IT IS here to help Hampshire businesses boom.

Solent Growth Hub has been praised by Gosport MP Caroline Dinenage for helping companies and entrepreneurs access grant funding, training and general business support.

The service is delivered by Hampshire Chamber of Commerce as part of a £2.5m Regional Growth Fund project which followed the confirmation of the City Deal agreement between the Government and Southampton and Portsmouth.

Ms Dinenage, who visited the service at a ‘Meet the Buyer’ event at Hampshire Cricket’s Ageas Bowl, said: “The hub will help businesses through those crucial first couple of years.

“It will give them the backup they need to navigate the first few years, which is when they look to grow.

“It’s really valuable and I’m really proud that our area has one of the first growth hubs in the country.”

The funding bid was led by the University of Portsmouth in partnership with Hampshire, Southampton, Isle of Wight and Portsmouth councils and both Southampton and Southampton Solent universities, among others.