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:
Latest news
Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan
Trade for Free
The Tech South West Awards 2024 are open for entries
Business Support
Together for a better Plymouth
SWIG Funding for the South West
Would you benefit from hosting an intern?
Plymouth Freelancers Agency
Training
Free business management course for small businesses
Costing and Pricing for Social Entrepreneurs
Funding opportunities
Creative Enterprise Business Builder Grants
UK-Germany Bilateral: Collaborative R&D Round 3
UK-Taiwan CRD 2024
Events
Ocean Tech Expo 2024
Sustainable Earth 2024
Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards 2024/25
If you have any specific concerns or are in need of support, please contact us or visit our website.
Latest news
Offshore Wind Industrial Growth Plan
Offshore wind industry unveils Industrial Growth Plan to create jobs, triple supply chain manufacturing.
RenewableUK, the Offshore Wind Industry Council, The Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland have published a detailed Industrial Growth Plan, setting out how to triple offshore wind manufacturing capacity over the next ten years, firmly establishing the UK as a leader in a surging global market.
Fancy starting your own business in Plymouth Market? Here’s a great opportunity to try it out for free as part of the Love Your Local Market celebration!
The Tech South West Awards 2024 are open for entries
With 25 categories up for grabs - including Best Startup, FinTech, Sustainability, Commitment to Talent, HealthTech, MarineTech, Women in Tech, Space & Aviation, Tech Company of the Year, Workplace Culture and more - this year's awards promise to be one of the biggest tech events of the year.
Connect Plymouth celebrates one whole year of the scheme
In March this year, Connect Plymouth celebrated one whole year of the scheme, which saw the launch of Beryl e-bikes and electric charging for vehicles in Plymouth, and an all-electric car club. Just a year after the launch and we can already see the benefits!
The SWIG Finance Team are delighted to report another successful year in funding many smaller businesses with growth ambitions across the South and South West.
In 2023/24, they delivered 580 loans to start-ups and growing SMEs with lending worth £14m.
If you’d like to discuss your business finance needs, please get in touch on info@swigfinance.co.uk or call them on 01872 227 930.
Following on from the recent success of the spring 2024 cycle, University of Plymouth are now accepting project vacancies for the final cycle of this academic year.
If you would like to host a student or would like to know how you can get involved reach out via internships@plymouth.ac.uk
Plymouth Freelancers Agency
The University of Plymouth Freelancers Agency offers a quick and efficient service for your business.
You can connect with a growing pool of new, developing, and established student and graduate freelancers.
All freelancers are prepared and accessible to take on your projects whenever you require, with absolutely no agency fees.
Free business management course for small businesses
Government has launched Help to Grow: Management Essentials, a new online training course filled with practical advice and resources for small business leaders.
The free short course is an introductory version of the full Help to Grow: Management course to reach even more small businesses.
Essentials is the latest addition to the Help to Grow toolkit supporting UK small businesses to scale up and grow.
This fully-funded workshop for Plymouth businesses will support social entrepreneurs to feel confident about what to charge for their products and services.
Creative Enterprise Business Builder applications now open
The Creative Enterprise Business Builder, a grant initiative designed to support companies who work in moving image for storytelling, spanning film television, games, animation and immersive industries.
With grants of up to £2,500, beneficiaries will be able to work with a consultant to build meaningful connections and create opportunities for business growth.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, will work with The Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Klimaschutz (BMWK), (The Federal Ministry For Economic Affairs And Climate Action), to invest up to £4 million in innovation projects.
This competition aims to enhance UK and German collaborations and capabilities in the emerging fields of technology in our society. This is to develop and deliver innovations and applications of the technologies across a broad range of sectors.
Innovate UK and Taiwan’s Department of Industrial Technology (DoIT) are offering £5 million to fund collaborative industrial research projects between UK and Taiwanese businesses.
Proposals must include at least one partner from the UK and one partner from Taiwan. UK-registered organisations must apply to and will be funded by Innovate UK. Taiwan partners must apply to and will be funded by the DoIT.
Driving Technology Development for Sustainable Exploitation of the rapidly growing Ocean Economy.
In two months’ time, Maritime UK SW’s Ocean Tech Expo (OTE) is back for what promises to be its fourth successful year, hosted this time around by the University of Plymouth on 26 and 27 June.
Over half of the 300 places have already been taken so be quick to find out more and book your tickets.
Sustainable Earth 2024: Accelerating Action on Net Zero through Mobilising People-Power
Sustainable Earth 2024 is a free online event bringing together researchers, businesses, NGOs, the public sector, community groups and individuals to tackle global and local challenges around the climate emergency.
Get inspired, meet people, spark ideas and find ways to collaborate, taking place 19 June from 9.30am to 5.30pm
Innovate UK Women in Innovation Awards 2024/25 Briefing Event
The Innovate UK Women in Innovation competition is back and open for entries.
The competition will award 50 women with up to £75k grant funding, plus a comprehensive package of mentorship, networking, training and 1-to-1 business coaching.
There is a briefing event on 14 May which will cover eligibility criteria, FAQs, application scope, and how to apply. You’ll also hear from previous winners about the awards.
