Setting up and running a business

Cambridgeshire County Council does not provide grants to businesses. For access to funding options and information and guidance to start, manage and improve your business go to the GOV.UK website.

Businesses and entrepreneurs are more likely to achieve their full potential - particularly during the start-up stage - if they use support services to assist with start-up, survival and growth.

How we can help

For advice and support on regulatory compliance, contact the 'Regulatory Companion'. Regulatory Companion comprises specialist business advisers from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Trading Standards Team, as well as advisers from Peterborough City Council's Environmental Health and Licensing Teams. The partnership has received recognition as one of the national leaders in its field, offering both pay-as-you-go advice services and Primary Authority advice services across the breadth of regulatory fields, helping businesses to understand what is required of them and how to put it into practice. For more information, please visit our advice for business webpage.

BIPC Jumpstart

BIPC Jumpstart, is a grants scheme designed to fuel the success of aspiring entrepreneurs like you. If you're passionate about turning your innovative ideas into thriving a business, BIPC Jumpstart is here to make your dreams take flight. Visit our BIPC Jumpstart page to find out more.

More and more businesses look online first for business information as it saves time and money. Access to specialist resources, business networks and events (for sharing best practice) can be invaluable in enabling businesses of all sizes to respond to new challenges and opportunities. Cambridge Network has an up-to-date list of their members and the events run by them taking place in the Cambridge area. The University of Cambridge also organise talks and events and details of these can be found on their website.

The latest business intelligence report, which contains general business intelligence gathered from a variety of sources (including local newspapers, online sites and government bulletins), over each calendar month, together with information on business expansions and closures in each of Cambridgeshire's districts, is available via the Cambridgeshire Insight website.

For guidance for businesses and employees on redundancies go to the GOV.UK website.

HMRC self employment advice

HMRC's interactive Tax Widget gives you quick, easy to use advice on everything you need to know about tax when becoming self-employed. The widget includes PDFs and videos from HMRC on a variety of topics to help you understand how to deal with tax when setting up a business. Each part of the widget is broken down into sections to allow you to get information that is relevant to the stage your business has reached.

HMRC business support programmes

Starting your own Business

HM Revenue & Customs provide a free e-learning tool that advises on the tax and National Insurance issues involved in starting your own business. It also covers other subject areas including registering your self employment, registering for VAT and record keeping.