Business support in Somerset in 2026: the Growth Hub, the new hospitality grants and what else is open

If you run a business in Somerset and want help, start with the Somerset Growth Hub: it's free, and most other roads lead back to it anyway. Below is what else was open in September 2026. Money like this comes and goes, so check each link before you plan around it.

Somerset Growth Hub

The Somerset Growth Hub, run through Somerset Council, offers free, impartial support at every stage, from starting up to money, staff and cutting your carbon. That includes one-to-one guidance and introductions to specialist programmes. Its news goes out in Somerset Council's Business Updates newsletter, which is the easiest way to hear about a scheme while it's still open.

The one to watch: £10 million for hospitality

On 24 September 2026 the Growth Hub reported a new three-year, £10 million government grant scheme for independent pubs, restaurants and cafés. More than £3 million of it goes to Pub is The Hub, which helps rural pubs widen what they offer. The Growth Hub's page says applications were "expected to open from the end of September 2026", but the government's own announcement gave the dates as 2 September to 13 October 2026, so that window has now closed. The announcement doesn't say whether there will be another chance to apply, so if you run a rural pub or a café in a small Somerset town, keep an eye on the Growth Hub's news.

National schemes that apply here too

The Youth Jobs Grant pays an employer £3,000 for hiring an 18 to 24 year old into a job of at least 25 hours a week, as long as the new starter has been out of work and on Universal Credit for six months. The Workplace Charging Scheme pays up to £500 per charge point socket, until 31 March 2027. Pubs, restaurants and cafés can also look at the Zero Carbon Company, a free tool for cutting energy use and carbon that the Growth Hub highlighted in August 2026.

People, not money

Somerset Chamber of Commerce runs networking events, workshops and training for its members. Ask to come to one event before you join and see who's actually in the room, because that's the first thing to find out when choosing which local networks are worth your time.

One thing to tidy up

Somerset has already been through what Surrey is going through now: Somerset Council replaced the old district councils on 1 April 2023. So if your website still links to pages on the old South Somerset District Council site, check that those links still go somewhere.

If a grant does end up paying for a new website or a push for customers, the marketing behind it still needs a plan, and our page on marketing for businesses in Somerset sets out how we work locally, with our fixed prices published up front.