Nominations are now open for the Runnymede Business Awards 2023 after a successful launch event was held at the Civic Centre in Addlestone last month. Entering is free, quick, and simple; all you must do is pick from seven award categories and write no more than 500 words on how your business meets the criteria. All shortlisted businesses will be invited to an awards ceremony at the prestigious Fairmont Windsor Park Hotel in May.

The Guildford Sustainable Business Network has secured funding from SSE to carry out free energy surveys. The offer is open to any businesses employing ten people or fewer located in the boroughs of Runnymede, Surrey Heath, Waverley, and Spelthorne. This is a great opportunity to better understand your business’s energy needs, and the ways you can save on your energy usage and bills.

Last month, the Surrey Cyber Security Cluster hosted its first Red Team Thursday event, focusing on the attack vectors that bad actors use to penetrate networks. The event included a live demonstration of an NFC phone hack and a Q&A panel with some of the top Cyber Security experts in the region. It was also an opportunity for guests to network, making new connections with students and cybersecurity businesses to collaborate in the future. If you’re interested in cybersecurity and would like to find out about the next event being held on Thursday 30 March, click the link below.

For a limited period, Runnymede businesses can now apply for a grant of up to £3,000 towards the cost of developing or marketing a new product. Over £500,000 has already been paid directly to businesses in the wider region, with much of this funding being used to help those businesses to develop and enhance their product range. Managed by Oxford Innovation Advice through the Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), the grant can be used to contribute towards a range of activities, including market research, product design, prototyping, testing, branding, and marketing. Applications close on Friday 17 March. For more details, please contact [email protected]

Enterprise M3 Growth Hub has launched a new Start Up Peer Network programme aimed at entrepreneurs who have started a new business in the last two years. The comprehensive programme is completely free and aims to make sure you get off to the best start by building a trusted network of fellow entrepreneurs to help springboard your business by learning from the experiences of your peers. Through a series of fully funded online workshops, in small groups of business owners and senior managers, you’ll be able to share best practice, experiences, and opportunities to improve both your long-term business performance and your own personal growth.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week, come and enjoy a light breakfast with the opportunity to talk to providers and network with other employers. There will be a number of speakers sharing their reflections on the importance of apprenticeships and how they can be a useful approach to help transform businesses.

Friday 10 February

⏰ 7:45am – 10:00am

Surrey Chambers of Commerce are providing a free course providing candidates with fundamental skills and knowledge to prepare and process the documents required for exporting goods overseas.

Wednesday 22 February

⏰ 9:30am - 12:30pm

Business uncertainty has grown in the recent past with Brexit, COVID-19, supply chain delays, problems recruiting, spiralling inflation, soaring interest rates, and the cost-of-living crisis. Join this free 20 minute webinar presented by Lisa Kerr, Founder and CEO of Consulting with Kerr to discover how to prioritise your business efforts and how to improve your business's financial resillience.

Thursday 23 February

⏰ 10:00am - 10:20am

Join us on social media, where we will be posting regular updates on our Twitter and Instagram accounts. We're also available on LinkedIn at:

Runnymede Borough Council LinkedIn

Come and say hello and follow us! We are happy to share your posts and profiles.