Support for Businesses
We support businesses of all sizes and sectors in Hertfordshire. Explore our programmes below to see how your business could benefit.
Start & Grow
Our Get Enterprising programme supports pre-start and early stage businesses with free, tailored advice and guidance, as well as a programme of workshops, training programmes, networking opportunities, and online resources.
Hertfordshire Growth Hub's team of experienced advisers help accelerate the growth and resilience of businesses. Get impartial, 1-2-1 guidance to tackle barriers to business growth, from finance and recruitment to strategy and innovation.
Better Business for All (BBFA) works to boost business productivity and growth by making it easier for businesses to access the regulatory support they need from Local Authorities such as Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Licensing and others.
Skills Support
Hertfordshire Careers Hub helps businesses connect with local talent and raise awareness of opportunities within their sector. Through careers fairs, modern work experience, and opportunities to shape careers education in local schools, employers can inspire young people and strengthen their recruitment pipeline.
Our Step2Skills programme supports businesses looking to attract, retain, and develop a diverse workforce. Through tailored support and practical advice, we help employers adopt inclusive recruitment practices, access a wider range of candidates, improve employee retention, and deliver meaningful social value within their local communities.
Through HOP, businesses can access funded Skills Bootcamps to support workforce development. Covering a range of sectors including Engineering, Health & Social Care, and Film & TV, these flexible programmes help employers build skills, improve productivity, and support business growth.
Through our Hertfordshire Opportunities skills brokerage service, businesses can access tailored advice to help them upskill their workforce, tackle skills gaps, and recruit the right talent. The team also supports with Apprenticeships, the Youth Guarantee, and the Youth Jobs Grant.
Specialist Support
Invest Hertfordshire helps businesses unlock growth opportunities across the county. Through tailored support, local expertise, and connections to partners, property, funding, and talent, we make it easier for businesses to establish, expand, and thrive in Hertfordshire.
Our Clean Growth Programme supports initiatives that help businesses reduce carbon emissions, improve resource efficiency, and identify opportunities linked to the green economy. By connecting organisations to specialist support and services, we are helping build a greener, more resilient Hertfordshire.
Our Social Value brokerage and delivery service helps employers, developers, and public sector organisations turn their social value commitments into jobs, skills, community, and environmental benefits for Hertfordshire. This pilot programme is running in Watford from 2026-27 in partnership with Watford Borough Council.
Herts IQ is Hertfordshire's flagship Enterprise Zone, supporting innovation-led businesses to start, scale, and succeed. Combining world-class research, high-quality commercial space, and a collaborative business community, it provides an environment where ambitious organisations can innovate and attract investment.
Sector Support
Visit Herts works to grow Hertfordshire's visitor economy by promoting the county as a great place to live, visit, and do business. Through marketing, partnerships, and sector support, it helps tourism and hospitality businesses reach new audiences and thrive.
Hertfordshire Film Office is the county's one-stop shop for film and TV production, providing a single point of contact for locations, local suppliers, and filming support. Its work attracts productions to Hertfordshire, generating spend with local businesses and supporting growth across the county's screen sector.
Supported by Hertfordshire Futures and Space East, Airbus' 6-month, no-cost residency programme gives SMEs access to office space and state-of-the-art labs at its Airbus Launchpad innovation hub. This is a unique opportunity for SMEs, start-ups, and research organisations to work alongside Airbus experts to co-develop the next generation of space technologies.
Led by Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC) in partnership with Hertfordshire Futures and Pharmidex, the Catalyser Business Accelerator programme helps early-stage health and life sciences businesses to define and sharpen their route to market and learn how stand out to pharma, partners, and investors.