Business support directory

Acorn Coaching & Development

Leadership programmes and coaching interventions.

Action with Communities in Cumbria (ACT)

Supports rural communities with funding advice and project development assistance and champions rural and community issues and supports local centres

ADS Group

ADS represents over 1,500 members from the UK’s innovative, entrepreneurial and prosperous aerospace, defence, security, and space sectors.

Alec Pearson Coaching

Coaching and personal development.

Ashall Property

Ashall Property is a private property investment and development investment company which focuses on creating investment value through property development and asset management and developed the Holiday Inn site in Barrow.

Association of Business Mentors

Help to find professional business mentors

B Corp

B Lab is the non-profit network transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet.

Barclays Bank (Eagle Labs Cumbria)

In partnership with BEC and funded by Sellafield Ltd as part of its Social Impact Multiplied programme, Barclays have opened an Eagle Labs incubator in Cumbria to help boost the region’s start up and scale up ecosystem.

Barrow BID

The principal aim of Barrow BID is to establish a business partnership whose membership is drawn from the businesses and organisations in Barrow’s town centre that is capable of sustaining itself financially and with clear purpose to deliver a programme of projects and activities to improve business and trade, as well as bringing forward wider social and economic benefits to the town’s customers, visitors and workers.

Be the Business

Supporting small business leaders develop their business with a particular focus on improving leadership and management skills.

Britain’s Energy Coast Business Cluster (BECBC)

Promotes collaboration between energy-related businesses and advocates for investment in West Cumbria.

British Business Bank

Offers funding programs like the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II to support SMEs across Cumbria.

British Library (BIPC Cumbria)

BIPC (Business & IP Centre) Cumbria is part of the British Library national network of centres. The centre is located in Carlisle library.

The aim of these centres is to provide advice and support to business owners, entrepreneurs, inventors, and people with a business idea.

Broughton and Beech

Founded in 2015 and over the years have evolved from a sales agency and distributor through to a broader commercial consultancy.

Business Crack

The voice for Cumbria’s business community

Carlisle Ambassadors

Membership network for businesses and individuals to promote and develop Carlisle.

Centre for Leadership Performance

CforLP is a purpose driven not for profit social enterprise helping to “Develop Cumbria’s Leaders for Today and Tomorrow”. We believe that better leadership means better lives for everyone by maximising the opportunities for the future of Cumbria and our local communities. We invest in Cumbria’s current and future leaders, change makers and social entrepreneurs through our inclusive intergenerational leadership community, delivering a series of programmes and support initiatives with educators, businesses and individuals. CforLP helps people, from primary age to retirement, to aspire to and achieve success through everyday leadership and we invest any surplus revenue, generated from our commercial programmes into strengthening our community activities. We work to develop long term mutually benifical partnerships and champion Cumbria as a great place to live, work and thrive!!

Choose Occupational Health

Occupational health and wellbeing support and guidance.

Complete Business Advisory Solutions Ltd

Offers tailored advisory services for SMEs in Cumbria, including business planning and funding guidance.

Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

Represents businesses of all sizes; provides insights into economic trends and influences government policy.

Cumberland Council

Provides local government services for Allerdale, Carlisle, and Copeland areas.

Cumbria Business Growth Hub

Offers grants, training, and tailored business advice to SMEs in Cumbria.

Cumbria Careers Hub (part of Enterprising Cumbria)

Cumbria Careers Hub is working to ensure every young person receives outstanding, relevant careers education throughout their time at school and college.
As a Community of Practice, we bring together secondary schools, Special Schools and colleges with local employers and support them to deliver high quality, inspirational careers advice to students.

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce

Provides business support, networking, training, and policy advocacy for businesses in Cumbria.

Cumbria Community Foundation

An independent award-winning grant making charity aiming to meet the needs in the community by providing financial support to local charities and voluntary organisations as well as supporting individuals in Cumbria.

Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service

Cumbria CVS (Cumbria Council for Voluntary Service) offers help, advice, training and support to third sector groups throughout Cumbria.

Cumbria Food Awards

The independent awards, in association with Caterite, were launched in 2022 to recognise and reward excellence in the food and drink sector in Cumbria.

They are judged by a panel of industry experts who consider both business entries and nominations from members of the public when making their decisions.

The 2025 awards attracted more than 1,000 entries and public nominations.

Cumbria Social Enterprise Partnership

A support organisation aiming to increasing the formation, growth and sustainability of Cumbrian Social Enterprises.

Cumbria Tourism

The official destination management organisation for the Lake District, Cumbria.

A membership organisation representing more than 4,500 tourism-related businesses.

From marketing to research, lobbying to business support, they pride themselves in helping businesses to succeed and ensuring the collective voice of Cumbria’s tourism industry is heard loud and clear.

Cumbria Training Services

Training and skills development.

Cumbria Youth Alliance

Working with and for young people to enable them to reach their full potential.

Cumbria Youth Alliance supports youth organisations throughout the county, aiming to build the third sector’s capacity through high-quality training, support, and funding.

They provide a collaborative long-term network and partnerships to work together better.

Department for Business and Trade

Government department for economic growth and business support.

Department for Work & Pensions

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UK’s biggest public service department it administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers.

Digital boost

A community of volunteers and small businesses providing 1:1 mentoring, virtual events and peer learning programmes.

Their mission is to make business mentorship and personalised support easily available to all small businesses and charities.

Electech Innovation Cluster

Supports electronics and technology businesses in South Cumbria and North Lancashire. Electech aims to deliver our collective vision and strategic objectives though the cluster members and supporters and develop an environment where all parties realise benefits of cluster engagement.

Ultimately, developing the region where agile and dynamic businesses can thrive because of the local resources and connections. This ranges from start-ups and micro businesses, to larger enterprises.

Enterprise Answers

Enterprise Answers provides loan finance to businesses across the North of England, predominantly in the North West and Yorkshire. Funding is available from £10,000 up to £150,000* for a variety of business needs including working capital, growth, equipment and premises.

Enterprise Nation

Enterprise Nation is a community of small businesses and advisers that shortcut your route to trusted business support.

Enterprise4All

Provides business consultancy, courses, bootcamps, mentoring, and support for enterprise, education, and employees.

Enterprising Cumbria

Drives economic growth through funding, skills development, and strategic planning.

Family Business Network

Connects family-run businesses in Cumbria and the North West to share knowledge and resources.

Federation of Small Businesses (FSB)

Supports small businesses through networking, legal advice, funding access, and policy advocacy.

FIS360

At FIS360, they deliver transformative solutions across industries through open innovation, technology commercialisation and training, guiding their customers to achieve progress through new ideas and collaboration.​

Funding Circle

Commercial lender providing business loans to SMEs; originally a peer-to-peer platform.

Furness Building Society

Local building society with the aim of helping to build a brighter future for customers, their people and their communities.

Furness College

Further and higher education college which can provide bespoke training, apprenticeships and partnerships.

FutureProof Cumbria

Futureproof Cumbria helps people, communities, and organisations tackle the climate crisis by promoting action and supporting change. (Previously CAFS)

FW Capital

Business funding and investment.

Gen2

Gen2 is a leading training provider specialising in the Engineering, Nuclear, and Manufacturing sectors. In May 2017, Gen2 became part of the City & Guilds Group.

Operating from five dedicated training centres across Cumbria, Gen2 employs over 150 staff, the majority of whom are engaged directly in programme delivery. Their strategic focus on commercial training continues to expand both our geographic reach and programme portfolio.

Gen2 has developed a suite of higher-level programmes to meet the evolving needs of industry, including foundation degrees in nuclear-related technologies.

Gravett Business Consultancy

Business Mentor specialising in working with owners of Small Businesses with the aim of enabling them to develop and grow their businesses to achieve their business potential.

Harrison Network

Harrison Network helps leadership teams align, engage, and deliver – especially in high-stakes environments.
We’re organisational coaches who work alongside you to improve collaboration, decision-making, team dynamics, and leadership impact.

Hyndburn Enterprise Trust

Provides impartial business advice, planning, training, and support for new and developing businesses, including loan and grant assistance.

ICAEW

Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales; professional body for chartered accountants.

ILM

Their purpose is to enable people and organisations to develop their leadership skills for personal and economic growth. They do it by helping employers and training providers to develop, assess and accredit leaders with the right blend of skills.

Industrial Solutions Hub

Initiative to stimulate the West Cumbrian economy through innovation, collaboration, and business support.

INfurness Local

INfurness Local is an independently owned, local company, making it easier for local people, and area visitors, to search for, and find the products and services they want and need on a regular basis, from locally owned businesses and service providers, INfurness

Innovate UK

Provides funding for innovation-focused projects through a range of grant and loan funding including grants like Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs).

Inspira

Inspira is an expert in employability skills. Through our work, we help local people into work, improve their skills and open new opportunities.

Institute of Directors (IoD)

Supports directors with leadership training, networking opportunities, and governance advice.

Inventya

Inventya helps innovative companies bring their products and services to market in the UK and internationally. From funding and finance to R&D tax credits & more.

JBS Consulting

Business consulting services.

Kinsella HR

Kinsella HR Solutions offers a wide range of services that specialises in providing human resources-related solutions to organisations of all sizes and industries. I offer services aimed at assisting businesses in effectively managing their human capital and optimising their HR processes.

Klosinski – Economic Development Consultants

Klosinski Economic Development Ltd delivers bespoke business support to a diverse client base using its probably unrivalled deep expertise facilitating growth of firms in the business and industrial base of south west Cumbria.

Lake District National Park Authority

Manages conservation and tourism within the Lake District National Park.

Lakes College

Offers higher education programs aligned with local industry needs, including nuclear and engineering. Also offers a range of courses and apprenticeships that employers can build with the college for their employees.

Lancaster and Westmorland Society of Architects (Royal institute of British Architects)

LAWSA is the Lancaster and Westmorland Society of Architects, the local branch of RIBA North West. We represent all architects living and working in the Lancaster and South Cumbria area who are both registered with the Architects Registration Board and members of the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Lancaster University

Whether a business, public sector body or community organisation, Lancaster University aims to create win-win relationships at a local, regional, national, and global level through their expertise, the facilities and the commitment to help shape and achieve objectives.

M4C

M4C Ltd, a business, leadership and sales consultancy based in Hexham, and working on the Enterprising Cumbria Accelerator

Made Smarter

The programme is designed to assist local manufacturing SMEs to understand and overcome operational challenges through digital technologies. Made Smarter is designed to lead manufacturing into the future.

Make UK

Membership body representing UK Manufacturers with the aim to build a strong and sustainable future for the UK’s manufacturing industry, developing next-generation skills, and delivering growth and innovation.

National Enterprise Network

Their mission is to represent, connect and promote enterprise agencies across the UK to key government stakeholders and policy makers, advocating the value of start-up and small business enterprise.

Natural England (Cumbria Team)

Focuses on environmental sustainability and improving access to natural spaces in Cumbria.

NESO

National Energy System Operator for Great Britain, responsible for moving and balancing energy supply.

Net Zero North West

Net Zero North West is an industry-led cluster acting as a public and private sector investment accelerator for industrial decarbonisation and clean growth projects in the North West.

They aim to deliver a co-ordinated net zero vision for our region and that’s why we unite businesses, regional leaders, and academia to deliver on our mission.

Northern Nuclear Alliance

The Northern Nuclear Alliance provides its members with regular events offering invaluable networking opportunities for North West based companies working in the nuclear sector. They are a group of like-minded nuclear industry companies who see a mutual benefit in sharing their collective business knowledge.

Oxford Innovation

Oxford Innovation supports economic growth by providing businesses with Advice, Finance and Space

Penrith Chamber of Trade

Local business network supporting and representing businesses in Penrith.

Phil Collier Associates

Phil Collier Associates works beside small businesses who need to remove obstacles to growth and larger businesses who need a project catalyst to drive their projects forward.
As a marine sector specialist in HR and Crewing, Phil Collier consults nationwide with clients large and small

PHX Training

A leading provider of training, mentoring, and workplace solutions in Cumbria and Lancashire.

Pink Link Ladies

Pink Link is a community for women in business who want to grow, personally and professionally. From start-ups to scale-ups, freelancers to CEOs, every woman belongs here.

Plain Purpose Ltd

Facilitation, consultancy and bid authoring.

Praetura Ventures

Venture capital firm managing NPIF II investments and supports early-stage businesses in Cumbria.

Regional Supply Chain Network (RSCN)

Links SMEs with large companies like BAE Systems and Sellafield Ltd to improve procurement and supply chain efficiency.

River Capital

River Capital aims to help ambitious small and medium sized businesses to accelerate their growth and achieve their full potential. They do this through providing funding solutions alongside expertise and knowledge of the challenges growing businesses and entrepreneurs face.

Royal Academy of Engineering

The Royal Academy of Engineering we have an aim to provide leadership for engineering and technology and technical leadership for wider society. Under the patronage of His Majesty King Charles III, they are charity, National Academy and Fellowship.

RTC North

Delivering economic impact by helping small businesses to innovate, compete and grow across the North of England.

Scale Ability

Business Mentoring, Coaching and Team Development

Sellafield Ltd

Nuclear decommissioning and clean-up company, owned by the UK government.

Selnet

The Social Enterprise Network for Lancashire, supporting social enterprises with tailored advice, networking, and sector representation.

Shout Connect

With Shout Connect, you can find the perfect workspace, make valuable connections, showcase your brand at our B2B exhibitions.

Small Business Britain

Small Business Britain supports small businesses across the UK with a range of services including mentoring, networking and a range of other programmes and campaigns.

South Cumbria Multi Academy Trust

Multi-academy trust managing several schools in South Cumbria.

Space and Clarity

Business coach with the aim of bringing some objectivity, balance and provide a safe and confidential environment within which to explore some new ideas.

Team Barrow

Team Barrow is a unique public-private partnership that brings together the skills, funding and capabilities of the Government, local Government, BAE Systems, businesses and the community.

Tech District Cumbria

It’s a community focused around celebrating, showcasing and bringing together individuals and businesses who work & have an interest in technology industries in Cumbria. 

The Best of Barrow and Furness

The Best of Barrow and Furness is a local business guide. Their mission is to take the stress out of finding great, recommended local businesses – they assess them, so that you don’t have to! Then they promote them through a variety of marketing streams.

The Farmers Network

The Farmer Network Ltd is a unique, independent, a-political organisation that is run by farmers for farmers. We believe that farmers work best when they work together. Created by necessity during times of hardship in the years following the foot and mouth epidemic of 2001, we provide help and support to farmers where it is often most needed giving us strong connections to all farming communities.

The Forum (on tour)

The Forum is a venue for weddings, parties, functions and corporate events. They have a wide range of rooms and spaces available to hire. Currently under refurbishment for 2 years, but operating in a range of other spaces.

The Growing Club

A not-for-profit organisation, facilitating skills and business training, creating opportunities for women, using a creative and alternative proven model.

The Growth Company

We are a leading social enterprise delivering insight, business, employment and skills support.

The Institution of Engineering and Technology – Lancashire and Cumbria Network

The IET aims to inspire, inform and influence the global engineering community to engineer a better world.

The Lancashire and Cumbria Local Network is led by local volunteers who come together to organise lectures and technical visits that provide opportunities to learn and meet new people. All events are open to the public and most are free of charge.

The Local Network aims to raise awareness of science, engineering and technology in the local area, and promote membership of the IET.

The King’s Trust

Get free support to develop the skills and confidence you need to find a job or start a business.

The Shared Value Business Ltd

Director Claire Louise Chapman is a Fellow of both the Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability and of the School for Social Entrepreneurs. She is a Level 1 Associate Practitioner with Social Value International.

She has been a Social Value consultant for over 5 years, working with corporate and public sector clients across diverse government supply chains, and delivering B2B training for public sector Growth Hubs, business membership organisations and academic institutions.

Thomas Jardine & Co

Aims to unlock change for founders, family firms, and complex stakeholder groups through a range of services including coaching and training

UK Research and Innovation

Launched in April 2018, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

They invest in research and innovation to enrich lives, drive economic growth, and create jobs and high-quality public services across the UK.

University of Cumbria

Provides higher education, skills development, and partnerships with local industries.

We are Umi

We are UMi provides a range of business support services to help businesses go further. They also aim to build a community of businesses and partners that take the hard work out of finding and using the best information, expertise and finance.

Westmorland & Furness Council

Manages local services for Barrow-in-Furness, Eden, and South Lakeland areas.

Westmorland & Furness Council 4 Business

A place to find national funding.
Once registered, you can log in to search through the opportunities, to find the ones that best suit you. 
There are two funding portals, one focuses on BUSINESS funding the other covers COMMUNITY funding – this is the BUSINESS portal.

WorkWell

WorkWell is an early-intervention work and health support and assessment service which aims to provide holistic support to address health related barriers to employment.

Xlr8consultancy

 At xlr8consultancy, we started with one clear goal: to help businesses thrive through smarter operations and strategic innovation.