A SPECIALIST business support service is set to be launched to help firms in Tendring.

Tendring Council has appointed business enterprise agency Colbea to run the fully-funded service over the next three years as part of its Tendring4Growth and Back to Business programmes.

Mary Newton, cabinet member for business and economic growth, encouraged businesses to make use of the scheme.

“Now is the ideal time to launch this service as businesses look to recover and adapt from the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

“The district’s businesses provide the foundations on which our local economy is built, something we recognise with our Tendring4Growth agenda, and that is why we want to invest in this service to help them flourish and grow.

“This new service from Colbea, which has an excellent track-record in this area, will be of great use to our businesses, and I urge them to make use of this fully-funded support.”

Services will be available to new and established businesses, and including information, advice and guidance, sector-specific support in growth industries.

More bespoke help on topics such as cash flow, marketing and networking will also be available.

Ashleigh Seymour-Rutherford, Colbea chief executive, added: “We are committed to helping drive forward economic growth in Tendring and its surrounding areas and are passionate about supporting people into business alongside business recovery through the pandemic.

“The Colbea team will be supporting pre-start, start-up, and growing businesses across Tendring with the chance to access the support that could help them become Essex’s next business success story.

"We look forward to the launch of the new service from Spring this year and working with Tendring Council and their communities to create new opportunities and growth.”