BUSINESS SUPPORT. A guide for businesses in the city

Transcription

1 BUSINESS SUPPORT A guide for businesses in the city

2 FOREWORD Welcome to the Business Support Guide, the map of the support available for businesses. This guide was produced by Plymouth City Council at the request of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce & Industry and the Federation of Small Businesses. This guide aims to simplify how you access support by pulling many of the different strands together into one easy to digest document which is available to any business in the city. We have produced this guide in response to a number of changes that have taken place over recent years. It became apparent to us that in Plymouth businesses need to access support and guidance without spending a large amount of time tracking it down. This guide will be updated at regular six monthly intervals to ensure the contents stay relevant and up to date. The information in this guide is subject to change and was accurate when published. If you notice any business support that has been left out please contact us: Economy, Enterprise and Employment Team T E invest@plymouth.gov.uk

3 Bristol University CFMS Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) Angel CoFund Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) Business In You Business West Coaching for High Growth Business West Growth Accelerator Business West Understanding finance for business CFMS is an independent, not-forprofit organisation, committed to accelerating the delivery of more intuitive and powerful simulationbased design processes. The Angel CoFund is a partnership that brings together promising businesses and successful entrepreneurs along with government and private sector investment. It invests amounts of 100,000 to 1m into small and medium-sized businesses with high growth potential, working in partnership with syndicates of experienced business angels to help companies fulfill their promise. Web-based support and advice for businesses. The Business In You website is an online resource that houses links to business support providers / organisations. Coaching for High Growth is a programme run by Business West and focuses on providing bespoke support to businesses to encourage them to grow and expand. Personalised support to help businesses achieve a minimum 20% growth in turnover year on year. Includes Intellectual Property, finance and general options, all of which attract match funding for senior executive training. Utilises a team of specialist high growth business coaches. Investment readiness coaching and identifying potential investors. T E info@cfms.org.uk E info@angelcofund. co.uk contact. gov.uk T E info@ growthsouthwest.co.uk T com T There will be a cost implication of using CFMS. The Angel CoFund invests in equity or equity like instruments. Use of the Business In You website is free. There may be a cost implication for any services accessed via the website but this will depend on the services used. Coaching for High Growth is currently free for local firms that meet key criteria and comprises a minimum of 12 hours support. Cost is determined by business size 1-4 Employees VAT 5-49 Employees 1, VAT Employees 3, VAT Free to eligible businesses in the.

4 Business West, Peninsula Enterprise, WSX Enterprise Superfast Business Centre for Process Innovation Connecting Devon and Somerset Design Council Design Leadership Programme Superfast Business will help growth businesses with a focus on rural areas in Plymouth to maximise the opportunities of Superfast Broadband (SFBB) and associated technologies. CPI helps companies to prove and scale up processes to manufacture new products and create more sustainable, efficient and economic industries of the future. Advice and support for businesses to understand the benefits and adapt to faster broadband availability across Plymouth. National programme offering businesses, public sector and university scientists a bespoke package of support and coaching to use design to innovate and grow. T E info@ superfastbusiness.co.uk T E broadband@devon. gov.uk T uk/designingdemand Support is free but EU eligibility requirements apply To find out cost implications please contact CPI direct on the details given. Advice is free. The cost to take part in the Design Leadership Programme ranges from 2k to 15k dependant on the business needs and size of the business. Engineering Innovation Network South West (EINSW) Two days free business support to help grow SME engineering sector in the. Includes support for new product development, IP and taking new products to market. T E einsw@wiltshire.ac.uk The two days business support is free. Enterprise Europe Network The Enterprise Europe Network is your local gateway to a wealth of information on doing business in Europe. T E info@ enterpriseeuropesw.org. uk www. enterpriseeuropesw.org. uk/swr Advice and services offered by Enterprise Europe Network SW are free to businesses in Devon and Cornwall. Fredericks Foundation Micro loans for start-up and established businesses unable to borrow from conventional sources, with funds secured from Plymouth City Council. E annie@ fredericksfoundation.net The loan will need to be paid back to Fredericks Foundation through an agreed format. Gov.uk Gov.uk is an online service that provides advice and guidance to businesses. business Gov.uk is a free online resource.

5 Growth Acceleration and Investment Network (GAIN) Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Open to Export HMRC Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales Business Advice Service Intellectual Property Office GAIN is a network to help ambitious businesses achieve sustainable growth and create wealth and jobs in the. Online health and safety toolbox intended to make it quicker and easier for SMEs to find relevant information that applies to their industry, so they can manage health and safety issues themselves without the need for health and safety consultants. Open to Export is the Government supported free, online community for UK companies looking to grow internationally. It brings together experts from across the private sector and government agencies to help small and medium sized UK businesses successfully enter international markets. Support and advice to help businesses understand their tax affairs. Aimed at new, start up and expanding businesses, and contains videos, interactive tools, factsheets and online presentations, as well as signposting to sources of further information and advice. A free business advice session with a chartered accountant including subjects such as business growth, securing loans, capital and finance, export planning, meeting tax and regulatory requirements. The Intellectual Property Office is able to provide advice and guidance to businesses about their IP including innovative designs and trademarks. T E info@gainbusiness. com T com T E bas@icaew.com T GAIN services are free via the website. A vast amount of information is available for free through the Health and Safety Executive website. Open to Export is a free online resource Information on the website is provided free. The website also allows businesses to download relevant documents and forms for free. ICAEW offers one hour free business support. Information supplied by the Intellectual Property Office is free but to protect IP will have a cost associated with it.

6 Laboratory for Integrated Metrology Applications (LIMA) Manufacturing Advisory Service MentorSME National Composites Centre (part of Innovate UK s High Value Manufacturing Catapult) NHS Innovations Established in 2009 LIMA is an independent centre of excellence for collaborative research and development of innovative metrology enabled applications. LIMA integrates fundamental research with industrial applications to develop new technologies which benefit UK manufacturing. MAS can provide a free review of your trading manufacturing business. Where this identifies priority areas, your local MAS Advisor may then be able to offer their support or some grant funding to contribute towards bringing in expertise to address improvement projects. MentorSME is a gateway for businesses that are looking to contact a mentor in their area. The NCC is building the Future for Composites. Our industrialscale Research and Technology Development facilities deliver simulation, manufacture and analysis of composites for all companies wishing to capitalise on the high-strength, low weight, corrosion-resistant properties of advanced materials. We provide an open-access yet secure environment to accelerate innovation and people development to deliver commercial solutions for your company. The NHS Institute was established in July 2005 to support the transformation of the NHS, through innovation, improvement and the adoption of best practice. T E contact@limauk.com T finding-a-mentor T E enquiries@nccuk.com T E enquiries@institute. nhs.uk LIMA offers many of its services free to SMEs in the South West. The initial consultation is free. The MentorSME service is free. Some of the mentors that advertise on the website charge for their services, each is different and some offer free information to SMEs. The NCC is accessible on a pay-per-use basis for engineering support, equipment and Training. There is a Membership option with an agreed annual research spend within the centre. Mentoring and free consultancy/support is also available for SMEs. Contacting the NHS to run an idea past them is free.

7 Ploughshare Innovations Plymouth City Council PATLIB Plymouth City Council PPS Plymouth Social Enterprise Network Plymouth University Enterprise Solutions Regen SW Ready for Retrofit Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest Launch New Small Business Loan Fund for the Ploughshare manages the commercial licensing to industry of Intellectual Property developed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL). Plymouth PATLIB is a service offered through the central library in Plymouth. It provides free patent searches by appointment, free computer access and advice and guidance around copyright, trademarks and designs. PPS offer advice and guidance to all trade and industry concerning regulation and best practice. We enforce safety, standards and licensing matters across Plymouth. PPS support Primary Authority to reduce the regulatory burden for businesses with multiple sites. We operate the assured trader scheme Buy with Confidence. PSEN is an independent business network that promotes social enterprises in and around Plymouth. It provides a range of networking and membership services. Access to Plymouth University s expertise, services and facilities. Intensive business support to SW based businesses in the construction, energy efficiency and microgeneration sectors in preparation for Green Deal rollout. The Small business Fund is a new loan programme set up by the Royal Bank of Scotland and NatWest to support small enterprises operating in the South West. The scheme forms part of a pledge by the banks to invest 1 billion into improving customer service for its business customers. T E info@ ploughshareinnovations. com T E patlibplymouth@ plymouth.gov.uk T E public.protection@ plymouth.gov.uk E gareth@plymsocent. org.uk T E enterprise solutions@plymouth. ac.uk T Contact for the Royal Bank of Scotland or for NatWest. To establish the potential cost implications contact Ploughshare direct. Some services offered by PATLIB have a small administration cost of 25. Membership fees start at 20 There may be a cost implication depending on what services are used. The support offered by Regen SW is free to those businesses that meet certain requirements. Free to contact for support.

8 Somerset College Genesis Angel Investor Network (SWAIN) Business Innovation Accelerator Project (SWBIAP) Composites Gateway Investment Group Finance for Business Technology Strategy Board Aims to proactively engage with small and medium-sized construction and related businesses across the South West, with a view to expanding the knowledge and application of sustainable methods of construction, renewable energy systems and related technology. SWAIN connects private investors, or Business Angels, with companies looking for investment. SWAIN specialises in helping small and medium-sized companies to find equity finance, and assists private investors in the South West to search for investment opportunities in businesses with growth potential. SWBIAP partners provide a gateway to business innovation services for SMEs throughout Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset. Support for SMEs in developing specialist technology innovation and advanced engineering in composite materials. Investment Group (SWIG) is a non-profit organisation that provides risk capital to businesses in the South West. The Technology Strategy Board tackles barriers and supports business-led innovation. TSB works across business, academia and government - supporting innovative projects, reducing risk, creating partnerships, and promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange and open innovation. T M E trevor.payne@ somerset.ac.uk T E enquiries@swain.org. uk T T T E finance@swigcapital. co.uk Each course on offer has its own cost implication. Using SWAIN services does come with a cost. To find cost implications surrounding SWBIAP services please contact them directly. Each application for support will be judged on its own merit and may be suitable for 12 hours of free support. The majority of money is available through a loan scheme. The TSB has a wide range of free support. Businesses need to work in certain industries in order to access support from TSB.

9 The Design Programme UK Trade and Investment The Design Programme provides advice and guidance to companies on a variety of areas including branding, packing design and product design. UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) works with UK-based businesses to ensure their success in international markets. T T The Design Programme is publicly funded but there may still be a cost implication. Services provided by UKTI are free. UKTI also works to identify FDI opportunities within the UK and encourages business expansion into the UK from foreign markets. The Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (CALM) is a 2.6m investment in innovative manufacturing for the benefit of business in the. The Centre for Additive Layer Manufacturing (University of Exeter) T Initial advice is free to all businesses, however further support is at cost. Funding to businesses is available through various mechanisms. CALMARE provides 12 hours fully funded support to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). University of Exeter Centre for Alternative Materials and Remanufacturing Technologies (CALMARE) CALMARE is a 1.8m centre set up to support businesses involved in composites and plastics. Funded by the ERDF, the University of Exeter and industry partners, it provides companies with access to the expertise, advice and technology to help them improve their products and processes. Cashback available for small and medium sized businesses based in the south west to buy in expertise from Universities, Colleges or Public Sector Research Establishments for innovative projects to help their business innovate, develop and grow. T E calmare@exeter.ac.uk Universities Innovation Vouchers T E jo.johns@usw.ac.uk 40% - 50% cashback on innovative projects between 3,000-25,000 in value.

10 Supported by: Business Support - Businesses Published by Plymouth City Council October 2014 CONTACT Economy, Enterprise and Employment Team Plymouth City Council Civic Centre Plymouth PL1 2AA T E invest@plymouth.gov.uk