The website features local jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, regeneration plans, property, events and training, business services, business groups as well as links to the latest news and advice on Brexit and COVID-19.

There is also advice and information to help businesses navigate through the many rules and regulations in place as well as the different departments at the council.

It also includes toolkits and presentations produced by the council, central government and other organisations to help and support local businesses.

Keen to promote the area to investors, a special ‘Invest in Allerdale’ page outlines some of the benefits of doing business in the borough and features case studies from M-Sport, TSP Engineering and Westport. The website can be found at: https://businessallerdale.co.uk/.

Cllr Mike Johnson, leader of the council, said:

"Throughout the pandemic we have worked tirelessly to support businesses by administering millions of pounds worth of grants, assisting businesses in reopening, helping them to meet the Covid-19 regulations and more. This new website is yet another example of this council working hard to give businesses the information they need to thrive in Allerdale and I hope it becomes a really useful tool."

M-Sport Managing Director, Malcolm Wilson OBE, said:

“It was always important for me to keep the business in Cumbria. First and foremost, it’s home, but I also never doubted that we could run a globally successful business from the county; and Cumbria has gone from strength to strength in recent years with a whole host of national and international manufacturing on the doorstep. We’ve attracted some of the world’s best engineers and technicians because of the lifestyle we can offer here.

“And I only see the region growing in engineering relevance over the years to come – not least with our own Evaluation Centre which is set to provide a one-of-a-kind facility unique to the UK, where leaders in automotive technology can follow every aspect of a project from design to production on one exclusive site.” 

There is the opportunity for local companies to add their businesses for free on the Allerdale Business Directory as featured on the Visit Allerdale website: https://visitallerdale.co.uk/allerdale-business-directory/. 

The website, created by a local company, features new images by local photographer Penny Watson: https://pennywatson.co.uk/. 

Businesses can also keep up to date with the latest business information via the council’s weekly email newsletter which currently has 2200 subscribers: https://www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/email-newsletters/. They are also encouraged to join the council’s business Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/976152166208430. 

The project is part of the council's commitment to support businesses, especially during Covid. It has made use of funding provided by Reopening High Streets Safely - funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).