Businesses can benefit from a wealth of opportunities in Bromley, including support grants of up to £50,000 for those looking to set up in vacant units. Businesses interested in the Borough can apply online, using Bromley Council's website, with this grant delivery forming part of wider innovative efforts to welcome new businesses and support existing ones.
Grants of between £25,000 and £50,000 are available to businesses that choose to occupy vacant units in Bromley, including high street shops, offices, and industrial park units. Applications are welcome prior to the 31st December deadline from both businesses already in the Borough and those looking to relocate to Bromley, who can become part of our thriving high streets and industries.
"Bromley is a Borough that helps our businesses to grow while welcoming new ones, who can then benefit from our robust local economy, a highly skilled and educated workforce, and our thriving high streets, that host exciting events drawing visitors to our Borough. Bromley is already home to more than 15,000 businesses, over 85% of which are small with fewer than five employees. We have been providing substantial support to help businesses both grow and prosper, bringing further opportunity locally for businesses and residents. Our grants may be the opportunity that your business has been looking for and if it is, please apply as we would be interested in hearing from you", said Councillor Peter Morgan, Chairman of Bromley Economic Partnership and Executive Councillor for Renewal, Recreation and Housing at Bromley Council.
The vacant unit grant forms part of a wider £2.6m Council scheme of four grants, which includes funding for start-ups and support for business growth. In the last two-years, over £10m has been delivered in business grants as part of the Government-funded grant schemes locally to support over 3,500 small to medium sized businesses.
Extensive support is available to new businesses in Bromley and grants of up to £10,000 are being made available to start ups that began operating during COVID-19. This support builds on further initiatives to support new businesses in the Borough, such as Start Up Bromley, a £120,000 scheme providing business lounge facilities to aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs free of charge, which is currently operating at three Bromley libraries. These facilities include professional and flexible workspaces, state of the art IT equipment, and conference facilities. One-to-one advice sessions and access to a programme of workshops are also available through the scheme.
Relocated businesses could also benefit from the Bromley Business Hub, an online one-stop-shop that can be used to advertise recruitment needs and access training, business events and a directory for local businesses and sole traders.
The Council works in partnership and closely with local businesses in the Borough, including the Federation of Small Businesses, the South East London Chamber of Commerce and the four town centre focused Business Improvement Districts (BID) teams.
A new long-term vision for Bromley's economy has been set out in the Council's ten-year Economic Development Strategy. This includes plans for the Borough's physical and digital infrastructure, with a priority to champion the delivery of full fibre networks and 5G capability, which follows a recent digital charter with Openreach.
