Home Business Business support and advice Projects and opportunities
SECTION MENU

Projects and opportunities

Current projects

Business Cost Reduction project

Do you want to cut every-day business costs from your ever-increasing outgoings?

In collaboration with Place Support Partnership, a new project has been launched to help micro and small businesses in the borough to save money on costs including

  • energy
  • insurance
  • telecoms and
  • merchant fees

This could allow you to improve your cashflow, improve profitability, free up capital to invest and generally become more cost efficient. 

Each eligible business accepted onto the programme will receive 3 hours of business support from an experienced team, 1-2-1 support with expert consultants, advice and guidance on how to save money and manage contracts and a detailed savings report and action plan to support your business including how to optimise the identified savings.

For more information, please visit Place Support Partnership. 

Community Toilet Scheme

Join the Tower Hamlets Community Toilet Scheme to boost your business:

  • Aids local businesses in providing cleaner, safer, and accessible toilets.
  • Increase footfall and revenue by offering these facilities.
  • Turn passersby into loyal customers and enjoy free publicity.
  • Proudly promote your inclusion, enhancing visibility.
  • Support community initiatives and strengthen relationships.

Our primary focus is to provide essential facilities for:

  • the elderly,
  • women,
  • children, and
  • people with disabilities wherever suitable facilities are available.

If you have a clean and safe toilet, contact us today for more details.

Email: highstreets@towerhamlets.gov.uk

Previous projects

In 2024/2025 Tower Hamlets invested over £700k in a suite of 5 projects to support aspiring entrepreneurs, established businesses and community and voluntary sector organisations: 

Supported Access to Finance 

This grant-based project provided start up business support to aspiring entrepreneurs through both 1:1 and group-based training and workshops resulting in: 

  • 134 people receiving an average of 6 hours of training 

  • 111 new businesses being created 

  • 100 people receiving a £2500 grant to kickstart their new business journey 

Think Startup and Lean Startup 

These two startup projects supported 134 Tower Hamlets based aspiring entrepreneurs through a series of bootcamps and workshops designed to help aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs build a solid foundation for their business, with a particular focus to starting a business without financial backing.  

Women Mean Business  

This project supported 51 female founders to grow and scale, safeguarding existing businesses. Each participant received tailored support specific to their business, enhanced business planning, strategy and growth expertise.  

Social Enterprise Impact Project  

This project supported 50 VCS organisations in Tower Hamlets to develop alternative revenue streams through the development of a social enterprise. Each organisation received individual training and support along with clear actionable steps to achieve their goals.  

SME Sustainability Project  

30 Tower Hamlets Micro and Small businesses were able to access 1:1 support to look at ways their business could be more sustainable and reduce carbon emissions. Each business that took part also received marketing materials to promote green efforts and an energy monitor  

Energy Reduction Programme 

This project provided an on-site energy audit to 40 SMEs, each receiving a tailored reduction plan and access to interactive workshops to help local small business owners, make their business greener. 

Business owners were supported with a grant of £2500 to implement their energy reduction plan and make positive steps in reducing their energy consumption. 

Creative and Cultural Futures - Ended May 2022

This business support project targeted freelancers and owners of micro and small businesses in the cultural and creative sectors, a sector which largely didn’t benefit from government support during the Covid-19 pandemic.

64 micro and small Tower Hamlets based freelancers and small businesses received up to £1000 to enable them to change their existing operations to generate new income or identify avenues for alternative or additional revenue streams, along with specialist support provided for each business.

Business Adaptation Grant - Ended March 2022

This business support project provided 215 Tower Hamlets based micro and small businesses with a programme of businesses support and up to £1250 in match funding to adapt their business in a post covid environment, and take steps in safeguarding and future-proofing their business.

Pivot Project 1 - Ended March 2021

This business support programme offered £1000 grants to micro and small businesses to pivot their businesses model, to survive and thrive through the turbulent economic period caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

This Project saw 50 Tower Hamlets based micro and small businesses benefit from the scheme, each receiving £1000 to pivot their business model which included an average of six hours support each.