Business Support Service

We guide small to medium-sized business based in West Yorkshire, Craven, Harrogate, Selby and York through the complex world of business support.

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Since 2015, the Business Support Service has delivered a range of initiatives, offering expertise and guidance to over 15,000 businesses and has invested over £66 million in over 6,600 projects.

Achieve your business goals with local support

One of the most challenging things to navigate in business can be the support landscape. What help is available? Are you eligible? Will it make a difference? This where the LEP can help. We provide a single point of access to a wide range of local and national support and funding. From start-ups to established businesses, we make it easy for small and medium-sized business owners to access the help needed to boost productivity, profitability and resilience. 

What support is available?

Business owners can connect with a local Growth Manager to discuss where their business is now and what they would like to achieve in the future. Working with our partner councils, Growth Managers find tailored solutions and identify suitable local or national support and funding available from the LEP and our partners on your behalf. Learn more about our Growth Managers.

We can help you:

  • Plan for the future with new products, processes or services
  • Make your investment go further with grant support to purchase new equipment, plant, and machinery including bespoke support for the creative and digital sectors
  • Expand your workforce by recruiting an apprentice or find suitable candidates through our talent matching service
  • Increase your market share by trading overseas
  • Adopt a greener business model
  • Understand the full range of finance options currently available
  • Help you to identify business growth opportunities
  • Connect with local businesses
  • Get specific help to respond to economic challenges including Covid-19 and the EU Exit.

Get in touch for advice or support

All services are free to access. To discuss how your business could benefit from working with us, email BusinessSupport@the-lep.com or call 0113 348 1818 to speak with one of our advisers.

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Business success stories

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Have your say: Finding business support online

We're inviting business owners based in West Yorkshire to complete a short survey about accessing information, guidance and support online. Insights will inform improvements to our web-based business support services and help create a more coherent and coordinated approach in promoting business support. Have your say before midnight on 4 January 2022.

Complete the survey

Learn more about the support available

  1. Growth support

    If you're a business with the ambition and potential for growth, there's a wealth of support available.

  2. Innovation

    Are you wanting to do something different in your business but not sure how to get there? Our team of Innovation Growth Managers can help you identify and access the right support to make it a reality.

  3. Sustainability

    Support is available for businesses on their journey to net zero carbon emissions. We offer free consultancy advice, audits and access to funding to help your business become more resource-efficient, reduce waste and adopt sustainable ways for employees to travel to work.

  5. Skills and Training

    Developing your workforce’s skills and expertise is one of the best investments a business can make. It can result in more motivated, engaged staff and increase your businesses’ productivity.

  7. Trade and export support

    Expanding into new markets overseas can help businesses of all sizes to reach new customers, generate additional revenue and mitigate market risks.

  9. Relocate to Leeds City Region

    As a national and international economic powerhouse, find out why so many businesses are choosing to start up, scale up or relocate to Leeds City Region.

Support available from our partners

  1. AD:VENTURE

    The programme offers intensive, bespoke guidance to small and medium sized businesses under 3 years old. Support available includes expert mentoring, events and workshops, grants and more.

  2. Digital Enterprise

    Support is available for eligible small and medium sized businesses to develop their digital capacity and thereby helping them increase their overall performance (competitiveness, productivity and profitability).

  4. Manufacturing Growth Programme

    Providing advice and support to manufacturing SMEs to help Identify opportunities, create plans for growth and enhance support with grant opportunities

  6. Cyber security support

    Support is available from the North East Business Resilience Centre (NEBRC) to help businesses addresses cyber security risks and secure their online systems.

View all partner support