Support to grow your business
Where to look?
Looking for funding or support to grow your business?
There is a wealth of support available for businesses looking to grow in West Lancashire. Whether you’re looking to access specialist business mentoring, trade internationally, purchase plant or machinery, innovate and develop new products, Boost and other partner organisations can help.
We work closely with our partners to support businesses to grow in West Lancashire. Below are a number of Council and partner services offering support and guidance.
If you would like to discuss any of the business support programmes below, in the first instance please contact the Council’s Business Engagement Team at lets.talk@westlancs.gov.uk
West Lancashire Collaborative Innovation Programme
Launching on the 8th May 2024, the West Lancashire Collaborative Innovation Programme (WLCIP) is being delivered in partnership with Edge Hill University, The University of Central Lancashire, and West Lancashire Borough Council. The programme is fully-funded by West Lancashire Borough Council's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and offers targeted support, with focus on West Lancashire SMEs, to assess challenges and opportunities for business scale-up. It aims to drive impact through profitable growth, productivity improvement, new product development and business technology adoption.
If your business is looking to grow through Innovation, or new product development, email the Productivity and Innovation team at Edge Hill University to start the conversation: pic@edgehill.ac.uk.
We also advise interested businesses to book a place at the West Lancashire Collaborative Innovation Programme Launch Event, to meet the teams and find out more about this fully-funded support.
Boost; Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub
Boost is Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub led by the Lancashire LEP (Local Enterprise Partnership) and Lancashire County Council and their purpose is to help Lancashire’s businesses grow.
Through Boost, Lancashire businesses from start-ups to large companies can get access to a number of funded programmes in areas such as mentoring, scaling up, innovation, international trade, leadership development, and accessing finance.
- Growth Catalyst: for established and ambitious businesses ready for planned strategic growth. This is delivered by The Growth Company
- Scale to Thrive: available for start-up businesses showing rapid growth in the first year; for businesses with a minimum turnover of £1m and/or 10 full time staff, that have been expanding over the past three years (or already growing 20%) with a pipeline of 20% growth over next three years. This is delivered by The Growth Company
- Flying Start: for early-stage businesses that have traded for less than three years, and aspiring individuals with a great business idea. This is delivered by Social Enterprise Lancashire Network (Selnet)
- Access to Finance: for ambitious businesses with desire to grow, invest, create jobs and / or innovate and trade internationally. This is delivered by Lancashire County Council
Boost can also help businesses navigate the plethora of national business support programmes to find the support they need.
If you believe your business could benefit from the above support, get in touch with us at lets.talk@westlancs.gov.uk.
For more information visit the Boost website. The Boost business support directory also provides further details about the Boost funded support programmes, as well as an up-to-date directory of other available business support in Lancashire.
Green Tourism
Since June 2022, the Council have been supporting businesses to reduce energy usage, save money and become more sustainable through our fully funded Green Tourism programme. There are already a number of businesses from a wide and diverse range of sectors already signed up and are benefitting from this funded support, and we strongly encourage businesses in the hospitality, leisure, accommodation, retail, and tourism sectors to take up this fully funded support.
The scheme can help eligible businesses achieve an internationally recognised accreditation to becoming a greener business, as well as contribute towards West Lancashire becoming a sustainable tourist destination.
Get started with the Green Tourism Webinar
Chamber Low Carbon
East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and Industry are working in partnership with West Lancashire Borough Council to support local businesses with premises to drive down energy costs, reduce their carbon footprint, stimulate low carbon innovation, and achieve their Net Zero Carbon ambitions! This fully funded support is available to West Lancashire based businesses of any size.
Some examples of what businesses can access are:
- 1-to-1 and advanced business support: for example, this will help your business to reduce bills, material waste, improve efficiency, create a carbon footprint report and reduction plans
- Best practice events and updates: for example, this will help you understand your energy costs, renewable energy options both onsite and offsite
- Advanced business support: for example, this will help provide behaviour change, onsite training, and carbon literacy
To find out more information on the support available in the first instance, we advise that you contact the Council's Business Engagement team at lets.talk@westlancs.gov.uk
Please click here to register your interest and find out more!
Rural Business Peer-to-Peer Programme
Calling West Lancs Rural Businesses in the tourism, food and drink sector: are you looking to grow your business? Do you have challenges within your business that you want to address?
The Rural Business Peer-to-Peer programme begins on 10th April 2024 enables you to connect with likeminded rural businesses within your sector to share ideas and support each other in your growth journeys!
This programme is fully funded by West Lancashire Borough Council's UK Shared Prosperity Fund who are working in partnership with Lancashire County Council to deliver this fantastic opportunity. The programme consists of a two in person and a series of online workshops over a 9-week period. On completion of the programme, eligible businesses will have the opportunity to apply for a small business grant to help support their business growth.
Due to high demand, places are limited and filling fast. If you are interested in taking advantage of this free support and are within an eligible sector, please email: ruralprosperityfund@lancashire.gov.uk
'Licence to Sew' Upskilling Programme
A bespoke programme supporting local people with the opportunity to upskill.
West Lancashire Borough Council is delighted to be working in partnership with The Sewing Rooms Skelmersdale to help address an important skills gap in a critical sector across West Lancashire.
The 'Licence to Sew' programme is funded by the Council's UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will provide local people from the age of 17+ the opportunity to upskill and train to become a skilled machinist, with the potential after completion of the programme to be employed by local manufacturing business.
The programme will be delivered over ten weeks and encompasses a comprehensive curriculum to meet the specific demands of local manufacturing businesses. The training includes tutor-led sessions, self-directed online modules, and practice sessions tailored to industry quality standards.
For more information or to enrol on the program, please contact Paula Gamester at The Sewing Rooms at: paula@the-sewing-rooms.co.uk
Your local bank
If you are looking to finance your business, have you considered speaking with a relationship manager at your local bank?
Banks can offer practical solutions and a range of products to support your business; whether it is business growth or asset purchases, your bank could potentially help you to secure vital 'match funding' for other funding programmes. Banks have access to a range of services, including the British Business Bank's Enterprise Finance Guarantee (external link)
