CONTINUED support for local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be available as Essex County Council has renewed its contract with Backing Essex Business.

This will enable businesses to access 12 hours of guidance, including identifying and securing funding.

The council first started working with Backing Essex Business in 2020. Over the past two years, 891 businesses have accessed ongoing support, such as on building local supply chains, expanding valuable networks, recruiting a high-quality workforce and identifying funding sources.

Backing Essex Business is part of Let’s Do Business Group, a local enterprise agency providing advice, loans and other finance to businesses across the East and Southeast of England.  

Via Let’s Do Business Group, Essex-based businesses can apply for loans of up to £150k to help them get started or scale up.  

Finance experts support applicants every step of the way, providing guidance and ensuring the loans are secured as quickly as possible.

Cllr Lesley Wagland OBE, ECC Cabinet Member for Economic Renewal, Infrastructure and Planning, said: “We are thrilled to continue to offer this invaluable service to local businesses. The support provided by Backing Essex Business is key to levelling up our economy and we look forward to enabling continued sustainable growth amongst our SME communities.” 

Andy Turner, Director of Services at Backing Essex Business, said: “It’s an honour to support a huge range of businesses across the county. From cupuncturists, cafés and estate agents to aerospace engineers, lobster hatcheries and sustainable energy companies, we’ve seen a fantastic variety of businesses access our services over the past year.

“Our team of expert Business Advisory Managers hail from a range of backgrounds, including banking, the creative sector, finance and coaching. They can’t wait to support business owners across the county to scale up and secure new opportunities for future growth.”

Discover support for your business via the Backing Essex Business website.