Somerset’s businesses play a vital role in creating opportunities for young people, helping them build the skills, confidence and experience they need to take their first steps into work and develop successful careers.

Councillor David Woan, our Associate Lead Member for Business Strategy, is encouraging employers across the county to consider how they can support the next generation of Somerset’s workforce, whether through recruitment, training, mentoring or recognition.

One opportunity now available to employers is the DWP’s Youth Jobs Grant, part of the wider Youth Guarantee. The scheme offers financial support to employers who recruit eligible young people aged 18 to 24 who have been on Universal Credit and out of work for at least 6 months. Eligible employers may receive up to £3,000 per job, subject to the scheme conditions.

The Somerset Innovation Hub supports early-stage and growing businesses across the county to turn good ideas into commercially viable ones. Its focus is practical support – where innovation meets the realities of customers, markets, barriers to entry and funding.

In practice, that means supporting people and businesses who are developing new products or services, exploring new markets, building scale and resilience, or rethinking how their business works – through workshops, events, one-to-one advice and expert referrals.

UK-registered businesses and organisations can apply for grants of £2.5 million to £20 million through the DRIVE35 Scale Up Fund, which is offering a share of up to £150 million to support pilot-scale and demonstration-scale manufacturing facilities for zero emission vehicle technologies.

The funding is provided by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, in partnership with the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK, with applications closing at 11am on 5 August 2026.

Creative tech start-ups and SMEs in Somerset are being invited to apply for CoSTAR Emerge-AI, a 3-month accelerator programme from CoSTAR National Lab, delivered through the CoSTAR Network’s AI for Creativity initiative.

Designed to help early-stage businesses working with AI turn prototypes into validated products, the programme offers a £5,000 stipend, cloud credits, workshops and masterclasses, expert mentoring, user-testing opportunities and access to CoSTAR’s industry and research expertise, with applications closing on Tuesday 18 August 2026.

Edventure Frome is offering Enterprising Together, a practical business start-up programme designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs develop the skills, confidence and support needed to turn ideas into successful ventures.

Participants receive workshops covering business planning, finance, marketing and branding, alongside dedicated time to test and grow their ideas within a supportive peer network. Funded by Somerset Council, the programme is available free of charge to eligible Somerset residents who meet the scheme criteria, helping more people take the first steps towards starting and growing a business.

Somerset businesses are being encouraged to explore opportunities within the UK’s growing defence and security sector through UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) and the South West Regional Defence and Security Cluster (SWRDSC).

The initiative aims to connect businesses with commercial, industrial and technology expertise to potential Ministry of Defence supply chain opportunities, including funded innovation competitions and new routes into the defence market. Importantly, firms do not need previous defence-sector experience to get involved.

Somerset Chamber of Commerce is inviting Somerset businesses that already export, or are looking to enter international markets, to attend its Somerset International Trade Forum on Tuesday 28 July 2026 from 9.30am to 11.30am. The interactive roundtable event will give businesses the opportunity to discuss exporting challenges, share experiences with fellow exporters and gain practical advice from industry experts in a confidential setting. The forum is designed to help businesses develop their international trade ambitions, overcome barriers to exporting and identify new opportunities for growth in overseas markets.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise, run by the UK Government, are now open for applications and recognise outstanding achievement in areas including innovation, international trade, sustainable development and promoting opportunity, alongside a new category for young founders aged 18 to 30. Winners benefit from national recognition, new business opportunities and the right to use the prestigious award emblem. Applications are open to a wide range of organisations, including businesses, public sector organisations and non-profits.

Somerset businesses already have a strong track record of success. Atlantas Marine Limited, based in Yeovil, won the International Trade category in 2024 after growing from a start-up founded in 2020 to an award-winning exporter with a global reach. Businesses looking to follow in their footsteps are encouraged to consider applying for the 2027 awards.

The new 2026 Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) has been published, setting out the skills priorities that will help local people access local jobs while supporting businesses to grow and thrive across the county.

From agri-food, low carbon energy and advanced manufacturing to digital, construction, logistics and health and care, the plan reflects the real needs of Somerset employers and the opportunities shaping Somerset’s future economy.