NEEB Link has given free advice to 22 Colchester businesses this year, with a pop-in at the Greyfriars Hotel on 2 December, 10am to noon. How to book a slot.
Twenty-two Colchester businesses have had free advice, training or specialist help through the NEEB Link programme so far this year, and its advisers are holding a pop-in for local firms at the Greyfriars Hotel on Wednesday 2 December. Colchester City Council gave the figures on 10 November.
In Colchester the support has so far included six one-to-one sessions with an adviser, four specialist time vouchers and places at the programme’s business masterclasses, the council said.
NEEB Link is run by the North Essex Economic Board (NEEB), a partnership of councils across six districts: Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, Maldon, Tendring and Uttlesford. According to the programme’s own page, it is fully funded and open to businesses of any size and any sector based in those districts.
The 2 December pop-in
The Colchester session runs from 10am to noon at the Greyfriars Hotel, High Street, CO1 1UG, at the top of East Hill. It is free. The booking page says each pop-in mixes pre-booked diagnostic appointments with walk-in time, and showed three bookable spaces left when we checked on 10 November.
The advisers come from The Consortium (East) Ltd, which designs and delivers NEEB Link. The booking page says all of them have run their own business, and that visitors should look out for the NEEB Link signage on the day.
149 businesses across North Essex this year
Across all six districts, the council said, the programme has this year:
- supported 149 businesses
- delivered 78 one-to-one advice sessions
- drawn 592 attendees to its business masterclasses
Nearly eight in 10 of the businesses taking part had not used council-funded business support in the previous 12 months, the council said.
Since NEEB launched in 2021 it has supported more than 2,428 businesses, hosted 237 business events, given 60 businesses a free stand at the North Essex Expo, connected 1,072 students with opportunities and invested more than £2.35 million in economic growth across North Essex, according to the council.
What the council says
Cllr Alison Jay, Colchester City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Transformation and Digital, said: “NEEB shows the value of councils working together to support local businesses and strengthen the economy across North Essex.
“Through this partnership, businesses in Colchester can access practical advice and support that helps them develop, innovate and grow. It’s particularly encouraging that we are reaching businesses that have not previously engaged with council support, helping more businesses access the assistance they need to succeed.”
What it means for you
If you run a business, or are setting one up, anywhere in Colchester city, the support costs nothing. The NEEB Link page lists what is on offer:
- 12 expert-led masterclasses, each 90 minutes
- one-to-one advice sessions, in person or online
- pop-in clinics in local venues, like the one on 2 December
- a personalised Growth Action Plan
- the free NEEB app, with events, guidance and a business community
Everything is booked through The Consortium’s booking page, which also lists a free online Start Up Your Business workshop series beginning on Thursday 12 November and running to 3 December. For anything else, NEEB has a contact page.
Other recent council news: Colchester’s Residents’ Panel meets 18 council teams at the Moot Hall.
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