In September, we were delighted to welcome our brand new cohort of budding business starters for this year's Entrepreneur Academy. They have joined us for a six-month programme of expert advice and peer support to help them on their business journeys. A huge thank you to East Surrey College for hosting the programme and to Simon Bland who has returned as our programme facilitator!

If you're an SME manufacturer or maker based in Surrey, Made Smarter South East could help you cut costs and grow your business. Eligible businesses include those who make tangible products, including but not limited to: food & drink, products or parts used in other manufacturing, furniture, home furnishings, pottery, glass, clothes, leather goods, health products, pharma, and safety equipment. Sign up for this in-person event to discover how the programme can support your digital transformation journey.

Join Business Surrey for a free lunchtime webinar in which they will be sharing practical, step-by-step guidance to help reduce absenteeism, boost productivity, attract and retain talent and improve employee morale.

Boost your business with the 'Help to Grow' Management Course - starting in Crawley on 31 October (with onboarding on 24 October).

The programme gives business owners the space to take a step back from the day-to-day and to work on an actionable growth plan with a personal mentor. Run as a 12-week mini MBA in person and online. Open to senior leaders and decision makers of businesses with 5-249 staff.

Learn about the latest cybersecurity threats targeting small businesses.  Understand how cyber criminals operate, and get advice on how to protect yourself and your business. Our expert speakers will be Daniel Sykes from Surrey & Sussex Police and Steff Provines from Barclays UK.

It was great to welcome the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to the Town Hall in September for their brand-new Surrey business networking meeting and to see local businesses coming together, making connections, and sharing ideas. We’re looking forward to seeing this networking group flourish. November meeting date to be confirmed - follow us on Instagram @rbbcbusiness for the latest information.

OCTOBER

• Thursday 9th - The Power of Place Business Showcase, Surrey Hills Enterprises, Dorking Halls
• Monday 13th - Health and Wellbeing Networking
• Thursday 16th - RBBC Learning Lunch, Town Hall, Reigate (12-2pm) Cyber Security Awareness, Daniel Sykes, Police Cyber Security Leader, Book now
• Wednesday 22nd - Reigate Business Guild

NOVEMBER

• Thursday 6th - Redhill Business Guild
• Monday 10th -  Health and Wellbeing Networking
• Wednesday 19th - Reigate Business Guild
• Thursday 20th - RBBC Learning Lunch, Town Hall, Reigate (12-2pm), What is the Employment Rights Bill and how will it impact my business? With David Seals, Downs Law,  Book now

DECEMBER

• Monday 8th - RH Networking
• Wednesday 10th - Redhill Business Guild
• Wednesday 17th - Reigate Business Guild

Celebrating success!  Congratulations to:

• Blooms & Bakes (Reigate) for winning Best Coffee Shop in Surrey at the Englands Business Awards
• Powertutors UK (Redhill) for winning the Gold Social Impact Award at the SME Business Awards Surrey
• Lime Finance for being named Pioneering Broker of The Year at the NACFB Commercial Brokers Awards. Although based just outside the borough, many of you will know Dave Farmer who generously gives his time to support the Entrepreneur Academy and Learning Lunch programme.

Gatwick Airport’s £2.2bn expansion plans are moving closer after receiving government consent to bring its Northern Runway into use. The expansion is projected to inject an additional £1 billion into the UK economy every year, creating 14,000 jobs across the south east.

Congratulations to three local businesses who have been announced as the first recipients of funding from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund:

• Emilia Hunt (Reigate)
• LenzIQ Technologies (Horley)
• Lesh Wear (Epsom)

A second round of funding is due to launch this month. Find out more about the Economic Growth Fund.

Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has launched an ambitious programme to empower local people and keep its publicly owned assets in local control going forward.

As part of a two-stage process, community groups are invited to express an interest in any asset held by the Council and will then be invited to submit a full bid if the asset is deemed suitable for transfer. If you would like to register or have questions about the process, please email our community partnerships team.

Hosted by Surrey County Council in partnership with the Surrey Chambers of Commerce, the Surrey Skills Conference is an inspiring, action-focused 1-day event bringing together thought leaders, educators, employers, and decision-makers to shape the future of skills in Surrey. Free to attend but places are limited - early registration is strongly encouraged

Enterprise Nation and VistaPrint are teaming up to champion the UK's small business community. Six inspiring independent retail businesses will each receive a £5,000 grant, plus expert design support and marketing tools. To be eligible, your business must have fewer than 50 employees, no more than 3 physical commercial premises, and have been trading for at least 6 months.

Applications close at 11.59 GMT on 30 October 2025.

Our full calendar of business networking events can be viewed on Eventbrite and you can visit our Supporting Local Businesses web pages for the latest business support and updates.

Information about Reigate & Banstead Borough Council services can be found on our website.