|
Please find below an overview of the latest business advice and guidance. In today's newsletter you will find news and updates including:
- Work starts to bring new look to New George Street
- Big brands on board for Derriford district shopping centre
- Plymouth’s empty spaces to get creative touch
- Plymouth businesses encouraged to become net zero heroes
- New report tackles problem of food insecurity in Plymouth
- Plymouth gets funding boost from new Community Renewal Fund
- Delivering on big ticket transport issues
- Plymouth City Council 'Highly Commended' in LGC Awards 2021
- Help us prioritise Plymouth’s pounds
- Outset Enterprise Coaching New Business Start-up Support
- Fully Funded Training for Businesses in Plymouth
- DATA Play 11 - Climate Emergency
- Vacancy: Project Manager Sustainable Tourism Scheme with Destination Plymouth
- Events
- Funding streams
- Get involved!
If you have any specific concerns or are in need of support, please contact us.
Work is starting this week to refresh and revive Old Town Street and New George Street as part of a multi-million pound investment by Plymouth City Council into a key part of the city centre. The dated eighties landscaping is going and in its place will be features designed to make it look a lot brighter and nicer.
The taxi rank at the top of town has already been relocated to a new area directly outside the entrance of Drake Circus on Eastlake Street. Another rank has also been created at St Andrew’s Cross.
Phase one will begin to lower New George Street, from Armada Way to the House of Fraser service yard this November, then phase 2 Upper New George Street and Old Town Street to St. Andrews Cross will get underway in January 2022.
Find out more here
Two big name brands have been confirmed as tenants at Plymouth’s newest district shopping centre.
Plymouth City Council has secured big hitters – Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Aldi for the site of the former Seaton Barracks, which is one of the last undeveloped plots within Plymouth International Medical & Technology Park.
And the M&S Foodhall will be double the size of the existing Simply Food store at its current premises next to Windsor House.
The completed development, if it gets planning consent, is expected to create over 100 full time jobs as well as safeguard a further 57 full time jobs (from the existing M&S store). It builds on the work of the Council in securing the Range Head Office for the site.
It is also estimated that 120 construction jobs will be generated during the development phase. The consultant team also includes a number of local firms, including Hoare Lea and Airey & Coles, both based in Plymouth.
The delivery of a new district centre for Derriford is a key strategic objective for the Council, with the former barracks site designated as the preferred site for the district centre in the Joint Local Plan adopted in March 2019.
Find out more here
Artists and creatives will bring unused spaces to life across Plymouth in a cultural transformation of empty shops, buildings and urban areas.
The innovative project will start by focusing on the city centre, revitalising units not in commercial use, but will spread to high street areas around Plymouth.
The scheme – known as ‘meanwhile use’ – aims to make use of empty spaces until they are commercially occupied and will give a platform to cultural initiatives by the city’s creative community as well as bring more exciting artist projects to the city centre.
It could mean an exhibition popping up in an empty shop unit in the city centre or an interactive experience appearing on an unused area of a high street.
It is being spearheaded by Plymouth Culture, Plymouth City Council, Plymouth City Centre Company and Vacancy Atlas, specialists in unlocking the potential of empty spaces.
Find out more here
New, free support is now available to help Plymouth businesses become carbon neutral.
The ‘Make it Net Zero - Plymouth’ programme, delivered by SWMAS Ltd on behalf of Plymouth City Council, will give businesses the advice and guidance they need to become net zero.
Net zero refers to the balance between the volume of greenhouse gas produced and removed from the atmosphere, so businesses can reach it when the amount added to the environment is completely offset by the amount removed.
The programme aims to engage with more than 200 people over the next few months and hopes to encourage more than 50 local SMEs to commit to becoming net zero. This group of businesses will be the trailblazers, showcasing best practice for others to follow.
Find out more here
A new report is investigating community-led business solutions to manage the collection and distribution of food in Plymouth
The Covid-19 pandemic has tipped households that were ‘just managing’ to make ends meet into food insecurity, research has shown.
The report will be launched at an event on 18 November as part of the Social Enterprise Festival 2021. Aimed primarily at food aid organisations, the event will invite discussion around the pros and cons of alternative community led options for reducing dependency on food aid in Plymouth.
The report, ‘Co-operative options for Food Aid providers in Plymouth’ was funded by DEFRA and is aimed at identifying a co-operative business model solution for Plymouth to manage food-aid activities in a more sustainable and inclusive way.
As a Social Enterprise City since 2013, Plymouth City Council supports social enterprise activities that will help place a fairer and greener future at the heart of Plymouth’s Covid recovery plans. All participants are welcome to join in with this year’s Social Enterprise Festival which can be accessed on the Plymouth Social Enterprise Network website.
Find out more here.
Two Plymouth projects have been awarded over a million pounds between them in the Government’s new Community Renewal Fund.
Plymouth’s trailblazer National Marine Park has been awarded £655,873 while the Stonehouse Union is to receive £542,893.
The funding for Plymouth Sound National Marine Park will go towards activities with tourism businesses in the wider visitor economy that are engaged, or have the potential to engage, with the National Marine Park initiative.
Working in partnership with Destination Plymouth, businesses will receive 1:1 support for sustainability and growth, training on 'green/blue' tourism and product development as well as innovative approaches to decarbonisation and connecting communities to the waterfront.
The Stonehouse Union bid has been put forward by Nudge Community Builders and Street Factory. It brings together a range of community organisations working towards urban renewal through meeting the needs of individuals.
The project will provide a pipeline of entrepreneurs to occupy underused commercial space and revitalise Plymouth's Union Street and Stonehouse neighbourhood. It will invest in people, giving them support to prepare for work and achieve their potential in the community, and provide affordable space for them to start up and scale up microbusinesses.
Find out more here
Progress on big ticket transport issues were in the spotlight at today’s Cabinet as the City Council’s administration signed off four more of its commitments.
Tackling congestion and improving public transport on one of our busiest roads, the Woolwell to the George, is one the administration’s commitments to help improve Plymouth’s transport network. This is now to be delivered as the Council has secured almost £20 million for the scheme through the Government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The funding will be used to extend the George Park and Ride to provide a further 300 to 500 spaces and to tackle congestion along the busy stretch of Tavistock Road between Woolwell Roundabout and the George Junction, one of Plymouth’s worst traffic bottlenecks.
Find out more here
More than 1,150 local authority professionals gathered on 4 November 2021 to celebrate the very best in local government.
The LGC Awards is the premier event of the year in the local government calendar. The event exists to identify, celebrate and help spread the finest example of innovation and quality delivered by councils on a daily basis.
Plymouth City Council was awarded the 'Highly Commended' award for the Partnership (Public Private) category for the work on Resurgam, Plymouth’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery Programme, a partnership between Plymouth City Council and the private sector.
We collaborated and co-designed our response to the pandemic with the private sector, firstly with lead officers from three key organisations: the Devon and Plymouth Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses and Plymouth Manufacturing Group. This enabled the sharing of expertise and intelligence during the emerging situation.
We also give a special thanks to the Sector Hub leads for their support and involvement not only in the award application but in the recovery programme itself.
Whilst first delivered as an emergency business response; the sector led approach has galvanised the Plymouth business community, who came together behind actions and recovery plan, to build back a fairer and greener way.
We want to hear the views and ideas of Plymouth residents and businesses as we work on plans to set a budget for next year.
We are facing big challenges in setting a revenue budget of around £198 million for delivering local services next year. Like most councils, our funding and income continue to decrease, while demand for services rises.
These pressures mean that in order to set a balanced budget we need to identify how we will close a £20 million gap between our resources and costs.
Our Prioritise Plymouth Pounds budget engagement exercise is asking which services people value most and for feedback on our current proposals for balancing the books.
Have your say
Outset Enterprise Coaching have launched a new mini series of workshops for Plymouth residents who are serious about starting a business.
Delivered by our experienced local advisor the ‘Learn & Launch’ training events have been designed to give you the full skillset you need to launch and grow a successful business.
From 1-3 hours in length, they will teach you a mixture of theory and practical skills and for many you can attend in person or participate virtually. Topics include, social media, branding, 60 second pitch and website design. We will be working with a range of local partners too.
- 15 Nov: Social Media Time Management
- 18 Nov: How to build your own website and capture product photos
- 2 Dec: How to design a brand
- 10 Dec: Second business pitch and the art of collaboration
Find out more here
SMART SKILLS is helping businesses in Devon to identify skills gaps in their existing workforce and provide the skills training they need to become more resilient and grow.
Funded by the European Social Fund, SMART SKILLS provides no-cost training solutions to upskill your staff and advance your business. The range of skills support includes all levels from short courses through to full qualifications.
SMART SKILLS can provide your business with free training in Leadership & Management, Digital Marketing, Coaching & Mentoring, Project Management, Digital Technologies, plus more!
Contact the SMART SKILLS Hub to speak to an expert Skills Adviser who will help to identify skills gaps and support you with your skills needs. Email: smartskills.hub@cswgroup.co.uk or Tel: 0800 9755 111 (Select option 6).
Find out more here
DATA Play is about working with local talent and tech companies to explore how open data and technology can be used to help the Council deliver services in new ways.
We run 'play days' throughout the year to encourage people to come together and play with the datasets we've opened. These days are set in a fun, creative environment and focus on different themes and some of the challenges the Council face.
The next DATA Play day will be taking place on 18 November 2021 at Market Hall in Devonport. Once again we will be working with local talent and tech companies to explore how open data and technology can be used to help the Council deliver services in new ways.
Join us for a day exploring how data can help with the city’s challenges around the climate emergency. Our Natural Infrastructure and City Planning Teams will be joining us to talk about how our Plan for Plastics, Community Forest and City Change Fund are helping to reduce emissions and change behaviour.
Find out more here
Destination Plymouth has a vacancy for a Project Manager for a new Sustainable Tourism Scheme which will be launched for businesses in Plymouth.
Destination Plymouth is looking for an experienced and suitably qualified contractor to project manage a new sustainable tourism scheme for businesses in Plymouth.
A key part of the role will be to encourage local businesses to sign up to the scheme, to inspire pro-environmental action by local businesses and communicate the aims and vision of the scheme. This will be achieved by raising awareness and encouraging business and community participation and engagement in its activities as well as through partnership development, targeted campaigns and effective communications.
Key accountabilities and key measures will include:
- Launch of the sustainable tourism scheme
- Engagement with businesses across the wider visitor economy
- Registration and accreditation of businesses
- Collation of data on sustainability metrics e.g. carbon tracker
- Campaign activity and communications to support engagement and raise awareness of the scheme locally, nationally and internationally
Programme for appointment
It is anticipated that the initial contract run for a period of approximately 5 months and an indicative programme for the appointment is:
- Invitation to tender: w/c Nov 1
- Tender submission: By Nov 14
Find out more here
For further information on the latest events, visit Invest Plymouth's event page.
If you have a Plymouth event you'd like promoted, you can submit your own events here
Techstars Startup Weekend Marine Plymouth
University of Plymouth | University of Plymouth, PL4 8AA | 12 to 14 November
In collaboration with local business leaders and experts from the thriving South West marine industry, we're inviting creative people from across Plymouth, AND BEYOND, to join us for a Startup Weekend with a focus on Marine! This event will support new and innovative marine-themed ideas to emerge and come to life in Plymouth.
Find out more here
Learn & Launch: Social Media - Time Management
Outset | Four Greens Trust, PL5 4DD | 15 November
Learn & Launch is an exciting new mini series of workshops that have been designed to give you the full skillset you need to launch and grow a successful business.
This bite sized workshop will explain how to see social media as a useful tool for your business, rather than a huge amount of work that doesn't add any value!
Find out more here
Let's take your business into orbit: Marketing Bootcamp
Outset | Outset CIC, PL1 3DX | 15 to 17 November
This bootcamp is being run by Dr Liz Ratcliffe who will provide you with all her top tips and ideas for getting your marketing strategy right and the tools that will work for your business. Liz brings over 25 years-experience of working in marketing, sales and business development.
Find out more here
Social Enterprise City Festival
PSEN | 15 to 26 November
PSEN’s upcoming Social Enterprise Festival for 2021 is aiming to highlight this and the amazing work being carried out locally. We are looking for local active projects, groups or organisations who are taking action towards one or more of the 17 SDGs to showcase what you are up to through running a workshop, event, talk or participatory session at this year’s Festival. This could be anything from a 1-hour event to a half-day workshop.
Could this be you? Would you like to add to Plymouth’s story of progressive change and showcase how you are making a difference whilst engaging new audiences?
We are looking to demonstrate what we need to do, why it’s important and how to take local action towards the global goals. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!
Please get in touch via hello@plymsocent.org.uk
Find out more here
Digital Boost: Plymouth - Facebook: Next Steps
COSMIC | Online | 16 November
You know how to do the basics in Facebook but take it to the next level. We will show you how to use all the added features ideal for maximising your business engagement online. We will teach how to use events, advertising & groups within Facebook and help you to leverage the most from the platform.
Find out more here
"Refining the Words" - Improving your funding bid
POP Ideas | Online | 16 November
An advanced look at writing a successful community grant funding bid. Part of POP ideas' "Improving Your Chances of Getting Funding" events
Find out more here
Co-operative options for Food Aid providers in Plymouth Launch Event
Plymouth City Council | Online | 18 November
We are excited to welcome you to inspiring interactive presentation for the launch of the Phase 1 Report for ‘Co-operative options for Food Aid providers in Plymouth’, as part of Plymouth Social Enterprise City Festival 2021.
We will be hosting this launch event on Microsoft Teams on Thursday 18 November from 10am to 11.30am.
Find out more here
Learn & Launch: How to build your own website and capture product photos
Outset / Meet the Expert | Venue tbc | 19 November
Outset have teamed up with Meet the Expert to deliver this three hour session on two very useful skills to have when starting a business.
Taking your own imagery and building your own website can save you a lot of money in the start up phase of your business, but it can feel overwhelming knowing where to begin. We demystify this entire process in this workshop and give you the tools to quickly, easily and cheaply do it yourself!
Find out more here
Building an Enterprising Mindset and Skillset
Outset | Outset CIC, PL1 3DX | 23 to 25 November
This 3 part female only course aims to develop your confidence and entrepreneurial skills, designed for women considering starting, or who have recently started their own business.
Find out more here
Launch of £100,000 Fund for Green Tech Start-ups
Through the GreenTech Fund, Simmons & Simmons wants to tackle the climate crisis by encouraging innovative solutions from around the world. The Fund is seeking emerging green tech start-ups that are focused on using technology to mitigate the climate and biodiversity emergencies.
The fund will award £100,000 of legal support from across Simmons' network to four businesses that are innovating in an attempt to halt and reverse the climate crisis. Support will be tailored to the specific needs of each organisation.
The deadline to apply is 31 December 2021.
Find out more here
IUK Launches Sustainable Smart Factory Competition
Through the Made Smarter Innovation programme, Innovate UK (IUK) is investing £147 million to accelerate the development of game changing digital manufacturing ideas.
Grant funding of up to £20 million is available to fund innovation projects in this competition.
The deadline for applications is 26 January 2022.
Find out more here
Former Dragons' Den Investor Launches £10K Pitching Competition
Through the Pitch to Piers competition, entrepreneur and former Dragons’ Den investor Piers Linney, is seeking to raise the awareness of small businesses across the UK.
Entrants are asked to describe their business operations and demonstrate how their innovation and use of technology has enabled them to survive and thrive through the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and beyond.
Selected businesses will be chosen to pitch to Piers Linney. They will need to explain what they would do with the £10,000 cash prize.
The deadline for entries is 28 January 2022.
Find out more here
International Rice Business Plan Competition for Young Entrepreneurs - 2022 Round Launched
The Rice Business Plan Competition is an international graduate level start-up competition. It is designed to give collegiate entrepreneurs a real-world experience to pitch their start-ups to investors, receive mentoring, network with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhance their start-up strategy, and learn what it takes to launch a successful business.
There will be over US $1 million in prizes, and all 42 teams competing at Rice University are guaranteed to win cash prizes. Currently, the minimum cash prize is US $500, and the grand prize winner receives a US $350,000 investment (typically in the form of a convertible debt note).
The deadline for applications is Monday 31 January 2022.
Find out more here
Global Start Up Energy Transition Award Reopens for 2022
The aim of the Start Up Energy Transition Award is to recognise global start-up companies that have developed innovative products and/or services that contribute to energy system transformation.
There are five categories, all with the aim of clean energy promotion. The winner of each category will receive a prize of up to €10,000.
Applications must be submitted by the deadline of 31 January 2022.
Find out more here
COVID-19 Recovery Loans for UK SMEs Extended to Next Summer
The Recovery Loan Scheme supports access to finance for UK businesses as they grow and recover from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme is administered by the British Business Bank, with loans available through a network of accredited commercial lenders.
The following types of finance are currently available:
- Term loans and overdrafts between £25,001 and £10 million per business.
- Invoice finance and asset finance between £1,000 and £10 million per business.
The actual amount offered, and the terms, are at the discretion of participating lenders. The Government guarantees 80% of the finance to the lender. The borrower is always 100% liable for the debt.
Applications can be made at any time until the scheme closes on 30 June 2022.
Find out more here
HSBC Creates £500m Fund to Help SMEs Decarbonise
HSBC UK has announced a new £500 million Green SME Fund to help businesses transition in a low carbon economy. The bank believes that access to funds should not be a barrier for firms working to achieve lower carbon emissions. Through the Fund, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are being targeted to invest in a range of green solutions and initiatives.
The Fund will launch in January 2022, at which point the full eligibility criteria will be made available.
Find out more here
Share with us
As we are getting back to face-to-face meetings and holding events in a covid-safe manner, we would love to see others doing the same. Please share with us by tagging us on Twitter @InvestPlymouth or on Linkedin Economic Development @ Plymouth City Council.
Submit your events
You can also share your event FREE on our website, just simply fill in the event submission form.
How your business is adapting to greener solutions
We encourage people to email us at invest@plymouth.gov.uk with stories on what they are doing within their business to make tomorrow better than today, by thinking about their environmental benefit. Our business community of almost 8,000 subscribers, are keen to hear how your business has started its journey, seen success or innovated how you do business to adapt new greener solutions?
Find out more about Plymouth's Climate Emergency Action Plan
Did you know we are on Linkedin? Join us here for more regular updates.
|
Know someone who isn't receiving our newsletters but would like to stay in touch?
Sign up for our newsletter here
|
