NBV Enterprise Solutions

What NBV Enterprise Solutions does

NBV Enterprise Solutions Ltd is a Nottingham-based business support organization founded in 1982 that delivers free advisory services, training, and workspace solutions to start-ups and small businesses across the East Midlands. The organization operates as an intermediary between government funders and beneficiary businesses, currently funded through Business Lincolnshire, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Leicester City Council, and the South & East Lincolnshire Council Partnership. Due to changes in the funding landscape, NBV has narrowed its funded service area to Greater Lincolnshire, though it continues to operate its physical Enterprise Centre in Nottingham on a commercial basis. The organization is led by Andrea Huscroft (Regional Director – East Midlands) and Tony Walters (non-executive director) and employs 101–250 staff.

NBV's core service portfolio comprises the Starting in Business Programme (pre-trading entrepreneur training), Business Assist (one-to-one mentoring for established businesses), and a suite of workspace products including serviced offices, virtual office packages, and meeting and conference room hire at the NBV Enterprise Centre. The organization also acts as an Official Referral Partner for The Start Up Loans Company, facilitating access to unsecured government-backed loans of up to £25,000 at 7.5% interest, and has helped clients raise approximately £500,000 cumulatively. Workshop delivery has been digitized, with Business Start-Up Essentials and Business Planning workshops now offered online via video conferencing and registered through Eventbrite. NBV also refers clients to complementary financing channels such as the Sir Thomas White Charity (interest-free loans for ages 18–35 in Leicestershire), the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (over £250m of SME investment), and NatWest's Digital Boost and Swoop grant finder.

The organization operates a hybrid revenue model combining government grants (the primary revenue stream) with commercial property income from the Enterprise Centre. Business support services are provided free of charge to eligible beneficiaries due to funding arrangements, while office space (£308–£761 per calendar month for offices, £22–£65 per month for virtual office subscriptions) and meeting rooms (£15–£120 per session) are charged on commercial terms. NBV reaches its audience through organic social channels (Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, content marketing, and Eventbrite listings, with service delivery occurring via direct adviser engagement, online workshops, and its physical Nottingham location. The organization does not operate a proprietary technology platform and relies on off-the-shelf tools including Wufoo forms, Eventbrite registration, CRM, and video conferencing.

Name

NBV Enterprise Solutions

Legal name

NBV Enterprise Solutions Ltd

Website

https://nbv.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NBV Enterprise Solutions Ltd is a Nottingham-based business support organization founded in 1982 that provides free government-funded advisory, training, and workspace services to start-ups and small businesses across the East Midlands, currently focused on Greater Lincolnshire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Basford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Government-Funded Business Support: NBV receives government funding (UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Business Lincolnshire, East Midlands Combined County Authority, Leicester City Council) to provide free business support services to eligible businesses. Due to funding arrangements, these services are currently provided free of charge to qualifying individuals and businesses.
2. Property Rental Services: NBV generates rental income from serviced office space at the Enterprise Centre in Nottingham and virtual office packages. Office spaces are rented on flexible terms with inclusive amenities.
3. Meeting Room Hire: Conference and meeting rooms are available for hire at the Enterprise Centre, with pricing for half-day and full-day slots. Discounts available for NBV tenants.
4. Start-Up Loans Facilitation: As an Official Referral Partner for The Start Up Loans Company, NBV assists clients in putting together loan proposals. The company has helped clients raise approximately £500,000 in loan funding. NBV acts as an intermediary and does not directly lend funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NBV Enterprise Solutions provides free, government-funded business support services to start-ups and small businesses across the East Midlands, including one-to-one mentoring, training workshops, grant administration, and Start-Up Loans facilitation. The organization also operates the NBV Enterprise Centre in Nottingham, offering serviced office space, virtual office packages, and meeting/conference room hire as ancillary workspace solutions.

Product overview

NBV Enterprise Solutions is a business support organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services for start-ups and growing small businesses across the East Midlands. The core offering consists of the Starting in Business Programme (for aspiring entrepreneurs) and Business Assist (for established businesses seeking growth), supplemented by physical workspace solutions including the NBV Enterprise Centre (serviced office space), Virtual Office packages, and Meeting/Conference Rooms. Additional offerings include training workshops (Business Start-Up Essentials and Business Planning), Start-Up Loans facilitation, and small business grant administration. The services are designed to work together, providing a comprehensive support ecosystem from initial business concept through to established operations, with all business support currently provided free of charge due to government funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Starting in Business Programme A comprehensive training programme designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills and practical knowledge needed to start and manage a successful small business, covering topics such as business planning, marketing, pricing, and financial management.
• Business Assist Expert, impartial business mentoring service providing no-cost access to knowledgeable, experienced business mentors with a bespoke and flexible approach to supporting business owners in achieving their goals through one-to-one advice, information, training, and masterclasses.
• NBV Enterprise Centre High-spec, eco-friendly business centre offering low-cost office space rental with flexible terms, meeting rooms, conference facilities, and access to on-site business support services located in Nottingham near David Lane tram stop.
• Virtual Office Virtual office packages providing a professional business address in Nottingham for new businesses or home-based operations, with options including post collection, forwarding services, and telephone answering in the company name.
• Meeting and Conference Rooms Bookable meeting and conference room facilities at the Enterprise Centre accommodating 2 to 40 people, including a main conference room, meeting rooms, and advisor rooms with facilities such as 82-inch plasma screens, whiteboards, and complimentary refreshments.
• Business Start-Up Essentials Workshop An introductory one-day workshop for individuals considering starting a business, covering the fundamentals of self-employment including business registration, legal compliance, tax obligations, VAT registration, and customer acquisition strategies.
• Business Planning Workshop A one-day comprehensive workshop for individuals who have completed the Start-Up Essentials workshop, focusing on building a successful business plan with practical skills in financial fundamentals, marketing, startup costs, and funding acquisition.
• Start-Up Loans Unsecured business loans of up to £25,000 over 1-5 years at 7.5% interest rate, facilitated through NBV as an Official Referral Partner for The Start Up Loans Company, with an average loan size of around £7,200.
• Business Grants Small business grant opportunities administered by NBV, funded through various government programmes including UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Business Lincolnshire, subject to eligibility criteria and local authority area restrictions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Helped clients raise approximately £500,000 in Start Up Loans
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers19 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Start Up Loans CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNBV is an Official Referral Partner for The Start Up Loans Company, assisting clients in preparing loan proposals and presenting them to the loan panel. The partnership enables access to unsecured business loans of up to £25,000 for start-ups trading up to 60 months.
• Sir Thomas White CharityminorOthersLocal charity offering interest-free business loans to individuals aged 18-35 in Leicestershire. NBV provides independent support to assist clients in identifying this funding option.
• De Montfort University (DMU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership formed for scientific testing and product validation for Emerald Nutrition Ltd client. DMU provided credibility enhancement and scientific backing for product efficacy claims.
• NatWestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNBV provides information about NatWest's digital support resources including Digital Boost mentoring, NatWest Business Builder online courses, and Swoop grant finder tool.
• NHSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerT&P Wellness Clinic leverages NHS certifications in stop smoking and mental health services for GP referral partnerships and enhanced credibility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce: Local Chamber providing business support, networking, training and workspace services to SMEs in Nottinghamshire. Comparable geographic overlap and service mix (advice, events, office facilities) to NBV.
• Enterprise Nation: UK platform providing advice, events, mentoring and funding access to start-ups and small businesses. Overlaps directly with NBV's Starting in Business Programme, Business Assist, workshops and Start-Up Loans referral in terms of target customer and service mix.
• Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): UK membership organisation providing advice, support and representation to small businesses. Comparable to NBV in acting as an ongoing support partner for SMEs, but operates nationally and as a membership body rather than a regionally grant-funded non-profit.
• East Midlands Growth Hub: Publicly funded business support service covering the East Midlands region. Directly comparable to NBV as a grant-funded one-to-one advisory and signposting channel for the same geographic client base.
• Be the Business: UK charity supporting SME productivity through mentoring, peer networks and management training. Closely comparable to NBV in offering free, partly publicly-supported business mentoring and growth advice to owner-managers.

Others

• The Start Up Loans Company: Government-backed delivery partner for the Start-Up Loans scheme; NBV is one of its Official Referral Partners. Directly connected ecosystem player responsible for underwriting the loans NBV facilitates.
• D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership: Local Enterprise Partnership covering Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, channelling public funds and overseeing business support contracts. Adjacent to NBV as both a potential funder and a coordinating body for the East Midlands business support ecosystem in which NBV operates.

Emerging players

• Virgin StartUp: UK start-up support programme offering loans, mentoring and resources to early-stage businesses. Comparable to NBV's Start-Up Loans and advisory services, but operating nationally with a tech/brand-led delivery model.

Regional players

• Business Gateway (Scotland): Scotland's national business advice and support service for start-ups and growing SMEs. Equivalent model to NBV (publicly funded advice + workspace + funding access), but operated as a national, centralised programme in a different UK nation.

Broad incumbents

• Prince's Trust Enterprise Programme: Major UK charity supporting young people into self-employment through mentoring, training and grant/loan funding. Comparable mechanism (free advice + finance) to NBV's start-up offering, but broader national scope and youth focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NBVtweets
• Facebookfacebook.com/NBVEnterpriseSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nbv-enterprise-solutions-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/nbvphotos

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about NBV Enterprise Solutions