The local economy in Plymouth – Britain’s Ocean City – is predicted to receive a multi-million-pound boost when the most exciting racing on-water, SailGP, returns this summer for the Great Britain Sail Grand Prix on July 30-31.
The return of the Grand Prix to the South West coast and to the UK’s first National Marine Park for the second year in a row is being delivered in partnership with Plymouth City Council and is expected to build on last year’s success which brought numerous benefits to the region.
A report by Deloitte into July 2021’s Season 2 Grand Prix revealed the event drew an estimated 27,000 spectators to the city and injected $9.5 million (£7.71 million) into the local economy - all of which contributed to it receiving a gold award for Tourism Event/Festival of the Year in the Devon Tourism Awards.
The numbers for this year’s Grand Prix are expected to exceed this as the Covid-19 restrictions which placed limits on the number of people that could travel to last year’s event from outside the Plymouth region are no longer in place.
The 2022 Grand Prix will also build on the community impact activities delivered through SailGP’s Inspire program which are designed to connect with young people in the area and showcase the importance of sustainability in sailing and how it can be a force for good. The Inspire program has engaged over 8,000 young people around the globe, well on its way to reaching its target of 10,000 young people by 2025.
Early bird tickets for the event, offering a 10% discount on a variety of options, are on sale now for a limited period and can be purchased at SailGP.com/GreatBritain.
With less than three weeks to go, there’s still time to book free tickets to MDL’s Green Tech Boat Show, taking place at MDL’s Queen Anne’s Battery, Plymouth, 17-18 June 2022.
Dedicated to highlighting the boating industry’s eco-friendly products and services, the Green Tech Boat Show is an absolute must for anyone wanting to understand the greener options available to them to make their boating journey as sustainable as possible.
From an old victualling hub to a vibrant new home for Hub Box, the much-loved South West purveyors of mighty fine burgers has officially opened its 11th eatery, a new Plymouth flagship restaurant at Royal William Yard – and the result is a sight to behold.
The historic space has been transformed to create a bar and 180-seat restaurant, with seating indoors and outside overlooking the waterfront. With both style and substance, the new restaurant successfully blends the building’s proud past and awe-inspiring architecture with the cool, coastal interior that Hub Box is known for.
Founded in 1856, Plymouth College of Art has been granted full university status and formally recognised with the new title of Arts University Plymouth following approval by the Privy Council, becoming the city of Plymouth’s specialist arts university.
With 166 years of history in the city, the move to become Arts University Plymouth comes after the institution, which has delivered Higher Education for over 20 years, received Taught Degree Awarding Powers in 2019.
Cattewater Harbour Commissioners have recently commissioned two new visitor pontoons to improve access into the city for vessels when visiting Plymouth.
Using the yacht's tender, visitors can make the short trip to the popular Barbican Dinghy Pontoon, and immediately disembark into the heart of the waterfront with a wide variety of local bars, restaurants, and local, independent shops to enjoy.
The visitor pontoons are suitable for a range of recreational and commercial vessels, enquiries to book can be made directly with the Harbour Office.
Plans for a new health and wellbeing centre in the west end of Plymouth have taken a step forward, with planning permission granted for the building.
Plymouth City Council has this week approved an application to build the West End Health and Wellbeing Centre on a site at Colin Campbell Court.
Plymouth City Council and the NHS locally and nationally are working together on the project, which aims to bring a range of services together under one roof.
The new building would not only provide a much-needed modern health and community facility, but would help kick start the regeneration of the Stonehouse area.
Receiving planning permission marks a significant milestone but the project remains subject to business case approval and is dependent on confirmation of a funding source.
Plymouth’s High Street Heritage Action Zone has announced today that its second round of ‘High Street Heritage Sparks’ funding is now open.
Local community groups are invited to apply for small grants of up to £2,500 (and in exceptional cases £5,000) for community projects that breathe life back into Plymouth’s city centre. The scheme is seeking projects that focus on the area around Royal Parade and the Civic Square and respond to its wonderful heritage.
Post-pandemic our city centre is evolving. What could you do, to put the happy back into the high street? What events or projects could you plan that would support its future survival? You may be looking at all that outside space and have a great idea. Some of the projects funded in round one have included a women’s selfie wall competition, a map of Plymouth’s post-war buildings, an exhibition about artist Solomon Hart and a gallery of community art inspired by the spirit of ‘Resurgam’.
Projects that apply for funding would need to enable local people to understand and celebrate the history of the city centre and find new and innovative ways to use its incredible spaces.
Are you a local business that wants to reduce your carbon footprint and help achieve Net Zero? Do you want to positively influence the way your colleagues travel by providing sustainable transport facilities at your workplace? Our Workplace Travel Grants might be able to help.
Applications are now being accepted for capital grants of up to £25,000 for local businesses for measures that help staff travel more sustainably to, from and whilst at work through Plymouth City Council’s Productive Plymouth Transforming Cities Fund Programme. The maximum contribution from the Council is 75 per cent of the scheme costs.
Launched in October 2020, the programme has already benefitted 36 companies, with more than £430,000 from grants and business contributions being invested in sustainable transport facilities. Improved showers, cycle parking, electric vehicle charge points and staff pool bikes are just some of the measures funded so far.
The closing date for applications for the 2022/23 programme is Friday 30 September 2022 and all schemes funded this year must be delivered by mid-March 2023.
Crowdfunder and Arts University Plymouth have teamed up to award creative and digital projects in Plymouth with a share of £15,000 match funding.
They’re on the lookout for 20 creative and digital people, organisations, or businesses in Plymouth who need funding to make their ideas a reality. For example, projects could be looking to create their first interactive game, magazine, feature film or virtual art gallery.
Successful entrants will have the opportunity to win up to a total £3,500, with all 20 receiving at least £500.
For projects to receive the funding, they must hit a series of milestones on Crowdfunder. £10,000 is ring-fenced to ensure all 20 shortlisted projects receive £500 match funding, subject to hitting milestone one. The remaining £5,000 match funding is available on a first come, first served basis to the 20 shortlisted projects, subject to hitting milestones two and three.
To be in with a chance of winning up to £3,500, entrants must tell Crowdfunder UK about their creative or digital idea in 100 words. Entries to the competition open on 13 May 2022 and close 9 June 2022.
Working in city-wide partnership, Skills Launchpad Plymouth is going live with a high-profile, interactive and inspiring two-day future careers event, showcasing the breadth of opportunities available with local employers and promoting the city’s key growth sectors.
Hosted at Home Park, Launchpad Live will run on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 September 2022 and aims to inspire and raise aspirations of Plymouth’s young people, and improve awareness of local career choices and progression pathways available after they leave school.
Launchpad Live will showcase the city’s key employment and growth sectors to Year 7-13 students through presenting interactive zones focused on marine, engineering and manufacturing; health and care; construction and the built environment; tourism, hospitality and retail; technology, business and creative services, as well as the Armed Forces and the emerging green and sustainability career opportunities.
The event is being organised by Plymouth City Council in partnership with YMCA Plymouth, with further support from the Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and Plymouth Citybus.
IGNITE Business Programme
Plymouth College of Art (PCA) | PCA, PL4 8AT | 23 May to 1 June
Make your creative business dreams a reality through the free IGNITE Business Programme, part of the IGNITE Festival of Creativity. Over 8 workshops delivered by expert business consultant, Mark Cotton, you'll learn key enterprise skills to kickstart your business ideas after graduation.
IGNITE Festival of Creativity
IGNITE | Various locations | 27 May to 15 July
This summer the award-winning IGNITE Festival of Creativity returns to the city of Plymouth for its fourth year, celebrating the work of hundreds of creative graduates from over 30 degree programmes, and a schedule of recruitment and employability content, in a series of exhibitions and events across multiple city-wide venues, including galleries, studios and event spaces.
Green Edge Training
Green Tourism/Destination Plymouth | Various locations | 9 and 15 June
The one-day Green Edge training course gives managers and owners in all types of business a better understanding of green tourism and how it impacts on their organisation. It enables participants to develop clear plans to cut costs, improve sustainability and reap the environmental, marketing and bottom-line benefits of embracing green tourism.
Progressing the People Working Lunch
Real Ideas | Market Hall | 15 June
As part of our commitment to Inclusive Recruitment, Real Ideas is working with Plymouth City Council to support businesses in the city. These working lunches will be a forum for business leaders and HR professionals to discuss their own situations and work together to share good practices.
Meet the Export Expert FREE Workshop
Oceansgate | Endeavour House, PL1 4RW | 15 June
The 'Getting Your Business Ready To Sell Overseas' workshop will be delivered by Emily Lambert, Trade Advisor for the Export Academy South West, Department for International Trade, in partnership with the 'Meet the Expert' Business Support Programme and will offer practical advice on getting your business ready to sell overseas and much more.
System Shift Take Action: SME Carbon footprinting
University of Plymouth | Various locations | 16 June
How can you take meaningful action on climate change as a local enterprise or business based here in Devon? Join us for a series of interactive and informative carbon footprinting workshops which will enable you to put theory into action, enabling net-zero to become a reality.
Outset Business Support workshops
Outset | Online | Multiple dates
Outset Enterprise Coaching delivers a full support programme combining modular business workshops, rich online learning resources and 1:1 support. It’s open to all Plymouth residents, and fully funded by Plymouth City Council and the European Regional Development Fund.
Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Innovation 2.0 Competition: Call 2 Open
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is looking to support the deployment of advanced carbon, capture, usage and storage (CCUS) technologies within the UK.
A total of £20 million in grant funding has been made available over two calls to innovation projects that significantly reduce the cost of capturing, using and sequestering CO2, or that help UK industry to understand the opportunity for deploying next generation carbon capture technology on industrial, waste or power sites.
- Lot 1 Mid Stage CCUS innovation
- Lot 2 Late Stage CCUS innovation
- Lot 3 Next Generation Carbon Capture Technology feasibility study
Those intending to apply must confirm via email to industry.innovation@beis.gov.uk by 1 July 2022 for Lots 1 and 2; and 3 October 2022 for Lot 3.
Clean Maritime Demonstration - IUK Launches Round 2 Competitions
Through Round 2 of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition, the Department for Transport will work with Innovate UK (IUK) to invest in innovative clean maritime projects.
-
Strand 1 of the competition is funding detailed feasibility studies and plans for innovative technology demonstrations of scalable clean maritime solutions.
-
Strand 2 of the competition is funding agile technology demonstrations and pre-deployment testing of clean maritime technologies.
IUK has allocated funding from a £12 million budget for innovation projects across the two competition strands.
The deadline for applications is 13 July 2022.
IUK Launches Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility Competitions
Through the Commercialising Connected and Automated Mobility Competitions, Innovate UK (IUK) will work with the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CCAV) to invest in innovation projects across two competitions.
The competitions aim to support the CCAV ambition to progress technologies, products and services into commercial offerings. They will target early commercial self-driving vehicle opportunities, and support the UK supply chain to grow and fill technology gaps necessary for their deployment.
Up to £41.5 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects across the two strands.
The deadline for applications for both competition strands is 20 July 2022.
Faraday Battery Challenge - IUK Launches Round 5 R&D and Feasibility Competitions
Innovate UK (IUK) is investing in innovation projects in propulsion battery technologies for electric vehicles across two competition strands. Round 5 of the Faraday Battery Challenge aims to:
- Ensure the UK automotive sector meets its net zero commitments in the required timescale, by enabling the development and scale-up of sustainable battery technologies.
- Ensure the UK prospers from a just and fair transition to electrification, by taking action to develop a world class intellectual and physical supply chain for batteries in the UK.
The two strands are Collaborative Research and Development (CR&D); and Feasibility Studies.
The deadline for applications is 17 August 2022.
Launch of Industrial Energy Transformation Fund - Phase 2 Summer 2022
The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) supports industrial sites with high energy use to transition to a low carbon future. The fund targets existing industrial processes, helping industry to:
- Cut energy bills by investing in more efficient technologies.
- Reduce emissions by bringing down the costs and risks associated with investing in deep decarbonisation technologies.
The IETF Phase 2: Summer 2022 round provides up to £70 million of grant funding.
The deadline for applications to be submitted is Friday 9 September 2022.
|
