"LEPs are responsible for producing a Strategic Economic Plan for their area, identifying barriers and solutions to growth and working with local partners to improve their business environment. Our vision is to accelerate business-led economic growth in Hertfordshire, and for Hertfordshire to become a world-leading economy."

A range of information and links with support and advice for businesses can be found on the Hertfordshire LEP's website.

Herts Industrial Strategy, business support and other information can be found here.

Information about The Herts Growth Hub and support for businesses can be found here. See their events listing page here.

The Herts Growth Hub's COVID-19 (Coronavirus) business resource webpage can be found here.

New On-demand Videos  

Visit the Hertfordshire Growth Hub website Knowledge Bank and search ‘On-demand’ for the full list of videos available.

Available to view on-demand in the Knowledge Bank after website sign-in or sign-up.

Top 5 Things to do to improve your Google ranking today

Adapting your Business to a Changing Situation with the Business Model Canvas

The STANTA Start Up resource centre has a wide range of information on the legal and practical things you need when starting up a business.

Find out more about STANTA here.

Hertfordshire Business School is one of the largest business schools in the UK. Find out how they can assist your business here.

Wenta is a social enterprise that provides a 'one-stop-shop' for business support. They can provide you with a wide range of information and resources to help you start and grow your business including business advice, mentoring and training.

Find out more about WENTA here.

Supporting start-ups and small businesses, identifying opportunities for growth and taking businesses to the next level. Find out more here.

Oaklands College is a further education college in Hertfordshire with campuses in Welwyn Garden City and St Albans, and a further training provision in Borehamwood. Oaklands college can support your business in employing an apprentice, more details can be found here.

Oaklands College also offers courses for adults, for more information click here.

Federation of Small Business (FSB) is a not-for-profit business organisation that campaigns on issues important to smaller businesses, offers legal, tax and employment advice and protection, funding platform, and discounted business services.  

FSB representative for St Albans district: Loreta.Lingyte@fsb.org.uk, M 07464 892 681.  

Find out more about FSB membership benefits here: https://www.fsb.org.uk/join-us/membership.html 

Find out more about FSB’s policy work here: https://www.fsb.org.uk/media-centre.html 

Some properties are eligible for discounts from the local council on their business rates. This is called ‘business rates relief’. Further information on all types of rate relief can be found here.

The Council uses the Supply Hertfordshire procurement portal for all tender opportunities. Find out more and apply here.

Grant Thornton offers an A-Z of cyber security, highlighting some revealing statistics around cyber attacks and identifying common cyber risks shared by companies. Learn how to protect your business here.

'Business in the Community' has distilled some of the Government's COVID19 support packages for small businesses into a checklist with tips on what's available and how to access them.

If your business can offer support to save and change lives during the COVID19 pandemic, visit the 'Business in the Community' National Business Response Network platform.   If you can offer professional support, lend/donate resources or logistics then here's your way to help the coronavirus response.

'Business in the Community' is offering support for SMEs needing help with business continuity or employee wellbeing; and community groups needing help with food, technology or social care due to coronavirus.    

Hertfordshire Growth Hub have launched their new Peer Networks initiative for small business leaders that want to grow and develop their organisation for future success.

The Peer Networks programme is a Hertfordshire Growth Hub service delivered by Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, one of the 3 Hertfordshire Growth Hub Consortium Partners.

The newly launched programme creates diverse cohort groups of individuals to collaboratively work through common business issues. Through interactive action learning, this enables the discussion of challenges and provides valuable feedback to implement practical solutions to overcome them.

Healthy Hub St Albans District offers free information, advice and support to help you stay healthy and well.

The Hub works with a range of professionals who can help you get the right service for your needs.

Please visit us at: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/healthy-hub.

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) are private sector led, public sector supported, partnerships. They aim to revitalise their communities by delivering projects and services into the public realm within the BID area. St Albans BID is a not for profit company operating within a defined geographical area in St Albans City centre. It aims to provide additional services to people who live and work in the City Centre. It is largely funded by a levy from approximately 500 businesses in its designated area that totals around £450,000 a year. For further information see www.stalbansbid.com and www.enjoystalbans.com

St Albans City of Expertise. Advice and information from professional service experts: legal, chartered engineering, chartered accountants, financial expertise/banking, planning and surveying. Find out more here.

Read about the St Albans District Chamber of Commerce here.

Members only workspace and coworking community for businesses and individuals.

Read about the Harpenden Collective here. 

Find out how the Businesses Community website can help you here.

Guidance and advice on food law can be found here.

Find information about the Gambling Commission Regulator here.

For information about the national regulator for health and safety matters, click here. 

The Trading Standards pages have information for businesses.

For more information about local trusted traders, click here.

Aims to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses, support growth and help regulators to better understand the challenges businesses face. Contact bbfa@hertfordshire.gov.uk or find out more here.

Strategy to reduce emissions from road vehicles and move towards zero emissions.

Read the strategy here.

Advice to help you navigate the risks and opportunities of climate change.

Read about The Carbon Trust here.

Herts Innovation Quarter (IQ) is "leading the development of 3 million sq. ft. of new commercial space into a zero carbon, digitally connected workplace". Herts IQ offers work spaces from offices to industrial units.

According to their website, Herts IQ is an "Enterprise Zone with a clear vision for the future and the generations to come, we encourage smart, sustainable transport, a high build quality across all new developments and the adoption of low carbon operations. We also support strong engagement with the community we live and work in."

Read more here.

St Albans City and District Council operates a sponsorship scheme for a select number of roundabouts, city entrance gateway signs and flowerbeds throughout the district. We also offer a select number of roundabouts for sponsorship throughout Hertsmere, on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council.

The traffic flow rate at these sites is considerably high, making them strategic points for advertisement. Sponsorship enables organisations to promote their company via advertisement signs at these locations. Prices vary between £500 and £5000 per annum and the income generated helps maintain the district’s roundabouts and flowerbeds to a high standard.

Please see below the sites at which sponsorship opportunities are available throughout both St Albans City and District, and also Hertsmere, as of 10.03.2022*:

St Albans City and District

You can view the location of each of these sites on the St Albans City and District Roundabout Location Map.

Hertsmere

You can view the location of each of these sites on the Hertsmere Roundabout Location Map.

If you are a local organisation or company interested in sponsoring one of these roundabouts, flowerbeds or city entrance gateway signs, please contact roundabouts@stalbans.gov.uk for further information and for prices.

*If the site at which you wish to advertise is currently already sponsored, please contact the Parks and Green Spaces Team at roundabouts@stalbans.gov.uk to be added to a waiting list. Sponsorship contracts are reviewed annually in April.

St Albans District Council holds three major community events each year:

• The Alban Street Festival (next held in June 2022)
• St Albans Food and Drink street 'Feastival' (Sunday 26 September 2021)
• St Albans Christmas Cracker (Sunday 21 November 2020)

Attendance at our events continues to be strong, with each one attracting in excess of 16,000 visitors.

If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities at our community events, please contact events@stalbans.gov.uk.