Free Expert Support and Grant Funding for business

The Business Hot House offers six powerful strands of free business support delivered by six expert support providers. 

We offer 12 hours of free expert business advice and guidance via workshops, intensive programmes and 1-2-1 mentoring sessions. Whether you are an experienced business owner, a start-up founder or if you just have an idea for a business, the Business Hot House experts will help to plug your business knowledge gaps to help your business or business idea to grow more quickly. 

1. Building Products Customer's Crave intensive programme

Do things differently and stay competitive: this free programme draws on SINC's 20 years of experience in helping businesses and entrepreneurs to develop and launch new products and services. From developing your SWOT analysis to harnessing consumer insights and shaping your idea into a launch-ready entity, if you have an innovative idea take a closer look info.sinc.co.uk/building-products-customers-crave

2. Lead Out of Lockdown intensive programme 

This free programme will help you to find out what type of leader and manager you are and show you how to play to your strengths. You’ll work with the Sussex Innovation Centre’s management consultants to explore the range of management styles and find out how to use your natural personality, values and communication style so that you can lead your team in a way that improves morale and productivity. Find out more info.sinc.co.uk/lead-out-of-lockdown

You can discuss these programmes in more detail by contacting jamie-lee.atkinson@sinc.co.uk

3. Business start-up support 

We offer two unique support packages to help you to develop the knowledge and gain the confidence to turn your business idea into a commercial entity.

Princes Trust

If you’re aged 16 – 30, via the Princes Trust, we offer a free programme that is specifically designed to support younger entrepreneurs. You can find full details of this programme at www.princes-trust.org.uk/help-for-young-people/support-starting-business

Or you can contact claire.wheeler@princestrust.org.uk

University of Chichester

The University of Chichester Business School offers a free intensive boot camp, currently delivered online, that is open to anyone who is aged 18+. You can find full details of the boot camp at www.chi.ac.uk/businessservices/ business-hothouse/how-to-start-a-business

Or you can contact hothouse@chi.ac.uk

4. Access to finance 

Combining over 50 years of experience in helping businesses to raise finance, WSX Enterprise and Get Set for Growth offer a range of advice and one-to-one support sessions to help you to apply to the Invest4 Grant Fund and to access other sources of finance.

Get Set For Growth

Find out more at www.getsetforgrowth.com/coast2capital/events

Or contact nicola.wiley@getsetforgrowth.com

WSX Enterprise

Find out more at www.wsxenterprise.co.uk/support/startup/business-hot-house

Or contact rachael.baker@wsxenterprise.co.uk

5. Leadership & management development 

The University of Chichester Business School offers a series of conference-style events. Participants attend seminars, join peer-to-peer workgroups and find out why they need to invest in their leadership skills and in their managers and what opportunities we offer to support that. Find out more at www.chi.ac.uk/business-services/business-hothouse/developing-leaders-managers

Or you can contact hothouse@chi.ac.uk

6. Invest4 Grant Funding 

The Invest4 Grant Fund has £2.65 million to help to grow businesses and start-ups. 90% of applicants to the fund successfully secure a cash award of up to £170,000. You can find out more and see what business projects the Invest4 Grant Fund Panel has already agreed to fund at www.chi.ac.uk/businessservices/business-hothouse/invest4-grant-funding

Or you can contact invest4@brighton-hove.gov.uk

For more information visit www.chi.ac.uk/business-hothouse