Support for small to medium sized businesses

From start-up to scale-up, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), we can offer your business the support you need to grow. If you are an ambitious business looking to transform, our team can provide the expertise you need to grow your business.

get started

Fill in this short form and a member of our Enterprise Team will get in touch

How it works

If you have an idea or plan that could transform your business but do not have all the in-house expertise to develop it, then talk to us. The University of Brighton’s team will introduce you to academics with the expertise you need to access and create a tailored projects to achieve your business ambitions. Your business will have access to academic expertise and specialist facilities that can have a real impact on your business. Plus, we’ll guide you to access relevant government funding.

Email the team enterprise@brighton.ac.uk or complete this form to get started.

The impact on your business

Discover how we can help your business to innovate, grow and transform through projects that:

increase profitability
explore new markets
develop and create new products or services

Plus, you can access Government funding to support your change and apply for R&D tax relief.

Our KTP was an effective change project which benefited both the company’s financial performance and internal culture. I would highly recommend participation in a project with the University of Brighton.

Andrew Hookway, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Extech Cloud

Funding programmes to support your business

There are a range of programmes, available nationally and regionally, that can support your business to collaborate with universities to access expertise, facilities and to increase productivity and competitiveness, or support sustainable growth. Below gives you an overview of our current live programmes.

Our team will be able to guide you through the best funding opportunity for your business. Get started by emailing the team enterprise@brighton.ac.uk or filling in this short form.

Grow your business with research-led insights

The Brighton Research Innovation Technology Exchange (BRITE), is a one-stop shop of support for business leaders wishing to be part of a collaborative community, that want to innovate and grow.

BRITE provides access to innovation research and development expertise, a range of programmes, support and specialist facilities.

BRITE is a regional programme open to businesses in the Coast to Capital area.

Find out more about BRITE.

Innovate with academic expertise and a graduate

If you have a product, service or process that you want to develop, improve, redesign or recreate then a Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) might be the answer.

KTPs are a partnership between the business seeking expertise, a university, and a qualified graduate who work together on a focused business challenge or opportunity.

KTP is a national programme and is open to businesses based in anywhere in the UK.

Find out more about KTPs.

Our investment in Knowledge Transfer Partnerships has been one of the best we've made. Our collaboration has been characterised by academic rigour and a clear commitment to our commercial goals.

Gina Fitch-Roy, Commercial Director, Dando Drilling

Fully funded expertise for R&D projects

The Research, Innovation in Sussex Excellence (RISE) project provides businesses with access to fully funded leading research expertise and cutting-edge technology from the universities of Brighton and Sussex, at no cost to them.

In order to join the RISE project, you need to be an SME based in West Sussex.

Find out more about RISE.

Working with the University of Brighton allowed us to take a real-world business problem and turn it into a market advantage, even when the skill sets of doing so were not present within the company.

Simon Gilhurst, Owner of BCMY

Support for green companies

Businesses looking to develop clean and green products, services and processes can join Clean Growth UK (CGUK) – a university-led network of green thinking businesses.

Members have access to funded, or part funded university expertise and facilities, commercialisation advice, coaching and workshops and an investment readiness programme.

Clean Growth UK South East businesses via the University of Brighton’s GGP hub, the South West via the University of Portsmouth, and the North via Liverpool John Moores University.

Find out more about Clean Growth UK.

Fully funded six-week intern

STEP-UP is a fully funded graduate internship and staff training programme, that provides businesses with access to talented graduates from the universities of Brighton and Sussex, for six weeks along with access to a range of training and support.

STEP-UP is available to SMEs based in the Coast to Capital area; encompassing Greater Brighton, West Sussex and East Surrey.

Find out more about STEP-UP.

Spotlight on: embedding design optimisation and engineering expertise

OSET Bikes

Oset Bikes are world leaders in the design and manufacturing of electric trails and motocross motorcycles.

The company approached the university to explore how design optimisation and engineering expertise could help them to break into the adult market.

Oset decided to embark on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project, which enabled them to developed and embed a scientifically informed design process to streamline and optimise electric trials bike design.

The outcome for OSET has been a game-changing electronic interfaces, which allows riders to control the bike in novel and innovative ways to get the best out of their performance.

Read about the project and its work with experts from one of the universities 15 Centres of Research and Enterprise Excellence.

Get started

If you are interested in finding out more about how we might be able to support your business growth, get in touch at enterprise@brighton.ac.uk or complete this form to get started.