As 2025 draws to a close, organisations across Jersey pause to reflect on achievements, challenges and progress against the ambitions set at the start of the year. This process is far more than a box-ticking exercise; it’s about celebrating success, learning from experience, and setting the tone for future growth.
At Jersey Business, our vision remains clear: to foster a vibrant, sustainable business community across the island’s 8,500 businesses. In 2025, we focused on three key themes - Productivity, People, and Knowledge Sharing - and I’m delighted to say that we delivered tangible results that validate this vision.
Better Business Grants: Driving Investment
One of our most significant achievements was the launch of a fully digital process for Better Business Grants. Designed to help businesses invest in productivity improvements, the platform went live in March. By June, over 100 organisations had applied for more than £2.7 million in grants, with £1.4 million already approved. Importantly, 62% of this spending will remain on-island, amplifying local economic impact.
For every £100 in grants awarded, businesses invested an additional £190 privately - a clear demonstration of how government support can unlock further investment and drive growth. These grants have enabled many businesses to make productivity-enhancing investments for the first time, and we anticipate strong outcomes for both GVA performance and individual profitability.
The quality of applications has been encouraging, and we expect many positive stories to emerge in 2026 as these projects deliver measurable improvements. This initiative shows how targeted support can act as a catalyst for innovation and resilience across the economy.
Expanding One-to-One Support
Personalised advisory support remains a cornerstone of our service. In 2025, we engaged with 925 new businesses, extending our reach to over 4,000 organisations. By Q3, we had managed 632 business inquiries, a 26% year-on-year increase, and delivered 1,133 advisory appointments, up 28% from 2024.
Our team also supported over 2,000 interactions related to Better Business Grant applications, guiding businesses through the process and helping them evaluate productivity projects. Quality remains paramount: one-to-one advisors achieved a 96% satisfaction rating, and Jersey Business overall scored an impressive Net Promoter Score of 73, comparable to global leaders in customer experience.
These figures reflect not just activity but impact. Every advisory session represents a business seeking clarity, confidence and practical solutions, and our role is to ensure they leave with actionable insights that make a difference.
Supporting Agriculture and Exports
Agricultural loans continued to be a vital part of our offering in 2025. We helped applicants from initial expressions of interest through to full board presentations and recommendations. This support is paying dividends: Jersey’s agricultural, forestry and fishing exports grew from £53 million in 2023 to £64 million in 2024, a 21% increase.
Expanding external trade opportunities strengthens revenue streams and underpins economic resilience. These figures highlight the importance of supporting sectors that not only sustain local employment but also contribute to Jersey’s global footprint
Looking Ahead to 2026
The need for business support remains clear. In 2025, we engaged with between 2,500 and 3,000 businesses, and we expect demand to grow as economic conditions continue to challenge organisations. Our focus for 2026 will include:
- Better Business Grants: Continued review, approval, and allocation of funding for productivity improvements.
- One-to-One Advisory Services: Ongoing support for businesses and government sectors.
- Agricultural Loans: Sustained assistance for application processing and funding recommendations.
- Strategic Initiatives: New efforts in inward investment, research and development and innovation.
We are also delighted to welcome John Vautier to our team, strengthening our capacity to deliver these priorities
A Collaborative Future
2025 marked a year of considerable progress, with engagement up by 30–50% across all areas. Our collaborations with businesses, government, and partners have deepened, enabling us to deliver meaningful support during challenging times. For 14 years, Jersey Business has been part of an ecosystem that encourages investment and innovation, and we remain committed to driving growth and resilience.
As we look to 2026, we believe that the high level of input and activity from businesses, individuals, and the government will serve as a leading indicator of success. Together, we can build on this momentum and ensure Jersey’s business community continues to thrive.
I’ve often observed during my career that when business inputs and people inputs are high, you will find this as a leading indicator of the outcomes and successes to come. I hope as we end 2025 that we can reflect and see that our inputs collectively, as businesses, individuals and in government, have indeed been high, and that we will look towards some of the benefits of this level of input, activity and commitment in 2026 and beyond.
This article appeared in the Jersey Evening Post on 3rd December 2025