Business support services from the Economic Development Office

Our services
We provide a wide range of business support services. We hold various business promotion events and seminars and provide local business information (including vacant commercial property). We offer loans and grants for businesses at properties in designated town centres, work with developers to bring forward business space, support independent businesses (particularly in town centres) renew older industrial areas and improve our town centres. We also help businesses to get contracts at developments such as Battersea Power Station, help businesses with other council services and lead the local business support network.   
 
Our specialisms
Small business support, town centre management, area regeneration, retailing, business finance for small firms and technology transfer.
 
Our aims and objectives

• Support small enterprises to maintain a viable and prosperous local economy
• Co-ordinate and deliver targeted and sustainable regeneration programmes in our deprived neighbourhoods of East Battersea, Tooting and Roehampton
• Maximise the economic potential and vibrancy of our town centres (Balham, Clapham Junction, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth) 
• Develop the skills of Wandsworth's adult workforce and improve access to jobs for all
• Stimulate a thriving community by encouraging the development of a strong and independent voluntary sector.

Our role

• To be a voice for business within the Council, within and outside the Borough
• To provide a strategic framework for many other Council and Government services
• To work with all Council Departments to improve services for Wandsworth businesses
• To ensure value for money through effective procurement and contract monitoring
• To lead many of the Council's bids for Government and other grant funding
• To provide input to the Council and Local Strategic Partnership's Community Strategy and Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy as part of the statutory duty to promote economic, social and environmental well-being
• Where appropriate, to act as the voice of the voluntary sector within the Council and promote the value of the voluntary sector in all policy areas.

Wandsworth as a business location
Wandsworth is an ideal location for business and is home to international companies as well as very many small and medium sized businesses. The rate at which new businesses are being set up in Wandsworth is among the highest in the UK. Here there is established positive support for business led by the Economic Development Office working in partnership with other business support agencies.

Meet the management team

Mike Brook Economic Development Officer Tel: 020 8871 6202 Email: mbrook@wandsworth.gov.uk	Judith Roscoe Deputy Economic Development Officer Tel: 020 8871 6205 Email: jroscoe@wandsworth.gov.uk
Norman Frost Business Development Manager Tel: 020 8871 7698 Email: nfrost@wandsworth.gov.uk	Nigel Chandler Head of Resources Tel: 020 8871 6206 Email: nchandler@wandsworth.gov.uk

Your chance to comment on the Economic Development Plan.
You can download a copy of the plan below. There is also an online questionnaire for you to give us your views and opinions.

 Full Economic Development Report 2008 (268K)

Wandsworth Business Forum
These regular free meetings have been held in rotating town centre venues throughout the borough for over fifteen years. They are an invaluable tool for communication between the council (officers and members) and local businesses. They are held to encourage and support new and existing businesses in Wandsworth - especially small and medium sized firms - by providing a platform to consult on our Economic Development Programme and to discuss current local and national issues facing our business community.

For further information please contact Bushra Farooq.
Tel: 020 8871 7549
Email:  bfarooq@wandsworth.gov.uk  

The most recent forum took place in the Globe Theatre at The Bedford, Balham on the evening of Thursday, 11th June 2009.  

You can download the following information from this Business Forum:

 Attendee List  (1.5 Mb)
 Fighting the Recession  (50 Kb)
 Funded Training (110 Kb) 
 Go Green Plus Project Details  (300 Kb)
 Managing Commercial Waste in Wandsworth  (400 Kb)

The next forum will be an evening meeting in Wandsworth on Thursday 19th November 2009, at 7:00pm.

Venue :  To be confirmed

 More information on the forum (200Kb)

Wandsworth Council and Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce want to hear your views. To attend any of these free events you must confirm your place with Bushra Farooq on 020 8871 7549  or email bfarooq@wandsworth.gov.uk.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Future Wandsworth Business Forum dates for your diary

• Wandsworth:  Thursday 19th November 2009 at 7pm
• East Battersea:  Thursday 25th February 2010 at 8am
• Tooting:  Thursday 10th June 2010 at 8am
• Clapham Junction:  Thursday 18th November 2010 at 7pm

Green Business Awards
The 2008 Wandsworth Green Business Awards Ceremony took place during the evening of Monday 17th November 2008 and was held at The Clapham Grand, St John's Hill, Clapham Junction (Battersea) as part of the Wandsworth Business Forum. The overall winner of the 2008 Wandsworth Green Business Awards was Lamberts Restaurant, Balham who were entered into the "Green Guardian" regional Business Awards competition which took place on 21st November 2008.  Details of each entry category and the 2008 winners are shown on the Green Business Awards page.

Business Charter 2006
To request a copy of our Business Charter, please call 020 8871 6884, or email your request and address to edo@wandsworth.gov.uk. You can also download it from our Business Publications page.

Wandsworth Voluntary and Community Sector
We hold a corporate remit for supporting the development of a strong and independant voluntary and community sector in Wandsworth.  We produce an annual report that outlines the support that the Council provides and also commission an annual survey of voluntary sector organisations in Wandsworth.  The latest reports are available on the Voluntary Sector page.  In supporting the voluntary and community sector we fund the Voluntary Information Service (VIS).  You can view the VIS database of voluntary sector organisations.  We produce a number of publications including the Voluntary Sector Charter & Local Compact and the Advice Service Directory which can be viewed from our Publications web page.  We fund the advice and volunteering services and lobby funding bodies to secure funds for Wandsworth's voluntary and community organisations.  On our Voluntary Sector page you can find information about the Volunteer Awards and Volunteer Conference & Fair.

Wandsworth Community Strategy
Our Current Strategy is available to download as a PDF document from the Community Strategy website. Together with the annual Performance Plan, both are seen by the Government as the two essential plan requirements for an excellent authority. Strategic Priority 3 is the EDO section which you will find on page 14 of the executive summary.