Innovate UK has partnered with five colleges in the Black Country to create the Black Country Innovation Service – bringing innovation support into the heart of local communities and working closely with local employers, creating a safe environment for exploring new ideas. Whilst City of Wolverhampton College's key areas of support are around Artificial Intelligence (AI), Green Technology, and Cybersecurity there is additional focused support from each of the other four colleges across a range of sectors including manufacturing, digital and creative.

Across the five Colleges businesses can access Innovation Audits, Tailored Support Programmes, Knowledge Transfer Workshops, Collaboration and Networking, Access to Funding and Resources, Technology Implementation Support, Sustainability and Efficiency Programmes, Cybersecurity Training and Solutions. For further details click here

The West Midlands Combined Authority, Business Growth West Midlands Team, are planning a West Midlands Business Festival next year in the first two weeks of March. This will be the largest Business Festival ever held in our region, and will be delivered by business for business.

So, what a great opportunity to showcase your business and give something back to the business community!. Applications to host an event are already open, and slots are filling quickly!. For further information click here

To host an event in the Festival, simply fill out this form, after which, the team will respond to let you know if it has been accepted or if any further information is needed. 

n these challenging times, we want to make sure that we focus on what matters most to our business community. We invite local businesses, city workers, visitors and residents to share their views on how the council should prioritise its services for the upcoming year.

Your feedback will help shape our approach to setting the budget, ensuring we address the things that matter most to you.

Complete the survey today and make your voice heard: Budget Consultation

Paper copies are available at our libraries, Family Hubs, and the Civic Centre.

Don't miss your chance – the survey closes on Sunday 12 January.

Thank you for your participation!.

The closing date for the Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up competition has been extended to 9am on 6th January.

Over the last nine years, the competition which was created and delivered by the Centre for Growth at Aston University, University of Birmingham and Minerva at the University of Warwick Science Park has put over 200+ entrepreneurs directly in front of investors and helped bring over £65M of investments to the region's small businesses.

The competition begins with pitch preparation, helping to refine your investment pitch. Judging rounds follow, where you pitch directly to a panel of investors, receiving valuable feedback on your presentation. Then comes the public final, hosted at Venturefest West Midlands, where the top business pitches compete in front of a live audience of investors and entrepreneurs to win the Best Pitch Award.

Taking part in the Minerva Birmingham Pitch Up is a great opportunity to grow. Not only will you be putting yourself in front of an audience of investors looking for businesses to back, but you will also be developing your ability to compose and deliver a pitch that is both engaging and appealing. There are other benefits too - improve self-confidence, and skills and networks that can help further your business in the future.

For more details please click here 

Are you a growing business in search of support and guidance from an experienced business professional? If so, use the Mentors Me search engine - to access a list of quality-assured mentoring organisations in your area that specialise in helping businesses at your stage of development.

Business Growth West Midlands (BGWM) organise a programme of business support webinars. Amongst others coming up in January are the following:

Skills for the Future: Upskilling and Reskilling the Workforce

Tuesday 14 January 2025     10:00 - 11:30am     Online

Designed to equip you with the tools and knowledge necessary to foster a culture of continuous learning and prepare your team for future success. In this course, you will learn to understand future workforce trends, conduct skill gap analyses, implement effective upskilling and reskilling strategies, design impactful learning and development programs, manage change, and measure the success of your initiatives. To book a place please click here 

Understanding Your Website Visitors Using Google Analytics

Thursday 23 January 2025      10:00 to 11:30am     Online 

Are you a business owner in the West Midlands eager to make the most of your website? Join our upcoming webinar, where we'll guide you through using Google Analytics and Tag Manager to understand your website traffic better. To book a place please click here

For details of all BGWM events please click here

If you have any queries relating to business support, growing your business, or some of the challenges you are facing, then please call the council's Business Support helpline on 01902 555572 or complete the online enquiry form here

To support your business enquiry and growth our team can conduct a free business diagnostic and connect you quickly to the right support.