Business Support

Our calendar contains information on all Solent Partners events, masterclasses and meetings, as well as other events in the Solent area. Many of the events that we promote are run by local and national partners; you will therefore need to contact the relevant organisation through the links provided if you are interested in attending.

Solent Partners is offering a series of fully-funded training courses, Skills for Successful Business, on a range of topics for businesses based in the Solent region.

Looking to grow your business and get advice on how to navigate through 2024 and beyond? Of course you are. Our Solent Growth Hub is designed to give you all the advice you need and provides expert, free advice to keep you moving onwards and upwards.

The Solent region is a vibrant hub of creativity, wonder and innovation and is one of the core reasons businesses clamber to establish themselves in the area. CREATE Solent is a business ecosystem designed to benefit the creative sector and provide a support hub for creatives at all stages of their careers.

The government has launched various initiatives to help businesses and individuals take basic steps towards reducing the risk of cyber crime including a cross-government campaign, funded by the National Cyber Security Programme, and delivered in partnership with the private and voluntary sectors.

A non-profit online platform that connects small businesses with thousands of expert volunteers for free 1:1 personalised support. Digital Boost gives SMEs access to true specialists in the topics they need help with the most, whether that’s social media, cybersecurity, or accounting.

The Enterprise Europe Network can help you to scale your business, innovate and succeed overseas by providing access to international partnerships, expert advice and support for business innovations including, guidance on how to access funding, information on innovation legislation and link to local innovation stakeholders.

The Solent Partner’s Ethnically Diverse Peers Network is a regional, small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business support programme. Ethnically diverse decision makers and senior team leaders are invited to connect with other business-people from ethnic minority background through our peer networking programme.

The government has produced a step-by-step guide to exporting. Written by a team of International Trade Advisers and designed specifically for new and inexperienced exporters.

Use their support to identify new opportunities, relevant regulations, and getting paid.

Fully funded by Fareham Borough Council and run in partnership with the Solent Growth Hub team, the Fareham start-up Launch Pad offers 12 month of intensive tailored support to eight start-up businesses based in Fareham.

In these cash-strapped times, especially after the Pandemic, it could not be more important to get the right funds behind you. Solent Partners helps small, medium and larger businesses access a variety of grants and loans to help you grow.

Solent Partners supports Solent-based businesses to make positive changes towards Net Zero. We are here to help you join the UN’s Race to Zero – a global effort to reduce greenhouse gases – which aims to save your money while reducing and mitigating against the impacts of climate change.

If you’re based in Havant and have been operating a business for over two years, this intensive support programme is tailored to your specific needs. Offering mentoring support in a range of areas, if you feel your business is not reaching its full potential, this is the programme for you.

Health and wellbeing is at the heart of economic success, and, with a focus on building strong, healthy, and resilient communities that can prosper in a fast-changing world, is one of our seven strategic priorities.

A government lead scheme providing two business support programmes –Help to Grow: Management and Help to Grow: Digital. Both programmes are designed to help business leaders learn new skills, reach more customers and take their business to the next level.

Innovate UK Business Connect works with public and private sector clients to connect ideas, people and communities to drive positive change through innovation with connections spanning business, government, funders, research and the third sector.

Investing in innovation, research and development is important for economic growth. Businesses that do so often emerge stronger and more competitive than they were before. Each day, innovators in the business world create new products, methods, and ideas. They manage to look at problems differently and come up with solutions others cannot.

No one reaches the top without the right support and that’s why Solent Partners is perfectly positioned to offer mentoring and coaching services as part of our Growth Hub. Whether you’re starting up or looking to get to the next level, we are here for you.

Whether you are seeking to expand your business into the Solent or relocate entirely, we provide help, advice and resources to help you relocate or expand your existing offering in the area.

The economy is fed by businesses in a variety of sectors, all striving to provide goods and services and shine amongst their competitors. Solent Partners helps you to access support across the creative, digital, transport, space, manufacturing and many other Solent-based sectors.

Our series of fully funded Simplify AI workshops aim to clarify basic fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI) for small businesses, freelancers, and marketeers.

Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19 or over, primarily aimed at delivering training that is co-designed with employers to respond to skills shortages. At its heart, Skills Bootcamps are designed to support adults to retrain and upskill in local priority sectors, ultimately supporting economic growth in the Solent.

Flexible Workspaces, Creative Studios and Incubators are increasing popular locations for entrepreneurs and freelancers. Being part of a community is particularly important In the Creative Tech and Digital sectors. The Solent Growth Hub working with Creative Network South and the Partnership for South Hampshire has mapped a range of spaces across the Solent area.

The Solent Growth Hub is your FREE local business support service. The service is available to all Solent based start ups and those look to turn an idea into a reality. The Solent Growth Hub aims to make it easier for you to access the right type of support you need which will vary based on the stage, size and your current needs of you business.