Latest business news and updates for Plymouth businesses
Please find below an overview of the latest business advice and guidance, as well as events and funding streams. In today's newsletter you will find news and updates on:
Plymouth to receive £25m from Government as freeport plan approved
Plymouth on course for bumper 2023 cruise season
Plymouth among UK’s top 10 most entrepreneurial cities
Tech companies invited to be part of the digital tech cluster map
Plymouth City Council now White Ribbon Accredited
Plymouth Debenhams redevelopment plans as new images put forward
The Cube’s first Business Elevator Soup pitching competition
Growth Hub support for South West businesses to continue with new funding
Green energy powerhouse ambitions showcased at Energy Summit
Events
Funding opportunities
If you have any specific concerns or are in need of support, please contact us.
Plymouth to receive £25m from Government as freeport plan approved
New employment land, new businesses, thousands of jobs and millions of pounds of investment is coming our way with the approval of the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport Full Business Case announced by the government today.
Plymouth and South Devon Freeport is the first of eight Freeports to be given the full green light along with two others. The approval unlocks millions of pounds of grant seed funding and enables applicable businesses to join and take advantage of the Freeport status.
A busy summer has set Plymouth on course for a bumper cruise season next year with a dozen ships already lined up to visit Britain’s Ocean City in 2023.
The port welcomed thousands of cruise tourists this year with the post-pandemic return of passenger liners bringing an economic boost to the city.
Next year sees an increase of the number of cruise ships scheduled to visit Plymouth with the current 12 bookings also including the Spirit of Discovery (Saga Cruises), Silver Dawn (Silversea Cruises) and Braemar (Fred Olsen Cruise Lines) with further enquiries being received.
Plymouth among UK’s top 10 most entrepreneurial cities
New research by SME insurance provider, Superscript, has identified Plymouth as the ninth most entrepreneurial city in the UK for 2022.
Analysing new data released by the Office for National Statistics, Superscript calculated that between 2021 and 2022, the number of small businesses (with up to 49 employees) in Plymouth increased by 265, representing a 4.5% uplift. Cross-referencing this with the latest population figures gave Plymouth a ‘small business per capita’ score of 0.10. This is in contrast to the national trend, with the amount of small businesses across the UK decreasing by 83,000.
Tech companies invited to be part of the digital tech cluster map
In collaboration with Tech Spark, Digital Plymouth is on a mission to create its very own digital tech cluster map for 2023. The idea behind a tech cluster map is to have a searchable, map-based directory of all the tech companies (hi tech, digital, advanced engineering, green tech, immersive, creative...) in Plymouth – helping to shine a spotlight on the incredible startups, scaleups and enterprises including what they have to offer.
Why is this important?
The interactive nature of the map allows users to identify opportunities outside of its immediate geographic location. Placing Plymouth on the map at a regional scale, helps to invite wider conversations around inward investment and showcase potential opportunities and support on offer.
How can you get involved?
Digital Plymouth is looking for the first 50 businesses who would be interested in being showcased on the tech cluster map! All you need to do is send Digital Plymouth the following details about your business (takes 5 minutes):
Company name
Company category - Choose a category(s) from below or state your category if not shown below:
Tech For Good, Cyber
Fintech (including Regtech/Legaltech)
Medtech/Biotech
Creative - Media
Creative - Gaming
Creative - Immersive
Greentech (including Cleantech/Climate tech)
Deep Tech - Telecoms
Deep Tech - AI
Deep Tech - Data
Deep Tech - Hardware
Deep Tech - Robotics
Digital
Edtech
SaaS
Short description about what you do (50 words)
Company Website URL
LinkedIn, Twitter links
Investment raised (optional)
Post code
Please email your entry details to info@digitalplymouth.com. Any information provided will only be used to get in touch with you (in case there is anything missing) and for the purposes of the tech cluster map.
Plymouth City Council has become White Ribbon Accredited as part of its ongoing commitment to end violence against women and girls.
White Ribbon is a global campaign that encourages people, especially men and boys, to individually and collectively take action and change the behaviour and culture that leads to abuse and violence.
The Council set out its plans to achieve accreditation in January 2022 and has been working towards this throughout the year. As an accredited organisation, the Council will continue to work to change the cultures that lead to abuse and violence and promote gender equality.
Plymouth Debenhams redevelopment plans as new images put forward
Fresh images which show how Plymouth’s former Debenhams department store could be redeveloped have been revealed. Earlier this year, plans were outlined to convert the Royal Parade unit to become two shops and more than 160 flats.
The proposals would see a two-storey extension built on top, but also see a huge chunk of the rear of the building demolished and rebuilt to provide light for flats created in the vast former sales area. The facades of the building, which fronts onto New George Street and Royal Parade, would remain untouched and no parking would be created for the development.
The plan envisages creating 166 one- and two-bedroom apartments in the extended building and says that in order for it to be financially viable it would need the rooftop extensions, the two floors containing more than 50 flats. The latest images, as part of a second pre-application enquiry, show what the courtyard as part of the residential element would look like.
The Cube’s first Business Elevator Soup pitching competition
You are invited to The Cube’s first Business Elevator Soup pitching competition on 26 January 2023, supporting start-up entrepreneurs from University of Plymouth.
The Cube is holding a lunchtime novel pitching competition. The event concept is simple, four businesses pitch whilst the audience enjoys a bowl of soup, the audience then vote for their favourite and the winner is announced.
This event is a really fun form of crowdfunding where the audience are investing their £5 entry fee into the business they feel has given the best pitch. The business with the most votes wins funds from the ticket sales plus £2,000, funded by Santander Universities UK plus the funds raised from the ticket sales. The winner will also receive a bespoke package of business support from The Cube and its partners.
This is a great opportunity for you to network and reach out to the entrepreneurial community of University of Plymouth and beyond by joining in our Business Elevator Soup Pitching Competition. - help us inspire and empower the ideas of a better future!
Growth Hub support for South West businesses to continue with new funding
he Heart of the South West LEP has announced further funding to support the Heart of the South West Growth Hub in providing support to local businesses across Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay.
The Heart of the South West Growth Hub offers free, impartial, expert business advice, and has a range of programmes and grants available to help support businesses with growth, resilience, trade, marketing, recruitment, and more.
The Heart of the South West LEP has awarded £208,000 to the Growth Hub, to ensure its services continue from March 2023, providing certainty to local businesses. The Growth Hub will continue to offer free advice and support, which has proved particularly important during the current economic crisis and uncertainty around doing business.
Green energy powerhouse ambitions showcased at Energy Summit
The huge potential of the South West’s green energy credentials, and its progress in becoming the UK’s green energy powerhouse, have been showcased at a key Energy Summit in the region.
The Great South West Partnership brought together leading figures across industry and Government for the summit, held at the University of Plymouth, on Wednesday 23 November.
The Great South West is the ‘powerhouse’ brand promoting the areas of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the Heart of the South West covering Devon and Somerset, and Dorset. It aims to advocate the region’s natural ‘blue and green’ assets, including the marine, agriculture and environmental sectors, as part of the region’s ambition to become the UK’s green energy powerhouse.
Oceansgate/Meet the Expert | Endeavour House, PL1 4RW | 14 December
In this workshop, Darren Butcher, Client Partner of Partners& and Caroline Wilson Business Protection specialist, will cover the importance of General insurance and Business protection, protecting the assets and your people… including yourselves!
Plymouth Business Network | Future Inn Plymouth, PL6 5ZD | 10 January 2023
Do you run a business in the Plymouth area? Are you looking to increase your sales? At Plymouth Business Network, you will meet and connect with like-minded businesspeople who can help you grow your business through referrals.
If you are not ready to commit as a member, you are welcome to come along as a guest by booking a ticket.
Oceansgate/Meet the Expert | Endeavour House, PL1 4RW | 18 January 2023
In this workshop, Ian Pitchford, a leadership coach-consultant, TEDx Speaker and Director of Coaching at A Mind 4 Adventure Ltd, will cover ‘Developing Your Future’, a three-hour personal coaching and leadership workshop that will bring new insights to even the most experienced business owners.
University of Plymouth | Rolle Building, UoP, PL4 8AA | 26 January 2023
Join the audience for a novel pitching event - The Cube's Business Elevator Soup Competition. Book your ticket to join the audience, eat soup, network with other local businesses, university staff, students and graduates and vote for your favourite pitch.
Tackling gender inequality in Plymouth
University of Plymouth | 23 February 2023
Calling all HR professionals and business leaders in Plymouth and surrounding areas University of Plymouth, in association with Real Ideas and with the support of Interreg, are bringing together a panel of experts to address one of the most challenging and complex issues of our times.
This important event will bring together expert analysis with practical learning to take into your business. It is an opportunity to begin to reverse the effect of this inequity and improve your operating model. This session will provide a great opportunity for you to network with other HR practitioners and share best practice.
Small Business Goes Big is a competition for businesspeople to pitch their companies to British retailers for a chance to have their products stocked in high-street outlets.
Applicants are invited to create a pitch video for their business using Adobe Express, a free web and mobile app.
Winners will have the opportunity to pitch live on stage at the StartUp Show in London in January 2023. There is a prize pool of £10,000, which the judges will distribute on the day.
The deadline to enter the competition is 8 January 2023.
UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £2 million for feasibility studies to develop and improve sustainable biomanufacturing in the UK.
UK registered micro, small and medium enterprises in the creative sector can apply for funding of between £10,000 and £30,000 for innovation projects to grow their business.
This competition will fund business innovation within the creative industries by providing a package of targeted and continuous support to help businesses to grow.
Up to £10 million has been allocated to fund innovation projects in this competition, which will award grants of up to £50,000. Projects must start by 1 June 2023, end by 30 November 2023 and last between 3-6 months.
The deadline for applications is 15 February 2023.
Small and local charities can apply for unrestricted grants of up to £75,000, spread over three years, from Lloyds Bank Foundation for England and Wales.
The Foundation’s focus is working with small specialist charities tackling complex issues, where its combination of unrestricted funding and capacity building support will have the greatest impact, helping these charities thrive beyond the lifetime of their grant.
Lloyds Bank Foundation applications will close on 3 March 2023.
