Small and medium-sized businesses across the West of England are being encouraged to apply to a £4m fund that aims to help them develop new products and services and create jobs. The UWE Innovation4Growth (I4G) programme part funds research and development projects with grants of between £25,000 and £150,000...
An extra £2bn a year could be generated for the West of England’s economy if the Government handed back control over areas such as skills, transport and housing to the region, according to the leaders of its four local authorities. They have submitted a proposal to the Treasury calling...
The first new road bridge across the River Avon in Bristol for more than 100 years swung into place this week – opening up the development site that will be home to the city’s long-awaited arena. The £11.3m, 63-tonne steel bridge will connect the previously isolated Arena Island to...
Bristol-headquartered law firm TLT has advised Smart Transactions Group, the UK leader in contactless payments and ticketing, on the multi-million pound sale of its West of England subsidiary to Japanese IT giant Fujitsu. The acquisition of ACT (Applied Card Technologies), based near Chippenham, paves the way for Fujitsu and...
Shares in SciSys, one of the region’s largest and longest-established specialist IT firms, rose today after it said it had resolved a potentially damaging funding crisis. In June the firm, which has a base in Brislington, warned it was at risk of breaching its banking covenants in August. Within...
Bristol businesses are helping the South West buck the national trend for exporting, with the value of overseas sales from the region rising while the national figure decreases. Data released today by HM Revenue and Customs shows that the value of UK exports decreased by 2.6% to £285bn in...
Open Bionics, the fledgling Bristol firm developing 3D-printed robotic hands for amputees, has won the coveted James Dyson Award, which celebrates, encourages and inspires the next generation of design engineers. The award is the latest in a long line of accolades for the firm. It was recently selected for...
Bristol’s ambitious medium-sized businesses are being held back by gaps in the provision of long-term lending, according to a new report. With improved bank lending, an increased flow of invoice finance facilities and huge growth in peer-to-peer lending over the last few years, much of the finance landscape is...
Bristol firms are being asked to encourage their staff to take part in the UK’s largest ever survey of race at work to help find out why ethnic minorities are under-represented at all levels in the workplace. Commissioned by responsible business network Business in the Community, the survey aims...
More than 1,000 Bristol firms have signed up to Go Green, the scheme helping businesses improve and demonstrate their green credentials, since its launch six months ago. Launched in February as part of Bristol’s year as European Green Capital, Go Green is helping the city lead the way in...
Micrima, the innovative Bristol firm developing technology that could revolutionise breast cancer detection, has appointed respected biomedical professional Dr Peter Bannister as chief technology officer. Dr Bannister joins from Cardiff-based Alesi Surgical, where he held the post of head of operations responsible for research and development, manufacturing and distribution....
Bristol tech companies could have their growth plans scuppered by new rules introduced in this year’s Finance Bill, accountancy firm Baker Tilly is warning. Government initiatives such as the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) have been successfully used by small tech firms over recent...
First-time exporters from the Bristol and the West of England are being invited to explore opportunities in the fast-growing Central and Eastern Europe markets by taking part in a trade mission to Poland in October. The trip to Warsaw between October 6 and 8 is dedicated to building connections...
