It is a programme of practical business support for newly trading businesses in West Yorkshire, who are looking to grow

We are called AD:VENTURE, because we add value to your new business venture as you grow!

The programme was created to help start-ups to access practical advice and support to help them build and grow their business.

We can help you with all the areas you aren't an expert in.

Yes! It’s free to our clients, because all of the the support we provide is fully funded by our brilliant partners, The West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Leeds Council, Bradford Council, Calderdale Council, Wakefield Council, Kirklees Council, The Business Enterprise Fund and for our Younger Entrepreneurs, The Princes Trust .

AD:VENTURE Business Manager: The programme will provide access to a dedicated business manager who will guide you through your start up and growth journey. They can offer practical advice and also help you make new connections, be that vital critical friend and help you to understand the options available to them. They can also offer insights into what funding and finance is available locally and nationally.

Workshops, Webinars and Networking: A wide range of events and workshops on key growth topics and skills such as marketing, branding, customer journey, strategy, planning and sales, as well as network building opportunities, connections, peer-to-peer sessions, and inspirational events.

The AD:VENTURE Growth Grant: This grant is available between £1,500 - £10,000 to support growing companies with their capital expenditure for growth projects. Growth grants are match funded (Meaning the business must match the contribution and have the funding in place to claim it back after the project expenditure is made)

Business Enterprise Fund Loans: The Business Enterprise fund are also partners and can offer a variety of loans for start-up and growth, with start-up loans available for new businesses at a competitive rate of 6%.

The Prince’s Trust: For younger entrepreneurs, we work alongside partners The Princes Trust, who deliver exploring enterprise courses to help young people 18 to 30 to decide if starting a business is right for them and giving them the skills and support to start a business. The main programme eligibility criteria does not apply to Prince’s Trust clients. We will work with The Prince’s Trust to help the young entrepreneurs build capacity and the guide them to the right support for them to continue building and growing the business.

AD:VENTURE will support business who are already trading and are ready to build the team and expand. Enterprise West Yorkshire supports pre-starts, and individuals who want to create their own income through self-employment. We recognise the needs and challenges for both can be different and the two programmes are tailored to suit the clients they are working with.

Many of our AD:VENTURE clients will have started their pre-start journey with Enterprise West Yorkshire. The aim of these services is to have suitable support in place for each phase of the business’s growth. The Start Up Managers are the 1st stage of support, and will work closely with the AD:VENTURE Business Manager and will refer clients onto the next step when appropriate. Ideally you would not be working with both at the same time, AD:VENTURE is the 2nd stage of support, and if you are eligible, your Start Up Manager will refer you to us if appropriate as you continue to grow your new business venture.

For SMEs over 3 years of trading, your next step would be to go onto support through an SME growth manager, provided in each local authority through West Yorkshire Business and Skills. The SME growth managers are also based in Local Authority areas and work with SME businesses across their geography that are looking for support with their growth strategies. There are lots of different types of support available, from innovation, adapting green ways of working, accessing new talent and improving productivity. You can find out more at https://www.wybusiness-skills.com/.

The growth grant is only available for businesses registered and accepted onto AD:VENTURE. Eligibility for the programme does not automatically mean you would qualify for a grant. If you are interested in a grant, you should discuss suitability with your business manager, and they will advise whether it is suitable to support your project.

It means you need to have the money for your project in the business and we will match that with 50% of grant. When you apply for a grant, this can be for up to 50% of that project cost (Up to £10,000) So if you were spending £15,000 on some new production equipment, once you’ve made the purchase, you can then claim back 50% or £7,500 with your grant.

If you are looking for help to raise finance for a project before applying for a grant, please talk to your business manager and they will help you understand the options available to you. The decision to access any finance is the decision of the business owner. The Business Manager can help you explore what’s available but will not tell you which finance option to choose. We would always recommend you do your research and consider the best option for your business.

If you want to find out more about how the grant works, we hold regular online Q&A sessions with our grant officer Tony. Check out the events page and book onto a session if you’d like to learn more before starting an application.

No. This is very important. You cannot claim grant funding retrospectively and must always have your grant funding agreement in place before making any spend that would relate to your grant. If you have already committed spend before applying for a grant, this spend would not be eligible.

It’s easy. Just look below for the Registration Button. You’ll fill in a quick and easy form, and this will be assessed for eligibility. You’ll hear back quickly either way. Your first step will be a diagnostic with your allocated Business Manager, and then you can get started with your businesses growth journey with us.

If you have any issues with completing the form, don’t worry and please don’t let that out you off. We want to help. You can also email us at adventuresupport@leeds.gov.uk and you can call us on 0113 5351199. We are a friendly bunch, and always happy to have a chat with you!

If you are not eligible, we won’t just leave it there. We will send your details to our partners at the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Who deliver the West Yorkshire Business and Skills support) and they will help you find the right support for you.