

Price Comparison

A price comparison service for small to medium businesses in the UK, helping them to save on their business energy costs, leaving them more time to run their business efficiently – http://www.energyadviceline.org.uk

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus provides free and efficient services that effectively fill vacancies with well-prepared and motivated employees.

We can help you:

  • register on gov.uk to advertise vacancies on the internet
  • take advantage of recruitment grants to help your business grow
  • with sifting applications, interviewing and testing – we even fund our candidates through a trial, so you can thoroughly assess their skills cost free
  • prepare our candidates by arranging training, utilising our close relationship with a large network of training providers
  • if your staff need help and advice through redundancies
  • if you just want some impartial advice on HR services

Please contact Lorraine Alexander, Anne Brewster, Tracey Dennis, or Viv Jackson on our employer adviser team to find out more at 01472 622276/ 622291 or e-mail grimsby.cv@dwp.gsi.gov.uk.

Sector Support North East Lincolnshire Partnership (SSNEL) is run by Forum CIO (Previous named Northbank Forum for Voluntary Organsations), which delivers projects and services across Yorkshire and the Humber. It has been funded by NEL Health and Care and NEL Council since April 1st 2016.

SSNEL offer a range of help and advice on issues like funding, governance, safeguarding and volunteering as well as training courses and events. They can support anyone working in the voluntary and community sector, including social enterprises, from start-ups and small groups to large charities and it’s all free.

Business Lincolnshire

Growing in size and importance in the County, the Social Economy accounts for an estimated 10% of businesses and 6% of employment. You can see the support available from Business Lincolnshire here.

HMRC Revenue and Customs offer a range of advice and guidance through their website to help people in business get their tax affairs right. Visit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/startingup/help-support.htm for more information.

Innovate UK

Innovate UK is the UK’s innovation agency. They help UK businesses to grow through innovation. The government’s vision is for the UK to be a global hub for innovation by 2035.

The mission for Innovate UK is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.

UK Research and Innovation brings together the seven Research Councils, Innovate UK and Research England:

Innovate UK EDGE

Innovate UK EDGE is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s deep investment in the pioneering businesses that drive economic growth. It is a publicly-funded service available to all high potential small to medium sized innovation-driven companies, including Innovate UK grant winners.

Catapult Network

The Catapult Network supports businesses in transforming great ideas into valuable products and services. They are a network of world-leading technology and innovation centres established by Innovate UK, delivering impact across the UK economy, enabling businesses to thrive in global markets.

The Catapult Network brings together nine leading technology and innovation centres spanning over 50 locations across the UK.

  • Cell and Gene Therapy
  • Compound Semiconductor Applications
  • Connected Places
  • Digital
  • Energy Systems
  • High Value Manufacturing
  • Medicines Discovery
  • Offshore Renewable Energy
  • Satellite Applications

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult: Grimsby

The UK’s leading technology, innovation and research centre for offshore renewable energy. At the heart of industry in the Port of Grimsby is the Operations and Maintenance Centre of Excellence.

Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult is leading the development of the world’s biggest offshore wind “living lab”, which is accelerating the launch of a 5G test bed offshore and supporting robotics and autonomous solutions for inspections, maintenance and repair, reducing the costs of Operations and Maintenance for the industry.

If you would like to find out more about how we can help you with your business in the North East Lincolnshire area, please contact us.

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