Business Information Point
Business Information Point is a UK non-profit enterprise agency founded in 1993 that delivers free and subsidized business advisory services to small businesses, self-employed individuals, and farmers across seven South West England regions, funded by local councils and UK government schemes.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersOkehampton, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Business Information Point does
Business Information Point (legal entity: West Devon Business Information Point Ltd.) is a non-profit enterprise agency founded in 1993 and headquartered in Okehampton, Devon, with a secondary site in the same town. The organization delivers free and subsidized business advisory services to self-employed individuals, small businesses, and the farming community across seven South West England regions (Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and West of England). It is structured as a private limited company that explicitly does not generate profit for distribution, with operating costs covered by local council funding and UK government schemes including DEFRA-administered agricultural programmes.
The service portfolio comprises five core offerings: small business support (startup and growth advisory), agricultural support (funding, compliance, and diversification), business skills workshops (free training delivered by experienced speakers), business funding advisory (grants and loans), and free downloadable business guides. Delivery is human-led through one-to-one advisor consultations (4,898 hours delivered in the trailing 12 months), free workshops (892 attendees), and programme management on behalf of funders. The underlying technology stack is minimal — a WordPress-based website with blog content, email newsletter sign-up, and downloadable PDF resources; no proprietary software, API, or mobile application is disclosed. Personnel includes a small team with named roles covering digital marketing, business advisory, and marketing management.
The revenue model is a hybrid of government and council funded programmes (the dominant stream, delivered free to eligible clients) and a smaller commercial advisory stream offered at 'highly competitive rates'. Marketing relies on content marketing (blog and newsletters), events (workshops), and referral partnerships with local councils and the National Enterprise Network. Distribution is regional and direct: face-to-face, phone, and email consultations delivered by the in-house advisor team, with no digital self-serve product. The customer base is highly fragmented across SMB and sole-trader clients in agriculture, manufacturing, food & beverage, retail, professional services, and tourism verticals, with 772 businesses supported in the trailing 12 months and 20,000+ clients served historically.
Business Information Point firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Business Information Point
- Legal name
- West Devon Business Information Point Ltd.
- Website
- https://businessinfopoint.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Business Information Point is a UK non-profit enterprise agency founded in 1993 that delivers free and subsidized business advisory services to small businesses, self-employed individuals, and farmers across seven South West England regions, funded by local councils and UK government schemes.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Business Information Point industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Small Business Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services (541611)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education (EDAAAFAK), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where Business Information Point is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Okehampton
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Business Information Point business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government-Funded Programmes: Funded support programmes backed by local councils and UK government schemes. As an enterprise agency, the organization does not make a profit from these services.
- Commercial Advisory Services: In addition to free advice, commercial support services are offered at highly competitive rates.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Multi-year contract | Free government-funded business support |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Business Information Point product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Business Information Point is a non-profit enterprise agency that delivers tailored small business and agricultural advisory services across the South West of England. Its core offering consists of fully-funded (free to the end user) one-to-one advisor consultations, business skills workshops, business funding advisory, and downloadable business guides, supplemented by commercial advisory services offered at competitive rates. The programmes are primarily backed by local councils and UK government schemes.
Product overview
Business Information Point operates as a business advice and support organization rather than a software product company. Their portfolio consists of advisory and educational services including Business Support (tailored advice for small businesses), Agricultural Support (specialized farming community assistance), Business Skills Workshops (interactive training sessions on topics like marketing and financial planning), Business Funding Advisory (grant and loan guidance), and Free Business Guides (downloadable resources on business topics). These services are delivered through one-to-one advisor consultations, workshops, and digital content, with programs funded by local councils and UK government schemes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Business Support Tailored advice and support programmes for small businesses in the South West of England, covering business planning, operations, starting a business, growing a business, and accessing funding. Delivered as one-to-one advisor consultations and backed by local councils and UK government schemes for eligible clients.
- Agricultural Support Specialist advisory services for farmers and the agricultural community in the South West, covering agricultural funding, compliance, environmental scheme navigation, business diversification, and farm business planning. Delivered through one-to-one advisor consultations and supported by DEFRA-related UK government schemes.
- Business Skills Workshops Free interactive business skills workshops on topics including marketing, financial planning, social media, and digital skills, run by highly experienced speakers for small business owners, start-ups, and farmers across the South West.
- Business Funding Advisory Advisory service guiding small businesses through grant and loan funding options available locally, including what providers look for in successful applications. Includes up-to-date information on regional funding sources and end-to-end application support.
- Free Business Guides Downloadable resources covering topics such as starting up, marketing, sustainability, and business planning, distributed via the company website and email newsletter to small business owners and start-ups.
Quantifiable outcome
- 772 businesses supported in last 12 months
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Business Information Point
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Business Information Point technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Business Information Point partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- National Enterprise NetworkminorMember of National Enterprise Network, an association of enterprise agencies supporting small businesses across the UK.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Business Information Point competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Enterprise Nation: UK membership platform delivering small business support, training, and policy advocacy; directly comparable in mission (empowering SMBs and entrepreneurs) and partially in delivery model (workshops, advisory, content).
- Hatch Enterprise: UK enterprise agency delivering start-up and small business support programmes including accelerators and advisory; comparable as a mission-driven enterprise support organisation funded partly through public sector partners.
- Be the Business: UK charity focused on SME productivity improvement through peer networks, mentoring and advisory programmes; comparable in scale, funding model, and target audience of UK small businesses.
- Small Business Britain: Membership and support organisation championing UK small businesses through events, content, and policy engagement; comparable mission and small-business audience.
Broad incumbents
- Start Up Loans: Government-backed (British Business Bank) loan and mentoring programme for UK start-ups; similar target audience and complementary to BIP's funding advisory offering.
- The Prince's Trust (Enterprise Programme): Large UK charity running the Enterprise Programme for young entrepreneurs aged 18-30; broader in mission and scale but overlapping customer type (start-up and small business founders) and advisory delivery model.
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): UK's largest membership organisation for small businesses and the self-employed; serves the same customer segment and provides advisory content, with much wider geographic and policy reach.
Regional players
- Business Cornwall: Regional enterprise support organisation operating in Cornwall; directly comparable delivery model (funded business advice, workshops) and overlapping geography with BIP's Cornwall coverage.
- New Anglia Growth Hub: Local Growth Hub (LEP-funded) supporting SMEs across Norfolk and Suffolk; directly comparable funded advisory model for SMBs but serving a different region of England.
Others
- NFU (National Farmers' Union): UK farming membership and lobbying body providing advice, lobbying, and support to farmers; adjacent to BIP's agricultural vertical but representing farmers rather than being a non-profit advisory provider.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Business Information Point social profiles
Digital presenceBusiness Information Point financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Business Information Point leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Business Information Point funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Business Information Point M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Business Information Point
What does Business Information Point do?
Business Information Point is a non-profit enterprise agency that delivers tailored small business and agricultural advisory services across the South West of England. Its core offering consists of fully-funded (free to the end user) one-to-one advisor consultations, business skills workshops, business funding advisory, and downloadable business guides, supplemented by commercial advisory services offered at competitive rates. The programmes are primarily backed by local councils and UK government schemes.
Is Business Information Point a public or private company?
Business Information Point is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Business Information Point founded?
Business Information Point was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Business Information Point based?
Business Information Point is headquartered in Okehampton, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Business Information Point make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government-Funded Programmes are the primary driver. The others are commercial Advisory Services.
Who are Business Information Point's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Enterprise Nation, Hatch Enterprise, Be the Business and Small Business Britain. Broad incumbents are Start Up Loans, The Prince's Trust (Enterprise Programme) and Federation of Small Businesses (FSB). Regional players are Business Cornwall and New Anglia Growth Hub. NFU (National Farmers' Union) is listed as an others.
Does Business Information Point have an API?
No public API is recorded for Business Information Point.
What industry is Business Information Point in?
Business Information Point's product category is Small Business Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAM, Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAK, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Community Education. Its NAICS code is 541611.