Are you a Small, Medium Enterprise (SME) wanting to install some energy efficiency measures such as LED lighting, insulation or maybe an air source heat pump to your commercial premises?

Do you already offer green or LCREE/EGSS (Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy/Environmental Goods and Services Sectors)? If so, you could receive funding to develop and launch your products, as well as for marketing, IT software and consultancy.

LoCASE is offering funding of up to £10,000, which would represent 40% of the eligible project costs to improve the green credentials of your company.  Free business support is also available to enable your company to operate in an environmentally friendly way.

• 6 Oct 17.00 RBInspire Mentor-Mentee Connect meeting,  Book now
• 13 Oct 09.15-12.15 Surrey Chambers of Commerce International Supply Chain Resilience.  Book now
• 20 Oct 12-00-14.00 Reigate & Banstead Learning Lunch Taking on your first employee, Town Hall, Reigate  Book Now 
• 22 Oct 09.00-15.30 Surrey Hills Sustainable Business Conference, Pennyhill Park Hotel, Bagshot, Surrey Find out more 
• 17 Nov 12.00-14.00 Reigate & Banstead Learning Lunch, How to make your business greener.  Town Hall Reigate Book Now
• 3 Nov 10.00-12.30 Innovate & Grow with University of Surrey Book now 
• 3 Nov 17.00 RBInspire Mentor-Mentee Connect meeting, Book now
• 8 Dec 17.00 RBInspire Mentor-Mentee Connect meeting, Book now
• 15 & 16 Jan The Business Hot-House, Dorking How to start a start up for pre-start and early stage businesses Book now

Redhill:

• The Plan Group Ltd win The Best Insurance Employer - Small/Medium at the Insurance Post Awards
• Holly Chantler, Morrisons Solicitors wins the award 'Private Client Lawyer of the Year' and 'Lawyer of the year' at the Surrey Law Society Awards 2021
• SES Water rolls out water saving visits in schools repairing hundreds of hidden leaks for free In the past year SES Water has repaired 360 leaks in 89 schools across its supply area, helping to save nearly 320,000 litres of water per day
• Kokoro has opened 34 Station Road Redhill
• e-FOLDi wins Naidex Innovation of the Year’ award for the ‘Lite’ folding travel scooter.

Reigate:

• Just Group win Best Annuity Service at the Moneyfacts Life & Pension Awards 2021 
• esure continued their partnership with Stripy Stork and delivered 131 school bags and 15 boxes of supplies for their bags4school campaign.
• Crumbs Brewing wins great taste award from the Guild of Fine foods for Bloomin' Amber and Rye Ruby
• Entrepreneur Academy winner My Vegan Dulcedeleche wins great taste award from the Guild of Fine foods for My Crazy Fudge (Vanilla)

Horley 

• Double Award win (joint) for SGN at UK Society for Trenchless Technology (UKSTT) Awards 2021 

Take your business to the next level with Help to Grow. Two government backed programmes designed to help you learn new skills, reach more customers and boost your profits.

Help to grow Management

A 12 week-programme delivered by leading business schools across the UK and accredited by the Small Business Charter. The programme combines a practical curriculum, with 1:1 support from a business mentor, peer-learning sessions and an alumni network.

Designed to be manageable alongside full-time work, this programme will support you to develop your strategic skills with key modules covering financial management, innovation and digital adoption. By the end of the programme you will develop a tailored business growth plan to lead your business to its full potential.

30,000 places will be available over 3 years. The programme is 90% subsidised by government – costing only £750.

Help to grow Digital

Free impartial advice on how technology can boost your business, delivered through a new online platform launching this Autumn.

You can also claim a discount of up to 50% on the costs of approved software, worth up to £5,000. Vouchers are initially expected to be available for software that helps businesses:

build customer relationships and increase sales make the most of selling online manage accounts and finances digitally

On 16 September, the Council’s Executive agreed to adopt a new Climate Change and Sustainable Construction Supplementary Planning Document (SPD).

This new guidance will help support environmental sustainability across our borough and includes changes resulting from feedback to our recent public consultation.

Although the climate challenge is international - we can make changes on our own doorstep - including developing planning policy that will benefit our communities and economy.

We can now ensure that local new developments will help tackle climate change - and meet the highest standards of sustainable construction - to help improve the environment for everybody.

Read our news release for details.

You can also find more about sustainable living at home, at work, for your health, your business or school – and the Council’s approach to sustainability - on our Environmental Sustainability and Climate Change web pages.

This month we welcomed our 'Class of 2021' to the Reigate & Banstead Entrepreneur Academy at East Surrey College. The six-month course gives residents an opportunity to gain the essential skills needed to set up a business and ends with a special ‘Dragon’s Den’ style competition, where entrants pitch their business proposals to a panel of established local business leaders for a chance to win £5,000 in funding. The free scheme is a cornerstone of the Council’s commitment to support small businesses in the borough.

Gatwick Airport is asking for comments on their proposed major infrastructure project for the Northern Runway. Their consultation runs until 1 December and you can also discuss the proposals when their Mobile Project Office visits our borough.

The Council will respond formally after we’ve reviewed all the information and we encourage everyone to have their say.

Surrey County Council is asking for feedback about a proposed new Gypsy, Roma and Traveller transit site in Tandridge. The site would be the first in Surrey and is close to the eastern side of our borough next to Tandridge district, near Merstham. Along with other districts and boroughs, we are also involved in this Surrey-wide project aiming to reduce the impact of unauthorised encampments on our residents and green spaces. You will be able to give views until the consultation's closing date on 8 October.

This consultation contains proposals to reform flexible working regulations (The Flexible Working Regulations 2014).

It also covers the wider work being undertaken by the government to encourage and support flexible working, and responds to relevant proposals from the July 2019 Good Work Plan: Proposals to support families consultation.

Flexible working can be particularly valuable for those who need to balance their personal lives with their working lives, including those with caring responsibilities. It can also bring benefits to employers – attracting more applicants and increasing productivity and motivation levels among staff.

Visit our Supporting Local Business web pages for the latest business updates.

Information about Council services can be found on our website.

Follow RBBC on our social media channels.