Business Support Services
The council's economic development service works with the local business community and partners to ensure that the city meets the needs of businesses through an economic strategy and range of business support services. The service is happy to provide advice and support to individual businesses and can be contacted on:
t: 01603 212543
e: edu@norwich.gov.uk
Alternatively, visit the business advice page of our Bite back at the crunch campaign, where you will find more useful links to other council departments and partner organisations.
You may find the following links to business initiatives and organisations, some of which are supported by Norwich City Council, useful. The list is not comprehensive and is intended as a guide for businesses and individuals to highlight the type of help and support on offer:
Adult Education Services, Norfolk County Council offers high-quality vocational training to businesses throughout Norfolk and works with employers to tailor courses to meet their needs.
t: 01603 306509
website: www.norfolk.gov.uk/adulteducation
BizFizz is a community-based project open to people living or working in Mile Cross, Lakenham, Thorpe Hamlet and West Norwich. It provides free, one-to-one coaching and support for people with a business idea that they want to turn into reality and helps to develop existing businesses using local networks.
Milecross
t: Daryl Moore 07912 616846
e: daryl.moore@bizfizz.org.uk
Lakenham
t: Jacob Chawawa 01603 616957
e: jacob.chawawa@bizfizz.org.uk
Thorpe Hamlet
t: Finbarr Carter 01603 616094/751678
e: finbarr.carter@bizfizz.org.uk
West Norwich – covering Bowthorpe, Larkman, Marlpit and Earlham
t: Anne Francis 01603 507457
e: bizfizz@wnplive.org.uk>
website: www.bizfizz.org.uk
Business in the Community is an independent charity and membership organisation that encourages companies to invest in their local community, reduce their impact on the environment, address issues directly affecting their marketplace and encourage talent, flexibility and diversity in the workplace.
t: 01603 508438
e: gary.towers@bitc.org.uk
website: www.bitc.org.uk
Business Library, located within the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library in The Forum, houses a large collection of business directories, market research reports, periodicals, newspapers, company information, guides to business and company law and more.
See information on the developing business service.
t: 01603 774760
e: millennium.lib@norfolk.gov.uk
Business Link East offers a complete range of business advice, guidance and support services.
t: 08457 171615
website: www.businesslink.gov.uk/east
Business Debtline – helpline for small businesses providing free, confidential and independent advice on how to deal with debt problems.
t: 0800 1976026
website: www.bdl.org.uk
Buy local is a membership organisation that encourages members of the public and businesses to buy goods and services locally, in order to help local businesses thrive.
t: 01603 766166
website: www.buylocalnorfolk.org.uk
City Centre Partnership (CCP). The Norwich CCP is made up of a range of stakeholders (including businesses, the public sector and voluntary organisations) and works to ensure that Norwich city centre is a thriving, attractive and safe place to live, work and visit.
t: 01603 212744
website: www.norwichccp.co.uk
Click for further information on the CCP.
Connexions Norfolk. A county-wide service that provides free information, including careers advice and training opportunities for 13 to 19-year-olds. Connexions Norfolk Opportunities Plus helps businesses with recruitment by advertising, free of charge, vacancies suitable for young people, including short-term posts.
t: 0845 6384716
website: www.connexions-norfolk.co.uk
East of England International is a first point of contact for potential inward investors. It supports local businesses in international trade and has developed a wide range of international business support programmes.
t: 01223 450450
e: info@eeia.com
website: www.eeia.com
Enterprise Europe East of England is a gateway to a wealth of free information and support in doing business, finding collaborative partners and increasing business competitiveness in Europe.
t: 08457 171615
e: enterprise.europe@businesslinkeast.org.uk
website: www.businesslink.gov.uk/east/europe
Environmental Business Advisor Service. Offers free, impartial and confidential environmental and resource management advice to businesses in Norfolk and also provides awareness sessions through training workshops and seminars.
t: 0344 800 8004
e: environmentaladvice@norfolk.gov.uk
Federation of Small Businesses aims to protect, promote and further the interests of small businesses across the UK and to provide a national voice on their behalf. Information, advice and active help on a range of legal and commercial issues is readily available to members.
t: 01953 498915
e: jeanette.thurtle@fsb.org.uk
website: www.fsb.org.uk/eastanglia
Foundation East is a not for profit organisation that operates across East Anglia. The foundation lends money to new businesses, existing businesses, charities and social enterprises that cannot get a loan from a bank or require additional funds to match bank lending.
Click here for more information.
t: 01284 757777
e: info@foundationeast.org
website: www.foundationeast.org
Go For It! Enterprising Norwich is Norwich's local enterprise growth initiative (LEGI) programme, run by Norwich City Council, which aims to boost enterprise, incomes and employment opportunities in the city. If you live in Norwich and have got a business idea that you would like to pursue, want to get back to work, or find a better job then Go For It! Enterprising Norwich can help you. Click here for further information.
GradsEast provides fast, free help with graduate recruitment in the east of England.
t: 0845 234 2314
e: gradseast@i10.org.uk
website: www.gradseast.org.uk
GrantNet is a free, user-friendly, online search facility, which enables small businesses to find out about current funding opportunities.
website: www.grantnet.com
HM Revenue & Customs advice team offers a range of free services to new and existing businesses and the self-employed, covering tax, National Insurance and VAT. Assistance comes in the form of workshops and presentations.
t: 0845 603 2691
website: www.hmrc.gov.uk/bst
Jobcentre Plus offers advice on employment and training, jobseekers allowance, incapacity benefit and income support and helps employers to fill their vacancies.
t: 01603 248700
website: www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk
Learning Shop. Based in The Forum in Norwich, the Learning Shop provides information about a wide range of courses and training opportunities available locally.
t: 01603 773666
website: www.learningshopnorwich.org.uk
Norwich Action for Marketing and Exhibitions.
This initiative offers advice and help to Norwich based businesses who work in the health and life sciences, creative, IT and engineering sectors to market their products and services at events across the UK and Europe. Click for further information about the initiative.
website: www.namenorwich.org
Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and Industry. A membership organisation that offers its members a wide range of business services, including plenty of networking opportunities. It also acts as a business voice on national and local issues.
t: 01603 625977
website: www.norfolkchamber.co.uk
Norfolk Knowledge acts as a fountain of knowledge and experience from which organisations, within the public and voluntary sector, can draw and anyone who has knowledge can contribute. Norfolk Knowledge helps retiring and downshifting managers maintain and expand their social networks and allows businesses and organisations from the public and voluntary sector to access a pool of knowledge and experience.
website: www.norfolkknowledge.com
Norfolk Network is a membership organisation that provides mutual help and support. It is aimed at innovative, ambitious companies, scientists and entrepreneurs who want to grow – or who are already growing – a successful business in Norfolk.
t: 01603 663340
website: www.norfolknetwork.com
Norwich Enterprise Centre is a physical and virtual one-stop-shop, based in Norwich city centre. Provides information and support to potential entrepreneurs, business start-ups and local businesses with growth ambitions. The Enterprise Centre is managed by NWES.
t:01603 227852
website: www.nwes.org.uk
NWES provides professional advice and training to existing business and to individuals wishing to set up in business. NWES can provide bursaries and loans as well as managed workspace in Norwich and across the county.
t: 01603 628715
website: www.nwes.org.uk
Seamless Support offers free business advice to anyone in Norfolk who is part of a community or voluntary organisation or social enterprise, or would like to start one. It provides development support, legal advice, business guidance and training bursaries.
website: www.seamlesssupport.co.uk
Shaping Norfolk’s Future is a business-led partnership that works to create wealth and jobs for the people of Norfolk. It brings the private, public and voluntary sector organisations together on important issues and influences the investment of resources to strengthen the county’s economy.
website: www.shapingnorfolksfuture.org.uk
The Business Map is a web-based tool to help businesses find out what business support is available in the east of England. Designed along the lines of the London underground map, each 'line' represents a different area of support or advice.
website: www.bizmapeast.co.uk
The Guild is a leading support organisation within the voluntary, community and social enterprise sectors. The Guild provides business support and training for organisations that are starting up or developing. Business support can be paid for through Seamless Support or with Business Link vouchers.
t: 01603 615200
website: www.the-guild.co.uk
The Prince's Trust is a national charity offering practical solutions to help young people to 'get their life working'. The trust offers a variety of programmes to help develop confidence and skills, as well as providing finance and other help to those considering starting a business.
t: 01603 306192
e: Norfolk@princes-trust.org.uk
website: www.princes-trust.org.uk
Train to Gain provides businesses with access to a skills broker who will carry out a free training-needs assessment. The skills broker identifies what skills a business currently possesses and the skills it will need in the future and then matches training needs with local training providers.
t: 0800 387 326
website: www.traintogain.gov.uk
UnLtd provides funding and support to individuals within the Norwich City Council area who wish to become social entrepreneurs and set up a social enterprise.
t: 0207 5661100
website: www.unltd.org.uk
Women's Employment and Enterprise Training Unit (WEETU) is an independent Norfolk-based organisation that helps women succeed in work and enterprise. WEETU offers free services (guidance, training and advice) to women living in Norfolk and Waveney, to help them get into work or pursue a different career. It also provides start-up training, support and loans for women to develop business ideas.
t: 01603 230625
e: admin@weetu.org
website: www.weetu.org
Young Enterprise runs a range of business and enterprise education programmes for young people with the support of businesses and volunteers.
t: 01438 746100
website: www.young-enterprise.org.uk
