|
|
|
|
|
Here is your monthly business update from the Economic Development Team at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
|
|
|
|
In this edition: - Action required for business compensation from South East Water
- Make connections at the Town Hall Expo
- Procurement Opportunities in Kent
- Loans remain available from the Kent and Medway Business Fund
- Attend Kent and Medway Local Growth Plan Workshops
- Social Media that Works - Session with Kent and Medway Growth Hub
- Taste of Kent Awards 2026 Coming Soon
- Report your emissions with Tunbridge Wells Climate Action
Visit Tunbridge Wells - The Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival returns
- Visit Kent Publish New Tourism Figures
- How Visit Tunbridge Wells Can Support You
Plus |
|
|
Submit evidence for business compensation from South East Water |
|
Following sustained engagement between South East Water, Mike Martin MP and Royal Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District, a review of the total compensation available from the water outages in December and January has been agreed.
Businesses are now invited to submit claims directly to South East Water by 31 May. It has been confirmed that, once the claims window closes, the total value of losses submitted will be assessed and a decision will be taken on whether the compensation fund should be increased.
As the final fund will depend on the level of evidence received, claims are strongly encouraged. There is no cap on losses claimed.
To apply, please send the following information to sew@wedlakebell.com: - Provide your business name and trading address, and the registered name and number of your company. If you trade from more than one site, provide details.
- Supply a full set of your business accounts for the period including December 2025 (unaudited is acceptable).
- Have you suffered any financial losses as a result of the interruption of supply? If so, provide your calculation of the losses.
- Provide a brief description of the methodology applied in your calculation above.
- Did you have business interruption insurance at the relevant time? If so, please provide details and confirm whether you have made a claim under it and the outcome of the claim.
Please contact sew@wedlakebell.com if you require more details on the information required to submit a claim. |
|
|
|
Connect with businesses from across Kent and Sussex at the Tunbridge Wells Town Hall Expo |
|
The Town Hall Open House brings together 100+ local businesses, partners, founders and support providers from across the region and beyond, giving businesses the chance to find new suppliers and connect with clients from across Kent and the wider area. - 10.30 – 11.15am: Workshop: Hiring Right: A practical guide for small businesses
- 11.30am – 12.00pm: Speed Networking
- 12.15 – 1.00pm: Workshop: Podcasting with Purpose
General admission is free, with a limited number of stands available.
|
|
|
|
Procurement Opportunities in Kent |
|
Are you a local business looking to grow and win new work with the Council? By registering on the Kent Business Portal, suppliers can access upcoming public sector opportunities across Kent, covering a wide range of service areas.
To stay up to date with opportunities, insights and updates, follow the Procurement team on LinkedIn.
The TMT Procurement Partnership is also building a local supplier database, which allows procurement to be focussed within the local area where full public tendering isn’t required (for example, contracts under £100k). This helps to support the local business community while delivering value for money. |
|
|
|
|
Looking to expand your business? Kent County Council is providing loans to both new and established businesses to support growth initiatives through the Kent and Medway Business Fund.
The funding is available through two streams for small and larger businesses:
Small Business Boost Loans from £26,000 - £99,000 20 - 30% match funding requirement 0% Interest
Kent and Medway Business Fund Loans from £100,000 - £600,000 50% match funding requirement 0% Interest
There are a variety of requirements that applicants have to meet to receive this funding, which are set out on the KMBF website. Both loans come with a 6 month repayment holiday, then they can be repaid over 5 years, allowing for financial flexibility. An administrative fee is charged by the Business Fund Team. |
|
|
|
Businesses Invited to Attend Kent and Medway Local Growth Plan Workshops |
|
The UK Government has asked all mayoral areas to produce Local Growth Plans, setting out a shared vision for economic growth.
Despite Kent and Medway not being a mayoral area, a proactive approach is being taken and Metro Dynamics has been commissioned to help develop a plan. Part of this work involves hearing directly from businesses about the opportunities and challenges they face.
To support this, a series of sector-focused workshops are being held during the week of 11 May, as well as a cross-sector session. These will focus on areas where Kent and Medway has clear strengths: If you are a business with interests in one of these sectors, please sign up and attend. The Cross-Cutting Priorities session will cover all other sectors. |
|
|
Social Media That Works: How to Grow Your Business Workshop with Kent and Medway Growth Hub |
|
Kent and Medway Growth Hub is hosting a free session on achieving Business Growth with Social Media. This will be a session on organic social media marketing, designed for business owners who want to see better results from their social media marketing and save time.
Led by Thom Cakebread from Cakeshop Media, the session will cover: - Enhancing post visibility without paying for ads
- What actually makes people engage with content
- What works across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok & LinkedIn
- Making social media feel simpler and more manageable
- Building visibility that can genuinely support business
The session is taking place in person at St Mary’s Church, Dover, but it is also available to attend online. |
|
|
|
|
The Taste of Kent Awards are delivered annually by Produced in Kent to recognise the quality and breadth of food and drink businesses operating across the county. The awards are open to Kent-based producers, growers, retailers and hospitality businesses, and are judged through a structured assessment process involving industry professionals. The programme is intended to provide an overview of sector strengths and emerging trends within Kent’s food and drink economy.
Businesses can nominate themselves for consideration across a range of award categories. Eligible businesses are encouraged to review the criteria and submit a self-nomination via the Taste of Kent Awards website. |
|
|
|
|
Tunbridge Wells Climate Action offers a free greenhouse gas emissions reporting template, which has been updated for reporting emissions from the 2025/26 financial year, making it easier for businesses to measure and understand their environmental impact.
By using the template, businesses can calculate their organisational carbon footprint with ease and identify their largest sources of emissions. Simply input the data and the template will do the rest.
Emissions reporting is the first step towards becoming more sustainable. Businesses can then track progress and take practical steps to cut emissions. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The 2026 Tunbridge Wells Literary Festival is here! With 10 days of world-class speakers, there is something for everyone.
Expect an increase of visitors to the borough as big name stars are on the programme. From 1 to 10 May with events in Calverley Grounds, The Amelia Scott, The Forum, Assembly Hall Theatre and more! |
|
|
|
Visit Kent Publish New Tourism Figures |
|
|
Visit Kent has recently published new tourism figures for the county. The report shows that in 2024, the county saw a total of 66 million trips including 1.3 million international trips. It’s estimated the value of all domestic and international trips was £4.1 billion.
The number of international visitors has surpassed pre-pandemic levels and is a huge increase on 2023 visitor numbers. Visit Tunbridge Wells has partnered with Visit Kent for the upcoming year and will work closely with them to promote the area to both domestic and international tourists.
Please contact visit@tunbridgewells.gov.uk to find out how your business can benefit from the partnership or for more information on business partnerships click here. |
|
|
|
|
How Visit Tunbridge Wells Can Support You |
|
Visit Tunbridge Wells is keen to support tourism-related businesses in the borough. From hotels, to restaurants, shops and tourist attractions. With an average of 50,000 monthly visitors to the website and a combined social media following of over 10,000, we can help make sure your business is seen by prospective visitors from near and far. |
|
|
|
|
Follow us on Social Media! Instagram: visit_tunbridgewells Facebook: Visit Tunbridge Wells |
|
|
|
|
Tunbridge Wells Net-walking - Presence and Co. Thursday 14 May 8:45-11am Salomons Estate, Royal Tunbridge Wells, TN3 0TG Join the Tunbridge Wells Netwalking, hosted by Presence & Co. Property Management. All businesses are welcome to come and join, not just those in the property sector. Find out more and reserve your place - Limited tickets remaining!
Emerging Professionals Networking - Royal Tunbridge Wells Together Thursday 21 May 9-11am The Manor House, Church Road, Tunbridge Wells, TN1 1HT Networking event for Young Professionals aged 18-25 to make connections, exchange ideas, and start to form a supportive cohort. Professionals can nominate young colleagues or they can book a space by sending an email to projectofficer@rtwtogther.com |
|
|
|
|
© Tunbridge Wells Borough Council 2026 You are receiving this email because you signed up to the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Business Newsletter Our privacy policy. Please add the email business@email.tunbridgewells.gov.uk to your safe senders list or mark as not spam to ensure delivery of our emails in the future. Please do not reply to this email, the inbox is not monitored. |
|
|
