 Discover the Growth and Opportunities in Plymouth
Why choose Plymouth? Opportunity, growth, and a great quality of life await you in Britain's Ocean City.
Plymouth is a dynamic hub undergoing a cultural revolution, with significant strengths in key sectors such as marine, defence, and manufacturing. This vibrant city is committed to growth through regeneration, infrastructure advancements, and initiatives that enhance the lives of its residents.
Nestled between Dartmoor National Park and the UK's first National Marine Park, Plymouth offers an exceptional work-life balance.
Discover how Plymouth is driving growth and shaping a prosperous future.
Advertising on the Wimbledon Big Screen - Plymouth city centre
Plymouth City Centre Company are hugely excited to be bringing back the Wimbledon Championships to a big screen in Plymouth’s city centre from 30 June to 13 July.
Big screen advertising opportunities are available for the whole two weeks of this event.
Visitors will be able to enjoy traditional Wimbledon themed food and drink, whilst sitting back in one of the 200 deckchairs, soaking up the atmosphere and watching the thrills of world-class tennis.
Plymouth Waterfront BID - BID Manager and CEO
Plymouth Waterfront Partnership Business Improvement District (BID), seeks to recruit an exceptional candidate as a BID Manager and CEO to continue delivery of its dynamic programme of place-making activities.
CLOSING DATE - 30th May
Ventro Group Announces Strategic Investment from KLAR Partners to Further Accelerate Growth
Ventro Group is pleased to announce a significant strategic investment from KLAR Partners. The partnership marks a major milestone in Ventro Groups journey to becoming the UK’s leading full-service safety and compliance provider.
Plymouth and South Devon Freeport sponsors Marine Tech accelerator programme
Plymouth and South Devon (PASD) Freeport are proud to sponsor and support the newest track as part Tech South West’s hugely popular Growth Forge programme, the Marine Tech accelerator.
Designed specifically for South West marine tech businesses, the specialist track will provide ambitious scale ups in the sector with the support they need to accelerate their growth plans
Creative Leadership: Mentoring
Are you a creative leader living and/or working in Plymouth? Are you looking to build on the skills and knowledge you already have, or define and achieve long or short term goals? Then mentoring is for you!
Plymouth Culture are very pleased to announce six new mentoring places as part of their Creative Leadership Programme. Each mentoring place consists of:
- 5 x one hour online mentoring sessions with a leader in your creative field of interest. Plymouth Culture will work with you to match you to a suitable mentor (or you may have a mentor in mind). There is a fee available for your mentor.
- Priority booking for Plymouth Culture’s programme of Creative Leadership networking and workshop events.
- Social media highlight of you and your work.
Deadline for applications: 23 May 2025 at 5pm.
The Tech South West Awards 2025 are officially OPEN!
The South West’s biggest celebration of tech brilliance, innovation, and impact. From game-changing startups and deep tech pioneers to AI breakthroughs and sustainable tech heroes, this is where we come together to spotlight the people and organisations transforming the region and beyond. Whether you're a founder breaking new ground, a team solving complex challenges, or a company putting the South West on the global tech map this is your moment. It’s completely FREE to enter. This year, it could be you.
Deadline: Wednesday 2 July
University of Plymouth is first to launch an electric boat
In a UK first, the University of Plymouth has added a boat powered by electricity to its fleet of education and research vessels.
Launched during an event at the University’s Marine Station, the ZENOW RS Pulse is the University’s latest move towards cleaning up our seas.
TWO WEEKS UNTIL REGISTRATION CLOSES FOR SWEM 2025
There isn't long to go now until the South West Electron Microscopy meeting, and only two weeks until registration closes.
Join the University of Plymouth for two half-days of talks, including updates from electron microscopy centres from around the South West and sessions on diversifying income and science communication, with academic and industry experts. There will also be an exhibition, and plenty of opportunities to network with academics, industry and funding bodies.
Location: The University of Plymouth and Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre
Dates: 10-11th June, 2025
 Business Spotlight: Building Brands
The Invest Plymouth Team recently met with the amazing people who work together to make Building Brands what it is.
Building Brands was established in 2020 and it’s grown and grown ever since. Their conferences are hugely successful - the biggest marketing events in the South West - and the community also benefits from other events, a newsletter, whitepapers and a full masterclass training scheme.
 The Devon Create Growth Programme is returning for another year The programme, delivered by Creative UK, is designed to address the challenges facing investment in the creative industries and supports founders to develop their creative business.
Over 50 local businesses took part in the first round of the Create Growth Programme, receiving intensive support from industry and investment experts, as well as a programme of workshops designed to develop the essential skills needed to secure investment.
Deadline: Monday 26 May 2025, 5pm
Made Smarter South West
Made Smarter South West is supporting manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve productivity by adopting industrial digital technologies.
A package of support measures is offered to eligible SMEs, including a fully funded action plan to digitally transform your business, a fully funded digital transformation training programmes to upskill your workforce and match-funded grants to purchase industry 4.0 hardware or software.
The programme is delivered from April 2025 and will run until March 2026.
Innovate South West - Digital Event
The Innovate South West events from NCC and Plymouth Science Park will arm SME organisations across the region with the knowledge and strategies to harness new opportunities.
Struggling to find the time to harness Digital and AI technologies? Or don’t know where to start? Hear how SMEs can use digital effectively to increase quality, reduce costs, minimize waste and accelerate production.
Why attend?
- Demystify digital transformation: understand its benefits and get practical guidance on what you can do to deliver immediate benefits
- Cut through the 'AI-hype' and see where artificial intelligence is actually providing value in engineering
- Learn about available support and funding opportunities to kickstart your digital journey
- Future-proof your business and stay ahead of the competition
Date: 12 June
Time: 10:00 – 14:00
Location: Plymouth Science Park
Side Hustle Lab
Small Business Britain presents the Side Hustle Lab, supported by eBay, to help small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs take their side hustles to the next level. Through expert-led training, this FREE programme will guide you through the essentials of building, managing, and growing a successful side business.
Starts: 4th June
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships business information sessions
The University of Plymouth’s Innovation Funding Team together with Enterprise Solutions are hosting a series of free, business information sessions.
These online events will show how different businesses can benefit from a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project and explore other services for business that are available from the University.
Date: 30 May 2025 Time: 12:00 - 13:00
Free Business Start-Up Programme with bonus modules
If you're thinking about starting your own business, the fully funded Kick Off in Business course is a great place to begin. This two-week online programme is designed to help you explore self-employment and develop the skills needed to get started.
On completion, learners gain exclusive access to KickOff+ – a set of three additional one-week modules, also fully funded. These include Digital Promotion for Business, Money and Finance for Business, and Sustainability, Innovation and Growth for Business, offering practical tools and insights to help your business thrive.
The next course starts on 27th May. Find out more and enrol:
Building Growth Leadership and Management Courses
Are you looking to improve your skills in Leadership and Management, or allow your business to benefit from improving your knowledge in coaching skills and being an inclusive leader?
Leadership and Management skills hold a wealth of opportunities for businesses and the self-employed to improve their processes and team culture within a business, as well as focusing on leadership styles and managing projects.
Skills Bootcamps in Leadership and Management are free to the learner 10 week courses, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview with an employer.
Starts: 28 May 2025 at 09:30
Looking for funding for your business?
Personalised finance options for start-ups, small businesses, sole traders and freelancers.
Take the Enterprise Nation Funding Hub tool and get recommendations tailored to your financial needs.
Create Growth Programme
The Create Growth Programme has opened for applications for this year’s round. Devon is one of the 12 Create Growth Programme regions with funding for small businesses in the creative industries.
If you have a micro business or small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) in a creative sector and you have clear plans to grow your business, you can apply for a 100% funded small grant of £20,000 to £50,000 (or a large grant of £50,000 to £200,000 with match funding required).
You must have an innovative and ambitious idea that demonstrates a clear growth opportunity. It must be new to your business and you must be able to show that you can make it commercial within 12 months of receiving the support.
Competition closes: Thursday 29 May 2025 11:00am
The Tech For Good Programme
Early-stage technology start-ups developing solutions to social or environmental challenges can apply for support through the Bethnal Green Ventures Tech for Good Programme.
The initiative is designed to assist founders working on products and services aligned with three focus areas: a sustainable planet, an inclusive society and healthy lives.
Successful applicants can receive up to £60,000 of investment in exchange for 7% equity, alongside structured support to develop their venture. The programme includes a six-week intensive learning phase followed by six weeks of tailored coaching.
The scheme is open to individuals or teams across the UK launching early-stage ventures that apply technology to address pressing global challenges. It is run by Bethnal Green Ventures, which operates as an accelerator for founders using technology for social impact.
Applications Close: 15 June 2025
Biffa Award: Partnership Grants 2025
Each year, Biffa Award makes a small number of grants of between £250,000 and £1,000,000 for projects that have national or regional significance. The 2025 Partnership Grants Scheme is now open for Expressions of Interest.
There are two themes:
Built Environment – for projects that restore, modernise and/or improve facilities such as cultural, heritage or visitor centres. The facility must be inclusive and be open to the general public.
Natural Environment – for projects that protect and restore species and habitats. Projects should support the delivery of national or local environmental strategies.
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
 Flavour Fest - Friday 30 May until Sunday 1 June, Plymouth City Centre
Join us for the 21st year of Flavour Fest! The south west’s largest free food and drink festival. And this year, it’s going to be even bigger and better!
Make sure you bring an appetite as the festival will feature over 120 stalls of fantastic local produce on the Piazza and New George Street. You can expect an exciting array of top street food and world cuisine.
Don’t miss the demo stage - watch the inspirational talks and demonstrations by top local chefs!
Soak up the atmosphere with an exciting entertainment zone, sponsored by The Treasury, with more food stalls, a bar and live music throughout the three days.
With live music from 12pm until 8pm on the Friday and Saturday and from 12pm until 5pm on the Sunday, we’ve got something for everyone
Biochar: Reigniting the Past for a Sustainable Future - University of Plymouth
Biochar is a charcoal-like substance produced through the heating of organic material in the absence of oxygen. It has been produced for thousands of years and has recently gained attention due to its multitude of uses.
If you want to learn from leading academics and enterprises about the latest research, real-world applications, and emerging market activities for biochar in Devon and Cornwall, this event is for you!
All are welcome to attend this free hybrid event, whether you are in business, a researcher, student or simply intrigued by the pioneering approaches of using biochar!
Date: 21 May 2025
Time: 16:00 – 18:00
Location: In person (Sustainability Hub Forum, University of Plymouth) and online
Rethinking Leadership: Pathways To Distributed Power
Are you a creative leader looking to challenge traditional power structures and cultivate more equitable, collaborative practices in your organisation or community?
Join Jamie Pett for an interactive workshop exploring practical strategies for unlocking the potential of distributed leadership.
In this FREE 2-hour session, you will dive into the complexities of shifting power dynamics and governance.
Whether you're a seasoned leader or an emerging creative practitioner, this workshop will provide a supportive space to rethink assumptions, share experiences, and develop plans for change.
Date: 21 May 2025
Time: 10:30 – 13:00
Location: Ocean Studios, Royal William Yard, Plymouth
Last few tickets remaining for Building Brands Live Plymouth 2025
Last few tickets remaining for 22nd May 2025, Plymouth is the place to be for an electrifying day of marketing brilliance. Building Brands are thrilled to return to where it all began—the incredible Roland Levinsky Building at the University of Plymouth—for their fourth Building Brands Plymouth conference.
Expect big ideas, actionable insights, inspiration and the chance to meet hundreds of other marketers from across the region. With 10 expert-led sessions in the morning, you’ll pick up a ton of practical tips to take straight back to the office. Then, brace yourself for three super inspirational keynote speakers in the afternoon—ready to challenge how you think about marketing.
Plymouth Arts Cinema Presents: The Salt Path Screening
Join Plymouth Arts Cinema for a special screening of "The Salt Path," a poignant adaptation of Raynor Winn's award-winning memoir. This film tells the inspiring true story of Raynor and Moth Winn, a couple who embark on a transformative journey along the South West's stunning, rugged coastline. Faced with a series of personal crises, they seek solace and renewal in nature's embrace.
Their trek, while emotionally and physically demanding, becomes a source of exhilaration and liberation. It revitalizes their spirits and deepens their connection to the natural world and each other. The film beautifully captures this journey of mid-life loss and rebirth, offering viewers a moving and uplifting experience.
"The Salt Path" features nuanced performances by Anderson and Isaacs, bringing the Winns' story to life with authenticity and grace. The screenplay, penned by Plymouth-born Rebecca Lenkiewicz, adds a local touch to this universal tale of resilience and hope.
Digital Plymouth June Meet Up
AI is everywhere - sparking endless debates, and maybe even plotting to take over the world (just kidding… probably). But what does it really mean for us?
Digital Plymouth June meetup dives into the hottest topic in tech.
Date: 5 June 2025
Time: 18:00
Location: Market Hall, Juke Street, Plymouth
SW of England Digital Conference 2025: Powering Your Business Growth
The South West of England Digital Conference is designed for ambitious SMEs looking to accelerate their digital journey. Taking place at Exeter College’s Digital and Data Centre, the event will feature hands-on workshops, expert talks and practical sessions covering everything from AI adoption and data-led decision making, to digital strategy and team building. If you’re ready to build digital confidence across your business, this is the event for you.
Date: 18 June 2025
Time: 09:00 -16:00
Location: Digital and Data Centre (IoT), Exeter College, Hele Road, EX4 4JS
Temperate Rainforest Futures – Think Globally, Act Locally
Following their successful conference last September, ‘Temperate Rainforest Futures: Dreams, needs and opportunities’, Dr Thomas Murphy and Dr James Buckley are bringing together an online conference to explore global knowledge of Temperate Rainforests.
To ring in the celebrations for World Rainforest Day, this conference will welcome global speakers as well as Authors, Guy Shrubsole and Merlin Hanbury-Tennison.
Date: 18 June 2025 (Online)
Time: 13:00 – 17:00
Book your stand for the Devon Business Show 2025
The county’s biggest Business Show returns to Plymouth Life Centre on Wednesday 15 October, promoting inclusivity and featuring exciting, innovative and interactive displays – plus some exciting new touches for 2025!
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