Business Support Organisations
A range of business organisations are available to help companies across the South East Region.
Business Matrix (Right-click save as)
Business Link
Business Link provides the information, advice and support businesses need to start, maintain and grow. It provides information and advice to help customers make the most of their opportunities. Rather than providing all the advice and help itself, it fast-tracks customers to the expert help they need. The Business Link service is a crucial part of the government's campaign to promote enterprise and to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Business Link is available locally and quality assured regionally to clear national standards. It is primarily funded by the Department of Trade and Industry, supported by a number of other government departments, agencies and local authorities.
Related links
Business Support Network
The Business Support Network (BSN) is an initiative by East Sussex County Council Trading Standards Service. It updates local businesses and business organisations with information relevant to their trading activities.
Capitalise Business Support
To encourage entrepreneurship by making finance available to people who cannot access loans or credit from banks or building societies. Our scheme is aimed at helping Sussex, Kent and Surrey based micro, small and medium enterprises and social enterprises in order to achieve positive social change and to bring wealth to disadvantaged communities.
CommercialiSE
CommercialiSE links university knowledge with business expertise in the South East to deliver an integrated framework of funding and support.
Edeal
Edeal provides free, confidential and impartial business advice to all businesses, ranging from pre-start to mature. The service embraces social enterprises and voluntary organisations as well as private, commercial companies.
Federation of Small Businesses
The Federation of Small Businesses is the UK's largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. Formed in 1974, it now has over 215,000 members across 33 regions and 230 branches.
Finance South East
Finance South East exists to help ambitious small and medium sized businesses in the South East of England to realise their true potential for growth and success. We can provide impartial advice on the funding sources available to your business and help you achieve your goals.
Hastings College
Hastings College is a medium sized general further education college. Our main campus is located at St. Leonards-on-Sea.
Hastings Skillsmatch
The new Hastings Borough job matching site, is a new web site matching employee needs with employer demand.
Hastings Trust
An independent charity working for the people, heritage, economy, environment and future of Hastings.
Innovation Advisory Service
The Innovation Advisory Service (IAS) is designed to help ambitious "growth companies" in the South East to identify what to do, how to do it and to gain access to resources and funding. Companies will typically use technology as a major part of their commercial activities, or be planning to, with 30 - 1,000 employees, although there are no strict limits on employee numbers. The majority of companies that the programme helps have been established for some time.
Innovation Centre Hastings
The Innovation Centre is specially designed to help firms with an innovative approach to business grow and thrive. They offer a range of offices, studios and workshops, all fully equipped with the latest in telephony, broadband, meeting rooms, reception and clerical services.
Let's do Business
Let's do Business provides a fantastic opportunity to network face-to-face with owners, directors and key decision-makers of businesses from across Sussex and the wider South East region.
Local Investment Fund
The National Fund that loans to Social Enterprises
Manufacturing Advisory Service
The Manufacturing Advisory Service provides access to practical manufacturing advice and support to help businesses improve their productivity and efficiency levels.
MAS South East
The Manufacturing Advisory Service South East is the dedicated route to hands-on support for manufacturing businesses across the South East region.
Picture That Dictionary
Picture That Dictionary is an innovative English Language learning system focused to dyslexics and poor readers to help them understand the written word.
PRIME Initiative
The PRIME Initiative provides free information, events and training to help older people get back into work by starting their own business - also known as "becoming self-employed".
Prince's Trust
The Prince's Trust offers practical solutions to help change young lives.
Rother District Council
The Council's website is here to serve the community of Rother, and to also provide information to those who reside outside the District.
South East England Development Agency (SEEDA)
SEEDA, as the Regional Development Agency for the South East, is responsible for the sustainable economic development and regeneration of the South East of England - the driving force of the UK's economy.
Sussex Enterprise
Representing businesses' views and helping with the business issues that matter to them. The organisation helps businesses looking for practical support, skills development or information to help run their business more efficiently. Make sense of red tape, keep on the right side of the law and find out about networking events in your area. As the Chamber of Commerce for Sussex, Sussex Enterprise will help with business issues, offers practical support, skills development or information to help businesses run more efficiently.
Sussex Innovation Centre
The Sussex Innovation Centre (SInC) is one of the premier technology business incubators in the UK. Opened in 1996 it provides support for the creation and growth of technology and knowledge based companies. The Centre provides excellent facilities and is a thriving business incubation environment for over 80 high growth companies working within the IT, Biotech, Media and Engineering sectors. Other companies cover fields such as biotechnology, design media, artificial intelligence, laser development and games technology. These businesses are working in fields as diverse as new drug discovery and games technology.
Ten Sixty Six Enterprise
Ten Sixty Six Enterprise is the enterprise agency for Hastings and Rother, and also the Chamber of Commerce for Hastings and St Leonards. They have a comprehensive strategy for helping those who wish to start up new businesses and also provide on-going guidance and support for established businesses.
Train to Gain
Train to Gain is expanding, offering even more funding and support as you train your employees for business success.
UK Trade & Investment
UK Trade & Investment is the Government organisation that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to set up or expand in the UK. Its role is to help companies realise their international business potential through knowledge transfer, and on-going partnership support.
University of Brighton
The University of Brighton is a community of 21,000 students and 2,100 staff based on five campuses in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings. We have one of the best teaching quality ratings in the UK and a strong research record, factors which contribute to our reputation as a leading post-1992 university.
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex was the first of the new wave of universities founded in the 1960s, receiving its Royal Charter in August 1961. Forty years on, the University has become a leading teaching and research institution, characterised by a number of academic strengths including research excellence, internationalism and interdisciplinarity.
Wired Sussex
Wired Sussex works with digital media companies of all sizes helping them to develop and grow. If you are working in or running a business in the digital media industry in Sussex – or if you’d like to be – find out how we can support you.