The City of London is the top global financial centre and is home to major banks and other financial and professional institutions. Small and medium-sized businesses are significant contributors within the City, making up over 98% of all businesses in the Square Mile. The City is a key driver of the economy, generating over £97bn in economic output annually. The City also contributes to the wider economy, generating £1.1bn in business rates.
The City of London is home to one of the youngest, most highly skilled and international workforces across the country. Businesses operating in the Square Mile must have access to targeted support to grow and prosper.
The City of London Chamber, a business group within London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), convenes, supports, and champions businesses within the Square Mile. The City of London Chamber is open to LCCI Members and the Community Network.
Source: www.cityoflondon.gov.uk
The City of London Chamber is committed to understanding the key issues impacting businesses in the Square Mile and campaigning for action.
The City of London Chamber champions all voices in the City and provides a forum for businesses to work towards a shared ambition to maintain the City’s standing as the best in the world in which to start and run a business. Becoming part of the City of London Chamber will also give you membership to London Chamber of Commerce and Industry. You will have full access to the profile raising and support services available to all LCCI Members.
To join you must be an LCCI Member or part of the free London Chamber Community Network and operate in the Square Mile.
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Our networking events open opportunities for new and existing businesses situated in the City to connect and collaborate. Building strong relationships with closely situated businesses helps SMEs to find new customers, partners and growth. Our events and information sharing sessions will enable these connections to happen.
Join us on Thursday 17 October at 6.30pm - 8.30pm for high-level networking, drinks and canapes at our prestigious City of London Chamber Reception. Hosted by Alderman Prem Goyal OBE, Founding Chair, City of London Chamber and Chairman, hear from guest speakers Sir Nicholas Lyons, Immediate Past Lord Mayor of London and Chair of the Group Board, The Phoenix Group and Rhys Herbert , Senior Economist – Commercial Banking, Lloyds Bank.
The Chamber is committed to helping the City reach net zero by 2040 by supporting businesses with the transition. We support the world's leading Green Finance sector and help businesses access it whilst signposting the resources available to them.
Supporting the Fintech community in the Square Mile is a key policy focus for the Chamber. We meet with key representative organisations to support the development of a thriving sector and their relationships with other Fintech centres around the world from Ukraine to India.
It is key for businesses that their staff and assets are safe in the City. The Chamber actively engages with the City of London police and represents the issues facing our members. We work with members and experts to minimise the risk of posed by cybersecurity.
The City of London’s capacity for growth and development – when it comes to new build, changes to the use of buildings and infrastructure - is regulated by the planning regime as decided by the local authority for the Square Mile, the Corporation of the City of London. The City of London Chamber works with the Corporation, the Mayor of London and the Government so that the planning system for the City meets the needs of its businesses – whether they are SMEs or large businesses.
One of the City's biggest strengths is its transport system which allows for up to 200,000 people to commute daily in addition to vast volumes of goods. The Chamber seeks to ensure this system keeps pace with the demands of modern life and continues to brilliantly serve the people of London.
One of the great strengths of the City is its strong trading relationship with countries all around the world. We identify and support areas that can strengthen these relationships to further solidify London as a leading global business hub.
The City of London Chamber Committee, founded by Alderman Prem Goyal OBE, consists of LCCI Members from a variety of sectors and sizes based in the City. The purpose of the Committee is to champion the voices of business in the Square Mile, representing their interests in the forums of policy debate and helping to address local business issues.
Our portfolio includes three further education colleges, offering high-quality courses, apprenticeships and programmes for young people and adults, the West London Institute of Technology delivering higher technical STEM qualifications and HRUC Apprenticeships & Skills providing a range of apprenticeships and support for businesses to develop their workforce. We work closely with our communities and employers across west and south London and we are growing our international links, including our recent membership of the Industrial Liaison Program at MIT.
On Tuesday 24 September, LCCI and City of London Chamber celebrated City Giving Day, an initiative that enables City companies and employees to celebrate and showcase their philanthropic and volunteering achievements and encourage others to get involved.
"In the City of London, autumn is always busy as we approach the handover from one Lord Mayor to the next in November, preceded by the handover of two Sheriffs to the next in September. All of us share the goal of supporting and developing the City of London as a global business centre – with more businesses than residents, and where 615,000 people work together in one Square Mile." Alderman Professor Michael Mainelli, Lord Mayor of the City of London writes for London Business Matters.
Alderman & Sheriff-Elect Gregory Jones KC and Sheriff-Elect David Chalk look forward to working with London businesses in their year of office. "On Midsummer’s Day, we both had the great honour of being elected as the next Sheriffs of the City of London, to take up office for a term of one year, beginning in September."
In July, the City of London Chamber organised a morning event at the Guildhall, centred on climate change and Net Zero targets. The keynote speaker, Sir Alok Sharma, shared his insights and vision for achieving these ambitious goals. The event was graced by the presence of the Lord Mayor, Michael Mainelli, who underscored the City of London Corporation's commitment to green finance.
City of London Corporation Policy Chair Chris Hayward highlights the strategies and initiatives aimed at fostering growth and resilience for SMEs in London in the latest issue of London Business Matters magazine. The City of London Corporation’s growth and development plan for the Square Mile – City Plan 2024 – will help to secure continued prosperity for local, businesses, as well as its residents and visitors, for the decades to come. LCCI and the City of London Chamber, who support the initiative, are right to point to the importance of business incubation centres for SMEs which “have been shown to be critical for sustainable business growth” and support “new entrants to the markets.”
The City of London Chamber will work with the City of London Corporation to support SMEs in the Square Mile following the publication of the SME Strategy by the Corporation. Led by Policy Chairman Chris Hayward and supported by Lead Member for SMEs, Paul Singh, the SME Strategy aims to enhance visibility and support for small businesses while aligning with the City's broader economic ambitions.
The City of London Corporation has voted to allow taxis to access Bank Junction for a trial period expected to begin in Spring 2025. The decision, made by the Court of Common Council, the City Corporation's premier decision-making body, follows months of advocacy by the City of London Chamber and others. By opening the Junction to black cabs, the City of London Chamber believes that safety and convenience will be guaranteed to all those who visit this area.
Key figures from the City of London came together to address the pressing issue of climate change at the Net Zero Summit held at Mansion House earlier this month. Alderman Prem Goyal OBE represented the City of London Chamber at the event, highlighting the City's ongoing commitment to achieving its Net Zero target.
LCCI and the City of London Chamber are pleased to support the City Corporation’s Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Strategy. The SME Strategy will deliver Square Mile SMEs unprecedented levels of support, ensuring the City of London remains the premier destination in the UK for starting and growing a business. The strategy seeks to support these three ambitions:
• Be a Vibrant, Thriving Destination
• Support Dynamic Economic Growth
• Provide Excellent Services
To view the full library of City of London Chamber news updates and articles, please click here. Updates include, the Lord Mayor’s Show, Net-Zero and Roundtable events.
On Thursday 14 March 2024, a pivotal luncheon took place, marking the beginning of a promising relationship between the City of London Chamber and the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce. Hosted by the Royal Bank of Scotland, this luncheon served as the inaugural step towards fostering enduring and fruitful ties between the financial powerhouses of the UK: London and Edinburgh. With a focus on securing funding for the arts and culture, the event set the stage for future collaborations aimed at maximising the potential of both cities.
