GroundUp

A place for local organisations to build sustainable, socially useful businesses.

What if local organisations could come together to support each other, share knowledge, build stronger businesses with social impact and supported the next wave of local entrepreneurs?

That’s the idea behind GroundUp, a new initiative being developed by EBT to strengthen the network of socially-minded businesses, community organisations, and start-ups across East and North Brighton.

But before anything launches, we’re starting with the most important step: Listening to what local organisations and people want and need.

We’re inviting a group of local organisations to help co-design what GroundUp should become and we want the people who will benefit from it to shape it from the very beginning.

Why take part?

This session is a chance to:

• Connect with other organisations in the area
• Share challenges and learn from peers
• Shape a new support network for local enterprises
• Explore mentoring, business support and collaboration opportunities
• Influence the future of a programme designed for local organisations

And yes, there will be free food, good coffee and £50 per person who attends.

GroundUp aims to support organisations that combine enterprise with social impact; from early-stage start-ups to established community organisations who want to become more enterprising.

What might GroundUp include?

The programme is still being shaped, but ideas include:

• Peer learning and business support
• Informal local networking (“Notworking”) over coffee
• Mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs
• Events and shared learning sessions
• Small seed funding opportunities
• Access to workspace and innovation networks

But the real question is:

What do local organisations actually need?

That’s what these sessions will explore.

What to expect from the session

Each event will run for around three hours and include:

• Informal networking over coffee and pastries
• A short introduction to the GroundUp concept
• A facilitated Action Learning session exploring real business challenges
• Group discussion on what a local enterprise network should offer
• An open conversation about next steps

The session is designed so everyone both contributes and gains something useful.

Dates

We are currently planning two sessions:

Thursday 21 May – The Skep, Moulsecoomb Place
Thursday 25 June – The Crew Club, Whitehawk

Who should come?

We are inviting organisations working in or connected to East and North Brighton, including:

• Social enterprises
• Community and charitable organisations
• Start-ups with a social mission
• Local businesses interested in collaboration and impact

If your organisation wants to grow, collaborate, and strengthen the local economy, we’d love you to be part of the conversation.

Interested?

Spaces are limited so we can keep the discussion meaningful.

GroundUp will be developed through a co-design process with local organisations, with the aim of launching the programme in 2026.

To register interest or find out more, contact Gary ceo@eastbrightontrust.co.uk