Business Support Initiatives
The Team at Chelmsford City Council is dedicated to supporting businesses in navigating change and unlocking new opportunities.
The Team at Chelmsford City Council is dedicated to supporting businesses in navigating change and unlocking new opportunities.
Annually a business support booklet is produced, detailing the range of support that is available to your business.
Download bookletThis plan draws on the 2020 business survey and sets out a number of priorities for Chelmsford businesses.
The plans key themes are:
We are working with MKR Solutions to support businesses to develop and carry out a decarbonisation plan. This will help businesses reduce their carbon footprint, increase productivity and make financial savings.
This programme gives 1-2-1 support and can help businesses from across all sectors. It focuses on the collective culture of continuous improvement to maintain and drive change in line with Net Zero goals.
To gain the most value from this programme, your businesses should be at least 18 months old.
Chelmsford City Council worked with local digital marketing specialists Better Agency to deliver this in-person digital marketing training, which has now finished. Thank you to everyone who took part.
The programme has also selected eight businesses who attended the in-person training and offered them a mentorship programme. This is a comprehensive 12-week initiative, giving them personalised 1-2-1 support tailored to their specific needs.
You can listen to the Get Better in Chelmsford Podcasts now, and Season Two will be ready to launch in early 2025.
Chelmsford City Council have partnered with Visit Essex to give targeted support to businesses in the visitor economy. We know that the visitor economy has been particularly hard hit over recent times. So, we are keen to work with Visit Essex and businesses to provide support in this area.
With the free Visit Essex membership, you will be able to have your own entry on www.visitessex.com with online booking facilities. Visit Essex will also include your business in relevant marketing activities and campaigns.
In addition, you can enjoy:
To apply for this fantastic opportunity, you need to submit an application form
ApplyOfgem offers advice to businesses who are worried about their energy bills.
Citizens Advice also provide advice for small businesses who can’t afford their energy bills.
The Recovery Loan Scheme helps small and medium sized businesses access loans and finance to aid their recovery.
The British Business Bank has free resources around debt management, cash flow, and understanding and managing debt. If you are struggling to pay your self-assessment tax bill, HMRC is offering instalments and payment plans.
Business Debtline is a charity that provides free and independent debt advice over the phone and online. It also provides a range of debt advice factsheets on topics ranging from business debts, debt solutions to dealing with creditors.
Skills and recruitment are key issues for businesses, and we are aware that many businesses are struggling to fill vacancies in the current climate.
Find a job service is the government’s official job vacancy service, supporting employers to fill their vacancies.
The Essex Opportunities Portal offers employers a free service to recruit individuals with the necessary skills to start work immediately. This one stop shop also provides information and advice on jobs, careers, skills, and training.
The Essex Wellbeing Service supports Essex businesses via their Working Well Accreditation.
This consists of:
If you have any questions or need further information about the exciting opportunities in Chelmsford, our dedicated team is here to help.
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