 Big day for Derriford as new units handed over
It's a big day for the north of Plymouth and a big day for the Council with the first units at the new district centre at Derriford now being handed over from the developer to the landlord, Plymouth City Council.
Shoppers have been waiting with excitement for the new stores to open their doors, with Aldi’s now open and the count down on for the new Marks & Spencer Foodhall to open next month. Ahead of that, the Council has formally taken ownership of the first three units of the site, which was developed by ADC Kimberley on behalf of the Council.
 Ports’ importance to city highlighted in new strategy
Top fact – did you know that Plymouth employs more people in the marine sector than any other local authority area in the country?
The city’s marine and defence sector employs 20,110 people – that’s 18 per cent of the city’s work force, more than Southampton and Barrow in Furness, for instance.
The importance of the ports to the city’s economic livelihood has been brought into focus by a recently completed Plymouth Port Strategy – which has been created to get a clear picture of the current status of Plymouth’s ports as well as chart their future direction.
Celebrating Plymouth’s Success - Tech South West Awards 2024 Shortlist Announced
Plymouth’s thriving tech scene is making waves at the 2024 Tech South West Awards, with six local companies shortlisted for prestigious honors, highlighting the city’s innovation and talent. Now in their sixth year, the awards celebrate the best in tech from across the South West of England.
Acronyms invite the views of Plymouth tech leaders
Plymouth-based independent IT company Acronyms is reaching out to leaders in the city this month to seek their views on the sector to inform its first Annual IT Report.
With the technology landscape seemingly shifting at a faster rate than ever before, Acronyms is inviting the opinions of business owners and IT professionals to understand how rapid change impacts their organisation, and plan ahead with confidence.
Review of access to finance for advanced manufacturing scale-ups
Stakeholders have raised that advanced manufacturing scale-ups often struggle to find the investment that they need to take them from technological development to commercial success.
This call for evidence seeks information about the investment landscape in the advanced manufacturing sector. It will inform the Industrial Strategy and sector plans for the growth-driving sectors, which will be published in spring 2025.
The call for evidence will be of particular interest to industry, investors, and academics.
This review will inform the Industrial Strategy & sector plans for growth-driving sectors, which will be published in spring 2025. Have your say here.
Deadline: 26 November 2024
Play your part in a greener, more resilient Plymouth
From Monday 4 to Friday 8 November, in celebration of Green Careers Week, the Skills team at Plymouth City Council are inviting local people to take part in activities that will inspire them to get involved in developing the city’s green economy.
Students, career changers, job seekers, or anyone simply interested in the transition to a more sustainable and green economy can sign up to attend free sessions that aim to inspire local people to contribute to a sustainable future, while also exploring the range of green careers available in Plymouth.
Could you provide an opportunity for a young person leaving care?
Could you help change the life chances of a young person leaving care? If so, the Council would love to hear from you.
We are asking businesses to consider offering a job opportunity to a care leaver. Compared with other young people locally, care leavers are around nine times more likely to not be in education, training or employment when they enter adulthood.
 Enterprising idea to support Plymouth business
Got a business idea but don’t know how to get it off the ground? Or perhaps you already run a business but could do with extra support? Well, digital help is now at hand.
Plymouth City Council is working with Enterprise Nation to create a Plymouth-focused digital platform that acts as a one stop shop for small businesses or pre-start entrepreneur. It opens a digital door to support services available locally, regionally and nationally, including national campaigns delivered by Enterprise Nation.
Users who sign up to Plymouth Enterprise Hub will be guided through a journey to create their own personalised business support action plan.
The Good Business Fund Returns
Altitude Design and Just Enough Brave, are thrilled to announce the return of The Good Business Fund!
After last year’s success, they are excited to once again offer up to £15,000 worth of free creative and digital consultancy to deserving organisations. This initiative is their way of championing environmental sustainability and supporting charities, social enterprises, and businesses that have a clear and positive environmental or social purpose and are dedicated to making a positive difference in the world.
Applications close at 6:00 p.m. on 18th November 2024, and winners will be announced in December.
Free Support for Plymouth Businesses to Reduce their Carbon Footprint
The Pathway to Net Zero programme has been designed to provide free support for Plymouth-based businesses to adopt more environmentally conscious processes and move towards becoming net zero. The programme provides a combination of one-to-one sessions, workshops, and self-learning resources.
 Business Spotlight: Pushed
The Invest Plymouth Team recently sat down with Karen Meadows and Dave Meadows at PUSHED® to find out more about this amazing business right here in Britain's Ocean City.
A thriving creative media production studio, specialising in animation, motion graphics, and video production.
 Digital Leadership for SMEs
The Digital Leadership programme is a transformative approach to leadership in this technology-driven era. It's about embracing the possibilities and challenges presented by the digital world and leading your organisation through the complex landscape of digital change.
The programme supports leaders to develop a vision for how technology can fundamentally reshape the way your organisation operates and competes. Leaders will learn to support a culture of innovation, encourage experimentation, and become adept at leveraging digital tools such as MS365 and CRM systems to improve productivity, enhance decision-making, and increase customer engagement.
In a rapidly evolving digital environment, the leaders that play a crucial role in driving digital adoption and transformation are the ones that will be prepared for the future.
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.
Find a grant
Find a grant is a service that allows you to search government grants.
You can use this service to:
- access government grant funding
- search and filter to find a grant that matches your needs
- find out if you are eligible to apply for a grant
- find out how to apply for a grant
Immersive Arts UK Funding now open
Immersive Arts is a brand new funding and support programme for UK-based artists, designed to help them develop their art by using immersive technologies. Artists at all levels of experience are invited to apply, to explore, experiment or expand how they work with this exciting field of practice.
With £3.6million of funding available through three rounds until 2027, Immersive Arts will fund over 200 UK-based artists through three strands:
Applications close on 2nd December 2024.
eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund Opens for 2024 (UK)
eBay UK’s partnership with the British Fashion Council created the Circular Fashion Fund in 2022, supporting small businesses specialising in circular fashion solutions. The programme is now running for a third year.
The Fund hopes to bring new technology and services to the market that can help people think and shop differently, with a particular focus on areas such as customer experience, circular inventory and services, and social commerce.
Innovation has no limits
Win funding and mentorship to bring your tech idea to life.
Solve for Tomorrow is a tech-for-good competition open to all young people aged 16-25 across the UK and Ireland. It is a free initiative that is designed to empower young people, regardless of their background, to create tech-for-good solutions that benefit society by addressing real-world issues.
Got a game changing tech idea? If you're aged 16-25, the Solve for Tomorrow 2024/25 competition could bring your idea to life.
Applications close on 12th January 2025.
Growing your business with the right finance
If you need to explore the right type of finance options for your business, the British Business Bank’s Finance Hub and interactive finance finder helps you to identify finance for your needs and understand the options available to you.
Plymouth Wellbeing Connections 2024
The Wellbeing Team at Livewell Southwest, in partnership with YMCA Plymouth, are proud to bring you “Wellbeing Connections 2024”.
As well as networking, you will have the opportunity to showcase your work with an exhibitor stand.
Tea, coffee and light bites will be available.
When: Wednesday, 6th November 2024
Where: YMCA Plymouth, Honicknowle Lane, Plymouth, PL5 3NG
Time: 10:30am – 2:30pm
Pathway to Net Zero - Demystifying Sustainable Certification
Embark on a journey to make your organisation more sustainable with our sustainable certification workshop. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by the multitude of certifications available, this workshop is your compass to navigate through the choices and find the one that fits your organisation perfectly.
This online workshop is designed to cut through the confusion, providing you with a clear roadmap to sustainability certification. No more guesswork—just practical advice and actionable steps to set your organisation on the right path.
When: Thursday, 7th November 2024
Where: Online
Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
Free Bid Skills Workshop: Learn how to write winning bids for SMS Group supporting their delivery of Babcock contracts
Unlock the opportunity to work with SMS Group, a tier-one contractor supporting Babcock’s waterfront upgrade projects at Devonport Royal Dockyard.
To help break down barriers for local SMEs, this in-person workshop will empower businesses with the tools needed to create compliant and compelling bids.
When: Wednesday 13th November
Where: Market Hall
Time: 1pm until 5pm
Plymouth and South Devon Freeport - Unlocking growth event
Are you a business looking to grow, innovate, and thrive in the marine, defence, space, advanced manufacturing, engineering or net zero tech sectors?
Join this event to explore the opportunities, incentives, and support that the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport can offer to your new and high growth business needs including; tax and customs benefits, skills and training development, and access to a wider innovation ecosystem.
When: Wednesday 20th November
Where: Holne Park House (on the River Dart Country Park estate in Ashburton)
Time: 9.30am to 12.30pm
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