Business Contacts

Business Contacts

Business Contacts

Bracknell and Wokingham College

The College provides a wide range of education and training opportunities. It offers full and part time programmes leading to qualifications such as GNVQ, NVQ, GCSE and A-levels, as well as catering for those with special needs.

Bracknell and Wokingham College
Church Road
Bracknell

Tel: 0845 3303343
Email: business@bracknell.ac.uk
Website: www.bracknell.ac.uk

Bracknell Forest Chamber of Commerce

The Bracknell Forest Chamber of Commerce is part of the Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group, one of the largest accredited Chambers in the UK with 2,000 members. It is an independent business organisation working to serve the interests of its members by offering a wide variety of representation, information, and commercial services. Members in Bracknell can network freely with the other nine chambers in Thames Valley. Opportunities through the Chamber include a range or networking events, specialist forums and a focus on marketing your business as effectively as possible.

Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
467 Malton Avenue
Slough
Berkshire
SL1 4QU

Tel: 01753 870500
Email: customerservices@tvchamber.co.uk
Website: www.thamesvalleychamber.co.uk

British Venture Capital Association

Offers advice on finding private investors and venture capital companies.

British Venture Capital Association
Essex House
12 -13 Essex Street
London
WC2R 3AA

Tel: 0207 0252950
Email: bvca@bvca.co.uk
Website: www.bvca.co.uk

Business Link Berkshire

Whether you are an existing business or just starting to think about working for yourself you should contact Business Link for free impartial advice on all business issues.

They offer a free comprehensive start up course, providing guidance on sales, marketing, finance, planning, and business regulations.

Established businesses can access a free business review, providing valuable advice to help the business grow, become more cost effective and increase profit margins.

Tel: 0845 6009006
Website: www.businesslink.gov.uk/southeast

Crowthorne Enterprise Centre

The CEC is run by Oxford Innovation in partnership with Bracknell Forest Borough Council. Oxford Innovation works in a variety of ways to assist the commercial exploitation and development of innovative science and technology. The company has particular strengths in knowledge-based business sectors such as the biological medical sciences, materials, advanced engineering, software, IT, electronics and communications.

Oxford Innovation provides an array of business services such as:

Mentoring to Innovation Centre tenants and new companies
Technology audit and business assessment
Strategic support for businesses
Consultancy for both the private and public sectors
Fund raising
Business networking opportunities

Janet Humphreys
Centre Manager
Crowthorne Enterprise Centre
T-Wing
Crowthorne Business Estate
Old Wokingham Road
Crowthorne
Berkshire
RG45 6AW

Tel: 01344 751600
Fax: 01344 751601
Email: crowthorne@oxin.co.uk
Website: www.oxin.co.uk

Enterprise First

Formerly Blackwater Enterprise. Enterprise First provides a free, impartial and confidential counselling and advice service.

11 Wellington Street
Aldershot
Hampshire
GU11 1DX

Tel: 01252 319 272
Fax: 01252 319384
Website: www.enterprisefirst.co.uk

Learning and Skills Council

Replaced Training and Enterprise Councils from 1 April 2001. Taken over responsibility for funding, planning and quality assurance of:

Further education
School sixth forms (from April 2002)
Work-based training for young people
Workforce Development
Adult and community learning
Information, advice and guidance for adults
Education Business Links

Seeks to encourage everyone to engage in education and training to enhance their skills, opportunities and quality of life in order to bring significant benefits to themselves, their communities and their employers. Aims to give all local people the best opportunities to be involved in learning, by working closely with partners and employers to promote inclusive learning.

Berkshire Learning and Skills Council
Pacific House
Imperial Way
Reading
RG2 0TF

Tel: 0845 019 4147
Fax: 0118 908 2109
Helpdesk: Freephone 0800 77 55 66
Email: berkshireinfo@lsc.gov.uk
Website: www.lsc.gov.uk

Small Business Service

The Small Business Service is an agency within Government championing small businesses. The local arm of the SBS is provided through the Business Link network. Locally, this is Business Link Berkshire and Wiltshire.

Its purpose is to build an enterprise society in which all small businesses thrive and achieve their potential.

Its vision is that, by 2005, the UK should be the best place in the world to set up and run a business and its aims are to:

Help all small businesses realise their potential, especially by minimising the burden of regulation
Promote world class business support services to enhance the performance of small businesses
Promote enterprise across society and particularly in under-represented and disadvantaged groups
Achieve the highest standards of service delivery and provide value for money

Its philosophy is that, although it is part of Government, it is a distinct, forward-looking organisation that exists to help small businesses. It does this by working with others within Government, with people in the private and voluntary sectors and with the people who deliver our services, to ensure that they "think small first". It is a voice for small business at the heart of government.

Its strategy is that it will make a difference by:

Establishing a research programme to ensure that it has a detailed understanding of the needs of small businesses and to establish performance measures, including a "red-tape index"
Producing a strategy to underpin the provision of world class business support services
Working effectively on behalf of small business in Government and the EU, particularly to reduce the burden of regulation
Working with the National Enterprise Campaign to encourage many more people to think about starting their own business and, particularly, providing special help for start-ups and micro-businesses and under-represented and disadvantaged communities
Transforming the current Business Link partnerships into a slimmer, fitter, higher-quality network
Expanding and improving access to appropriate financial support
Providing a national Information and Advisory Service accessed through the Internet and telephone network
Encouraging greater use of the internet and e-commerce by small businesses
Taking the first steps to establish a business school for business support which will take the lead in ensuring that all the staff of the SBS and its partners offer the best possible service to their clients
Achieving our own recognition as an Investor in People

Small Business Service
Kingsgate House
66-74 Victoria Street
London
SW1E 6SW

Tel: 0114 259 7788
Fax: 0114 259 7330

South East England Development Agency
Its mission is to work with its partners to make the South East of England a world class region, achieving sustainable development and enhanced quality of life as measured by:

Economic Prosperity
Environmental Quality
Social Inclusion - ensuring meaningful employment for all

SEEDA
Headquarters
Cross Lanes
Guildford
GU1 1YA

Tel: 01483 484200
Fax: 01483 484247
Email: info@seeda.co.uk
Website: www.seeda.co.uk

Thames Valley Economic Partnership

Thames Valley Economic Partnership was formed in 1994 as the economic partnership company for the Thames Valley. It is a public/private sector partnership whose aim is to ensure that the Thames Valley remains a successful sub-region, through working with its members and partners on the following key themes: Business Infrastructure, Reinvestment and Inward Investment and Quality of Life and the Environment.

The task of marketing and promoting the region as a whole is the task of TVEP. It works to attract new investment into the region through offering a free help and information service to new inward investors.

Inward Investor Service

It provides free help and advice on:

Background information on the Thames Valley
Property availability and costs
Tour of the region, and arrange meetings with other investors/potential partners.

It also has:

Accountants to advise on tax and company set-up issue
Lawyers who can advise on employment and sales contracts, company set-up, premises contracts
Property Experts.

TVEP Ltd
100 Longwater Avenue
Green Park
Reading
Berkshire RG2 6GP

Tel: 0118 945 0040
Fax: 0118 945 0037

Email: info@thamesvalley.co.uk

Support Shop Ltd

Office training and support to small businesses and self employed people. Focus on support for teleworkers.

Support Shop Ltd
55 Broadway
Bracknell
RG12 1BB

Tel: 01344 485111
Email: supportshop@workcentre.com
Website: www.workcentres.com