In recent weeks, Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership’s business support function, Dorset Gateway – working with Dorset Chamber – has been handling a significant increase in the number of enquiries from businesses, business owners and the self-employed in Dorset in response to COVID-19.

Key challenges which businesses have been encountering include accessing financial support through government grants and loans, and supporting employees through measures such as the new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and changes to statutory sick pay.

Finn Morgan, Dorset Gateway manager, said, “The results we gather will help us advise the government as they develop current, and future, COVID-19 business support measures. We’re also keen to hear from businesses that are adapting their products and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Lorna Carver, director of Dorset LEP said, “At this extremely difficult time we want to make sure that businesses, their employees and the self-employed, have access to the full range of information and support on offer to help them. The additional resources we have invested into the Dorset Gateway service is one of what may be a number of measures above and beyond those introduced by the government that we introduce to help Dorset’s businesses manage and recover from this current crisis.”

Businesses can complete the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/COVID19DorsetImpact

For free one to one support for your business please contact the Dorset Gateway on 01202 714800.