Starting and growing your business

Overview

We have access to a wealth of information to help support and advise you on starting or growing your business in Poole or the wider Dorset area, including:

• land and premises
• business support, funding and grants 
• networking opportunities
  
• skills and training and links to the local college and training providers
  
• links to collaboration with local universities
  
• links to our other services such as planning and regeneration, and transportation
  

We are involved in a number of projects in the support and growth of our key sectors, including advanced engineering and manufacturing, marine and maritime, health and social care, and retail.

Flagship projects include:

• Poole Marine Hub: a partnership of marine and maritime businesses, academic institutions, central and local government, and not for profit organisations looking to support and grow the sector in Poole
  
• Poole Maritime Festival Business Programme: a week of workshops, conferences and networking to celebrate our marine excellence in Poole
  
• Annual Dorset Engineering and Manufacturing 'Meet the Buyer' events: an opportunity for local engineering and manufacturing businesses to meet the procurement decision makers from some of our largest engineering buyers in Dorset
  
• Dorset Engineering and Manufacturing Cluster: supporting and growing the engineering and manufacturing sector in Dorset
  
• SPEED: We are delighted to be a partner on the Interreg 2 Seas project SPEED (Smart Ports Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Development).

If you need help or advice, please get in touch with our economic development team on 01202 633015.