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Business support from the council and partners

Business support

Grow London Local

Grow London Local gives you access to expert business support available to London's small and micro business owners.

The Business Support team from Grow London Local also have a presence within the borough and can help to support you with accessing the business finance you need, finding marketing to help boost your sales and upskilling your team or yourself if you are not sure where to start.

Book an appointment

Royal Borough of Greenwich

Working alongside the Royal Borough's Business Support network and across the council, the service is our primary point of contact for aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups, existing businesses and relocating businesses seeking to access available business support.

We work in partnership with external partners such as the South East London Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, enterprise agencies, higher and further education sectors, traders’ associations, developers and private sector business support providers. Our aim is to support businesses to thrive – to start up, grow, attract and retain businesses in the borough.

The key priorities of the team are to:

  • develop innovative actions and mechanisms to support enterprise and growth
  • create the conditions for business growth and navigate the council
  • coordinate available business support provision
  • secure benefit for new and existing local business from major development

Working closely with Grow London Local, we provide a signposting or referral service to make Greenwich residents and businesses aware of the available business support to local businesses. We also deal with inward investment and business retention enquiries.

The council has have an online commercial property database with up-to-date information on all commercial premises in the borough.

Find out more about business premises

Email: business@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Start up

Greenwich Leisure Limited – Until March 2025

Working in partnership with South East Enterprise, Greenwich Leisure Limited (GLL) are delivering specialist business support services to enable businesses to start up, develop and grow. The programme focuses on 2 main strands of support:

  • start-up businesses (less than one year old) to nurture new enterprise
  • established businesses to strengthen their business resilience and sustainability

Under the ‘Start Up’ strand, business entrepreneurs can get free start up support to help launch their business. They will be able to access to one to one advice, workshops and webinars to help them turn their business ideas into a viable business proposition.

The ‘Business Resilience’ strand provides local businesses with the guidance and advice to help them adapt to new opportunities and challenges.

The focus is on planning within the organisation such as business planning and strategic marketing planning as well as business continuity planning. Businesses are able to access support to help them to develop a firm idea of where they need to be within the short to medium and even long term and how they will accomplish that, having a sense of where they are financially and operationally.

CNT Associates – Until March 2025

CNT Associates supports the development of co-operative or social enterprises and help potential community entrepreneurs to put their ideas into practice with an emphasis on businesses operating in the health and social care sector.

The support includes:

  • advice on co-operative, democratic or social enterprise models and managing the business
  • development support to groups and individuals in setting up a co-operative or social enterprise which will include diagnosing needs and devising development strategies
  • administration of seed funding to support business development in the form of a grant to develop the social enterprise into a viable generative business

FInd out more:

School for Social Entrepreneurs

Shifting London is an initiative run by the School for Social Entrepreneurs (SSE) and funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

If you’re a changemaker with a social or environmental project or business, the Shifting London Start Up and Trade Up learning programmes can supercharge your mission through learning, 1:1 coaching, funding and support.

The programme runs from January 2024 to December 2024.

Virgin Start Up

Empower100 is an 8-week accelerator to help founders unlock the next stage of growth for their startup through a series of workshops, networking, training, peer-to-peer support and pitch events. It is designed specifically for Black, Asian and minority ethnic founders, women founders and founders with a disability.

Small and medium-sized enterprise support

South East Enterprise

South East Enterprise (SEE) offers a complete range of client focussed services to established businesses wishing to update their IT or business skills to support their business development and growth.

They currently delivering the UKSPF-funded e-Business Programme and the Resilience strand of the Start-up and Resilience Programme.

Examples of support are:

  • 1to1 support such as digital, business continuity planning, financial planning
  • webinars
  • events

Find out more:

Open London

The Open London project brings together London residents, large organisations, and innovative London small and medium-sized enterprises to solve socio-economic, health and environmental challenges and increase living standards in London.

Through this programme of support, businesses can:

  • access a free, intensive Accelerator Programme, designed to help them develop their innovative solution to solve pressing challenges
  • receive ongoing bespoke 1-2-1 support from Open London's experienced Open Innovation Advisers
  • pitch to a panel for the possibility of receiving a small grant towards the development and commercialisation of their innovative product or service

Find out more:

Property advice

London Business Partnership

The Property Advice Service Programme provides free property advice for business owners. The support is available to small and medium-sized enterprises, micro-businesses and solopreneurs who are struggling with issues around:

  • budgeting - financial forecasting or commercial property finance
  • searching for or opening or closing premises, fit out
  • new or renewal of leases, licenses agreement and more
  • negotiations with landlords
  • understanding and learning about regulation
  • energy and fuel savings or strategies

Find out more:

Employment

Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB)

GLLaB is the council’s Employment Support Service, set up to match local people to local vacancies. GLLaB has a strong track record in providing free recruitment solutions to all types and sizes of businesses.

Find out more about GLLaB

Email: gllab-info@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Woolwich Jobcentre Plus

Get free help and advice from a Jobcentre Plus adviser if you're unemployed and looking for work. They can help you look for a job vacancy, and write a CV and covering letter.

London Living Wage grant scheme

Royal Borough of Greenwich

This grant scheme aims to encourage more businesses within the borough to become accredited London Living Wage employers. 

As a borough, we want to ensure that local people benefit from increased incomes, empowering them to have more control over their economic futures and improving their employment outcomes.

The Living Wage Employer accreditation aligns with the shift towards inclusive economic growth and wider ambitions to have a more collaborative approach to shaping the local economy.

As an incentive, the Royal Borough of Greenwich is offering a grant to locally based businesses that achieve accreditation from the Living Wage Foundation. A grant of 3 times the annual London Living Wage accreditation fee is being offered to businesses employing less than 251 staff that commit to paying the London Living Wage for a minimum 3-year period.

Find out more about becoming a London Living Wage Employer

Email: business@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Supply chain

University of Greenwich – until March 2025

The University of Greenwich offers a wide range of support services for businesses. It also provides specialist facilities, training and access to world leading expertise.

This programme being delivered by the University of Greenwich aims to help small and medium-sized enterprises within the local area to identify and access potential tendering opportunities arising from the current and future capital developments taking place within Royal Greenwich.

There are two aspects of support being delivered through this programme which relate to supply chain development and buyer engagement and support.

Through the delivery of the project, local businesses will be made aware of how large organisations including the council procure goods and services, giving the owner or key personnel the essential knowledge to consider where they fit in supply chains and how to identify the best avenues to develop more business.

It will provide in-depth, sector specific advice to help businesses respond to forthcoming tender or procurement opportunities and assistance with a confident proposal which displays their suitability as an appropriate supplier.

Newable

The Inclusive Supply Chains (ISC) programme provides an intensive, tailored, supply-readiness programme to London small and medium-sized enterprises with a focus on underrepresented entrepreneurs to increase awareness and successful participation in supply chains’ commercial opportunities.

Bespoke business support is provided by experienced Procurement Advisers through a programme of interactive workshops combined with buyer-side engagement.

Website: Newable

Food

Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency – Until March 2025

GCDA Learning offers free business course to support new and existing food businesses on a range of topics from marketing, costing, new products, product nutrition analysis, social media to embedding sustainability and much more.

Minority businesses

Minority Supplier Development UK

Minority Business Matters is a business accelerator programme for ethnic minority businesses (EMBs) in London. We define EMBs as being at least 51% owned, managed and controlled by people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

MSDUK offer one-to-one support, learning programmes, networking and pitching opportunities to help you:

  • access new markets
  • supply leading brands
  • expand your networks;
  • build your capabilities
  • increase sustainability

Website: MSDUK

Digital IT

Ravensbourne

Ravensbourne University London specialises in digital media and design. Ravensbourne collaborates with businesses, offering venue hire, business incubation services and freelance creative work through its Enterprise and Innovation Centre.

Training

London South Bank University

Whether you need to identify more efficient ways of working, target new markets, or create a plan to take your business and team to the next level, the Help to Grow: Management Course aims provide the knowledge and support you need to achieve both your leadership and business goals.

The course consists of 12 modules, 10 hours of 1-2-1 mentoring, and peer network sessions. This is designed to be completed alongside full-time work, the course is delivered in 50 hours spread across 12 weeks. The course costs are 90% funded by the government.

London South East Colleges (LSEC)

LSEC has an excellent track record in delivering training and development services for business – ranging from statutory compliance training, leadership and management to apprenticeships.

University of Coventry

In addition to academic courses, CU London (Coventry University Group), offer professional courses and qualifications in Management and Leadership. CU London have alo launched six IEMA accredited Sustainability and Net Zero short courses applicable for businesses across every sector. These CPD courses cater to the general workforce as well as team leader and managers.

Course fees are applicable.

Greenwich Learns (Royal Borough of Greenwich)

Greenwich Adult and Community Learning service currently provide training to local residents and employers in the borough. Over 2,500 learners have been on its courses this academic year with very high rates of success at over 95%. Please see link for the support provided to local businesses.

Website: Greenwich Learns

Networking and support

South East London Chamber of Commerce

The South East London Chamber of Commerce represents businesses in Greenwich, Lewisham, Bromley, Bexley and Croydon. It holds networking events to promote business between its members and provide assistance to enable them to develop.

Federation of Small Businesses

The Federation of Small Businesses’ mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions. As experts in business, it offers members business services including advice, financial expertise, support and a powerful voice in government.

Enterprise and skills for business

Greenwich Enterprise Board (GEB)

Greenwich Enterprise Board is a provider and developer of affordable workspace for business in Greenwich.

They offer a variety of high-quality, flexible commercial properties in Greenwich.

METRO GAVS

METRO GAVS represents and supports the voluntary, community and faith sectors in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Ravensbourne

Ravensbourne is a university sector college specialising in digital media and design. Ravensbourne collaborates with businesses, offering venue hire, business incubation services and freelance creative work through its Enterprise and Innovation Centre.

Federation of Small Business (FSB)

The FSB provides member support and advocacy services for small businesses and the self-employed.

Benefits include legal support, and advice on health and safety in the workplace and crisis management.

South East London Chamber of Commerce

The Chamber represents businesses in Greenwich, Lewisham, Bromley and Bexley. It holds networking events to promote business between its members and provide assistance to enable them to develop.

Visit Greenwich

Visit Greenwich is a destination management organisation promoting Greenwich. It works to attract visitors and generate growth and economic impact in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.