Business support programmes

Starting or growing a business brings new opportunities, but it can also bring new challenges. Whether you’re building your team, developing new skills or improving the way you work, getting the right support can make a real difference.

There are several business support programmes available across Brighton & Hove, designed to help businesses access expertise, develop their team and upskill their management, leadership, business growth and sustainability. We’ve compiled some of the programmes and opportunities available, so you can see what support could be useful for you and your team.

Take a look at what’s available below.

Help to Grow: Helping senior leaders on their next step

The Help to Grow: Management course, run by the University of Brighton, is designed for leaders and senior managers of small and medium sized businesses with five or more employees who want to develop their skills and support the next stage of their business's growth.

Delivered over 12 weeks in a mini-MBA style, the programme is designed to fit alongside full-time work. It covers a broad range of business areas, helping participants strengthen their leadership skills, better understand their market and explore new ways of working.

It’s a valuable opportunity for senior managers - giving future leaders a broader understanding of the business, can support your long-term succession planning.

Find out more and sign up for the next Help to Grow cohort here.

Barclays Eagle Lab: Plan for your business growth

Barclays Eagle Labs offers a range of business support programmes for teams that are ready to take the next step and scale their business.

Programmes cover different areas of growth, from leadership and management, with support to help you build an agile and effective team, to raising capital and helping you understand your funding needs.

Barclays Eagle Labs has plenty of opportunities strengthen your business and plan for growth. Find out more about the programmes available here.

Student Consultancy Programme with the University of Sussex: Have a helping hand

The University of Sussex Student Consultancy Programme connects businesses with a team of students who will research a real challenge and come back to you with ideas and recommendations.

You’ll set the brief, and a team of five students from a mix of academic backgrounds will contribute a combined 100 hours to your project, before presenting their findings and recommendations back to you.

Find out more about the programme here.

Sussex Innovation: Get help on your big projects

Sussex Innovation supports growing businesses with expertise, consultancy and advice.

If your team needs an extra pair of hands, their Senior consultants connect businesses with skilled University of Sussex graduates and placement students to help deliver projects.

They also offer business support and advice across areas including strategy, marketing, sales and research - whether you need someone to bounce ideas off or more hands-on support with a challenge.

Find out more about Sussex Innovation here.

Plus X Innovation: Develop new ideas and grow

Plus X Innovation offers a range of business support and innovation programmes to help businesses develop new ideas, tackle challenges and grow.

Their programmes give you access to mentors, experts and investors with support designed for start-ups, growing businesses and established teams.

Find out more about Plus X Innovation and their programmes here.

Stay Smart, Grow Strong: Find out where to focus on whilst you scale

Run by the team at Freedom Works, this programme brings together workshops, advice and peer support to help you work out where your business is, tackle some challenges that come with growth and work out what to focus on next.

It’s free to take part, and you’ll come away with a toolkit you can put to use straight away.

Find out more about Stay Smart, Grow Strong here.

Time to Grow: Grow your business

Time to Grow East Sussex offers free, tailored support for established businesses looking to grow, adapt or overcome challenges.

You’ll get advice to help you work out your priorities, explore opportunities and take the next steps with more confidence, whether that’s accessing finance, working with new technology, innovating or reaching new markets.

Find out more about Time to Grow East Sussex here.

There are plenty of ways the Chamber can help your business grow too:

Our events programme is shaped by what members tell us they need – whether that’s managing your social media, becoming a better leader, getting to grips with AI, improving your sales and marketing, or simply meeting other businesses going through similar challenges. Take a look at our events calendar, and join our mailing list here to see what’s coming up.

There’s also lots of knowledge already within the Chamber community. Our member blogs are written by members, for members, sharing expertise on the business topics you’ve told us matter to you. Have a browse through the Chamber blog here.

And if you’re not quite sure what you need next, talk to us. We know our members, so we can point you towards useful support, make an introduction or help you find the right people to have a conversation with.

Are you running a business support programme in Brighton and Hove, or know of one? Let us know at info@brightonchamber.co.uk and we can help spread the word across the Chamber community.