Invest Devon

Devon manufacturer to build £2m facility

rachel.mildon — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:58:00 +0000

A Devon manufacturer has signed a 10-year contract with Virgin Atlantic subsidiary Threesixty Aerospace to supply components for the interiors of its new fleet of aircraft.

Hymec Aerospace, which is headquartered in Plymouth and also has a base in Newton Abbot, says the undisclosed value of the contract is ‘significant,’ with the company also planning a £2 million expansion of its Heathfield site.

Making It Local Small Grants Programme Re-opens

kate.grant — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:52:15 +0000

Making It Local have announced that £50,000 is available for businesses and communities in the Blackdown Hills and East Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty through its small grants programme.

Projects can apply for grants of between £1,000 and £10,000 and need to complete an Initial Project Outline in order to be invited to complete a full application before the deadline of Monday 9 July 2012.

To find out more click here.

Vi-Spring and Simpleware win Queen's Award for Enterprise

tom.dixon — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:01:30 +0000

Plymouth luxury bed maker Vi-Spring was recognised for its growth in international trade after opening markets in 14 new countries.

Simpleware from Exeter was given an innovation award for software which converts 3D images into computer models for engineering design and simulation.

Winners of the Queen’s Award for Enterprise are announced on the Queen’s birthday every year.

They are the UK’s highest accolade for business success.

New partnership offers support for small businesses in Devon

rachel.mildon — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 08:47:31 +0000

Devon County Council’s Cabinet has welcomed the prospect of a new initiative, the Devon Investment Fund, to provide much needed access to finance for small and medium enterprises.

Loans of up to £7,500 will be on offer to small and medium sized businesses in Devon thanks to the new consortium brokered by the County Council.

The Devon Investment Fund aims to build a portfolio of funds to improve and simplify access to finance for small enterprises in Devon. This includes £5 million to provide small scale loans.

Businesses encouraged to aim for greater export success

rachel.mildon — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:15:25 +0000

The Torbay Development Agency will host the next Devon International Trade Forum meeting on May 2 at the Innovation Centre in Vantage Point, Paignton.

The DITF is open to any business interested in trading internationally, whether experienced or just starting out. The forum meets every quarter to give guidance on international trading and offers access to a range of support services.

Fund101 Offering New Small Business Grants

kate.grant — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:32:05 +0000

Fund101 targets UK-based entrepreneurs looking to turn an idea into a new business and existing small companies wishing to purchase equipment to help take their enterprise to the next level.

Administered by Enterprise Nation, the programme is designed to assist those who are looking for relatively small amounts of capital support. The initial funding pool is £50,000 and this will be topped up each month with an additional £5,000. Individual grants ranging from £50 to £500 can be requested.

The grants can be used to fund miscellaneous capital costs associated with starting up a new venture and for existing small businesses to purchase equipment, promotional flyers, hardware etc, in order to boost their operations. Read more.

Business Thinking SW winner: Burts Potato Chips

kate.grant — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:05:22 +0000

Following its nomination as a South West England regional finalist and Thought Exchange visit to the UAE Burts Potato Chips has been declared a regional winner in the HSBC Business Thinking initiative.

In little more than a decade, Burts Potato Chips co-founder Nick Hurst has taken the Devon-based ﬁrm from a niche snack producer to an exporter selling crisps to 28 overseas markets.

HMS Vengeance: £350m sub refit 'to secure 2,000 jobs'

tom.dixon — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 07:02:35 +0000

A £350m contract to refit and refuel a Royal Navy nuclear missile submarine will safeguard up to 2,000 UK jobs, the defence secretary is to announce.

Philip Hammond will reveal at a Plymouth dockyard that defence firm Babcock will upgrade HMS Vengeance.

The Ministry of Defence said work on the Vanguard class vessel will secure 1,000 jobs at Babcock, 300 at other firms in Plymouth, and 700 elsewhere.

Exeter 'among best for new firms' says Experian report

tom.dixon — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:18:07 +0000

Exeter is in the top 10 in England for businesses that show high potential, according to research commissioned by the BBC.

Nearly 1,000 companies out of 7,345 in the area show high growth potential, the BBC Local Growth Research by Experian shows.

Exeter Business Innovation Centre, a base for 55 firms in the city, is host to some of the most upwardly mobile small firms in the country.

Britain's Brightest Business Competition

tom.dixon — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 14:49:36 +0000

HP is asking, “how does your business use colour?

Upload colour photos of your office, corporate logo and marketing materials, and tell them why colour is important, and you could win:

THE PRIZE: The winning business and 2 runners up will feature in our Britain’s Brightest Business film, which we will broadcast to the nation! The winner will also receive an HP laptop and HP colour printer with HP Original Toner cartridges, and a free colour print run of 1,000 marketing brochures for your business.

Deadline for applications: 12:00pm on Friday March 16th, 2012