Business networking and events
Business networking can provide you with the opportunity to share expertise and knowledge, find suppliers, collaborate, market your business and build new skills. This can happen through joining networking groups or by attending events.
We offer a series of free-to-attend events and webinars that provide a chance for local businesses to engage with our services and learn skills to help businesses develop and grow.
These are hosted in our Ground Floor Space, for more information please visit the Ground Floor Space page.
Upcoming webinars
Become a Disability Confident business: 26 June 2024, 1pm
Are you interested in becoming a Disability Confident employer? The Disability Confident scheme supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to your workplace.
Attend this free 1 hour webinar and hear Fleur Patten MIEP, Employment and Wellbeing Advisor from Papworth Trust explain about reasonable adjustments, access to work and how by becoming a Disability Confident business you’ll be seen as a champion for disabled people within your local and business communities.
Sign up to our Disability Confident business webinar
Previous webinars
If you missed any of our previous webinars, the recordings are available below:
- How to have better conversations around mental health
- Self-care and wellbeing
- Grief and loss
- Resilience 101
- Mental health and financial wellbeing
- Why reducing your carbon makes business sense
- How to attract and retain the best people for your jobs
- Making your business greener
- How can your business make Cambridgeshire safer and more inclusive for all?
Other local business events
The following organisations host a range of in-person and virtual events for the local business community.
- Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce
- Cambridge Network
- Department for Business & Trade
- Eastern Academic Health Network
- Federation of Small Businesses
Alternative networking events can be found on the Meetup website.
We include a list of interesting local events and webinars in our Business Support newsletter.
General business networking
- Black Business Network is the home of black business owners and start-up entrepreneurs, designed to strengthen business connections, financing and knowledge.
- Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce holds free informal networking events and training opportunities at a range of venues across the county.
- Cambridge Network is a cross-sector membership organisation that brings people together - from business and academia - to meet each other and share ideas, encouraging collaboration for greater success.
- Cambridge 100 is one of Cambridge's longest-established business clubs, where entrepreneurs, innovators, and professionals come together over quarterly dinners and listen to renowned business leaders.
Sector specific networking
- Cambridge Cleantech is a network organisation supporting the growth of sustainable, ‘clean technology’ companies in the United Kingdom.
- Cambridge Wireless is a leading international network for companies involved in the research, development and application of wireless and mobile, Internet, semiconductor and software technologies.
- Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce has a number of sector specific groups including construction, HR and IT.
- One Nucleus is a life sciences and healthcare membership organisation based in Cambridge. Their support for businesses includes running at least 15 network meetings each year.
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The Smart Manufacturing Alliance is a dedicated sector network for manufacturers across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. They work with members and partners, opening up new opportunities to unlock innovation and R&D projects, power new collaborations, and strengthen competitive edge.
Women's business networking
- The Athena Network is a networking, training and development business club for women executives and entrepreneurs.
- Cambridge AWiSE is a regional network for women in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), in both industry and academia.
- Mums in Business Network Cambridge connects like-minded businesswomen at monthly child friendly meetings at the Holiday Inn Express in Cambourne. For more information, including upcoming dates and guest speakers, join their Facebook group.
- Women In Business Network meetings are a great way of meeting like-minded business women.
Networks for underrepresented groups
- Black Business Network is the home of black business owners and start-up entrepreneurs, designed to strengthen business connections, financing and knowledge.
- FSB’s Business Without Barriers hub features inspiring interviews with successful disabled entrepreneurs and personal accounts from employers who are helping to break down barriers to employment.
- Hatch Enterprise supports underrepresented business founders, such as: women, disabled entrepreneurs and/or founders from an ethnic minority. They help to create, launch and grow sustainable and impactful businesses through tailored programmes.
- Let’s Grow Business Together is a LGBT+ business hub. They offer free resources, interviews, advice, and networking events for LGBT+ small business owners and employers, who look to make their workplace more inclusive.