The Growth Hub will be closed for the Christmas and New Year break, and support requests will not be monitored. However, depending on the nature of your enquiry, you will be able to contact the following organisations for help and advice over the Christmas break.

General Business Help, Advice and Guidance

The Business Support Helpline is a government funded provider of basic business information, advice and guidance, which will be open over the Christmas and New Year period. The helpline can be contacted by calling 0800 998 1098, or emailing enquiries@businesssupporthelpline.org and will be open every day during business hours, apart from the 25^th to 27^th December and the 3^rd January. Please note that the helpline is operated by an external organisation and is not part of the Humber Growth Hub, although the service is free to access.

Urgent Covid-19 Advice and Guidance, & Enquires Regarding Local Grant Funding

The four Humber Local Authorities have confirmed that they will have a skeleton staff in place for the period Tuesday 29^th to Thursday 31^st December only – they will be closed at all other times. Businesses with urgent enquiries only should contact their relevant local authority using the following email addresses:

Hull City Council – Business.Support@hullcc.gov.uk

East Riding of Yorkshire Council – Business.Support@eastriding.gov.uk

North Lincolnshire Council – businessinfo@northlincs.gov.uk

North East Lincolnshire Council – businessadvisors@e-factor.co.uk

EU Transition (Brexit) Information, Advice and Guidance

The Growth Hub website will be regularly updated up until 24^th December and our EU Transition webpage should be consulted in the first instance – this can be accessed here: heygrowthhub.com/eu-transition.

The Business Support Helpline (details above) are able to provide basic telephone information, guidance and signposting relating to the end of EU Transition and preparing for the forthcoming changes.

Also, businesses with a specific/technical enquiry relating to the following issues can contact the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce’s EU Transition Helpdesk:

• Export Documentation
• Shipping and Logistics
• Customs Procedures
• Preference Agreements
• WTO Trade Terms
• EU/UK Trade Terms (if an agreement is reached before the end of 2020)
• EU Settlement Scheme and Employment Compliance
• Movement of Goods Across Borders
• Regulatory Issues

Funded by the Growth Hub, and therefore free to access, the helpdesk will be open from Tuesday 29^th to Thursday 31^st December, and the Chamber will endeavour to respond to all enquiries within 2 working days of receiving an enquiry. All requests for helpdesk support should be emailed to help@globalhumber.co.uk

The Growth Hub will reopen at 9am on Monday 4^th January, and if required, we will reply to your email then.

May we wish you best regards for the festive season.

The Humber Business Growth Hub team