News and events for local businesses - November 2017

Government unveils Industrial Strategy today to boost productivity and earning power of people across the UK

Business Secretary Greg Clark has today launched the government’s ambitious Industrial Strategy,  alongside their new £725m Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund. 

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Tech firm to create 200 jobs in Plymouth revealed to Prime Minister during USA visit

BD's £172 million factory expansion at Bellivery Way, Roborough is revealed to Prime Minister during USA visit

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The Autumn Budget 2017

As the UK begins the formal process of exiting the European Union, the Spring Budget puts economic stability first. Following a period of robust economic growth, record levels of employment and a falling deficit, it sets out further progress in restoring the public finances to health. Building on the Industrial Strategy, it goes further in tackling the UK’s productivity challenge.

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Work has started for the new £42 Million Drake Circus Leisure Scheme development

As part of a £42 million leisure complex, the development includes an IMAX Screen, 12-screen cinema and many new restaurants.

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Babcock has taken on 220 new workers at Devonport Dockyard

Dockyard giant recruits 130 apprentices and 90 graduates, to fill a variety of roles at the extensive 330-acre site.

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This multi-million pound Plymouth spa is officially the best in Britain

Another triumph for Boringdon Hall Hotel as spa lands Condé Nast Johansen award.

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A call for ideas: How can collaborative technology solve social challenges?

The challenges facing today’s public service providers are stark and well documented.

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GDPR and employment law changes - should businesses be doing more to prepare?

An alarming study has revealed that more than a third of global businesses are unsure whether they are compliant when it comes to data privacy.

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First students enrol for digital technology apprenticeships

More than 20 employees from across the public can private sector are now working on the BSc  (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions programme.

Students from across the South West have embarked on a four-year course with the University of Plymouth which will enable them to learn new skills while continuing to work.

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Businesses pledge to #BackTheSouthWest at South West Growth Summit

The South West is being urged to think big as the BackTheSouthWest campaign takes a major step forward for regional prosperity.

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£8m community development programme launched to grow co-ops

The five-year programme from Co-operatives UK and Power to Change will look at ways to build better communities and reduce inequality

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Devon Business Leaders Welcome £28 Million New Road Schemes

County business leaders have welcomed £28 million of new investments on new road schemes for Plymouth and across Devon. Key infrastructure projects have been announced for the Forder Valley Interchange that will provide an additional highway route to North Devon, said the chief executive of Devon Chamber of Commerce, George Cowcher

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Prime Minister Announces New Commitment to UK's Technology Sector

The Prime Minister has hosted a Downing Street reception for the technology industry, reaffirming the Government’s commitment to innovation. Theresa May met with digital entrepreneurs and innovators from across the country as she announced a range of measures to support the continued growth and success of the UK’s tech sector.

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Introducing… innovation loans

Innovate UK have been working hard to develop a product that will help businesses to scale and grow through innovation.

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FREE Mentoring Support to Grow Your Business in the Region

The Growth Support Programme is an EU funded support package for ERDF Eligible businesses based in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay. The programme offers an initial 3 hour diagnostic to businesses wishing to grow or expand.

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Test your Innovation and Start-Up Ideas

The One Stop Ideas Shop provides practical a forum for individuals to talk through their inventions/business ideas in a confidential setting, receive face to face expert guidance to enable to them to understand how to protect them and explore any potential for business opportunity.

Find out more, click here

University of Plymouth Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Help to grow your business through collaboration and innovation. KTP is the programme that supports innovation and promotes business growth, (part funded by Innovate UK) provides resources and expertise to thriving organisations who wish to innovate, expand or improve their competitiveness and productivity.
 
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Plymotion at Your Workplace - Here to help

Plymotion is working with companies to promote sustainable travel and encourage staff to be more active on their journey to work. Businesses across the city are invited to bid for funding through our Plymotion Sustainable Travel Grant Scheme.

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International Trade

Looking to overseas markets to grow your business is a big decision for any size business. To support you in your growth plans Devon Chamber offers International Trade advice and support, via our International Trade team and our involvement in Devon International Trade Forum.

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Transform Foundation

Transform Foundation aims to encourage investment in digital technologies, skills and marketing in the charity sector. Offering grants to charities (with annual revenue between £350,000 and £30million) to develop websites and advertise through Facebook. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: On going

Horizon 2020: EU Research Programme

EU funding for large-scale, international collaborative research projects. New work programme for 2018-2020: UK businesses, universities, public bodies, charities and healthcare providers can still participate. Find out more, click here.

DEADLINE: On going

Guardian Media Group Creates £42 Million Venture Capital Fund for Media Tech Start-ups

A new, independent £42 million venture capital fund - GMG Ventures, to invest in start-ups that are related to media-tech. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 29 November 2017

£25 Million Innovate UK 5G Testbeds and Trials Programme

To develop a UK ‘5G ecosystem’ with technology and deployment, testbeds and trials to stimulate the development of 5G use cases and business models. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 6 December 2017

£10,000 Start-up Challenge Business Competition to Invest into Young Entrepreneurs
 
The Start-up Challenge Business Competition has been established to support aspiring entrepreneurs aged 16-30 years old. It offers participants an opportunity to win up to £10,000 of investment to start their own business or grow an existing one. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 17 December 2017

Tech for Good to Run for a Third Time

The funding is for projects at any stage of development, with solid user-centred research, a clear problem to address, and a compelling digital solution to achieving this. The technology may be simple or cutting edge. The funding is for new products and services that can be shared with the wider not-for-profit sector. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 20 December 2017

£2 Million Building Thermal Efficiency Innovation Fund

BEIS funding supports, through capital grants, the development and demonstration of innovative technologies, processes and business models that can be widely deployed to improve the thermal efficiency of existing UK buildings. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 2 January 2017

UK Announces £10 Million Innovation Loans Infrastructure Systems Funding Competition for UK SMEs

Loans are being provided to UK SME businesses to commercialise innovative technologies in infrastructure systems projects. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 10 January 2017

Government Announces £3 Million Fund to Develop New Airport Screening Innovations

The competition is looking for proposals to improve the ability of preventing explosives, hidden within electrical items in passenger baggage, from being taken on board an aircraft. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 17 January 2018

John Brabourne Awards Accepting Applications from Up-and-Coming Film and TV Talent

£15,000 awards available to successful applicants to benefit from professional support and talent development from The Cinema and Television Benevolent Fund (CTBF). The CTBF Grants cover production and development finance, post production and festival distribution, living and travel expenses, childcare, tuition fees, short training programmes and secondments. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 31 January 2018

European Maritime & Fisheries Fund: Sustainable Blue Economy

International partnerships to make innovative marine technologies market and investor ready or tackle marine litter. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 8 February 2018

Clean Sky 2 Programme - Seventh Call for Proposals Now Open

A Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), a public-private partnership that brings together companies, universities, public laboratories, innovative SMEs and the European Commission to develop and demonstrate breakthrough technologies for the civil aircraft market and to cut aircraft emissions and noise. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 27 February 2018

Second Active and Assisted Living Smart Ageing Prize Launch

Entries need to focus on social participation and quality of life, with the aim to enhance the networks and social experiences of older adults in the real world through innovative digital technologies. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 30 March 2018

$2 Million International GoFly Competition Open for Innovators to Create a Personal Flying Device

The aim is to foster the development of safe, quiet, ultra-compact, near-VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) personal flying devices that are capable of flying twenty miles while carrying a single person. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 4 April 2018

€2.7 Billion in H2020 Research Funding for Information and Communication Technologies

The 2018-2020 Industrial Leadership Information and Communication Technologies (LEIT) Work Programme covers ICT technology in a comprehensive way, covering technologies for Digitising European Industry, HPC, Big Data and Cloud, 5G and Next Generation Internet. Find out more, click here

£21m to boost UK’s world-class tech sector and spread the benefits across the country 

The UK’s world-leading tech sector will go from strength-to-strength after plans unveiled today set out a £21 million investment to create a new national network of regional tech hubs in areas across the country, including Belfast, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Birmingham.  Find out more, click here

The Family Business of the Year Awards 2018

The Family Business of the Year Awards 2018 seek to recognise the best family firms across the UK.  We have created a regional structure to the awards, industry sector awards and an overall winner who will be crowned Family Business of the Year 2018 at an awards evening in London. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 30 November 2017

Could you be the FSB Small Business of the Year 2018?

Entries are now open for FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2018! The awards showcase the best small businesses from the length and breadth of the country, offering national recognition. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 1 December 2017

Global HR Awards 2017
 
The Global HR excellence award is scheduled on 15 February 2017 at Taj Lands End, Mumbai. The aim of the Awards is to recognize the Best of Best, organized for a professional cause. The objective at core is benchmarking talent & HR practices. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 31 December 2017

South West Digital Awards

The event will take place in Plymouth, the centre of the region, in May 2018. Plymouth is the perfect location for the awards, acting as a middle ground between the bustling cities of Bristol & Exeter, the coastal towns of Bournemouth & Poole and the country’s farthest hubs of Truro & Redruth. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 31 January 2017

Launch of 2018 Sunny Art Award for Emerging and Established Artists

This fine art competition represents an opportunity for both emerging and established artists to showcase their work and gain recognition for their talents on a global level. Find out more, click here

DEADLINE: 20 June 2018 

Starting Post

Tuesday 28 November 2017 | 5pm to 7pm | The Hidden Olive, Plymouth

The Starting Post is Plymouth’s newest business network for the city’s growing start-up community, for people with a new business or those thinking about starting up. It is there to support the start-up community across all sectors.

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The Plymouth Manufacturers' Group's 40th Anniversary Christmas Lecture 2017

Thursday 30 November 2017 | 6pm to 6.30pm | Plymouth University

This year's guest lecturer, Sir John Parker GBE, FREng. Sir John will deliver a talk entitled: 'Leadership on an Industrial Journey', during which he will both examine some of the most critical challenges facing the engineering sector and consider the characteristics and importance of leadership.

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Innovate2Succeed | Managing Innovation for a Sustainable Business Model

Thursday 30 November 2017 | 8.30am to 1.30pm | Plymouth Science Park

Creating a secure and long-lasting business model is crucial to the future success of your company. The ability to constantly adapt but remain stable depends on that business model. So how do you continue to adapt as times change? Innovation management.

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Enhance Social Enterprise – Manage your Online Reputation

Thursday 30 November 2017 | 2pm to 4pm | Devonport Live

This event is for social enterprises. It will help you to understand how to improve your online profile.

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Small Business Saturday - Network Breakfast

Saturday 2 December | 8am to 9.30am | Grosvenor Casino Plymouth

Business advisory clinic.  Inspiring talks from new city centre manager Steve Hughes, author John Lamerton and from 'The Apprentice' Brett Butler-Smythe.  Free breakfast provided.  Find out more, click here

Small Business Saturday - Free Expert Advice

Saturday 2 December | 10.30am to 2.30pm | Plymouth Market

Drop in for free expert advice on everything from social media and writing to accounting and human resources. Find out more, click here

Plymouth University – One Stop Ideas Shop

Tuesday 5 December 2017 | 1pm | Plymouth University

Got an idea? Want to know how to turn it into a business? The One Stop Ideas Shop provides a forum for individuals to talk through their inventions/business ideas in a confidential setting, receive face to face expert guidance to enable to them to understand how to protect them and explore any potential for business opportunity.

Find out more, click here

Crunchy Breakfast December

Wednesday 6 December 2017 | 7.30am to 9am | Pinnacle Quay, Plymouth

Join us for the Devon’s premier December’s networking breakfast event to debate the county's crunchy topics. Speaking at the event will be Ian Grimshaw from Nash and Co who is a Partner within their employment team who will be giving us an update on Employment law

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Sizzling Southeast Asia Roadshow: Plymouth

Thursday 7 December 2017 | 10am to 2pm | Plymouth Science Park

Southeast Asia presents a unique opportunity for British investment to explore a region which is strategically placed, dynamic, high in growth and has strong demographics. It is one of the most fast-moving and competitive regions in the world.

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Export for Growth – Social media advertising to find new overseas customers

Thursday 7 December 2017 | 9.30am to 1pm | Plymouth Science Park

Learn how to access new territories and increase sales through some of the most popular social media platforms around today.

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China Business Clinics - South West (Taunton)

Wednesday 13 December 2017 | 10am to 5pm | Holiday Inn, Taunton

Jamie Shaw, China-Business Adviser for CBBC in the South West will be running a one-to-one business clinic with companies of all sizes, across all sectors.

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Plymouth City Council Library Services: Digital Garage Workshop

Monday 18 December 2017 | 10am to 11.30am | Plymouth Central Library

Google Digital Garage is an online learning tool that will help you improve your digital skills and learn how you can promote your business online.

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Enhance Social Enterprise | Leading in Transition, and Staying the Course (Better Leaders = Better Business!)

Tuesday 19 December 2017 | 9.15am to 12.30pm | Millfields Trust

This workshop will help participants: explore strategies to make your business agile and responsive, and discover tips and tactics for developing personal resilience to sustain you as a social enterprise leader.

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Plymouth Central Library – Business Basics free ‘drop in’ session

Wednesday 20 December 2017 | 1pm to 3pm | Plymouth Central Library

Monthly business advice drop-in sessions take place at Plymouth Central Library.

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Plymouth University – One Stop Ideas Shop

Tuesday 9 January 2018 | 8am to 12noon | Plymouth University

Got an idea? Want to know how to turn it into a business? The One Stop Ideas Shop provides a forum for individuals to talk through their inventions/business ideas in a confidential setting, receive face to face expert guidance to enable to them to understand how to protect them and explore any potential for business opportunity.

Find out more, click here

‘Beyond The Business As Usual’ innovation event

Thursday 25 January 2018 | 9.30am to 3pm | Sandy Park, Exeter

Staying ahead of the competition, you need to innovate - but knowing how to break the mould can be hard.

Register now for your chance to network and engage with senior executives from the Innovate UK family, who will demonstrate the importance of innovation, show you how to innovate and match you to the range of funding & collaborative opportunities that are right for you and your innovation.

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Department for International Trade

This is the central hub for business and networking opportunities. Search for future events and missions; register online and network with fellow delegates.

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ICO: Preparing for the GDPR - 12 steps to take now

Access the ICO's 12 step plan to ensure your business is compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which, despite Brexit, is here to stay.

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Millbay: Land west of Bath Street

• Size: 2 acres (0.836ha)
• Price guide: Offers and EOI invited
• Status: Available to buy

For further details, please click here

Business Centre 

Plymouth Business Centre is the perfect one stop shop for business premises in Plymouth. From start-ups to established firms with many employees and equipment, we have it all.From office space to meeting rooms to business support. If you want room to grow your business, we can help.

For further details, please click here