Helping high street businesses diversify income streams and reach new customers
Published 26 May 2026
Funding and grants, Surrey Success Stories
The Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Programme was a county-wide initiative funded by the Surrey Economic Growth Fund to support independent businesses across the whole of Surrey.
The programme was designed to strengthen independent high street and town centre businesses by offering free, practical, and locally tailored support across Surrey high streets.
Smarter Society and The Retail Group were commissioned to deliver the programme in spring 2026. The programme’s package of targeted support included:
In-person business engagement
Free practical workshops
Business toolkits and resources
Tailored support
Whilst in operation, the programme supported more than 440 high street-based business across the county. The package of support provided has helped to equip the Surrey business owners who took part with the tools to adapt to an ever-evolving environment. One such business is the Leatherhead Theatre. Manager Ruth Price took part in the programme and tells us about her experience.
Leatherhead Theatre – exploring new opportunities for growth
Ruth describes her experience of the programme:“Running the Leatherhead Theatre means balancing tradition with the need to stay visible and relevant in a very competitive environment. As a long established venue, we face ongoing challenges around raising our profile, diversifying income, and continuing to attract and engage audiences in new ways.
“I attended a local workshop followed by a one to one mentoring session to step back from day to day operations and explore new opportunities for growth. The support helped me think practically about how we promote the theatre and make better use of what we already have.
“The session focused on increasing visibility and clearly communicating the full range of everything the theatre offers, rather than relying too heavily on a single income stream. We looked at ways to improve signage and messaging, promote our strengths more consistently, explore pop up and multi use opportunities within the space, and lean more into our identity as an independent charity to strengthen connections with customers and the local community.
“I found the experience genuinely great. The workshop was accessible because it was local, and it was incredibly valuable to be able to step away from my role for a short period without disrupting the theatre’s operation. The marketing elements in particular were very insightful and immediately relevant. I also really valued the opportunity to network with other businesses – this has already resulted in a new partnership that I wouldn’t otherwise have made.
“The one-to-one mentoring session was especially helpful because it provided tailored, practical advice that I can realistically implement. It helped prioritise actions and turn ideas into clear next steps. I found the experience extremely positive and was very impressed with both the way the session was delivered and the impact it has had.”
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Any Surrey business looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch to find out more via our Contact us form.
Meat vending machine coming to Surrey farm thanks to Economic Growth Fund
Published 15 May 2026
Funding and grants, Innovation, Surrey Success Stories
A Surrey farmer is bringing consumers closer to his produce – by setting up a meat vending machine at Ivelle Farm in Cranleigh. It’s been made possible thanks to funding from the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.
A decade ago, Alec Clouting spotted an unusual idea at a farming event – vending machines selling local produce. He realised it could be a way to diversify his family’s business and give the community direct access to farm-fresh meat. But with limited funds, the idea had to be put on hold.
But Alec can now make his dream a reality with help from the Economic Growth Fund. The grant has helped to buy a shipping container, commercial freezer and vending machine. This allows him to sell frozen beef, lamb and pork, seven days a week.
Are you a Surrey farmer or rural business looking for support to diversify? Or have an idea that will help your enterprise grow? Get in touch with our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Bringing consumers closer to produce
Most meat from Ivelle Farm is sold wholesale to livestock markets and then re-sold to supermarkets. But selling the meat direct to consumers gives the farmers more control – and more of the profits.
What’s more, it keeps people connected with food producers. Alec says: “I am a big believer of people being in touch with where their food comes from, for the local community to be able to come to the farm where it comes from and get it direct.”
Alec is the fourth generation of farmers at Ivelle Farm. His father is currently at the helm. But he’s been working at other farms while looking for a way back into the family firm.
He explains: “We’re finding there’s a lot of financial challenges with farming. It is a small farm and this will give me an opportunity to come back, have a place in the business and viably sell our produce direct to the consumer. It wouldn’t be happening without the funding.”
And the impact extends beyond one family’s enterprise. The initiative supports a local butcher and abattoir, creating a network of rural businesses working together.
He says: “The benefits go further than just us, and it is about supporting other local businesses.”
Alec’s vision doesn’t stop at meat. He said: “I am excited to adapt the farm to what the community consumes and what is in demand in the local area. Down the line I would like to expand so people can come and get all their basics.”
As a proof of concept, the model could be replicated across other farms through a franchise approach, offering a blueprint for agricultural diversification in an era of farming uncertainty.
Alec said:“I’m very grateful for the opportunity the Economic Growth Fund has provided me with. And doubled up with the support from the team at Business Surrey, it’s really helped get the project off the ground and build a vision for the future.
“Farming is a very difficult business to navigate with many layers of complexity. And with the recent added pressures of the farm inheritance tax, it’s becoming harder to make small family farms like ours financially viable.
“Many futures have been thrown into uncertainty. So having a futureproof way of selling my produce as profitably as I can will give me the best chance I could wish for!”
Are you a Surrey farmer or rural business looking for support to diversify? Or have an idea that will help your enterprise grow? Get in touch with our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
Renée’s round-up of grants and funding – May
Published 14 May 2026
Funding and grants
Lots of programmes and grants to add to the blog this month for a variety of sectors and businesses. If you have just started out in business I just wanted to bring your attention to the changes in eligibility for the Start Up Loan Scheme that that has been refreshed from 6th April. The eligibility criteria has now been extended to include businesses that have been trading for up to 60 months.
A Start Up Loan is a government-backed personal loan available to individuals looking to start or grow a business in the UK. In addition to finance, successful applicants receive 12 months of free mentoring and exclusive business offers to help them succeed. The loan is unsecured, so there’s no need to put forward any assets or guarantors to support an application.
Things are always moving with funded support programmes so keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
Renée
Made Smarter South East
Made Smarter South East is a government-funded programme created to drive growth amongst the South East’s manufacturing SMEs and makers. The Made Smarter team will provide advice and support to manufacturers and makers to:
Help them switch to advanced and automated technologies
Identify the right technologies and tools
And use them to make everyday improvements to your business.
Support elements include:
Match-funding of up to £20,000 (50% is available)
Expert advice, guidance and support
Bespoke digital roadmap for your business
Leadership training
Workforce training
Fully-funded student internship (up to 300 hours).
The programme is open to SME manufacturers and makers based in the South East. In order to be eligible businesses must have fewer than 250 employees and not be part of a wider group, or be funded by Private Equity, with a turnover below £44 million, and not have received state aid of more than £315,000 over the last three years.
An accelerator sponsored by Barclays, to support 60 women-led businesses per quarter, who are proactively trying to raise capital.
The FFR Fundraising Accelerator is an 8-week intensive programme of weekly sessions for founders who are raising or planning to raise investment in the next 3 months. It equips startups with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to fundraise successfully through virtual sessions, practical frameworks, and hands-on exercises, alongside access to investors through pitch opportunities and discussions. Upon graduation, founders are invited to join the RAISE CIRCLE for ongoing support.
Eligibility requirements: the programme is for founders who are currently raising, or planning to raise within the next three months. Participating businesses must be investable, with a pitch deck in place and, where eligible, SEIS/EIS advance assurance secured.
The programme is designed to help scale and grow Black-owned businesses through television advertising. Successful applicants will receive a package centred on Channel 4 airtime and related marketing support.
Up to four Black-owned businesses will be supported, each receiving £200,000 worth of advertising spend on Channel 4. The offer also includes the creation of a bespoke TV commercial produced by Quiet Storm, alongside six months of marketing and business mentorship.
Applicants must be Black-owned businesses based in the UK that are ready to scale using TV advertising and business support. The business must have an established product or service that has been live in market for at least six months at the time of application. The business must be new to TV advertising and able to provide proof of business registration, such as a company number. Applicants must be aged 18 or over. Businesses are also required to demonstrate the operational capacity to scale in response to increased demand generated by television advertising.
The UK Games Fund (UKGF) has opened its Starter Fund, offering grants of up to £20,000 to support UK games developers at the start of their professional journey. Grants are aimed at supporting own-IP game development and helping applicants build stronger commercial readiness, market understanding and audience development.
The Starter Fund includes tailored support delivered through the Fresh Start and Head Start pathways, with a stated route into the UKGF Prototype Fund for teams that progress.
Eligible applicants include new games studios, UK university graduate companies and solo developers working with UK-based contractors. Applicants must be at a very early stage of building a studio, have hands-on development capability and be seeking to strengthen the commercial aspects of their business. To apply, organisations must be wholly UK-based companies registered at Companies House with UK-resident directors. The application requires a clear game idea, an emerging plan for commercial success and a defined market opportunity.
The grant is intended to meet labour costs relating to the supported project. Applicants are expected to have begun early concept or pre-production work and to be ready to start supported development in summer 2026.
Sky and civil rights organisation BEO are supporting Black entrepreneurs to grow their businesses. F100 provides investment and access to supply chains, backed up by expert business advice, coaching and mentoring. The aim is to break down the barriers faced by Black entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas that are disrupting their industry and who want to take their business to the next level.
F100 provides an opportunity for participants to pitch for funding of up to £15,000.
The most innovative businesses applying will also be offered a free Sky Business broadband and phone package for 12 months. Additionally, they will take part in a tailored 10-week programme to help them scale their operations through a series of workshops, mentorship, supply chain support and investment readiness support.
UK-based Black entrepreneurs with scalable businesses and an existing MVP (minimum viable product) are eligible to apply. Applicants must be over 18 years old. At least one founder of the business must be of Black African, Black Caribbean, Black British and/or Mixed-race descent.
Closing date: 2 June 2026 – the scheme may close earlier if a high volume of applications is received. Find out more:F100 Growth Fund – BEO
Female Founder Accelerator
Are you a female founder leading a tech business that’s ready to grow? The Female Founder Accelerator is designed by Barclays Eagle Labs and AccelerateHER to support 100 female founders like you, who are beyond idea stage and poised for growth. The aim is to bring more women into entrepreneurship and level the playing field.
Over nine weeks of masterclasses, you’ll learn about marketing strategies, sales and negotiation, financial management and building a team. Plus, you’ll get access to one-to-one mentoring, accountability groups, in-person community networking and the ability to connect with a community of like-minded female founders.
Innovate UK and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have reopened the Farming Innovation Investor Partnership Competition to support the commercialisation of innovations in agriculture.
The competition is linked to Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme and is intended to help solutions, technologies, systems or approaches reach market readiness. Supported projects are expected to improve productivity, profitability, sustainability and resilience, and contribute towards net zero emissions by 2050.
Defra has allocated up to £5 million for grant support for experimental development projects only. Each application must propose total eligible project costs between £750,000 and £3 million.
Proposals must address challenges or opportunities in at least one of these subsectors: livestock, plants, novel food production systems or the bioeconomy and agroforestry. The call is open to single applicants only. Lead applicants must be UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprises carrying out project work in the UK. Applicants must also be seeking private financing of at least twice the value of the grant requested.
The AXA Startup Angel Competition is inviting entries from entrepreneurs across the UK seeking support to develop new or early stage businesses. The contest provides financial awards and mentoring to help applicants progress their ideas or existing ventures.
In 2026, six awards are available. Two winners will each receive £25,000 to support their business or concept. In addition, they will be offered mentoring from AXA Startup Angels. Four runners up will receive non-financial support. This includes a 30-minute mentoring session with a representative of The Standard in a relevant business area. They will also be featured in The Standard’s print and online channels.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over and based in the UK. Eligible businesses may be unregistered, actively trading or trading for fewer than 24 months. Businesses must employ fewer than 10 people and present an original concept. The awards are intended to support business development activities, including refining ideas and accessing professional advice.
The Heat Pump Ready Innovation Funding Competition is offering grant support for applied research and development projects focused on advancing heat pump technologies. The initiative aims to address barriers to uptake, including the capital cost of hardware, in-property changes, space requirements and installation time from accepted quote.
Up to £20 million is available, with individual awards ranging from £200,000 to £2 million. Funding is intended for the design, build and testing of electrically driven heat pump systems and components that use ambient heat from air, ground or water to provide heating and hot water in domestic buildings.
Applicants must be private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium led by a private sector business. Projects must demonstrate innovation not yet commercially available in the UK and, where relevant, achieve a seasonal performance factor of at least 3.5 in real-world domestic settings.
The second round of the Heat Pump Investment Accelerator Competition has opened to support further investment in the UK heat pump manufacturing supply chain. The initiative aims to strengthen domestic production, support the transition to low carbon heating and contribute to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Up to £90 million has been allocated across the competition, with individual projects able to receive grants of up to £30 million. The funding is intended for capital expenditure linked to large scale manufacturing developments. Support is available for the construction of new factories or the expansion, refurbishment, retooling or reworking of existing sites. Projects must focus on the production of heat pumps or key components, including heat exchangers, compressors, evaporators, control systems and thermal storage.
The competition is open to UK registered manufacturing businesses, as well as industrial and engineering firms investing in production capacity. All supported projects must take place within the UK.
Applicants must be private sector organisations, either applying individually or as part of a consortium led by a private sector business. Projects must demonstrate innovation not yet commercially available in the UK and, where relevant, achieve a seasonal performance factor of at least 3.5 in real-world domestic settings.
Starting in September the Scaleup programme is designed for high-growth UK tech companies ready to tackle the challenges of scaling. Built around the real-life challenges that fast-growth companies face. Over four months, you will explore four key pillars of scaling:
Leadership, people and operational foundations
Scaling commercial performance
Customer value, retention and expansion
Funding Strategy and capital planning.
You’d benefit most if you:
Run a UK-based tech business
Have raised or are generating £2M+
Employ at least 10 people
Have big ambitions and are ready for rapid growth.
The business boost grants can help your business with:
Grant support up to £2,000 to help businesses improve their shop fronts or signage
Grant support up to £2,000 to help bring a shop that has been empty for at least 3 months back into commercial use
up to £1,000 to help town or village wide projects to drive new footfall, investment, street-scene improvements or sustainability.
All applications need at least 50% match funding and 2 quotes for each element. Town and village centre independents can also apply for support to help sell online with the digital high street boost and small and medium sized business can get help to invest in energy efficiency projects with the green business boost.
Closing date: 31 March 2027
Business Advice for Mole Valley Businesses
Businesses across Mole Valley can now benefit from expert guidance provided by IncuHive, fully funded by Mole Valley District Council.
Whether you’re launching your first venture or growing an established company, IncuHive’s team of experienced advisers are on hand to offer practical, tailored support.
Business Support Grants of up to £1,000 for residents and businesses with fewer than 5 employees based in Reigate and Banstead.
Grants can be used to help fund things like marketing, new equipment or training. Please note the grant is NOT available for the development of prototypes or for IT equipment such as laptops, unless you are a brand new start up and do not possess any IT hardware.
Waverley Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Guildford Borough Council fund IncuHive (who are specialists in small business development) to offer free tailored support to all local businesses in the borough of Waverley, including advice onbusiness planning, funding and mentoring. All the Incuhive advisors have started and grown successful businesses, so they can provide expert advice on growing your business, covering areas such as procurement, premises, marketing, finance, bid writing, exports and investment.
Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme
Eligible adult social care employers in England can claim staff training costs from the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). The LDSS is available for non-regulated care staff, including deputy and Care Quality Commission-registered managers and agency staff, within the adult social care workforce. Staff taking the training must be in qualifying roles.
Eligible ASC employers can claim funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This funding is for eligible courses and qualifications that have been both paid for in financial year 2025 to 2026, as well as those paid for in financial year 2024 to 2025.
The Help to Grow Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. Whether you need to identify more efficient ways of working, target new markets, or create a plan to take your business and team to the next level, the Help to Grow Management Course will provide the knowledge and support you need.
To join the Help to Grow Management Course you should:
Work for a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise based in the United Kingdom
Employ between 5 and 249 employees
Be a member of the senior leadership team and have direct reports.
The full course is worth £7,500 but it is 90% government funded so small businesses pay just £750 per person. Our local Business Schools are Kingston University, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Southampton, University of Brighton and Brunel University of London.
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). This is capped at a maximum of:
£350 per socket
40 sockets across all sites per applicant. For example, if you install at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket per site
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot is a £50 million capital grant programme supporting large-scale research and development projects within the UK life sciences sector. The fund aims to strengthen health resilience, drive innovation and deliver economic benefits through significant investments in research capacity, facilities and technologies.
Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance the UK’s ability to respond to health emergencies and long-term healthcare challenges, for example by expanding or creating R&D capacity, improving manufacturing processes, accelerating clinical research or deploying new technologies.
Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants
The 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.
Co-operative and Community Finance offers loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK. Loans are to assist with the expansion, setup, or development of a co-operative enterprise.
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
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance. The scheme provides discounted development finance to small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders. The initiative supports the construction of energy-efficient homes across England.
A total of £150 million is available. Loans range from £2 million to £20 million. Interest rate reductions of up to 2% are available for developers who meet environmental and social criteria. Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
If you can’t see something in this month’s round-up that suits your business’s specific needs, check out our Support Directory, or contact our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
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Surrey Venture Studio’s first incubation programme gets off to flying start
Published 12 May 2026
Advice and support, Funding and grants, Innovation, Surrey Success Stories
Surrey Venture Studio (SVS) is preparing to launch its first six‑month incubation programme, supporting early‑stage founders across Surrey to turn raw ideas and early‑stage concepts into customer‑ready businesses. The incubation accelerator is aimed at pre‑start‑ups who have completed SVS’s business ideation workshops and offers tailored support based on each entrepreneur’s stage of development.
One of the founders joining the inaugural cohort is Natalie Foo, creator of InchStone, a voice‑first app designed to support families raising children with developmental differences.
Meeting a need discovered from personal experience
InchStone was shaped by personal experience. Natalie explains, “I built it because I’m a parent in this community and the gap was too obvious to ignore.”
“The app organises your spoken observations into records ready for therapy, funding applications, and official assessments.”
Natalie first engaged with SVS through its intensive two‑day workshops, which focus on validating ideas before founders rush into building products.
As SVS Manager Odysseas Bassioukas, puts it, “SVS is a venture builder where people are coming to us to build from the idea to a company.”
“The workshops were intense but incredibly helpful,” Natalie says. “They helped me hone in on my idea and start making a plan. The focus on customer development really stood out; SVS puts that the right way around.”
The incubation programme will provide expert mentorship, peer support and hot‑desking facilities, alongside access to professional services such as legal advice, to help founders protect their intellectual property. For Natalie, the timing feels right. “It feels like the right moment to find out what’s actually working,” she says, as she prepares to pilot InchStone and connect with Surrey’s wider business network.
What is Surrey Venture Studio?
This is an exciting new pre-accelerator programme to help innovators, academics and entrepreneurs across Surrey explore whether turning an idea into a business is the right path to follow.
Opportunity to progress to a six-month accelerator
Up to £25,000 catalyst grant funding, for successful six-month accelerator participant
Spaces on the workshop are limited and will be offered to applicants whose ideas are at the right stage of development and show strong potential for innovation and commercialisation.
At the end of the two-day workshop, participants will be invited to pitch their ideas ‘Dragon’s Den’-style. The successful applicants will secure a coveted place on the six-month accelerator programme and take a step closer to securing £25k in grant funding to launch their business!
Grant helps Surrey artist Kathy Kyle take wearable art from home studio to the high street
Published 8 May 2026
Funding and grants, Surrey Success Stories
When artist Kathy Kyle painted a piece of gift wrap for her child’s birthday, she had no idea it would grow into a business built on wearable art and silk. A friend looked at her hand-painted paper and said: “I could imagine that on silk and wearing it. Could you make that for me?”
That moment of recognition planted the seed for Kathy Kyle Studio – a brand built around ethical, sustainable wearable art and luxury stationery, each piece hand-painted, sustainably printed and entirely human-made. Now, with the support of matched funding through the Surrey Economic Growth Fund, Kathy is taking her business to the high street – with space in a shop on Dorking’s historic West Street.
Kathy spent nearly 25 years working as a communications and marketing director for global consultancies and agencies in Washington D.C. before making the leap to follow her creative calling.
“I decided to follow my dreams and become an artist,” she says. “I did that only a year ago and it’s been incredible how fulfilling it’s been.”
The business grew organically from her art practice – a stained shirt rescued with hand-painted designs; scarves commissioned by friends; gift wrap that became fabric.
“I don’t want to overproduce,” she says. “I wanted to create wearable art that adds value to people’s lives. For me it is about purpose and intention – how can I create something beautiful that endures?”
Growing the business from idea to High Street
What followed was a rapid series of milestones: a launch at a Soho gallery; a debut at Top Drawer trade fair, which brought her first stockists; scarves shown at London Fashion Week through her Buy Women Built network; and a pitch at the Great British Pitch exploring international trade. Yet without external funding, scaling remained out of reach at this early stage.
“We needed this seed to help us grow,” she explains. “I was just using my savings and earnings. We needed to expand and diversify our approach.”
As one of nearly 30 local Surrey businesses to receive grant funding through the Surrey Economic Growth Fund, Kathy describes the award as transformational. The investment is enabling her to expand her core pure silk accessories range – with luxury scarves and wraps – as well as extending her stationery line into interiors, including wallpaper, cushions, linens, and bespoke fabric and commissions.
“People have said to me, I really want to see your art on cushions, fabric, or wallpaper,” she says. “I can now do those things.”
The new studio space is in Sandrock House on Dorking’s West Street – an award-winning interiors shop, and a fitting home for a brand that believes in collaboration and community.
“The world of retail is changing,” Kathy says. “It helps everyone to collaborate to be successful. Lift each other up.”
It’s a philosophy that runs through everything she does, including her commitment to making every piece ethically and as sustainably as possible, and by hand without AI. “I have taken great care to collaborate with suppliers who share our values and I think you can see this ethos in the quality and craftsmanship of our products.”
“I am thrilled to receive this boost to the business,” says Kathy. “I am looking forward to not only bringing our vision to market, but doing it in online and offline: in real life, in my community, and in a shop.”
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Any Surrey business looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch to find out more via our Contact us form.
Construction-focused Skills Bootcamps applications now open for Surrey employers and training providers
Published 17 April 2026
Funding and grants, Skills and workforce
Are you a Surrey construction-based employer struggling to recruit? Does your team have skills gaps you’d like to fill? Apply today for Skills Bootcamps funding to equip your business with the talent and know-how to thrive.
Surrey employers and training providers are invited to submit applications for construction skills-based Skills Bootcamps delivery in 2026/27. These government-funded courses can upskill your team in a just a few weeks.
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for anyone aged 19+ to help them enter employment, upskill or change career.
Surrey County Council has a funding pot of £1.2 million to deliver Skills Bootcamps courses across Surrey during 2026/27.
We’re looking for innovative ideas from employers and training providers in the construction sector to design and deliver courses to equip our Surrey residents with the skills to grow our future economy.
Think Skills Bootcamps may be a good fit to help you upskill your team or address your workforce needs? Get in touch to find out more by emailing skillsbootcamps@surreycc.gov.uk. A member of the team will then arrange a one-to-one discussion to talk through your challenges and objectives and help you to see if Skills Bootcamps could be a good fit for your business.
Or if you’re ready to apply now, just scroll down to find out more about the process.
Skills Bootcamps 2026/27 – who can apply
Applications can be made by:
Independent training providers
Further education (FE) colleges
Employers
As an employer, you already have all the relevant information and background understanding you’ll need to put together a robust proposal. This includes demonstrating creative design and an understanding of local employers’ needs relevant to the construction industry.
If you’d like to get involved, but don’t have experience of skills training?
You can apply in partnership with another organisation. They would need to be able to evidence proven experience and strong local networks to design and deliver innovative courses shaped around the needs of jobseekers and employers.
We are now accepting construction skills-based Skills Bootcamps applications from interested parties under a competitive grant award process. Successful applicants will form part of Wave 7 of the programme, with courses completing by the end of March 2027.
Future applications will be accepted for other courses from late May to early June.
Applications will need to evidence demand, strategic fit and innovation, setting out:
Access to employment post training (preference will be given to bids written in partnership with employers that show clear progression into job roles)
How you will meet demand in the local economy, using evidence such as Surrey Economic Growth Strategy and Labour Market Information
Who your target learners are and how you will ensure positive outcomes
Your previous experience delivering employer-led training
Previous collaboration with local employers and commitment from current employers to support delivery and provide employment opportunities
How you will deliver the programme
We actively encourage joint applications from training providers and employers. When applying, please be sure to clearly evidence how the course will fill open vacancies.
We are keen to see applications focused on helping economically inactive people to enter employment.
The first round of applications is open until 29th May. We will assess applications on a rolling basis for suitability. But we do advise applicants to submit entries as soon as possible. This is so courses can be delivered before the end of March 2027.
Small Business Britain develop great resources and deliver several programmes of support for small businesses that are well worth looking at. This month they launched their annual Great British Pitch which this year is internationally themed with the opportunity to pitch to Indian based buyers (see details below if you’re a food and drink, consumer or retail business).
Kathy Kyle, a Surrey based artist and textile designer had the opportunity to pitch last year and wanted to encourage others to apply: “I am so grateful to Small Business Britain, BT and DBT for their support at the Great British Pitch! It was well brilliantly organised and a fantastic opportunity for me to connect and bring my brand to a broader audience. Since engaging with DBT and others, I have connected with an even broader audience and am now collaborating with the British Embassy Paris and am showing at Premiere Classe Who’s Next.”
Things are always moving with funded support programmes so keep an eye out for my monthly updates. Good luck, and let me know how you get on!
Renée
Surrey High Street Growth and Innovation Programme
This High Street Programme will support hundreds of small and medium businesses in Surrey’s town and villages throughout Spring 2026. It covers all corners of Surrey with dedicated sessions in 22 locations across all 11 district and boroughs in Surrey. It offers free, practical and locally tailored support across Surrey high streets including:
Surrey Venture Studio is an exciting scheme to help Surrey innovators, academics, students and entrepreneurs ignite their ideas to build a business. So if you have an idea ripe for commercialisation and are ready to start your business journey, seize this exciting opportunity!
Do you have a business idea you believe could be transformational and marketable, but you’re unsure how to take the first step or secure funding? Perhaps you already have designs, prototypes or research that hasn’t yet reached its full revenue generating potential. This is an exciting new pre-accelerator programme to help innovators, academics and entrepreneurs across Surrey explore whether turning an idea into a business is the right path. This exciting programme includes:
A two-day, in-person ideation workshop
Expert mentoring
Opportunity to progress to a six-month accelerator
Up to £25,000 catalyst grant funding, for successful six-month accelerator participant
Spaces on the workshop are limited and will be offered to applicants whose ideas are at the right stage of development and show strong potential for innovation and commercialisation.
At the end of the two-day workshop, participants will be invited to pitch their ideas ‘Dragon’s Den’-style. The successful applicants will secure a coveted place on the six-month accelerator programme and take a step closer to securing £25k in grant funding to launch their business!
Made Smarter South East is a government-funded programme created to drive growth amongst the South East’s manufacturing SMEs and makers. The Made Smarter team will provide advice and support to manufacturers and makers to:
help them switch to advanced and automated technologies
identify the right technologies and tools
and use them to make everyday improvements to your business.
Support elements include:
Match-funding of up to £20,000 (50% is available)
Expert advice, guidance and support
Bespoke digital roadmap for your business
Leadership training
Workforce training
Fully-funded student internship (up to 300 hours).
The programme is open to SME manufacturers and makers based in the South East. In order to be eligible businesses must have fewer than 250 employees and not be part of a wider group, or be funded by Private Equity, with a turnover below £44 million, and not have received state aid of more than £315,000 over the last three years.
Are you interested in pitching your great, British business to international buyers in India, and are you available for an in-person event in central London on Tuesday, 16th June? This year The Great British Pitch is focused on businesses in the Food & Drink, Consumer and Retail sectors.
You’ll be offered the support you need to be ready to pitch, and will be joined on the day by export experts, there to offer their advice and to help get you match ready for your time to shine. As well as having the chance to pitch your business across the world, via livestream to buyers specific to your industry niche, you’ll have chance to network with other small business owners, all keen to find exciting, new, global markets for their products and services.
This 6 week programme for sole traders and micro businesses, concludes with a plan to support the next year of business growth. It will be delivered entirely online.
What does the course include?
Inclusion in an exclusive, supportive community to ask and answer questions, access experts and teachers, share experiences and network with other small businesses.
Live weekly sessions recorded and available on a private Small Business Britain website available exclusively to course participants.
Weekly worksheets to embed learning outcomes accessible on the private website hub, developed by each week’s expert trainers.
Development of an Action Plan: a twelve-month plan to grow and flourish with support of expert mentors.
1 hour of 1-2-1 and group mentoring over the six weeks from expert mentors around the UK.
The Diamond Education Grant offers financial support to women seeking to enter or return to the workforce or transition into growing industries by gaining new skills.
The grant prioritises women facing significant financial need or barriers to employment, with an average award of around £1,000. Funding can be used for course fees or essential materials, such as books or equipment, but not for living expenses. Applications are open to women who are permanent residents in eligible Federation countries, which includes the UK. Preference will be given to applicants aged 30 and over.
Grants are available for courses taking place during the academic year from September 2026 to July 2027. The funding is intended for one year only, with vocational courses receiving priority.
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK Programme
The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme is designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.
Participants in the fully funded programme identify and execute the steps necessary to enable them to scale their ventures, create employment and expand to new markets. Each participant develops a business growth plan throughout the course to implement back in their businesses. Eligibility criteria:
Business operating for at least three years
Have between 5 and 50 employees
Business should have turnover of at least 250,000 GBP in the previous financial year
Applicant should not have any recent management education
Applicant should be the primary owner or main decision-maker of the business
Early-stage businesses developing sustainable consumer goods can apply to join the Amazon Sustainability Accelerator, an equity-free programme designed to support innovation addressing environmental challenges.
The accelerator aims to help entrepreneurs develop skills and expand their businesses while improving the climate impact of their products. Each year the programme focuses on different sustainability areas including circular economy, recycling technology and sustainable consumer products.
One of the 2026 challenges is the Consumer Product Programme, which targets startups producing physical business-to-consumer goods. Eligible products must have recently launched or be close to entering the market and demonstrate measurable sustainability improvements. Examples include items made from recycled or upcycled materials, reusable everyday products, eco-friendly gadgets and technology, more sustainable clothing, shoes and accessories, and alternatives to plastic.
Selected participants will take part in a nine-week accelerator that includes workshops, mentoring and access to Amazon’s network. Businesses will receive a £10,000 cash grant, $10,000 in AWS Activate credits and a £1,500 travel grant. Additional support includes a climate impact assessment, guidance on selling through Amazon and an opportunity to present their business to investors during a London Demo Day.
Applicants must be brand owners and operate in the early stages of development. Businesses must also be registered in the United Kingdom, the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
The Invention for Innovation (i4i) THRIVE (Translate Healthcare Research through InnoVation and Entrepreneurship) funding and training programme funds early stage innovations which tackle health inequalities. This is a full researcher-led funding opportunity.
THRIVE supports clinicians and researchers to accelerate the translation of healthcare innovations tackling health inequalities from bench to bed, speed up patient benefit and concurrently expand the entrepreneurial mindset of researchers and clinicians.
THRIVE offers up to £150,000 over 9 months to support the development of a technology-based product or service, and a structured programme of entrepreneurial training, mentoring, peer support and networking. Through the programme the innovators will explore the market for their innovation and identify potential routes for commercialising (spin-out vs licensing) or sustaining their innovation (Intrapreneurship) and leave the programme with a plan to achieve their goals, a network of support and with the skills for the next steps of commercialisation.
Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chains: Potential High Growth SMEs Competition
The Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chains: Potential High Growth SMEs Competition supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in addressing barriers to commercialisation and scaling within the UK.
Eligible projects must aim to improve the resource efficiency or resilience of supply chains in the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan frontier industries, including automotive, aerospace, advanced materials, batteries, agri-tech and space.
Applicants should have developed a basic version of their product or service, such as a prototype or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or higher, that targets improvements in supply chain efficiency or resilience.
Projects must demonstrate a clear focus on one or more of the specified supply chains.
Applications are open for the 2026 Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF), which provides grants for businesses investing in equipment and technology. The support is intended to help improve productivity, animal health and welfare and slurry management across agricultural and forestry operations.
A total of £50 million has been allocated across three themes. Up to £20 million is available for productivity equipment and a further £20 million has been set aside for projects that improve animal health and welfare. Another £10 million has been allocated for slurry management. Applicants can request between £1,000 and £25,000 under each theme.
Businesses may apply to more than one theme, with a combined maximum grant value of £75,000 if applications are made across all three categories. The funding is intended for the purchase of eligible equipment and technology that supports operational improvements within farming and forestry enterprises. Eligible applicants include farming and forestry businesses in England involved in the production or processing of agricultural, horticultural or forestry products. Contractors and growers working in these sectors may also apply where proposed purchases support the stated objectives.
This round is expected to be the final standalone FETF round in its current format, with future arrangements due to combine elements of several grant initiatives from 2027.
The Secure Software for Resilient Growth Competition aims to support the development of secure and resilient software supply chains in the UK through increased adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice (SSCoP). The initiative reflects the role of cyber security as a frontier technology in the UK’s Industrial Strategy and the need to strengthen cyber resilience across digitally transforming sectors.
The competition therefore seeks to improve baseline cyber resilience across UK software supply chains.
Projects supported through the programme are expected to increase awareness, adoption and implementation of the SSCoP. They should also contribute to the commercial growth of cyber resilient technology supply chains in the UK and address at least two of the four themes set out in the SSCoP.
The competition forms part of a wider set of UK government cyber security codes of practice and complements initiatives such as the Cyber Essentials scheme, which promote recognised approaches to managing cyber security risks.
Sponsored by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou and administered by Leonard Cheshire Disability, this initiative celebrates business ability by recognising disabled entrepreneurs who have set up their own company.
The programme is open to disabled entrepreneurs in the UK who own at least 50% of a UK registered for-profit business with an annual turnover of £200,000. This year, prize money totalling £300,000 will be distributed as follows:
The UK Government has opened Round 11 of the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF), a £288 million capital grant programme supporting the transition to low-carbon heat networks. The scheme funds technologies such as heat pumps, geothermal energy, and waste heat recovery to help reduce carbon emissions from heating systems.
Heat networks supply heat from a central source to multiple buildings, lowering reliance on individual gas boilers. The GHNF provides funding to public, private and third-sector organisations in England involved in developing heating and cooling networks.
Grants can cover up to, but not including, 50% of eligible commercialisation and construction costs, with a maximum of £1 million available for commercialisation support. Individual funding requests may be spread over multiple years.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is inviting applications for its Materials Innovation Partnerships Grant, which supports collaborative research between academic institutions and businesses. The grant is intended to advance materials research with potential for industrial use.
EPSRC has allocated up to £7.5 million for a minimum of four projects. Each project can receive £250,000, representing 80% of the full economic cost. The total full economic cost must be at least £312,500.
The initiative focuses on co-created and co-delivered research between industry and academia aimed at translating materials discoveries into practical applications. Projects must be led jointly by a primary academic partner eligible for EPSRC support, such as a UK university or research institute, and a primary business partner. The partners must have an established collaborative relationship of at least one year before applying.
Proposals must address one or more themes from the National Materials Innovation Strategy. These include materials for energy solutions, future healthcare, structural innovations, advanced surface technologies, next generation electronics telecommunications and sensors, and consumer products packaging and specialist polymers.
The National Entrepreneur of the Year Competition is accepting applications from young people across the UK seeking financial support to develop or expand business ventures. The annual awards are organised by the Peter Jones Foundation and supported by FRP Advisory.
The competition provides cash awards to individuals aged 16 to 21 who are either running a revenue-generating small business or have a developed concept, including a prototype or minimum viable product. Entrants are required to demonstrate the viability of their idea or enterprise as part of the application process.
Successful applicants progress through stages that may include pitching their business proposals, with finalists given the opportunity to present to Peter Jones CBE. Financial awards include £10,000 for the overall winner, £5,000 for the runner up and £1,000 for finalists.
The funding can be used to support business growth, product development or operational costs associated with early-stage enterprises. The competition aims to support young entrepreneurs at different stages of development, from concept to established small businesses.
Women-led startups working in deeptech and digital innovation can apply for support through Open Horizons, a Horizon Europe-funded initiative. The scheme forms part of a wider effort to advance female entrepreneurship and reduce the innovation gap across Europe.
Up to €55,000 in equity-free funding is available per applicant. In addition to financial support, successful startups will benefit from mentoring, strategic matchmaking and opportunities to co-design and test paid pilot projects with leading European corporates.
Eligible applicants must be early-stage or inception-phase startups led by at least one woman in a key executive role, such as CEO, CTO or Founder, with a minimum 25% ownership stake. The business must be based in an EU Member State or a Horizon Europe-associated country, including the UK.
Projects must operate within deeptech or digital fields. Areas of focus include Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Computing, Cybersecurity, Next Generation Internet, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Metaverse, Energy, Green Tech, AgriTech and FinTech.
This is the third and final Open Call under the €1.2 million programme.
The business boost grants can help your business with:
Grant support up to £2,000 to help businesses improve their shop fronts or signage
Grant support up to £2,000 to help bring a shop that has been empty for at least 3 months back into commercial use
up to £1,000 to help town or village wide projects to drive new footfall, investment, street-scene improvements or sustainability.
All applications need at least 50% match funding and 2 quotes for each element. Town and village centre independents can also apply for support to help sell online with the digital high street boost and small and medium sized business can get help to invest in energy efficiency projects with the green business boost.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time.
Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme
Eligible adult social care employers in England can claim staff training costs from the Adult Social Care Learning and Development Support Scheme (LDSS). The LDSS is available for non-regulated care staff, including deputy and Care Quality Commission-registered managers and agency staff, within the adult social care workforce. Staff taking the training must be in qualifying roles.
Eligible ASC employers can claim funding for certain training courses and qualifications on behalf of eligible care staff. This funding is for eligible courses and qualifications that have been both paid for in financial year 2025 to 2026, as well as those paid for in financial year 2024 to 2025.
Business Support Grants of up to £1,000 for residents and businesses with fewer than 5 employees based in Reigate and Banstead.
Grants can be used to help fund things like marketing, new equipment or training. Please note the grant is NOT available for the development of prototypes or for IT equipment such as laptops, unless you are a brand new start up and do not possess any IT hardware.
The Help to Grow Management Course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. Whether you need to identify more efficient ways of working, target new markets, or create a plan to take your business and team to the next level, the Help to Grow Management Course will provide the knowledge and support you need.
To join the Help to Grow Management Course you should:
Work for a Small or Medium-sized Enterprise based in the United Kingdom
Employ between 5 and 249 employees
Be a member of the senior leadership team and have direct reports.
The full course is worth £7,500 but it is 90% government funded so small businesses pay just £750 per person. Our local Business Schools are Kingston University, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Southampton, University of Brighton and Brunel University of London.
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). This is capped at a maximum of:
£350 per socket
40 sockets across all sites per applicant. For example, if you install at 40 sites, you will have 1 socket per site
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot
The Life Sciences Transformational R&D Investment Fund Pilot is a £50 million capital grant programme supporting large-scale research and development projects within the UK life sciences sector. The fund aims to strengthen health resilience, drive innovation and deliver economic benefits through significant investments in research capacity, facilities and technologies.
Projects should demonstrate how they will enhance the UK’s ability to respond to health emergencies and long-term healthcare challenges, for example by expanding or creating R&D capacity, improving manufacturing processes, accelerating clinical research or deploying new technologies.
Surrey Hills Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Grants
The 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.
Co-operative and Community Finance offers loans of between £10,000 and £85,000 for new or existing co-operatives across the UK. Loans are to assist with the expansion, setup, or development of a co-operative enterprise.
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
Homes England and Octopus Real Estate have launched the second phase of the Greener Homes Alliance. The scheme provides discounted development finance to small and medium-sized (SME) housebuilders. The initiative supports the construction of energy-efficient homes across England.
A total of £150 million is available. Loans range from £2 million to £20 million. Interest rate reductions of up to 2% are available for developers who meet environmental and social criteria. Eligible applicants include SME housebuilders and developers operating in England.
Closing date: Applications can be made at any time
If you can’t see something in this month’s round-up that suits your business’s specific needs, check out our Support Directory, or contact our team of experts via our Business Support Form.
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Surrey Venture Studio round two now open
Published 7 April 2026
Business news, Funding and grants
Surrey Venture Studio round two is now open for those with bright business ideas. Apply now to win £25,000 of funding and six-months of expert support to help launch and scale a new start-up.
Surrey Venture Studio is a unique business growth initiative developed and delivered by the county’s three universities and Surrey County Council.
It is the only programme for tech businesses in the county that offers standout innovative entrepreneurs the opportunity to funding and support to turn their ideas into a reality
More than 30 early-stage innovators completed the first round of the programme, which launched last year.
Now, Surrey Venture Studio is thrilled to announce that applications for the Summer Cohort are open until 8 May. It offers even more of Surrey’s promising tech entrepreneurs to turn their early-stage innovation ideas into viable technology business ventures.
Surrey Venture Studio offers a unique two-day workshop and pitching programme tailored for people living, working and studying in Surrey to explore the business potential of their early-stage tech idea.
Participants receive practical guidance, expert mentoring, and structured support designed to help accelerate their ideas toward commercial viability.
Following the workshops, participants then pitch to a panel of startup experts and investors.
The standout innovators receive £25,000 of funding and a place on the six-month SVS Business Accelerator, giving founders the resources and momentum to take the next major steps in their ventures.
Ody Bassioukas, Surrey Venture Studio Manager, said: “It’s been incredibly energising to see just how much progress can happen in a matter of days, ideas gaining clarity, confidence building, and new pathways starting to take shape. There’s a real momentum in the room, and it’s been inspiring to witness how quickly concepts are evolving into something tangible. The quality and originality of the ideas coming through have been exceptional, and this feels like just the beginning. I’m excited to see how these ventures continue to grow and where the next stages take them.”
Surrey Venture Studio’s first cohort
The inaugural round saw a remarkably diverse and energetic group of innovators whose ideas spanned multiple disciplines and sectors.
More than 30 early-stage innovators took part in the process at University of Creative Arts, Royal Holloway, University of London and University of Surrey.
Participants had access throughout the workshops to seasoned mentors from across the start-up ecosystem, receiving invaluable insight, challenge, and encouragement.
Elizabeth Baldwin, Founder of Puzzle Proof – a digital, evidence-based, management system for domestic abuse survivors – said:“It’s thrilling to feel like other people see value in this [Puzzle Proof]. I know this problem exists, and I have the opportunity to solve it. I was nearly at the point of thinking, ‘Am I going to take this further? Is this worth pursuing?’ Surrey Venture Studios has given me that push, saying, ‘Yes, this is worth doing. Let’s make this dream a reality.’ I encourage others to take that same leap.”
Iain Jamieson, Chairman S100 Angel Investment Club, said:“I was delighted to be asked to be a judge at the Surrey Ventures Studio workshop for start-ups, where some very exciting new business ideas were showcased. The event was expertly organised and is exactly the kind of support that is needed to provide nascent entrepreneurs with the ecosystem to succeed. I hope to see many of the participants seeking funding through the S100 angel investment club in the years to come.”
Looking Ahead: Round Two Now Open
Apply for Surrey Venture Studio round two until 8 May. Workshops are taking place in June at locations across Surrey.
Aspirational entrepreneurs and innovators working or studying in Surrey are encouraged to take advantage of this transformative opportunity
South East manufacturers get £3.1m digital transformation boost through Made Smarter
Published 30 March 2026
Advice and support, Funding and grants, Innovation
Hundreds of manufacturers across the South East are set for a major digital upgrade after the Government confirmed fresh funding for the Made Smarter programme from April.
The £3.1 million investment will give SME manufacturers across the region access to expert technology advice, leadership training, digital skills development and match-funded grants to help boost productivity, drive innovation, create high-value jobs and cut carbon.
Made Smarter South East is a government-backed, industry-led programme delivered by Surrey County Council in partnership with 11 local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships across the South East region.
Made Smarter’s impact in the South East
Since launching in April 2025, the programme has supported 273 manufacturers, participated in 137 diagnostic workshops, developed 93 digital roadmaps, delivered 41 leadership and digital champions training interventions, placed 6 digital interns, and approved grants for 20 technology projects.
Over the last year, manufacturers have secured over £307,000 in matched funding to enable over £1 million of investment in technologies ranging from ERP systems and 3D printing to robotics and automation.
Bryan Vint, Programme Manager for Made Smarter South East, said:“This new wave of funding is a huge boost for manufacturers across the South East. In our first year we have already shown what the region can achieve when SMEs have access to the right advice, skills and technology.
“The continuation of the programme gives businesses the confidence to plan ahead, invest in digital tools and build the skills they need to grow. We are excited to help hundreds more manufacturers unlock productivity, resilience and long-term growth.”
The support available with Made Smarter
Made Smarter is designed to give manufacturers a fast and practical route into digital transformation. Businesses begin with an expert digital assessment to identify their technology and skills priorities, followed by a tailored roadmap to guide future investment.
Leadership development programmes, workforce training and digital internships help companies build the capabilities needed to adopt new technologies and embed change across their organisations.
To support technology adoption, businesses can also access match funding of up to 50 percent, with grants of up to £20,000 available for capital technology projects.
How one Surrey business has benefitted from the programme
Cambertronics, based in Cranleigh, Surrey, is a contract electronics manufacturer providing design, prototyping and full turnkey production for sectors including automotive, marine, agritech and industrial electronics. Through Made Smarter South East, the business completed a Digital Transformation Workshop and joined the Leadership and Digital Champion programmes to help shape its digital strategy and build internal capability for change.
Jasper Whitefield, Business Development Manager, Cambertronics, Cranleigh, Surrey, said:“We’ve invested heavily in advanced manufacturing equipment over the years, but many of our systems still rely on manual processes. We wanted to explore how digital technology could help improve traceability, streamline processes and give us better visibility across the business.
“The Digital Transformation Workshop helped us identify clear priorities, including automated barcoding, ERP integration and strengthening leadership capability across the team. Taking part in the leadership and Digital Champion programmes is helping us build the confidence, skills and internal ownership needed to drive that change. It means we can modernise our operations, respond faster to customers and continue delivering the quality and expertise they expect as the business grows.”
To learn more, and start your journey to digitisation with free support from Made Smarter, visit the Made Smarter website.
Funding support for your Surrey business
Looking to raise funding or investment into your Surrey business? Our team of experts are on hand to provide fully-funded advice to all Surrey businesses.
Get in touch via our Business Support Form to see how your business could access finance to help you grow.
Picture credit: Cambertronics
Surrey County Council supporting farmers to diversify in a tough climate for rural economy
Published 17 March 2026
Advice and support, Funding and grants, Surrey Success Stories
Rural businesses in Surrey are finding ways to adapt and thrive thanks to funding and support from Surrey County Council.
Rising costs, falling prices and policy uncertainty have left farming communities across the UK struggling to make ends meet. But across Surrey, farmers are finding ways to adapt – and Surrey County Council’s Economic Growth Fund is providing the investment to make it possible.
From a new vineyard in Surrey Hills, to shepherd hut stays and meat vending machines, a new generation of farming entrepreneurs are finding innovative ways to diversify, sustain and futureproof their businesses.
About £380.000 in funding has been invested in Surrey’s rural economy in recent months via the Economic Growth Fund, unlocking more than £100,000 in private sector investment and supporting dozens of jobs.
Support is set to be stepped up later this year with a dedicated farming business support specialist working with farms and rural businesses across Surrey to help them navigate challenges.
Anyone interested in finding out more can get in touch using our contact us form.
Diversifying to overcome challenges
Louise Wilkinson is the third generation of her family at Upper Birtley Farm, and she returned with her two children after a career in hospitality. Her father still runs the arable side of the business, growing wheat and oats in a market which is very challenging to make a profit.
Something needed to change – and Louise’s solution was to bring in shepherd’s huts offering rural escapes, alongside a community events space hosting courses with local beekeepers, foragers and butchers.
Alongside her hospitality experience, Louise said camping on the land with her daughters is what gave her the idea to create a countryside escape.
“It’s about adding to British farming,” she said. “We have this piece of land that can’t be farmed for whatever reason , and it makes the farm more sustainable.”
With a test run planned for April and a full launch targeting the May bank holidays, Louise is building something that she hopes will carry the farm through for another generation. “I’m third generation with two children who will be excited to grow up here,” she said. “It’s everything really.”
Innovative ways to increase sales and grow markets
Almost a decade ago, fourth-generation farmer Alec Clouting was at a farming event and spotted vending machines selling local produce. He immediately saw their potential, but without the funds to make it happen, the idea stayed on the backburner.
Now, thanks to the Economic Growth Fund, it’s becoming reality, and Alec was able to buy a shipping container, commercial freezer and vending machine to sell frozen beef, lamb and pork directly to consumers, seven days a week at Ivelle Farm in Cranleigh.
Most of the farm’s meat currently goes to livestock markets and on to supermarkets – a model that leaves farmers with little control and thinner margins. Selling direct means better profit margins while making a connection with consumers locally.
“I am a big believer of people being in touch with where their food comes from,” Alec said. “For the local community to be able to come to the farm where it comes from and get it direct.”
The model also creates a ripple effect, supporting a local butcher and abattoir and strengthening a network of rural businesses. Looking further ahead, Alec sees franchise potential – a blueprint that other farms could replicate.
He said: “Farming is a very difficult business to navigate with many layers of complexity, and with the recent added pressures of the farm inheritance tax, it’s becoming harder to make small family farms like ours financially viable. So having a future-proof way of selling my produce as profitably as I can will give me the best chance I could wish for.”
Using natural resources in new, sustainable, ways
Jason and Emma Robertshaw bought Blakes Lane Farm in 2018, but they weren’t sure what came next – only that they wanted to put the land to good use. The land was home to a run-down equestrian centre and was used by tenant sheep farmers. They soon discovered the farm sits on the same chalk that extends beneath the English Channel into France’s Champagne region.
“We started planting vines in 2020,” Jason explains. “It was a pretty small-scale experiment to see how they grow. We then realised we’ve got the ideal growing climate for sparkling wine.”
That experiment has grown into The Guildford Vineyard, an English sparkling wine producer now building a purpose-built, sustainably-designed winery – with match funding from the Economic Growth Fund providing the financial foundation they needed. When at full capacity, the vineyard aims to produce 10,000 bottles a year, with ambitions to export to Japan alongside domestic sales to restaurants and hotels. And the tenant farmer’s sheep will remain on the land grazing between the vines in winter, which brings in regenerative farming practices, something which was important to the plan, as Jason comes from a farming family.
“We couldn’t have done it without the grant,” the couple said. “We wouldn’t have been able to build the winery. It has been fantastic.”
The Surrey Economic Growth Fund
To date almost £2 million has been awarded to dozens of recipients across the county via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund. This funding has helped to unlock significant match funding and private investment, growing Surrey’s economy by £9 million.
Any Surrey business – rural or urban, looking for funding or help to grow can receive fully-funded support from Business Surrey. Get in touch via our Contact us form.
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