Bristol’s biggest virtual business showcase will next week highlight many of the city’s firms that innovating in the age of coronavirus. The Bristol Business Festival on Wednesday and Thursday promises “high-value content, great engagement and the positive boost we all need in these challenging times”, according to its organisers. It will...
Alexandra, the workwear company, has been praised for producing clear face coverings to help deaf and hard-of-hearing people communicate during the coronavirus pandemic. The Thornbury-based firm, which has been designing and manufacturing garments since 1854, was approached by clients in the healthcare and education sectors to come up with...
Bristol’s economy will shrink by just over 9% this year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic but should recover strongly next year, according to a new forecast. According to global accountancy group KPMG, the decline in the city’s gross value added (GVA) – at 9.2% this year –...
Quartet, the community foundation covering Bristol and the West of England, has appointed its philanthropy director Ronnie Brown as interim CEO following the departure of Sue Turner. Sue, pictured, who has led the organisation for more than five years – a period in which she helped more than double...
A support programme to assist Bristol firms in responding to mental health concerns in the workplace, particularly those arising from Covid-19, has been launched. The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) is investing in the two-year Thrive at Work West of England programme, which aims to address key mental...
Bristol businesses are being urged to help make cancer care in the city the best it can possibly be as part of a new campaign which launched this week. Bristol Against Cancer has been started by Above & Beyond, the NHS charity for University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS...
More than 70 businesses and charities – including some of the city’s most innovative small firms – have been supported through the coronavirus crisis by a dedicated University of Bristol internship programme. The Covid-19 SME Internship Fund, which totalled more than £100,000, opened at the height of the pandemic...
Bristol businesses looking to get cutting-edge ideas off the drawing board and into reality can apply for funding under a new scheme. The Business Innovation Fund – a three-year programme managed by the West of England Combined Authority (WECA) – will provide funding of either £20,000 or £50,000 for...
The Chancellor’s Summer Statement introduced measures aimed at supercharging the ailing UK economy and soon all eyes will be on Rishi Sunak’s Autumn Budget. Considering certain areas before taxes start to rise could bring real benefits to business owners in the long term. Zoe Thomas, tax partner at professional...
Firms in the South West are among the most pessimistic in the UK about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with many expecting to shed jobs when the government’s furlough scheme ends, according to a new survey. The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer, which takes the pulse of 1,200 firms...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, has welcomed the launch today of the government’s Kickstart scheme, which offers subsidised job placements to out-of-work young people. Under the £2bn programme, 16 to 24 year olds claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, will be able to gain...
Bristol tech and creative businesses seeking equity investment of between £100,000 and £2m are being invited to take part in the next Silicon Gorge showcase. Taking place on November 12 as part of Bristol Technology Festival, the event will give up to 12 start-ups or scale-ups the chance to...
The coronavirus pandemic has hit profits at more than 60% of firms in the West of England – with nearly one-in-seven fearing they will never return to pre-Covid levels of activity, according to the largest business survey in the region. Just under a quarter of firms have, or plan...
