Unlock the Future with Business Surrey’s AI Toolkit
Published 27 May 2025
Advice and support, Innovation
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a luxury reserved for large corporations. Small businesses, too, can harness the power of AI to streamline operations, enhance productivity, and drive growth. In recognition of its importance, we have partnered with experts at the University of Surrey to create a cutting-edge AI toolkit designed to help small businesses embrace this transformative technology.
Why AI matters for small businesses
AI offers numerous advantages for small businesses, making it an essential tool for staying competitive. By automating routine tasks, AI frees up valuable time for employees to focus on strategic activities. It can also provide insights through data analysis, helping businesses make informed decisions and identify new opportunities. AI-driven customer service solutions can also enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty, even leading to increased revenue.
What’s included in the Business Surrey AI toolkit?
The toolkit takes the form of four video modules, each building on the last.
Video 1: The Foundations of AI
Covering how AI developed, and explaining some of the commonly-used jargon associated with AI.
Video 2: People-centred AI
Focusing on the impact AI is having on our day-today lives, explaining how โ with human oversight โ it can be used to support automation in tasks like interpreting data, making meeting notes and reviewing job applications.
Video 3: Applications of conversational AI
Explaining how the development of large language models means AI tools can play a key role in how businesses will have conversations in multiple languages in the very near future – with very real potential for businesses that export and trade internationally.
Video 4: Business view of AI
Focusing on applying the learning to your business – eg identifying fraud in financial services, supporting idea generation in the creative industries, or training and upskilling employees in any sector.
Why implement AI in your business?
Embracing AI is not just about keeping up with the latest trends; it’s about future-proofing your business. As AI continues to evolve, businesses that adopt this technology early will be better positioned to adapt to changes and seize new opportunities. The Business Surrey AI toolkit is your gateway to understanding and leveraging AI, ensuring your business remains competitive in the digital age.
Get started today
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to transform your business with AI. Download the Business Surrey AI toolkit today and take the first step towards a more efficient, productive, and innovative future.
Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 now open to Surrey farmers
Published 21 May 2025
Advice and support, Funding and grants
The Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 is now open. It means farmers in parts of Surrey can secure a six-figure cash injection as part of wider efforts to boost growth in the county.
Surrey County Council is offering capital grants of up to ยฃ120,000 to support innovative ideas to drive diversification in agriculture.
The aim is to help farmers in the districts of Tandridge, Guildford and Waverley to generate new income streams while increasing the long-term sustainability of their estates.
Ideas could include establishing farm shops, developing agritourism, generating sustainable energy or cultivating new crops and livestock.
Applications can be made direct via the Business Surrey website, and close at the end of June 2025. .
It will be a competitive process. And the focus is on supporting a small number of large-scale, high-impact projects in eligible areas. Match funding is encouraged though not mandatory.
Matt Furniss, Surrey County Councilโs Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: โAs committed custodians of much of Surreyโs fantastic countryside, farmers play a key role in everyoneโs way of life, producing the food we eat, managing our unique landscapes and creating employment in our rural communities.
โThis fund is intended to support a small number of farmers to diversify and explore new commercial opportunities, supporting them to generate more income while supporting broader prosperity in our rural communities.
โIt forms part of our wider commitment to drive sustainable growth across Surrey while ensuring no one is left behind.โ
What is the Rural England Prosperity Fund?
The Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 is integrated into the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is government funding which supports productivity and prosperity in places that need it most.
In Surrey, this means the Rural England funding is only available in three of the 11 districts. These are Guildford, Tandridge and Waverley.
The Rural Fund is a rural top-up to UKSPF allocations. And it supports activities that specifically address the particular challenges rural areas face.
The Rural Fund sits alongside existing Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) schemes, including the:
The Surrey element of the Rural England Prosperity Fund is a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to progress plans to drive growth. If you have any questions then contact the Business Surrey team.
But we recognise that some rural business owners may not be eligible. Or they may need additional help, either via email, phone or face-to-face.
Ashley Field, Resilience Lead for Surrey County Council, working in the Emergency Management and Resilience Team writes this month’s blog on Business Continuity.
You may not know, but this week is Business Continuity Week! It’s crucial for Surrey business owners and employees to understand the importance of business continuity and how to improve your resilience, but what does this mean in practice?
Business Continuity
I like the definition from the Business Continuity Institute, which defines business continuity as
“The capability of an organisation to continue the delivery of products and services within acceptable time frames at a predefined capacity during a disruption.”
Did you know that nearly one in five businesses suffer a major disruption each year? There have been some high-profile disruptions in the past few weeks, including the severe cyber-attack on M&S, which forced them to suspend online orders and halt recruitment. TfL also experienced a power outage that caused major disruptions across the London Underground network, affecting multiple lines and causing delays.
Business continuity planning ensures that your business can continue to operate during and after disruption. The goal is to minimise the impact on operations and enable quick recovery.
Assessing impacts and risk
The first step in business continuity planning is to identify your critical activities through a business impact analysis (BIA). The BIA estimates the impacts of disruption over time to establish the organisation’s response, recovery priorities, and the resource requirements.
The next step is to conduct a risk assessment and identify potential threats to your business. What would happen if you had an IT network failure, and your customers could not contact you or pay for your products/ services? What would happen if you had no access to your offices or premises or key documents or products were destroyed in a building fire?
Once you have identified these risks, itโs necessary to assess their potential impact on your operations. This will help you prioritise which areas need the most attention.
Developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)
A comprehensive BCP is essential and should outline the steps your business will take to continue operations during a disruption. Key components include:
Roles and responsibilities
Key contact details
Outline how the plan will be activated – when, by whom, how?
Critical functions/activities to be recovered, timescales and recovery levels needed
Actions to be carried out
Clear communication process
Process for standing down and returning to business as usual
A top tip is to regularly review and update your BCP to reflect any changes in your business operations or the external environment. This will help ensure that your plan remains relevant and effective.
Training and Testing
Once your BCP is in place, it’s important to train your employees on their roles and responsibilities during disruption. Regular training sessions will help ensure that everyone knows what to do in an emergency. Additionally, testing your BCP through simulations and exercises will help identify any weaknesses and areas for improvement.
Conclusion
Creating a culture of resilience within your organisation is key to effective business continuity. Encourage employees to be proactive in identifying risks and reporting any issues. Building strong relationships with suppliers, customers, and other stakeholders can enhance your business resilience. Collaborate with your partners to develop joint continuity plans and ensure that everyone is prepared for potential disruption.
By taking proactive steps to enhance your business resilience, you can ensure that your business is better prepared to handle disruptions. During this Business Continuity Week, why not take the time to assess your current plans, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategies to strengthen your resilience.
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Renรฉeโs Round-Up of Grants and Funding
Published 16 May 2025
Funding and grants
Lots of information about grants and funding passes through my inbox and this is an opportunity for me to share that with you. This month the funds range from hyper-local to national with some for general small businesses or with a sector focus.
Iโve shared an overview but also links for you to double check the eligibility and requirements of each individual grant. Note the closing dates and times, as some are very specific!
RTO Catapult Grant Scheme – Innovate UK
Launched in April this is an easy to access, easy to administer grant from Innovate UK for ยฃ15,000. Apply quickly as the pot ran out by September last year when launched at a similar time. Could be used for product testing, development work or if you need technical expertise to facilitate feasibility.
Reigate & Banstead Thriving Communities Match Fund
Voluntary, Community and Faith Sector (VCFS) organisations whose projects help communities in Reigate & Banstead to thrive can now apply for grants between ยฃ2,000 and ยฃ10,000 from a pot of ยฃ50,000.
If you work with local organisations whose projects help our communities to thrive, please encourage them to check the fund criteria and apply if they are eligible.
This is funding to drive growth across Surrey. The Surrey Economic Growth Fund has been created by pooling a range of public and investment streams, such as UK Shared Prosperity Funding from government, into one Economic Growth Fund.
The Fund is administered by Surrey County Council and is now open for applications across three funding streams: Business Growth Grants, Future Surrey Fund, and Innovation Spaces Fund. The Council is seeking bold, innovative ideas that will drive sustainable economic growth across the county and align with Surreyโs strategic priorities.
Closing date: the current round of applications is open until 31 May 2025. Other rounds may follow.
Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Competition โ Innovate UK
Innovate UK has opened a new round of its Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Competition (AKT4) offering support for projects aimed at addressing drug and alcohol addiction. The initiative will fund short, targeted collaborations between eligible research institutions and business partners.
Each project can receive a grant of up to ยฃ35,000 to support interventions that develop or evaluate innovation with potential impact on treatment, recovery, harm reduction or prevention for those affected by addiction.
From now until August, 2 business owners a month will win ยฃ1,000 and mentoring from Adobe Express and Enterprise Nation.
All you have to do is share a creation you have made by using the templates in Adobe Express. It could be a social post, flyer or logo for your brand, upload it and complete the application for to be in with a chance of winning.
The AXA Startup Angel Competition has been created to support entrepreneurs hoping to realise their business ambitions. The contest offers a variety of prizes to would-be businesses from across the UK to help them through the next phase of their startup journey.
There are six opportunities to win in 2025. Two winners will receive the top prize of ยฃ25,000 to fund their business idea. These winners will also be awarded mentoring from the AXA Startup Angels and business insurance for a year.
There are also four runners-up prizes featuring over ยฃ18,000 of media, mentoring and exposure. Each runner-up will receive a profile on their business in The Standard, mentoring with a member of The Standard team, plus VIP access to SME XPO 2026.
NatWest has announced a ยฃ1 million competition to support small business growth in the UK. The NatWest Accelerator Pitch invites entrepreneurs to submit a 60-second video outlining how financial support would aid their expansion.
Selected entrants will compete in live events, starting with a final in Manchester in July, followed by a London event later in 2025. Five finalists at each event will deliver a 10-minute pitch to a panel of industry experts, who will assess their business models, growth strategies and the potential impact of the prize money.
The competition is open to UK businesses with up to ยฃ1 million revenue, registered in the UK and trading for between one to five years.
Closing date: For Manchester, the closing date for entries is 5pm 25 May 2025.
Future Leaders Fellowship (FLF) support talented people in universities, businesses, and other research and innovation environments.
They also allow universities, research institutes, independent research organisations and businesses to develop their most talented early career researchers and innovators or to attract new people to their organisations.
The aim of this competition is to:
Support ambitious research and innovation to tackle difficult and novel challenges.
Support excellence in innovation, across interdisciplinary boundaries and sectors.
Develop, retain, and attract the next wave of research and innovation leaders.
Working with a host organisation a Future Leaders Fellow will receive at least four years of funding to pursue an ambitious programme of innovation.
Applications will open on 23 June 2025 and close on 5 November 2025 at 11am.
More information can be accessed at the IUK website.
The UK Games Fund Content Fund
The fund offers financial support to UK-based independent studios developing commercial games-for-entertainment. Backed by the UK Government, the initiative aims to help companies scale up, attract investment and generate employment in the creative industries.
Grants will range from ยฃ50,000 to ยฃ150,000. The funding can be used to cover staff and contractor costs directly involved in hands-on development activity.
The scheme targets established games studios operating in the UK. Applicants must be able to demonstrate how the funding would provide clear additionality to their business growth plans and facilitate further investment.
Closing date: expressions of interest can be made at any time
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance, providing discounted development finance to small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders. The initiative supports the construction of energy-efficient homes across England.
A total of ยฃ150 million is available. Loans range from ยฃ2 million to ยฃ20 million. Interest rate reductions of up to 2% are available for developers meeting environmental and social criteria. Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Co-operative and Community Finance is offering loans of between ยฃ10,000 and ยฃ85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK to assist with the expansion, setup, or development of a co-operative enterprise. โฏ
Loans will only be made to economically viable enterprises that are democratically owned and controlled organisations registered in the UK.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants
The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme provides grants to farmers and land managers in the Surrey Hills for one-off projects to make improvements to the natural environment, climate change mitigation, cultural heritage and public access on their land.
The Workplace Charging Scheme provides support for organisations towards the cost of installing up to 40 electric vehicle chargepoint sockets at their sites.
The scheme covers up to 75% of the total costs of the purchase and installation of EV chargepoints (including VAT), capped at a maximum of:
ยฃ350 per socket
40 sockets across all sites per applicant โ for instance, if you want to install them at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket available per site
That’s all for this month. Good Luck and let me know how you get on!
Renรฉe
Business support in Surrey
If you can’t see anything in this month’s roundup that suits your specific needs, check out our Support Directory, or contact our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Sign up to our newsletter for regular updates on funding, business news, events and support for all Surrey businesses.
King’s Awards for Enterprise 2025 winners announced
Published 14 May 2025
Business news, Events and awards
The Kingโs Awards for Enterprise recipients for 2025 have been announced with six Surrey businesses receiving a royal seal of approval. Want to join this elite group? Applications for 2026 can now be submitted.
The Kingโs Awards for Enterprise are among the most prestigious awards for UK organisations. They recognise and reward outstanding business achievements in Innovation, International Trade, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity.
Six Surrey businesses are receiving The Kingโs Award for Enterprise in 2025. Three in Innovation, two in International Trade and one in Sustainable Development.ย Scroll down to view the list.
His Majestyโs Lord Lieutenant Michael More-Molyneuxย โ the Kingโs representatives in Surrey – will present the awards throughout the year. One representative from each winning business will also be invited to a special Royal reception event.
Want to join the winners of the King’s Awards for Enterprise 2025? You can now apply for the 2026 awards until 9 September 2025.
His Majestyโs Lord-Lieutenant of Surrey said: โAs the most prestigious business award in the UK, winning the esteemed Kingโs Award Emblem is an incredible honour. Itโs an internationally recognised symbol of excellence โ one that sets your business apart and gets you noticed.
“These Surrey companies exemplify the talent and entrepreneurial spirit of British business, and it will be a great honour to present them with their Kingโs Award for Enterprise over the coming months. They are all truly outstanding representatives of Surrey business, leading the way in technological development and thoroughly deserving this recognition.”
King’s Awards for Enterprise – 2025 Surrey winners
Gordon Murray Group โ Innovation
Gordon Murray Group is an iconic Surrey-based firm, renowned around the world for exclusive lightweight supercars.
The King’s Award for Innovation is for the T.50. This is the lightest, best packaged, least environmentally impactful, highest revving, and best driving supercar globally.
Professor Gordon Murray CBE, founder and executive chairman of Gordon Murray Group, said: โAs a proud British business, it is such an immense honour for the team at Gordon Murray Group to receive The Kingโs Award for Enterprise.
โThe fact that the award specifically recognises innovation is a source of great pride as we aspire to deliver Driving Perfection through our innovative, highly exclusive supercars. ย
โIt is through the collective skills and creative minds of our entire team that we have built a brand that is recognised around the world as the pinnacle of automotive engineering excellence.
โWe will wear our Kingโs Award with pride, using it as yet more motivation to strive for ever higher levels of innovation in the unique supercars we create.โย
RENOURISH Limited โ Innovation
Renourish Limited was established in 2019 in Surrey. It is the worldโs first fresh soup in a microwaveable, fully recyclable, grab-and-go bottle.
The founder is a former critical care nurse and nutritional therapist. It makes soups from 100% fresh ingredients, with no additives or preservatives.
Designed for busy health-conscious consumers, the soup can be heated and consumed directly from the bottle. At its core is RE:NOURISHโs patented soup bottle, which is a global first.
It combines hot-fill compatibility, blast-chill durability, BPA-free microwave safety, and thermal insulation that keeps soup warm for 40 minutes. No other bottle globally meets these combined demands.
As a result, this innovative packaging is protected by international patents and design registered intellectual property.
Guildford-based RE:NOURISH is not only shaking up the UKโs fresh soup market. It is gaining international recognition as a disruptive force in the global health food sector.
Sirius Constellation Limited โ Innovation
Sirius, which is based near Godalming, is a highly entrepreneurial SME that has developed and deployed next generation maritime domain awareness technology. This promotes and enhances security, safety and sustainability at sea in the UK and in overseas markets.
Siriusโs technology provides maritime authorities with real-time information and autonomous alerts about unusual or suspicious activity at sea. It supports their work tackling modern maritime challenges across defence, environmental damage, illegal fishing, and security.
Malcolm Glaister, Chief Executive Officer of Sirius Insight, said:“It is the greatest possible honour to receive a Kingโs Award for Enterprise. This is a proud day for Sirius Insight and a marvellous accolade for the business and the journey that Sirius Insight has been on since we set up the Company in 2016.
“It is a wonderful tribute to the brilliant and tireless work of our amazing team, and our clients in the UK and overseas whose support and custom have played such a pivotal role in making Sirius the world-class AI maritime surveillance technology business that it has become today, recognised in markets around the world.”
Penta Consulting Limited โ International Trade
Penta Consulting is an Epsom based business. It is a global leader in delivering Technology Resource Solutions across the Information Communication Technology sector.
Penta’s unwavering focus on nurturing its workforce organically has been a cornerstone of its success.
By prioritising local recruitment, comprehensive training, and professional development the “Penta way,” the company boasts an impressive average tenure, defying industry norms.
In 2024, it was ranked among the top 60 UK Technology companies.
Stanhope-Seta Limited โ International Trade
Stanhope-Seta’s King’s Award for Enterprise 2025 is the fifth time it has received the honour. It follows previous Queenโsย Awards for International Trade in 2012 and 2022, and Innovation in 2014 andย 2019.
The manufacturing company in Chertsey creates laboratory quality control instruments across a range of applications. This ranges from jet fuel to lipstick.
Giles Verity, director and owner, said: โReceiving the Kingโs Award is a tremendousย honour and a testament to our teamโs passion, commitment and technical excellence. ย
“The Kings Awards celebrate the very best in British companies. They are internationallyย recognized as a trusted symbol of excellence worldwide. ย We continue to fly the flag for British manufacturing and innovation.”
Denbies Wine Estate Ltd โย Sustainable Development
Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking is one of Englandโs largest single estate vineyards. The estate, independently owned and run, comprises of 380 acres with 265 acres currently under vine. It has a production capacity of 1 million bottles. The first vines were planted on the estate in 1986.
The owner for the last 20 years is Christopher White.ย Under his leadership, Denbies has become one of the largest and most successful wineries in England.
It has been recognised for being a leading light in sustainable and ethical wine tourism. It is also the first vineyard in UK to be certified UKCCC Net Zero.
What are the Kingโs Awards for Enterprise?
The Kingโs Awards for Enterprise were previously known as The Queenโs Awards for Enterprise.
The awards are now in its 59th year. And it has awarded over 8,000 companies since its inception in 1965.ย The awards are valid for 5 years.
Almost all UK businesses can apply, and the application process is free and straightforward.
If you get an award youโll be:
invited to a Royal reception
presented with the award at your company by one of The Kingโs representatives, a Lord-Lieutenant
able to fly The Kingโs Awards flag at your main office, and use the emblem on your marketing materials
given a Grant of Appointment (an official certificate) and commemorative crystal trophy
Organisations that got an award have reported benefiting from:
Interested in applying to the Surrey Economic Growth Fund? A webinar providing top tips to support your bid is now available to watch.
Businesses, employer representative groups and partner organisations are all invited to apply for investment from the new Economic Growth Fund.
Up to ยฃ7 million is available for this financial year. Grants will be awarded to those demonstrating how they will boost economic outcomes for the people, places and businesses of the county.
More than 110 people attended the Economic Growth Fund webinar held today (8 May, 2025).
Applications for the first round are now open, closing at the end of May. Apply via the formย on the Business Surrey website.
Watch the Economic Growth Fund webinar
Watch the webinar in full by clicking on the play button below.
Business Growth Grantsย support companies of all sizes to scale up and create jobs. Match funding of between ยฃ10,000 and ยฃ50,000, covering 50% of project costsย is available.
Theย Innovation Spaces Fundย focuses on physical infrastructure, such as training hubs, collaborative workspaces, and testing facilities. Minimum bid of ยฃ50,000.
Theย Future Surrey Fundย is open to anyone, including partners โ such as employer representative groups, local authorities, research institutions and schools. Applications should focus on innovative ideas that can scale while delivering economic impact in Surrey.
To apply, youโll need to demonstrate how your bid delivers against the three priorities in the refreshed economic strategy. These are workforce and skills; business growth; and economic infrastructure in Surreyโs communities.
Thereโs a two step process for all three areas, starting with an expression of interest.
