Colchester Business Enterprise Agency (Colbea) has been awarded £20,000 of funding by Colchester Borough Council to continue providing business support in and around the town.

The the 2015-16 financial year, Colbea delivered a total of 1,557 sessions of business advice, support and training and assisted in the launch of more than 150 new businesses within the borough.

The new funding, from the borough council 2016-17 Enterprise, Skills and Employment Grant programme, will support the agency’s continuing provision of free one-to-one business advice to new start-ups.

Bob Baggalley, chief executive of Colbea, said: “This is tremendous news. We are extremely thankful that Colchester Borough Council continues to show such incredible support for enterprise.

“Colbea’s initial one-to-one advice service has proven to be vital to start-ups in Colchester. Of all the flourishing businesses we are proud to call Colbea success stories, so many have started with an initial objective, frank one-to-one discussion with one of our business advisers.”

Mark Palmer, co-founder of Colchester-based Willis Palmer, now one of the UK’s largest providers of independent social work and psychology services, was assisted by Colbea as a start-up business in 2004.

He said: “Our adviser taught us so much. He was able to see where we were doing things right but also spotted our weaknesses immediately. It was such a valuable exercise.”

Colbea is a not-for-profit organisation and all of its advice services are either free-of-charge or heavily subsidised, either through the support of Colchester Borough Council or sponsorship from a range of local businesses.

To book a free one-to-one advice session with Colbea, call 01206 548833 or visit www.colbea.co.uk .