A round up of business news including; information on new support services, grant funding, success stories, advice and information and dates for your diary.




South West Rural Productivity Call for Evidence
28 April 2017
SW Rural Productivity Commission – launches call for evidence The South West Rural Productivity Commission, chaired by David Fursdon, has been established as a partnership by four LEPs in the south west of England: The Heart of the South West (HotSW LEP), Dorset LEP, Swindon & Wiltshire (SWLEP), Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly (CIoS LEP) to
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Funding for Business Data Analytics
28 April 2017
The Business and Local Government Data Research Centre (BLGDRC) is inviting small business owners, public sector organisations and local government including councils to apply for a £2,000 Data Analytics Innovation Voucher (DAIV). The vouchers can be used to pay for the Centre’s experts to act as consultants in order to address specific problems or help
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Bright Ideas Fund for Community Groups
24 April 2017
The Department for Communities and Local Government, working with Locality and Power to Change, has opened a new round of the Bright Ideas Fund. The Fund is open to community groups that need investment to support their ideas for a community business. Successful applicants will receive up to £20,000 each, and £900,000 will be awarded
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Tax-free allowance on trading income
18 April 2017
HMRC has announced that anyone who has an annual gross income (before allowances or expenses) of £1,000 or less will be entitled to a tax-free trading allowance from 6 April 2017 and will not have to inform HMRC about this income. The money can be earned from self-employment, casual services (such as gardening) or the
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HOTSW LEP – Brexit Resilience and Opportunities Group
03 April 2017
As you will be aware the UK invoked Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty on March 29, 2017, formally starting its negotiations to leave the European Union. In January this year the Prime Minister laid out 12 principles for the UK’s negotiations to leave the EU which was followed by a more comprehensive White Paper
Read moreNomination Sought for Top 150 Tech Start-up List
29 March 2017
Nominations are being sought for the UK’s top 150 tech start-ups to watch. Criteria for this is as follows: · Tech is defined as a company that is using tech to disrupt a traditional industry or is creating / selling a technology-based product; · To be considered for the list a start-up most be less
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Apprenticeship Opportunity with the Growth Hub
24 March 2017
We have an opportunity for an apprentice Project Officer to work alongside the Growth Hub team. The role of Project Officer (Apprentice) is to provide effective administrative and general project support to assist in the delivery of the Heart of the South West [HotSW] Growth Hub contract. This includes support to assist the delivery, marketing and reporting
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Success Story – Stephen Bright
20 March 2017
An engineer from Devon is on a journey into entrepreneurship with his innovation that could reach international markets within the military and humanitarian aid, thanks to support from Heart of the South West Growth Hub. Stephen Bright is a principal engineer specialising in bridge design. He has used the knowledge and skills from his day
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Sweet Chestnut Blight Alert
07 March 2017
The Forestry Commission have been sending out information to alert all about an outbreak of sweet chestnut blight in the South West and to notify everyone of four 5km zones that are subject to movement restrictions. Sweet chestnut blight is caused by a fungus called Cryphonectria parasitica, which gets into the trees through wounds or graft sites. Although
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Sign Up To Somerset Day!
24 February 2017
Passion for Somerset, the not for profit community interest organisation which champions Somerset is urging local businesses and communities to sign up to Somerset Day. This day gives an opportunity to raise the profile of the county of Somerset and all it has to offer. Passion for Somerset’s work centres around ‘Somerset Day’ held on May
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