Bedfordshire has a strong entrepreneurial culture and in recent years business growth too has been strong. The County Council works closely with partners to ensure relevant support and advice is available for those wishing to start-up and develop a business, so that our strong performance is built on.

 

The primary route into the business support available in Bedfordshire is provided by Business Link East|  (new window), the delivery arm for the Business Link brand of services for Small & Medium-sized Enterprises in the East of England. Business Link East is able to provide a range of advisory services for both existing businesses and the start-up market, offering a diagnostic on principal areas for improvement in keeping with the issues of each client.  To contact them call 08457 171615.

 

 

Wenta| (new window), telephone number 0845 371 0891, is a not for profit enterprise agency, giving confidential and impartial advice, training and guidance for start-up, new & existing small businesses across Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire.  

 

The University of Bedfordshire provide a range of support services for the business community, from short workshops on core business improvement issues to accredited qualifications and a knowledge transfer programme. The University’s Knowledge Hub| (new window) has been established specifically to deliver their wide programme of business support products.  To contact them call 0800 328 5334.

 

The Chamber for Bedfordshire & Luton| (new window) is the local Chamber of Commerce for the county. The Chamber support business in a number of ways, from membership support programmes and lobbying duties to the delivery of a range of projects assisting business to improve their operations and meet their ambitions.  To contact them call 01582 522448.

Cranfield University| (new window) is a world-leading research and post-graduate institute. They are a recognised centre of excellence in research and education for engineering, science and business-related disciplines. They have a range of services that can support the development and improvement of your business from post-graduate qualifications to knowledge-transfer programmes, along with the provision of a managed workspace centre.

Bedford College| run a wide range of professional development courses to support businesses in the improvement of their skills base. These range from short courses to year-long and accredited programmes.