Need Business Advice?

The Colchester Business Enterprise Agency (COLBEA) is dedicated to supporting businesses from start-up to maturity.  Qualified, experienced and accredited Business Advisors will help you to start, develop and deliver your business ambitions. 

TEL: 01206 548833

EMAIL: enquiries@colbea.co.uk

Need Business Advice?

Best Growth Hub

The BEST Growth Hub aims to help your business to identify and realise its potential with free business support for growth in Essex, Southend and Thurrock.

It provides a focal point for businesses that are looking to increase their competitiveness and grow, it offers a great choice of advice, training, networking and more, all tailored to your needs.

Need Business Advice?

Invest Essex

Invest ESSEX is an investment promotion agency (IPA) and business support provider, promoting the opportunity of Essex as a prime UK business location to international and UK companies.

Invest ESSEX guides and supports businesses through every stage of business relocation, expansion or scale-up.

Sector-based Business Advice

• Creative and Digital sector – SPACE Studios Creative Business Centre  
• Creative and Digital sector – The Games Hub 
• Tech sector – The Innovation Centre at the University of Essex 

Procurement Opportunities

• Procurement Agency Essex (PAE)
• CompeteFor

Useful Information for Business Planning

These documents give a picture of Colchester and its economic performance, opportunities and challenges:

• Colchester Economic Growth Strategy 2015-21 and Evidence Base
• Colchester Annual Economic Report 2015/16
• Colchester Annual Economic Report 2016/17
• Colchester Annual Economic Report 2017/18
• Essex Skills Board Colchester Profile 2017/18
• Foreign Direct Investment in Colchester 2017
• Colchester ranks 8th in the UK for Creativity. Read the NESTA/Creative England ‘Geography of Creativity in the UK 2016’ report to find out more.

Employment and Skills

The Essex Employment and Skills Board aims to build a productive, responsive and inclusive Essex skills and training system that delivers growth and opportunities for local people and employers.

Working across seven key sectors in Essex the ESB offers training provider CPD support, organises events and supports apprenticeships and industry by working with employer-led specific skills groups.

Licensing & Regulation

The Council is responsible for granting and enforcing a wide variety of licences, certificates, permits and notices across the borough of Colchester.

Quick Links:

• Licensing 
• Trading Standards
• Health & Safety 
• Environmental Health
• Employment Law
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Planning & Building Control

You can submit a planning application, find and comment on planning applications and have a say in the future of your neighbourhood. Also apply for Building Control approval, find more information on Tree Preservation Orders and check Local Land Charges

Quick Links:

• Planning & Building Control
• The Local Plan

Business Rates

Register your new business, manage your existing business rates account or tell us about any changes to your business. Read more information about business rates and how to apply for relief.

Quick Links:

• Register for Business Rates
• Pay your Business Rates
• Apply for Business Rates Relief
• Inform Colchester Borough Council of a change of business address

Trading Advice

Quick Links:

• Thinking about Exporting?
• International Trade Support
• Become a Street Trader in Colchester
• Recycling & Waste for Business
• Trading Standards

Need Premises?

These organisations can help with start-up and SME space:

• Colchester Business Enterprise Agency (COLBEA)
• SPACE Studios Creative Business Centre
• The Innovation Centre at the University of Essex
• Weston Homes Business Centre
• Seedbed Centre
• Lodge Park
• Colchester Market – test your business idea by taking a market stall

Larger Premises?

Many thriving businesses will reach a point where it’s time to expand, enabling you to take on more work and facilitate further growth.  Things you might consider include choosing the right area, can the new premises host what you need and allow for further growth and whether a new design might make your business stand out from the crowd. 

Commercial Estate Agents & Commercial Property Websites

• Fenn Wright Commercial
• Morley, Riches & Ablewhite Chartered Surveyors 
• Newman Commercial Property Consultants
• Nicholas Percival Chartered Surveyors
• Whybrow Chartered Surveyors and Property Consultants
• Right Move
• FreeOfficeFinder
• EGI Property Link
• Land in Colchester

Related Material

• Blog from the Federation of Small Businesses

Need Finance?

Whatever routes you need to invest in and grow your business the BEST Growth Hub can help.  Whether it’s sources of Grant funding, information about Loans or other Investment, the Growth Hub can help.

Need Finance?

Specific funding programmes which are currently live include:

• LEADER funding for rural businesses.  Two areas offer LEADER funding in the Borough, Essex Rivers and Wool Towns
• KEEP+  provides businesses with flexible opportunities for innovation in new products and services
• University of Essex Innovation Vouchers can provide your small or medium-sized business with funding to engage with our university expertise, with the opportunity to foster a long-term partnership. Funds pay for our academic experts to provide you with tailored consultancy.
• TALE funding for companies involved in transport and logistics
• EIRA Funded by Research England’s Connecting Capability Fund (CCF), EIRA is a consortium of seven universities and colleges supporting innovation in the East of England. This ground-breaking project provides businesses with funded knowledge exchange across three key areas: artificial intelligence, biotechnology and digital creative.
• South East Creatives (SECCADs) a skills and business support programme aimed at the creative and digital sector