Business advice

Business advice

Advice for local businesses

Our borough is home to thousands of businesses, ranging from multinational corporations to small family firms.

The Council works to:

• promote a vibrant and sustainable economy
• provide support to business through commissioned services
• promote business support agencies

Need advice on starting up or support for your small business? Book  an appointment with a business advisor at the Portobello Business Centre – email [email protected]. This service is entirely free for borough resident entrepreneurs and businesses.

Resources for entrepreneurs, businesses and borough investors

Find and trade with borough businesses by going to the It’s Local RBKC website. 

Click through to ‘add company’ if you can’t find your business in the listings.
Click through to the ‘RBKC Business Guide’ for more information on support, commercial space and business-facing Council services.

Portobello Business Centre

Portobello Business Centre (PBC) is an enterprise agency, located within Morley College’s North Kensington Campus and partially funded by the Council. PBC offer information, free advice and confidential guidance on:

• becoming self-employed
• starting your own business
• accessing finance
• debt and cash-flow management
• recruitment and redundancy
• support for innovation or changing your business model
• accessing local supply chains and finding new local business opportunities

For more information telephone 020 7460 5050 or email them on [email protected] and ask to speak to a business advisor.

Go to Portobello Business Centre.

Useful Information

Who else to talk to for advice

Business Support Helpline

You can contact the government’s Business Support Helpline for free advice.

Business Support Helpline (England)
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 0800 998 1098
Webchat
Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm (except bank holidays)
Find out about call charges

The Business Support Helpline for England is also on:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• YouTube

You can also find free advice and sources of finance through your local ‘growth hub’.

Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)

FSB has created a very useful hub that answers questions for small businesses. Visit the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) website for more information.

GOV.UK

GOV.UK is the government's online resource for businesses. It contains information about starting up and running a business in the UK, including help if you are self employed or a sole trader.

Go to gov.uk.

Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Chamber of Commerce

The combined Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster Chamber of Commerce is committed to:

• helping members to grow their businesses
• sustaining the local business community
• promoting networking opportunities

For more information telephone 020 7795 0304 or visit the KCW Chamber of Commerce website.

Grow London Local

Grow London Local is the new single front door for business support in London, navigating micro and small business owners to support at the right time, right place and right cost.   
Matching London small businesses to support | Grow London Local

Business for London. The LONDON E-Business Support Programme

The LONDON E-Business Support Programme is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and delivered through Business for London, a long-established consortium of business support organisations operating across London.
 
Home | Business for London
 

The Prince's Trust

The Prince’s Trust Enterprise Programme supports unemployed people and those working fewer than 16 hours per week, aged 18-30, to decide whether their business ideas are viable, and if self-employment is right for them.

The programme offers mentoring support to:

• start a business
• find jobs
• access education or training
• secure financial support

For more information telephone 0800 842842.

Go to The Prince's Trust.

Finance

Business Growth Fund

The Business Growth Fund is a £2.5 billion equity investment fund backed by five of the largest banks in the UK.

If you have sales of between £5 million and £100 million a year and need growth finance of between £2 million and £10 million, the fund may be able to help.

For more information telephone 0845 266 8860.

Go to Business Growth Fund.

Newable

Newable provides a a range of services including:

• business loans
• start-up and expansion advice
• real estate management
• international trade advice
• digital advice
• risk management consultancy

Go to Newable.

Start Up Loans  from the British Business Bank

Start Up Loans is a government-backed personal loan for business purposes through the British Business Bank. You could be eligible to apply for a loan of up to £25,000 if you are:

• over the age of 18
• eligible to start a business in the UK
• a new business owner in the previous 24 months

Go to Start Up Loans.

Grow your market

capitalEsourcing

Provide supplies or services to the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and other London councils.

Go to capitalEsourcing.

CompeteFor

CompeteFor is a free service that enables businesses to compete for contracts in public and private sector buying organisations such as Transport for London, Crossrail and the Metropolitan Police.

Go to CompeteFor.

Contracts Finder

Contracts Finder lets you search for information about contracts worth over £10,000 with the government and its agencies.

Go to Contracts Finder.

Exporting is Great

The site contains around 2000 export opportunities worth hundreds of millions of pounds and organised by sector and market.

Go to Exporting is Great.

GREAT.gov.uk

Trade hub for businesses that helps UK companies to access potential overseas business. It also gives practical advice, preferential deals, a searchable export directory and signposts to further help on winning contracts.

Go to GREAT.gov.uk.

Open to Export

Open to Export is a community-based business service aimed at helping small and medium sized enterprises with exporting and international trade. The website provides:

• exporting resources including government and specialist organisations
• forum where business owners can ask questions to the wider community

Go to Open to Export.

Reducing costs and environmental impact

Carbon Trust

The Carbon Trust is a not-for-profit company that helps businesses:

• cut carbon emissions
• save energy
• save money

The Carbon Trust provides solutions to the climate crisis. We support organisations globally as they accelerate towards Net Zero. From target setting, Net Zero pathways, assurance and footprinting, to policy advice, strategy setting and programme delivery, we seek smarter ways to turn intent into impact, where sustainability and economic realities go hand in hand. 

For more information telephone 020 78324802 or email [email protected].

Go to Carbon Trust.

Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)

WRAP helps businesses reduce waste, develop sustainable products and use resources in an efficient way.

Go to WRAP.

Innovation

 

The British Library Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre

The Business & IP Centre at the British Library provides free business and IP information to innovators and entrepreneurs.

Go to Business and IP Centre.

Innovate UK

Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency providing access to funding opportunities, advice, events and access to innovation expertise.

Go to Innovate UK.

Recruitment

Advertise a job

Universal Jobmatch is a service offered through Government Gateway to help businesses find suitable employees.

Find out more about Jobmatch.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships can make your organisation more effective, productive and competitive by addressing your skills gaps directly. They are designed to help your employees reach a high level of competency and performance.

Find out more about apprenticeships.