Message from Murray Foster, Chair of Southend Business Partnership

Diary reminder!!! - The morning of Thursday 12 February will see our next briefing being held at South Essex Colleges Group, Southend Campus. BOOK NOW!

Many thanks to SECG for hosting and providing an additional pre-meeting room alongside their Pod auditorium at their Southend Campus. There will be our usual Q&A session, which will no doubt include any updates relating to the upcoming University of Essex Southend Campus closure. The focus of this briefing will be on the dynamic sector of audio communication and will include reflections on challenges and opportunities in the current economic climate. Keynote presentations will feature the following local organisations: Folded Wing  Radio Essex  Ruark Audio and South Essex Colleges Group.

Turning to local housing development - most of us would acknowledge the need for more housing provision, including an emphasis on affordable dwellings. Some may feel as a result, this perhaps necessitates more flexibility on the utilisation of available land to meet this need. There has been submitted an outline planning application regarding a proposal for 2000 dwellings in the Bournes Green Chase area. Whilst this may have some merits as a standalone development, in the context of our city’s stressed road infrastructure, there are some significant aspects of potential concern, especially when taking into consideration other planning approvals which have not yet been delivered, such as Fossett’s Farm. These concerns are highly unlikely to be mitigated by proposed roundabout improvements etc alone, thus necessitating the construction of a long overdue new east/west access road, to safeguard quality of life issues, as well as our city’s economic wellbeing, especially with relation to businesses located east of Priory Park to Shoebury areas.

Southend Business Partnership’s Chair represented SBP at a launch meeting (26 January) of “Opportunity Southend”, a proposed new strategic city vision, hosted by Bayo Alaba MP, David Burton-Sampson MP and Leader of Councill Cllr Daniel Cowan. Discussions were around long overdue infrastructure investment potentially involving a new build “super” hospital in east of our city (suggested location Bournes Green), alongside a new access road east/west, which would free up the Prittlewell hospital site for housing development. Other key focuses included further improving rail services and skills/higher education, leading to stronger economic growth for our city.

It is very frustrating to see further delays arising on the delivery by Essex County Council of long overdue improvements to Fairglen Interchange, which is a key north/south/east/west junction for A130 and A127, linking to A13, to west of our city. This is not assisting economic wellbeing.

Don’t forget to search out what’s on in Southend by visiting VisitSouthend’s website for a vast range of events. If by any chance you want enjoyment further afield then our London Southend Airport has expanded its winter routes and don’t forget that there are also destinations for perhaps developing business opportunities!

Southend Business Partnership Briefing

Thursday 12 February 7.30am to 10.30am

South Essex College, Luker Road, Southend-on-Sea SS1 1ND

The focus of this briefing will be on the dynamic sector of audio communication including reflections on challenges and opportunities in the current economic climate.

• 7.30am - Registration will begin.
• 7.30am to 8.30am - Networking, light breakfast, and marketplace.
• 8.30am - The business briefing keynote speakers will start.
• 10.00am - Continue networking and visiting the marketplace.
• 10.30am - Close

Find out more and book your place

The South Essex Business Expo

Thursday 12 March 10am to 3pm

The Brentwood Centre CM15 9NN

We are really pleased to announce a partnership between all the South Essex Councils, Brentwood, Rochford, Southend-on-Sea, Basildon, Thurrock, Castle Point and Essex County Council along with Global, DS Group and Networking Essex.

What we hope to achieve is the biggest business expo in South Essex.

Find out more and book your place 

To enquire about a stand email aaron@networking-essex.co.uk

Southend-on-Sea City Council Procurement and Tender process

Friday 6 February 10am to 1pm 

Launchpad. Airport Business Park, Rochford SS4 1YH

This free 2 hour workshop will be led by Southend-on-Sea City Council's procurement team and will guide you through;

• Current contract register and upcoming opportunities
• How to register your business on the "Find A Tender" service
• Run through of SCC types of procurement activity depending on procurement thresholds
• Run through of PSQ, ITT templates and the types of questions asked / scoring methodology
• Social value overview

Leaving you with a clearer understanding on how to win local contracts plus being better equipped for making future bids in or out of our area.

Book your place

Essex Build Expo 2026

Friday 6 March 8.45am to 4pm

Hylands House, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 8WQ

Essex Growth Agency - Essex County Council in partnership with Essex chambers of commerce

Ready to grow your business, win contracts and stay ahead of the curve? Essex Build Expo is the event that opens doors to the future of construction and development in the region. This is where deals are made, partnerships are formed and opportunities become reality.

Book your place

Essex Cyber Security Roadshow 2026

Wednesday 25 February from 9am to 5pm

Palace Hotel, Church Road, Southend-on-Sea SS1 2AL

Join us for a day filled with exciting talks, workshops, and networking opportunities. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting out in the field, this event is perfect for anyone interested in the world of cyber security. Don't miss out on this chance to learn from industry experts and connect with like-minded individuals. 

Book your place

SAVS are hosting the Southend Volunteer Awards 2026

Of the 10 categories, we have 5 categories left available to sponsor:

• Innovation in Volunteering Award - for volunteers who have found new, interesting or innovative ways to support their organisations 
• Health and Wellbeing Award - for volunteers whose work improve the quality of life of residents and those who provide essential support and care 
• Team Award - an award that recognises a team of volunteers who have worked together on a project or towards a goal
• Connected Community- for volunteers who work in the community relaying information, connecting others and bringing groups of people together
• Environmental Champion - for volunteers who have worked on environmental projects or supported the development of green spaces
• GOLD Full category sponsorship is £1500
• SILVER: Shared category sponsorship is £750
• BRONZE: Aspect sponsorship £50 - £500

 Please contact ejellett@savs-southend.co.uk before 6 March 2026 if you would like to discuss sponsorship. 

Businesses – Donate unused tech to help Essex school children  

Essex County Council - Digital Essex, are calling on all businesses to donate unused laptops, tablets and phones to help children across Essex who don’t have access to the devices they need for learning.

Many devices may no longer meet business requirements - but they can still be repurposed to support a child’s education, reduce environmental impact, and offer a meaningful way to tackle e-waste.

It’s a simple, cost-effective way to make a real difference in your community.

Find out more

Online: Grow Your Business with Email Marketing

Thursday 12 February 11am to 1pm - Online event

Discover how to use email marketing as a powerful tool to engage customers, build loyalty, and drive business growth. In this practical workshop, attendees will learn the fundamentals of effective email marketing, including how to build and segment an email list, create compelling content, and design campaigns that convert. Our brilliant speaker, Liz Smith from Small Business Geek, will cover best practices, simple strategies for automation, and tips on choosing the right email platform for your business.

Book your place

Free cyber security toolkit

As you start setting your business resolutions for 2026, making cyber resilience your number one priority has never been more important. Something we've been very passionate about promoting to our members is the National Cyber Security Centre’s brand new, free cyber security tool the Cyber Action Toolkit.

Designed specifically for small businesses, the Cyber Action Toolkit helps you strengthen your cyber resilience and protect your organisation against the most common cyber threats. It offers clear, practical actions you can work through at your own pace, making it easier to build robust cyber security practices that support your business all year long.

Free cyber action toolkit

Small Awards 2026, run by Small Business Britain

Applications close at midnight on 28th February 2026

The Small Awards want to hear about inspirational small businesses from across the UK!

Judging will be done based on a number of criteria relevant to the specific award, whilst also looking for strong performance as an on-going business. The judges will be looking for evidence of strong community engagement from small businesses.

The awards will take place in May 2026 with small businesses, experts and luminaries from all industries across the UK celebrating all things small business.

This could be your year! To find out more about the categories and how to apply, visit the website: The Small Awards.

Make AI your small business marketing ally!

Small Business Britain is thrilled to deliver the Bot Up Your Business programme, supported by BT Group, to help small business owners learn how AI can be their marketing ally. Through practical training designed to tackle real-world business challenges, you’ll learn how AI can improve content creation, strengthen copywriting, and enhance social media campaigns. 

Join us to sharpen your AI skills and help your business grow!

Course dates

• Module 1 – 5 March 10am - 11am
• Module 2 – 12 March 10am - 11am
• Module 3 – 19 March 10am - 11am
• Module 4 – 26 March 10am - 11am

Find out more

Small & Mighty Enterprise Programme

Small Business Britain is excited to bring back the Small and Mighty Enterprise Programme to help small businesses grow, with expert guidance and mentoring in partnership with Xero and ARU Peterborough starting from 2 February.

This six-week programme to supercharge sole traders and micro businesses, concludes with a growth plan to support the next year of business opportunity. It will be delivered entirely online, allowing access from anywhere in the UK with flexible learning enabling opportunities for all.

Find out more