Learn more about our Local Authorities’ Enterprise Zones and areas
The West of England Growth Hub supports businesses throughout Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire to innovate, grow and thrive. They achieve this by connecting businesses to support streams and encouraging collaboration.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) helps businesses export, drives inward and outward investment, negotiates market access and trade deals, and champions free trade.
Invest Bristol & Bath have a close working relationship with the Department for International Trade, we can work on your behalf to obtain assistance on Tax in the UK, Research and Innovation including R&D tax credits, accessing finance in the UK and Immigration and VISA support.
Business West is one of the largest Chambers of Commerce in the UK covering the South West with a 200-year-old heritage and a goal to make this region the best place to live, learn and work.
Part of their repertoire includes delivering a wide range of business support for all stages of the business lifecycle. Often this is on behalf of Government, for example, innovation support for Innovate UK Edge and export support for the Department for International Trade. In addition their award winning export documentation service will ensure that businesses get their goods to their final destination, and get paid on time.
Two of their key focuses for the next five years are skills and climate change. Business West recently became the first Chamber of Commerce in the UK to be carbon neutral and they have declared their intent to be net zero carbon by 2030.
Visit West is the Destination Management Organisation for the West of England. It represents the four Unitary Authorities, Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, businesses within these areas and members beyond working to maximise the potential of the visitor economy in the region. In 2019, the visitor economy supported an estimated 45,557 jobs and with a value of more than £2.33bn to the local economy.
Building on the work of Destination Bristol and Visit Bath, it brings together the business communities, local authorities, and wider stakeholders, and the domestic and international travel industry. Together these partners create a strategically focused and innovative delivery organisation with a clear purpose.
Visit West deliver a range of services to support the development of the tourism industry, a sector that, because of its dimensions and complexity, and its importance to the region’s economy, requires a high level of co-ordination if it is to fulfil its potential. This includes delivery of the consumer channels Visit Bristol and Visit Bath and the Meet Bristol and Bath Convention Bureau. View Event Planners Guide
Nuclear South West is a partnership of industry, academia and government organisations that champion the South West nuclear industry. They coordinate activities to support the existing nuclear clusters across the South West and promote activities that will lead to new investments in nuclear projects and advanced technologies.
The South West is the premier destination in the UK for nuclear investment, innovation and growth, with opportunities and academic capacity across:
The region has a unique combination of infrastructure, capabilities, skills and sites that can support the deployment of advanced nuclear energy technologies. The region hosted the world’s first purely civil nuclear power station at Berkeley and is ideally placed to continue to be a globally significant centre of nuclear innovation, including fusion.
Nuclear South West has a uniquely collaborative nature, harnessing the expertise of local clusters and sectors including aerospace & advanced manufacturing, digital & creative, defence, cyber, photonics, robotics, energy and marine technologies
The Nuclear South West Industry Network connects businesses through events and other opportunities – you can register at www.nuclearsouthwest.co.uk/join for more information.
The South West Aerospace consortium is a collaboration led by industry, involving the regional LEPs, academia and research and technology organisations, to deliver regional economic success and growth.
Invest Bristol & Bath is a key partner in the South West Aerospace cluster. Innovation support is at the heart of the region, home to a High Value Manufacturing Catapult; the National Composites Centre (NCC) with a spoke to the 6 other HVMC centres plus 7 globally significant research-intensive universities located in the region.
Added to this are significant regional capabilities in the digital, cyber and creative sectors which bring cross-sector innovation opportunities that can only be found in the South-West. The region has the opportunity to take leadership on behalf of UK industry in the utilisation of digital and implementation of Industry 4.0 for future growth and improved productivity.
The Western Gateway is a strategic partnership promoting and maximising economic growth across South Wales and the West of England, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, to create jobs, boost prosperity, and support the world renowned universities and businesses in the area.
Invest Bristol & Bath with its partners across the wider region are part of the Global Gateway programme, working closely with the Department of International Trade to:
