BUSINESSES in Craven are being offered the chance to get free advice through a new set of briefing sessions being delivered across the area by Craven District Council in partnership with the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub.

The briefings - the next one is on Thursday in Ingleton - will last around two hours and feature an expert from the world of business support being funded through the Growth Hub. They will also provide an opportunity for business people to meet each other and to meet the Growth Manager for Craven, Alison Laws and the Rural Business Development Officer at Craven District Council, Stefan Sykes.

“The aim is to create and maintain a network of businesses across the district who know where to find help to grow, to recruit or to locate a grant for a new product” said Alison.

“The more people that know where we are and are happy to knock on our door, the more of the brilliant help and funds we can bring to bear on our great businesses here in Craven.”

The next event will take place at The i-Centre in Ingleton between 10am and 12pm, on Thursday March 31 and will feature Jake Mason of the REBiz programme.

Aimed at providing expert help and advice after a site visit, REBiz also provides some grant support in reducing energy and resource use in small and medium sized businesses.

With initial resource efficiency audits worth up to £1,200, the advice given often means cost savings without the need to invest. However, should investment in new equipment be necessary, there are grants of up to £40,000 available to cover up to 40 per cent of the cost. People could also benefit from consultancy support of up to 30 days for circular economy innovations to their business.

Attendance to the briefing on March 31 begins at 10am and is free of charge. Businesses who wish to attend are invited to reserve a place by visiting: https://reduce-energy-use-tickets.eventbrite.co.uk

The workshop is part of a programme of events being held by Craven District Council with funding from the European Regional Development Fund to support the growth of local businesses by helping them sharpen their business skills and increase productivity.

Any business looking for advice or support, can contact Stefan Sykes on 07510 382691 or by emailing edu@cravendc.gov.uk