Business Support

The RISE project can help your business innovate and grow.

Business innovation is critical for enhancing your productivity and competitiveness. Through the RISE project, the Universities of Brighton and Sussex are offering free business innovation support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in West Sussex. 

Find out more click on the link below or contact Lorraine Bell, Head of Project (RISE) at RISE@brighton.ac.uk.

Research & Innovation Sussex Excellence (RISE)

Offering 12 free hours of expert knowledge and support across six key areas.

• Perfecting Productivity and Going for Growth
• Finding Finance & Funding
• Developing Leaders & Managers
• Invest4 Grant Funding
• Commercialising Innovation
• How to Start a Start-up

The Business Hothouse

Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is one of 38 local business led partnerships nationwide between local authorities and businesses driving economic growth and the creation of local jobs. The Coast to Capital Growth Hub provides free and impartial government funded business support, including one to one support from specialist growth advisors.

Coast to Capital - Growth Hub

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.

Innovate UK EDGE

The Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Sussex with its Regional Centre BIPC Brighton & Hove at Jubilee Library and its BIPC Local at Crawley Library, supports entrepreneurs, inventors, and small businesses across Sussex, from that first spark of inspiration to successfully launching and developing a business.

As well as being a hub for entrepreneurs to network and attend events, it provides 121 expert advice and access to a wealth of free information - business databases, market research reports, company data and information on intellectual property. 

BIPC Sussex is part of the British Library’s National Network of BIPCs and  one of 20 Centres currently available across UK.

Business & IP Centre Sussex

Support for Low Carbon and Environmental Goods & Services (LCEGS) SMEs to adopt and develop eco-innovative and low carbon solutions to improve business.

Grants of up to £20,000 for energy efficiency and low carbon product/service development.

Businesses can obtain further help, advice and register their interest by contacting the University of Brighton's Green Growth Platform https://www.clean-growth.uk/locase/.

They are also running a series of free workshops on energy efficiency and renewables for local SMEs further details here https://www.clean-growth.uk/events/.

Support and discounts to help small and medium-sized UK businesses find, buy and adopt digital technologies to improve productivity.

Help to Grow Digital

The grant fund element of the programme is now live closing at 11am on 8th February 2023. The Create Growth grants fund is designed to help creative businesses explore new game-changing innovation projects as a stimulus for growth.

The fund offers grants of between £10,000 and £30,000, and is open to micro and small businesses in the creative industries. Applications must offer an innovative and ambitious idea which demonstrates a new and clear growth opportunity for businesses.

For further details about the wider Create Growth South East programme, click here.
Businesses looking to register their interest in the programme can contact info@createsoutheast.org.uk. For general enquiries about the programme, please contact business.support@westsussex.gov.uk.

The West Sussex Business Hub is free to join and open to anyone in West Sussex who runs or owns an independent business, providing access to training, business support, networking opportunities, and information - as well as enabling you to contribute your ideas and share your experience with other business owners. 

West Sussex Business Hub