Local Factsheet - Winchester
The Hampshire Growth Hub (DS)
Are you looking to start, grow or scale your business in Hampshire? If you are, the Hampshire Growth Hub is on hand to help you. They can provide one-to-one tailored business support, focusing on your growth plans and priorities. The hub have access to an extensive range of local, regional and national services, providing personalised support and provide guidance and information on:
- finding finance and funding
- budgeting and forecasting
- business strategy and business planning
- research and development
- access to skills and talent
- sales, marketing, social media and PR
- premises
- achieving your net zero goals
Eligibility: Available for businesses at all stages including pre-starts businesses.
Website: https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/hampshire-growth-hub
Tel: 0370 779 6350
Email: growth.hub@hants.gov.uk
Winchester City Council
Winchester City Council are a brilliant source for information in areas such as environmental health, planning, becoming sustainable, business funding, support and advice in the area, procurement, commercial property, business rates, licensing and much more to support your business start up or growth.
Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.
Website: https://www.winchester.gov.uk/business
Tel: 01962 840 222
Tel: 01962 848 288 - Business rates
Hampshire County Council
Hampshire County Council provides information on funding and grants, sources of business support, licensing, commercial premises and doing business with the Council.
Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.
Website: https://www.hants.gov.uk/business
Tel: 0300 555 1375 - General Enquiries
Business South
A range of services small to medium sized businesses including an online business toolkit, information on sources of finance, business units for rent, events, networking and a free monthly e-newsletter and the opportunity to join The Enterprise Club.
The Enterprise Club's purpose is to provide a community of link-minded entrepreneurs of small and medium-sized businesses in the Central South area of England to collaborate for shared success with a package of promotional support. Find out more here.
Businesses located in the Gosport Borough Council area can also access up to three hours of free one-to-one business advice. Enterprise South also host bi-monthly, free informal networking in Gosport and a free bi-monthly Gosport business newsletter.
Start-ups in the first three years of trading in eligible areas can also access free guidance to apply for a Government Start-Up Loan Scheme with 12 months of mentoring services for successful applicants, subject to eligibility criteria.
Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.
Website: https://businesssouth.org/
Tel: 02380 518223
Tel: 0844 332 0131
E-mail: info@businesssouth.org
Kick off In Business
Free, fully funded, short online courses, introducing the key considerations of starting a business or becoming self-employed. Learners will gain three enterprise qualifications and receive ongoing support for three months post-course. Click here to register your interest.
Following completion of the course, participants will be given exclusive access to KickOff+, comprising three additional short courses; Digital Promotion for Business, Money and Finance, and Innovation, Sustainability and Growth.
They also provide access to the following fully funded courses; Kick Off in Digital – a two-week, live and interactive, online digital skills course. Kick Off in Functional Skills – a self-paced programme completed via an interactive online learning platform, with tutor-led curriculum sessions and 1:1’s.
For ex-offenders who have left the prison service, Through the Gate Support, provides learners with the opportunity to gain a recognised business qualification. Through a series of engaging sessions, the course covers all the basics of starting up, and supports learners to work with other specialist ex-offender agencies as part of their resettlement journey. To make an enquiry contact the team by emailing referrals@kickoffinbusiness.co.uk.
Eligibility: Available for all people over the age of 19.
Website: https://www.kickoffinbusiness.co.uk
General contact form: https://www.kickoffinbusiness.co.uk/contact
Portsmouth PatLib Centre
It's really important to have an understanding of Intellectual Property, the Portsmouth PatLib Centre services are designed to help.
Services include information on intellectual property, copies of Intellectual Property Office and EPO European Patent Office literature, free public access to the internet, IP information resources and databases. They also offer an enquiry service where they can refer you to relevant advice and other service providers.
Eligibility: Available to all stages of business including businesses not yet trading.
Website: https://librariesandarchives.portsmouth.gov.uk/public-library-service/your-library/patents-library/
E-mail: askalibrarian@portsmouthcc.gov.uk
SETsquared Partnership
SETsquared is a enterprise partnership and a collaboration between the six leading research-led UK universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Southampton and Surrey. The business incubator provides a wide range of support programmes to help turn ideas into thriving businesses.
Eligibility: Available for all stages of business including businesses not yet trading within the innovation and technology sector.
Website: http://www.setsquared.co.uk/
Online contact form: http://www.setsquared.co.uk/contact-us
The Cyber Resilience Centre for the South East
A police-led and not-for-profit organisation providing support to help protect businesses from cybercrime. You will gain access to a range of different tools and resources providing you with practical steps to protect your business. Different membership levels are available, including a free membership package. A range of cyber resilience services are also available – more information can be found on the website.
Eligibility: Available to all stages of business.
Website: https://www.secrc.co.uk/
Made Smarter - South East
A programme for manufacturing companies in the South East of England. Made Smarter is designed to help accelerate growth, boost productivity and increase competitive edge through new digital technologies.
This includes support from Technical Experts to help businesses switch to advanced and automated technologies, up to 50% match-funding, specialist advice, leadership training and student placements.
To find out more and make an enquiry, visit the website.
Eligibility: Manufacturing businesses trading longer than two years, with a turnover above £100,000.
Closing date: March 2026
Website: https://www.madesmarter.uk/adoption/in-my-region/south-east/
Innovate UK Business Growth
Innovate UK Business Growth (was Innovate UK EDGE) is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth. It provides intensive, specialist-led support to ambitious innovation-led businesses to help them grow and scale.
Each high-potential, innovative business is supported by a dedicated innovation & growth specialist local to them. The specialist will consider a business in the round and, working closely with its leadership, identify the most productive ways to accelerate its growth. This could be by working on the core business plan and value proposition or through exploiting innovation, accessing funding and finance, and/or expanding into new markets.
In particular, the specialists can help companies to develop an innovation-driven business plan; understand how to protect and create value from their intellectual property; develop a strategy to fund and finance their innovation, growth and be investment ready; connect to new partners for commercial, technology and R&D collaborations; and discover opportunities in overseas markets learning how to capitalise on them.
Innovate UK Business Growth also offer the Scaleup Programme for enhanced support, the Global Incubator Programme and the Global Business Innovation Programme.
Eligibility: Available for businesses that have begun trading (innovative businesses, looking to grow and scale their business in the UK market and internationally) with up to 500 employees (250 in Northern Ireland). It is not suitable for pre-starts, or for those businesses who have no ambition to grow through innovation or internationalisation.
Website: https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/business-growth/
Online Contact Form: https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/business-growth-contact/
Tel: 0300 123 3066 (National Gateway)
Lawyers For Your Business (LFYB)
Do you need legal advice? Lawyers for your business is a scheme offering a free half-hour consultation with a member of the Law Society.
The lawyer will not be able to deal with existing legal issues but can help with general legal enquiries about starting a business, employing people, contracts with customers and suppliers, taking on leased premises, business structures, health and safety and raising finance. When contacting a solicitor for a 30-minute free consultation you must advise you are calling regarding the Lawyers for your business scheme and use the named contact on the sheet sent to you from the service.
Eligibility: Available for businesses trading up to 12 months including businesses not yet trading.
Website: https://solicitors.lawsociety.org.uk/
Tel: 020 7320 5650 - If you need help with using the find a solicitor section, Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm
E-mail: lfyb@lawsociety.org.uk - please include postcode or town/city in the e-mail.
For solicitors interested in joining the LFYB scheme
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/career-advice/individual-accreditations/lawyers-for-your-business
The FSE Group
Are you looking to explore your loan & equity options?
FSE offers a range of loans and equity finance for innovative growth companies. You need to be able to demonstrate the potential for significant growth and investment-ready to apply. You can find more information on the funds available via the website.
Eligibility: Available to businesses that have begun trading.
Website: https://www.thefsegroup.com/
Tel: 01276 608 510
E-mail: fundingenquiries@thefsegroup.com
Let's Do Business Finance
Offers business finance to businesses who might struggle to gain access to finance through mainstream lenders. Accredited business support partners of British Business Bank offering Start Up Loans, Recovery Loans and Growth Loans to businesses in the South East and East of England.
Business growth loans range from £20,000 - £150,000 and are available to businesses who have been trading for at least 24 months who are looking to grow. Some earlier stage businesses can be considered.
Website: https://www.letsdobusinessfinance.co.uk/business-loans
Tel: 0844 415 2272
E-mail: info@ldbgroup.co.uk
Procurement, tenders and winning contracts in Winchester
Hampshire County Council
Portal where you can find tender opportunities and express an interest in becoming a supplier. Guidance for suppliers is also available on the council's website.
https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/procurement
https://in-tendhost.co.uk/hampshire/
South East Business Portal
Portal for businesses looking to supply to Local Authorities in the South East. Registration is not required to browse opportunities.
https://sebp.due-north.com/
E-mail: ProContractSuppliers@proactis.com - the Portal Support Team
SE Shared Service e-Sourcing portal
The portal is a collaboration between public sector authorities in the South East region to provide a simple, secure and efficient way for managing sourcing and quotation activities, reducing time and cost for buyers and suppliers.
Website: https://in-tendhost.co.uk/sesharedservices/aspx/Home
Events and networking groups in Winchester
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
Has a list of up & coming events on their website and social media updates.
https://www.hampshirechamber.co.uk/training-events/
Hampshire Fare
Membership is open to businesses that produce, serve or sell local food, drink or crafts. Offers a range of services.
https://www.hampshirefare.co.uk/news-events
Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)
Events calendar for UK based businesses.
https://www.fsb.org.uk/event-calendar.html
Premises in Winchester
Hampshire County Council
Also has information on property that is available in the Hampshire area.
https://www.hants.gov.uk/business/propertyservices
Contact individuals listed against properties.
Invest in Southampton
An on-line searchable database of commercial property, including council owned premises available.
https://www.southampton.gov.uk/grow/invest/property-search/
Tel: 07979 702636