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There is no shortage of government support for small businesses. The challenge is finding the right support. Schemes sit across different departments, eligibility rules vary, and most founders don’t have time to work out what applies to them.
That’s what the Business Growth Service comes in. It brings together support for funding, skills, exporting, and local business advice under one national service.
By visiting Business.gov.uk, you can complete a short questionnaire that creates a personalised plan for your business. This edition, produced with the Department for Business and Trade, walks you through how it works, along with two free tools that can help protect your business from cyber threats.
Five minutes with any of these could save you weeks.
Business Growth Service
Complete a short questionnaire on business.gov.uk and get a personalised report covering funding, skills, exporting, HR and local support networks. It is tailored to your stage, sector and location, and takes minutes
Help to Grow: Management Course
A 12-week programme for small business leaders, delivered by business schools across the UK. It covers leadership, strategy and how to improve productivity, and 90% of the cost is covered by government. You pay £750. There is also a free online course if you want to start there.
Business Voices Panel
Government wants to hear directly from business owners about what is working and what is not. Sign up to take part in surveys, share feedback and help shape future support. If you’ve ever said “they don’t understand what it’s like to run a business”, this is your chance to change that.
💷 Start Up Loans: Government-backed personal loans of £500 to £25,000, plus 12 months of free mentoring. The current fixed interest rate is 6%, but from 6 April 2026 it rises to 7.5%. Eligibility is also being extended to businesses trading for up to five years. If you’re thinking about applying, do it before April.
🛡️ Cyber Action Toolkit: Answer a few questions about your business and get a personalised action plan from the National Cyber Security Centre. It breaks protection into simple, achievable steps you can work through at your own pace.
🛡️ NCSC small business guidance: Free checklists, FAQs and practical advice on the most common threats facing small and medium businesses. Worth ten minutes before you adopt any new digital tools.
➡️ Scotland: Business Gateway: Free one-to-one advice, workshops and online resources for anyone starting or growing a business.
➡️ Wales: Business Wales: Free independent advice, guidance and support for people starting, running and growing a business in Wales.
➡️ Northern Ireland: Practical advice, business support finder and access to Invest Northern Ireland programmes.
📢 The toughest crackdown on late payments in over 25 years: Small businesses will be paid on time – as the government announced a crackdown on late payments, with the largest set of reforms in over a generation.
📢 Government sets new targets for spending on small businesses: Government departments have, for the first time, set individual spending targets for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to deliver over £7.4 billion a year to small businesses by 2028.
🎟️ Upcoming event: Digital tools and AI for small businesses - Practical guidance on using AI and digital tools to save time and grow.
🎟️ Upcoming event: Lunch and learn: how to build the team you need - What to think about when hiring, from writing the role to making it work.
📖 Download free guides to discover what government support is available to you.
That’s all for this week!
Thank you for reading. We hope these resources will help support your business. If you have any questions, please hit reply. We’re here to help!
The UK Government’s Business Growth Service aims to connect businesses to the right UK Government support when they need it most. Whether you're a start-up looking for funding, an established SME seeking to export, or a growing company navigating regulations, the service provides tailored guidance to help you access grants, advice and resources across government. Visit business.gov.uk to find the support that's right for your business.