 How your business can make a difference to foster care in Plymouth
Foster care in Plymouth faces significant challenges, including a shortage of foster carers, rising costs, and the need for enhanced support for children with complex needs. Businesses in Plymouth have the opportunity to play a transformative role in addressing these issues and supporting vulnerable children in the community.
 Celebrate VE Day 80 in Plymouth!
Thursday 8 May
10.30am to 9.30pm
Join us on Thursday 8 May, on Plymouth Hoe for a day packed with excitement, entertainment, and heartfelt remembrance. Funded by Plymouth City Council, with support from defence company Babcock International Group
VE Day 80 will start at 10:30am with a flag-raising ceremony and a full parade of Standards at the Belvedere, featuring the Royal Navy Guard and ships in the Sound.
The festivities will then continue throughout the day with live music on The Hoe, an evening concert, vibrant street party, stalls, and vintage vehicles. With the evening concluding with a Sunset Guard lighting the Plymouth beacon at 8:40pm.
We have a great advertising opportunity on the LED big screen at VE Day 80, 8 May on Plymouth Hoe. We are expecting c10,000 people to attend this event.
- Static slide - £300+VAT
- Video (max. 30s) video - £400+VAT
Contact vicky.gunston@plymouth.gov.uk for more information on this opportunity.
New 'Love Plymouth' gift card coming this spring
A new gift card scheme is set to launch in Plymouth this spring.
The Love Plymouth Gift Card will be the first local gift card for the city, and will be available as either a physical or digital gift card. Local businesses can accept the card with no additional equipment required.
Plymouth businesses are invited to sign up to accept a new local gift card as part of efforts to keep spend locked into the city.
Set to launch later in the spring, the Love Plymouth Gift Card will be a single gift card for the city that can be spent with a wide variety of local businesses including shops, hotels, attractions, galleries, bars and restaurants.
New site for economic growth shaping up nicely!
The steel frames for the first purpose-built commercial units within the Plymouth and South Devon Freeport are now up and work is powering ahead on the site that is destined to be home to high growth industries.
The Council is delivering four units on a plot in Beaumont Way, Langage – one of three Freeport tax sites as part of the region’s continuing success story in the marine, defence, space, advanced manufacturing, engineering and clean energy sectors.
Do business, learn, collaborate, network at Clean Maritime Expo 25
The Clean Maritime Expo 2025 has been announced. Taking place on 21 May at Bournemouth University, the Expo will showcase the progress being made towards maritime decarbonisation across the UK with a focus on the South West and South Coast. The event will be an opportunity to do business, learn, collaborate and network for those working towards or with an interest in maritime decarbonisation.
British Business Bank announces facility of up to £20m with BFS Marine Finance
The British Business Bank has agreed a new facility with BFS Marine Finance, designed to increase the flow of finance to smaller businesses within the commercial marine sector.
The structured finance facility of up to £20m will allow BFS Marine Finance to provide secured financing facilities for the acquisition or refurbishment of marine assets operating in various sectors.
New growth and job opportunities as next generation offshore wind hits key milestone
Plans for a new generation of floating wind farms off the coasts of Wales and South West England moved a step closer as the leasing round for three sites in the Celtic Sea entered its final stages.
The Crown Estate – which manages the seabed around England, Wales and Northern Ireland –also revealed that, as part of the process, companies bidding to build the new wind farms shortlisted a range of potential locations in Wales and South West England for the assembly and deployment of the new turbines.
Investment opportunity with Central Park's Pounds House
A search is on for a sympathetic new owner who can revive and restore a Grade II listed mansion house in the heart of Plymouth.
Pounds House in Central Park is in need of a new lease of life and the Council, which owns the building, has looked extensively at options but has not identified a use for it and has now decided to open up its future to other interested parties.
 Business Spotlight: City Business Park
In this spotlight, we hear from the Kate Martin-Kendall, Workspace Manager, who shares insights into the businesses based here, the advantages of working in these spaces, and the role these hubs play in Plymouth’s growing economy.
 Business Spotlight video : ACUA Ocean
In our third episode of Invest Plymouth Business Spotlights, we talked to Mike Tinmouth, Chief Operating Officer at ACUA Ocean.
Take a look at the video below and find out more about how ACUA Ocean is shaping the future of marine technology and sustainability in Plymouth and beyond!
New units available at Plymouth City Council's Business Parks
Managed by Plymouth City Council, The Business Centre and City Business Park provide flexible managed workspaces for small and micro businesses. Offering friendly and supportive communities of like-minded businesses they are perfect for those looking to start or grow their business.
Wolferstans Employment Workshop
Local firm Wolferstans Solicitors is inviting small businesses to a free Employment Workshop in Plymouth on Monday 29th April. The session will run from 8:30am to 10am at their offices on North Hill and will cover the upcoming changes to employment law, including the Employment Rights Bill.
There’ll be practical advice to help you stay compliant, protect your business and support your staff. The Growth Hub team will also be on hand, so come and have a chat with us about the free business support on offer.
Unlock the Power of High-Performance Computing with the University of Plymouth
Is your business looking to stay ahead of the competition? Discover how high-performance computing (HPC) can transform your operations and drive innovation.
The Lovelace System is a high performance computing cluster capable of some of the most heavy-duty computing tasks in a variety of fields
What is HPC? High-performance computing involves using powerful computers to solve complex problems quickly. It's like having a supercharged brain for your business, helping you process large amounts of data, run simulations, and make better decisions faster.
Why Attend a Drop-In Session?
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Learn from Experts: Meet the team of HPC specialists from the University of Plymouth who will explain how this technology can benefit your business.
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Hands-On Experience: Get a firsthand look at the cutting-edge HPC facilities and see the technology in action.
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Networking Opportunities: Connect with other local businesses and explore potential collaborations.
Are you a founder looking to get in front of investors?
Or are you an investor seeking opportunities in tech? Perhaps you're simply passionate about the sector and want to see some of the latest up-and-coming startups on the digital stage.
Join PitchUp!, hosted online by Tech South West on 30 April, as they bring together Angel investors and VCs with ambitious startup founders bursting out of the South West innovation ecosystem.
Sessions take place online throughout 2025:
- Weds 30 April 10-11
- Weds 11 June 10-11
- Weds 9 July 10-11
- Tues 9 Sept 10-11
- Weds 12 Nov 10-1
Unlock the secrets of creative marketing success
Unlock your creativity with Adobe Express and Enterprise Nation. Visit the Brand Builder hub to:
- Learn how to make your socials and branding simple with blog posts and events
- Access a three-day email course to build your brand and create a content marketing plan that works
- Showcase your creations for your chance to win a £1,000 grant and mentoring
Fuel your business growth: with ChatGPT and Smart Technology
Don’t miss out on this session that will cover how AI powered tools and smart technology can be a real help when you are considering growing your business.
What you’ll learn
- Explore various smart tools that can enhance your business’ efficiency
- Discover strategies to drive business growth with ChatGPT
- Learn how to create and utilise GPTs anywhere in the business
Time: 24 April 2025 (Online)
Date: 10:00 – 11:00
Enterprise Nation Lunch and Learn: The small business guide to AI-powered productivity
Explore how small businesses can do more with less by using simple AI tools to boost productivity across your entire team. You'll discover practical ways to free up valuable time for both your managers and junior employees, even if you've never implemented AI solutions before.
Key takeaways from this session:
- Where you can leverage AI in your daily operations and what that actually means for small businesses
- Specific use cases that drive immediate productivity gains (automated onboarding maps, clear development plans, consistent expectation setting)
- How to upskill your team to use AI tools confidently and implement them in their daily workflow
Date: 24 April 2025 (Online)
Time: 12:00 – 12:30
Win A TV Ad For Your Business
Enter the Small Business, Big Break competition by Constant Contact and Enterprise Nation for your chance to win a share of £300,000 TV advertising on Channe l4, including full TV ad production costs.
Plus, receive the ultimate marketing package, worth £4,000, to give your business the big break it deserves!
The Crown Estate Marine Supply Chain Accelerator
A £50million fund to help catalyse UK supply chain capacity and capability for offshore wind.
Businesses can apply for up to £1.5 million per eligible project, with The Crown Estate providing 50% match funding for early-stage development expenditure.
The Crown Estate are hosting an Information webinar on 24 April from 10am – 11am on eligibility criteria and application process
Deadline for applications is 27 June 2025
British Business Bank’s Growth Guarantee Scheme provided with additional capacity to support businesses affected by global tariff changes
Announced by the Chancellor today, the Growth Guarantee Scheme will provide approximately £500m of additional lending capacity to help more smaller businesses across the UK. The extra funding is aimed at smaller businesses that may need support with cashflow issues due to changes in global tariff rates.
The Content Fund
DCMS has announced continued support for the UK Games Fund as part of a joint plan between Government and industry to drive growth, build talent and develop skills across the creative sectors.
This funding will offer £50,000 – £150,000 commercial games-for-entertainment content grants.
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
 Pirates Weekend - Plymouth Waterfront
Enjoy a swashbuckling weekend of fun and entertainment, inspired by the high seas, and explore a treasure trove of free activities across The Barbican, Sutton Harbour, Royal William Yard and Waterfront for all the family to enjoy.
Experience non-stop pirate fun along the Waterfront, with lively entertainment and sea shanty bands bringing maritime music to life and don't forget to take on the Pirates Weekend Trail to win a prize!
Don't miss the Jeremiah's Journey Pirate Fun Run which returns on Sunday 18 May after its popular debut last year. Pull on your best pirate outfits and run around the waterfront all in the name of this wonderful local charity.
Date: 17 & 18 May 2025
MUKSW Clean Maritime drop in Session
The Clean Maritime drop in session offers a quarterly coffee morning type drop in session. This is aimed at businesses, research and government operating in clean maritime to come together, raise a hand and discuss a topic of their choice. Turn up, put your hand up and keep it clean.
For this session MUKSW will host a speaker from Solis Marine talking about their work in maritime decarb including research on fuels demand in the SW of the UK.
Date: 28th April (Online)
Time: 11:00 – 12:30
FSB South West Women in Business Virtual Networking April
These FREE female-focused events are a great option for those new to networking and looking for a friendly place to start, but also great for those with more networking experience who would like to grow their contacts within a community of inspiring women in business!
Date: Tuesday 29th April 2025 (Online)
Time: 10:30 – 11:30
Innova Design Show
Innova, hosted by second-year Interior Design & Styling students at Arts University Plymouth, is a trade show featuring exhibitors from textiles, lighting, paint, and furniture industries. Rooted in the Latin meaning of "renew, restore, and return," Innova champions innovation, sustainability, and collaboration. By fostering teamwork and eco-friendly practices, creating an inclusive space for idea-sharing while supporting local businesses.
Date: 8 May 2025
Time: 16:00 – 19:00
Location: The Corinthian, Plymouth
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