West Northamptonshire businesses benefit from showcase of support at Northamptonshire Business Exhibition

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership’s (SEMLEP) Growth Hub and SEMLEP Careers Hub teamed up on Friday 8 March to showcase the vast amount of free support available for start-up and established businesses across West Northamptonshire during a major exhibition.

The Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce’s Business Exhibition took place at Wickstead Park, Kettering and provided exhibitors and visitors the opportunity to build new connections, increase brand profile and develop new business opportunities.

Members of the Council’s Economic Growth and Inward Investment Team as well as Northamptonshire Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) were on hand to promote West Northants as the perfect place for business and investment, plus speak to attendees about the free support available, as well as funding.

Attendees who visited the stand not only learned of the extensive range of support which is tailored to the needs of each employer locally, but also about the regular business e-news updates available to subscribe to.

People were invited to enter a raffle to win 3 luxury prizes of locally-sourced produce kindly donated by businesses in West Northamptonshire, including Royal & Derngate, Towcester Racecourse and Mill Brewery.

"We were delighted to partner with the SEMLEP Growth Hub team for this year’s Chamber Business Exhibition where we spoke to hundreds of local businesses about the variety of tailored support and funding available.

“As a council, we are dedicated to delivering economic prosperity in West Northants and want to work in collaboration with as many partners and stakeholders as possible to achieve our vision.

“West Northants is the ideal location for investment and business growth, and we will do everything possible to support businesses at all stages and of all sizes, ensuring they are aware of the broad range of advice available and support to access funding streams to help them continuously grow and thrive.”
Cllr Daniel Lister, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth

The event follows the recent announcement that Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) functions will be hosted by West Northamptonshire Council from 1 April 2024. These include strategic economic planning, the Growth Hub, which supports and strengthens businesses, and the Careers Hub, which links schools and colleges with employers to create world-class careers opportunities.

“It’s been fantastic to partner with WNC again this year for the Chamber business expo showcasing how beneficial it is for us to work together in the delivery of business support across the region. The growth hub are committed to being the regional gateway for SMEs to access the right support to grow their business and overcome challenges.”Ruth Roan, SEMLEP Growth Hub Manager

Find out more about the expo event on the Northants Chamber website or access the range of free business support available; including help with sourcing funding, finding suitable commercial premises, filling vacancies, upskilling staff and more, on the WNC website.