Black Country Growth Hub

Coronavirus Support

We are updating our Coronavirus support page regularly with the latest information and support measures as they are announced.

Find various links and resources here

EU Exit Information

There are new rules for businesses. Make sure you're ready, businesses like yours will be affected. Click the link for the most up to date information and to use the online Brexit checker tool to get a personalised a list of actions.

Click here for Resources & Information

Job Brokerage Service

As a response to the Covid-19 situation, the Black Country LEP is working with partners to create a Black Country-wide job brokerage service. We aim to match employees at risk of redundancy with new vacancies in sectors experiencing a surge in demand such as food retail, distribution and care.

Click here for more info

Health and Social Care in the Black Country

Social care is a major, and growing economic sector. It contributed £4.2 billion (3.5%) to the West Midlands economy in 2015/16. The Black Country LEP is committed to supporting residential and domiciliary care providers to drive improvements in quality and meet requirements.

Visit the Social Care page

The Department of International Trade

The Department of International Trade have a dedicated team based in Wolverhampton who provide advice and practical support to businesses who want to export on an international level. They offer a variety of services, no matter the level your business is at.

Interested in exporting?

Follow Us on Twitter

Here are our latest updates about local business news, events and opportunities from in and around the Black Country’

Follow @bcgrowthhub

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Case Studies

Find out what we do from people we’ve helped!

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Latest News

Support to boost innovation for local manufacturers

What is BCIMO? The BCIMO was created to boost innovation in manufacturing to help increase new business growth, create new jobs and secure ind...

Confused about Marketing Strategy? Here’s How To Start

Stella Broster, one of the talented mentors featured on our Experts in Residence programme has kindly written this guest blog on Marketing Strate...

Call to Employers - Mental Health Awareness Week

Midlands employers are being urged to check on their staff’s mental health while many begin returning to work during and after Mental Health Awa...

Free parking extended (Dudley)

Free parking in town centres and car parks across Dudley borough has been extended until at least the end of May. Dudley Council has been running f...

Natwest relaunches Enterprise programme to support scale-ups, sustainable and FinTech SMEs

NatWest has relaunched its Enterprise programme to boost its support for scale-up businesses, as well as climate, fintech, and B-Corp focussed busines...

Register your interest for the Peer to Peer Networks Programme

Practical no-nonsense support from other local businesses. Local businesses are encouraged to apply to the next round of the Peer to Peer Networks...

West Midlands Freight Forwarder KMB Shipping Group Wins Queen's Award For Enterprise

A West Midlands-based company has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Excellence in International Trade. KMB Shipping Group is...

Go for it! Even smaller West Midlands businesses should apply for the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise will soon open for 2022 entries, and the Sandwell Business Ambassadors urge West Midlands businesses to get th...

Dudley Council and HSE Supporting Business to be COVID-Secure

Dudley Council is working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to check and ensure borough businesses have Covid-secure measures in place to hel...

Business Festival event application process opens next week

Businesses will be able to apply to hold an event in the 2021 Black Country Business Festival (BCBF) from Wednesday 28 April. It is the fourth year...

Virtual Careers Expo is returning

More than 21,500 delegates attended the first Black Country Virtual Careers Expo during the four weeks from January 14. The Ladder for the Black Count...

Funding opportunities for local businesses in the West Midlands (Maven)

Built on a proud history of industrial regions, today the West Midlands is a diverse landscape home to world-class businesses across range of growing...

Free pilot with energy management app for hospitality businesses

Introducing Fluttr, the energy management app for hospitality businesses. Free six-month pilot testing begins now! Below you will find a blog put toge...

Deadline approaching for the Ignite Founders Challenge

The 2021 Ignite Founders' Challenge is taking place from 10 May to 11 June. The programme aims to back the next generation of early-stage entrepre...

Have you signed up for the Making Manufacturing Smarter webinar series?

Via Think Sandwell. Manufacturing Made Smarter (MMS) is one of the Government’s Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund programmes, investing £...

WMCA campaign highlights the region’s Covid-secure businesses

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is kicking off a new campaign to highlight the measures local businesses are taking to make their premises...

Plans in place for non-essential businesses reopening (Wolverhampton)

Wolverhampton is gearing up for the reopening of non-essential shops and personal care premises - such as hairdressers and nail salons - from Monday (...

Businesses: Just days left to register for Covid-19 testing support (Wolverhampton)

With just a few days left to register, businesses in Wolverhampton are urged to sign up to provide routine testing for their employees, before the dea...

Rapid testing is safe confirms Department of Health

Rapid Covid-19 testing is safe, the Department of Health has confirmed – after misinformation was circulated on social media. Lateral flow te...

Business Readiness Quiz Launched by Sage

Sage have launched a new interactive quiz to help budding entrepreneurs find the resources and tips they need to help make their business a success....

Invitation to Tender Peer to Peer Networks

The Black Country Consortium are seeking the assistance of an experienced Peer 2 Peer Network Facilitator to deliver peer network sessions and 1-2-1 s...

Business Restart Grants applications open April 1 (Wolverhampton)

Applications to the Government’s Business Restart Grants scheme will go live to City of Wolverhampton businesses on Thursday (April 1). The s...

(Deadline extended) Wolverhampton businesses urged to act fast to access free testing

Wolverhampton businesses are being offered financial support of up to £10,000 to enable their workforce to access regular Covid-19 testing. City...

The Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices

The Redundancy Support Service for Apprentices (ReSSA), launched by the Department for Education, provides clear, accessible advice and guidance to ap...