We're here to help

This is a time of great anxiety for workers and businesses. City of Wolverhampton Council will do all in its power to help you through this.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) support checker

That is why we’ve launched Wolves in Business, a local economy support package. We’re making millions of pounds of grant payments available and are developing new measures in partnership with business groups across the city.

We’re determined to keep Wolverhampton’s business community vibrant and resilient by being on the side of our local businesses, their employees and those who are self-employed.

How we’re responding as a council

We have launched a comprehensive economic package to help businesses, voluntary and community sector groups and the city’s residents cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Wolves in Business is designed to offer advice and guidance to ensure we are relevant during these uncertain times and as we move forward.

To find out about the support available follow the links below.

Business support programme

Reopening Wolves
AIM for GOLD
Relighting Business - Webinars and Surgeries

Relighting Business Webinars

Whilst it will not be business as usual over the coming months there will be a need to re-focus back on to the main aspects of running a business. The impact of COVID-19 on the way we run our business will be with us for some time. How we market the businesses, finance the business and manage cashflow, manage and develop our workforce, innovate, and provide leadership will no doubt change – maybe for a matter of months, maybe permanently.

Building on the experience we have in delivering our AIM for GOLD Business Growth Programme and working in partnership with the City’s Economic Growth Board we will be hosting a series of back to work Webinars and Surgeries.

Delivered by local businesses and through an exploratory Q and A format, these webinars are designed by businesses for businesses. Starting on Wednesday 12th August these will run weekly each Wednesday with an interactive Business Surgery each Friday to capture, address and respond to questions arising from the webinar. The webinars will run for no longer than 30 minutes, they will be focused and precise, and will be supported by additional written material and the opportunity to access ongoing mentoring support from the business representatives.

Cut Costs and Streamline Processes to Improve and Measure Productivity and Efficiency
12th August    

  • John Wood DL – Director, Liberty Engineering Group
  • Marie Posiwnycz – Owner, The Accountancy Firm


Plan ahead and Plan for Success
19th August 

  • Scott Thompson - MD, Thomson AVC 
  • Anna Maria McAuliffe - Director, McAuliffe Engineering

Lead and Don’t be Led
26th August 

  • Henry Carver - MD, Carvers
  • Matt Weston - Director, Stones Throw Media

Innovate and Diversify 
2 September 

  • Scott Thompson – MD, Thomson AVC 
  • Sham Sharma – Owner, Zuri Coffee

Invest and Identify New Customers and Market Trends
9 September 

Book on the next webinar

Relighting Business Surgeries

The Surgeries will provide the opportunity to engage with the businesses who delivered that week’s webinar and raise any specific issue

Book on the next surgery

Contact us...

Email: business.development@wolverhampton.gov.uk
Twitter: @investwolves

GRANTFfinder
Supplier Support
Employment and Workforce Development

These are unprecedented times for us all, however we are committed to continue to provide the best support we can to businesses and jobseekers. We are here to help you plan your current and future workforce needs as you navigate the current COVID-19 situation. Our consultancy services are fully funded and over 600 businesses have accessed the support in the last three years.

Wolves at Work business services are ready and available to offer support to businesses looking for assistance on the following:

  • Recruitment - we can advertise and promote your vacancies and assist with sourcing new talent through the highly successful Wolves at Work project
  • Redundancy support
  • Advice on upskilling your workforce to meet future business needs
  • Information on the Job Retention Scheme and links to training for furloughed staff
  • Useful connections to further business support

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for recruitment or workforce support: recruitment@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Or call the Business Support line: 01902 290242 between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays

Useful links

Job Retention Scheme
Claim for wages through the coronavirus job retention scheme.

It will allow you to retain your staff and ensure your business can resume quickly when re-growth occurs.

There are also several useful websites to further explain the support available to businesses and their employees:

A useful tool for further support are the following webinars on employment topics:

COVID-19 Guidance for employers and businesses
One City Fund

There has been a fantastic response to an appeal by City of Wolverhampton Council and the Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council (WVSC) for donations of cash to phase one of the One City Fund. In just over one week the fund raised over £24,000.

The crowd-funding initiative, a collaboration between several organisations from across Wolverhampton, is aimed at supporting struggling city families during the current coronavirus emergency. These organisations are a critical lifeline for many in our city and it could not be achieved without the support of businesses.

We have recently launched the next stage of the campaign ‘Feeding our City’, raising valuable funds for local food banks and emergency food distribution organisations. If you would like to help, please donate here.

You can read the full story here.

Business Rates and Relief
Discretionary Grant for Small Businesses
Queen's Award for Enterprise

Learn more about the Queen's Award for Enterprise and the benefits an award can bring to your organisation on July 16, 2020 (10:30am –12:00pm).

This online session offers you:

  • A welcome from Stewart Towe DL CBE (Executive Group Chairman, Hadley Industries PLC)
  • An introduction to the West Midlands Lieutenancy with John Wood DL (Director at Liberty Engineering Group, Chair of the Wolverhampton Council Economic Growth Board, Wolverhampton Business Champion)
  • A Queen's Award for Enterprise Presentation from Tom Westley DL (Chairman of Westley Group, LEP Board Chair and Enterprise Zone Board Lead)
  • A talk from previous winners Fairfax Saddles and the benefits it brought to their organisation
  • The chance to participate in a Q&A session

Register for free

Information about the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Useful links

Black Country-specific advice and support for businesses is available through the Black Country Growth Hub.

The Federation of Small Businesses has also published guidance on what you can do to protect your business and employees.

The Black Country Chamber of Commerce have also published a number of interpretative and advice documents on the Government support schemes.

Guidance for food businesses reopening and adapting their businesses during COVID-19 can be found on the Trade with Confidence website.

The University of Wolverhampton Business School has a range of courses for managers and a dedicated COVID-19 Business Support Hub.

Business Survey

Help us to help you: tell us about the impact on your business.

Please complete our quick, confidential survey to help us understand the challenges you're facing and identify how we can support businesses during and after the crisis. You will help us to identify gaps in the Government’s support measures for business and lobby with business groups on your behalf.

Take our Survey

The survey should take no longer than 5 minutes to complete and all your answers will be treated as confidential.

Contact us

Anyone with any business support queries should call the Business Support Line between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Thursday or from 9am to 4.30pm on Fridays.

Telephone: 01902 290242

Email: business.development@wolverhampton.gov.uk

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