More than £11m has been lent to start-up firms across the South West ranging from a sewing café to a mobile cocktail bar over the past year under a programme run by the British Business Bank. Since its launch in 2012, the Start Up Loans scheme has supported more than 9,000 businesses through £90m in loans...
Global defence consulting firm BMT is to relocate its Bath staff to the city’s No.1 Bath Quays office building, making it the third firm to take space in the flagship development. BMT, which has two offices a stone’s throw away on Lower Bristol Road, joins financial services consultancy and software provider Altus and chartered...
The West of England’s economy is forecast to grow faster over the next five years than any other part of the UK outside London, according to two new reports. The region, along with South Wales, will achieve economic expansion of 1.4% a year between now and 2029, according to the analysis commissioned by the...
Measures included in the King’s Speech aimed at boosting housebuilding and devolving more powers from Whitehall to the regions have been widely welcomed by key business figures in the West of England. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill – one of the 40 included in the speech that will shape the first year of the new...
Bath is in the running for the prestigious title of Best Small City in the UK, Europe and Beyond in a major national awards scheme. It was chosen as a finalist by a panel from the Academy of Urbanism, a not-for-profit organisation committed to creating, sustaining, and learning from great cities, towns, and neighbourhoods,...
The CEO of Bath’s oldest charity, St John's Foundation, is to step down after six years in the role. David Hobdey, pictured, who retires later this month, joined the community organisation, which 850th anniversary this year, in 2016 as finance director. He became CEO two years later and in 2020 was instrumental in launching...
The new government’s pledge to devolve more powers from Whitehall to the West of England offers “a really exciting opportunity” for the region, according to the organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce. Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, said the move could trigger more jobs, homes and infrastructure as well as better transport...
Bath’s burgeoning life sciences ecosystem is to be strengthened through a new partnership that brings together some of the major players in the sector across the region. South West Life Sciences aims to increase the visibility of a sector with huge growth potential and the ability to create high-skilled jobs as well as boosting the...
Nearly half of South West businesses believe the General Election will lead to significant economic expansion in the region over the next six months, a new survey has revealed. Research commissioned by accountancy firm Monahans, which has seven offices in the region, including in Bath, shows 47% of business owners are confident that market...
The organisation behind Bath Chamber of Commerce has called on the newly elected government to ensure the West of England’s potential is fully harnessed, including investing in its growth sectors such as green energy. Business West welcomed Labour’s commitment to an “enduring partnership” with business to deliver the economic growth and stability that the...
