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You are here:- Business and property > Economic development > Business support and advice

Section Topics:-

Contact

Mail :
Economic Development Team
Dept. of Development
Plymouth City Council
Plymouth PL1 2AA
Phone :
01752 307996
Email :
invest@plymouth.gov.uk
Fax :
01752 304925

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Business support and advice

There are a variety of business support and enterprise agencies based in Plymouth, as well as Council departments, who can offer a range of services and advice to new start-ups, as well as existing and inward-moving companies.

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships are work-based training programmes designed around the needs of employers, which lead to national recognised qualifications. You can use Apprenticeships to train both new and existing employees. Funding is available to train apprentices.

Apprenticeships are designed by the Sector Skills Councils, while the National Apprenticeship Service helps to fund the training. Business representatives from the relevant industry sector work with the Sector Skills Councils to develop the course content ensuring training is relevant to its industry.

Business Link

The regional Business Link enquiry and advisory service ceased on 25 November 2011, and was replaced by a range of business support including:

These changes will ensure that businesses are provided with information and links to the national, regional and local business support. You can find more information about these changes on the BIS website and can sign up for regular e-alerts and updates.

Business rates

We administer national non domestic rates but work to regulations controlled by Central Government. Visit the Department for Communities and Local Government website for a full guide to business rates.

Devon Area Action Force

The Devon Area Action Force (DAAF) was set up to respond to the anticipated increase in redundancies and company closures as a result of the current threat to employment. It ensures the response to redundancies and closures across the sub-region is co-ordinated proactively with relevant partners sharing information to avoid duplication of effort and to maximise resources.

Members of the Action Force include representatives from the following organisations:

Doing business with the Council

A guide on how to do business with Plymouth City Council has been produced to assist suppliers and contractors who wish to supply Plymouth City Council with goods, materials, services or works. Advice within this guide should also be helpful when bidding for any public service contract.

Environment and Planning

Health and safety

We are the enforcing Authority for the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and regulations made under the Act, for approximately 3,500 premises within Plymouth. This covers premises such as warehousing, offices, shops, consumer services, churches, leisure activities, care homes and hotel accommodation. We also provide many of the courses offered by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) in the areas of food safety and health and safety.

We register skin piercers for the practice of tattooing, ear piercing, acupuncture and body piercing, and are consultees for public entertainment licenses and act as the licensing unit for issuing petroleum licenses.

Food business

If you run a food business or are thinking about starting one you need to make sure the food produced is safe to eat.

There are a number of new regulations from the European Commission (EC), which apply directly to food business in the UK, and also new national legislation in England. You’ll find more information about the new regulations and what they mean for different food industry sectors by following the relevant link on the Food Standards Agency website.

Planning

You will need to obtain planning permission for most building works or changes of use of land or buildings. However not all building works or changes of use require the submission of a planning application to the Council.

The Council’s planning team is able to provide advice and information on development proposals, offering an opportunity for discussions to take place before a planning application is submitted. This is called pre-application advice and forms part of the Development Enquiry Service.

Grant for Business Investment

Grant for Business Investment offers grant support for sustainable business investment and job creation projects in disadvantaged areas in England, and is part of a suite of highly targeted, publicly funded products and services known as Solutions for Business.

The ERDF Secretariat manages the ERDF Grant for Business Investment scheme aimed at businesses of all sizes looking to invest in assisted areas that need a grant to take their vision forward. Plymouth is designated a Tier 2 Assisted Area, and businesses in the area that fulfil the relevant criteria are therefore eligible for funding.

The scheme focuses support on high-quality, innovative, knowledge-based projects that lead to long-term improvements in productivity, skills and employment. The majority of jobs created are expected to be at NVQ Level 2 and above.

Projects such as launching a new business, expanding existing companies, introducing new technology into manufacturing, or taking a new product from its early stages all the way through to production will be eligible for support.

Further information on the scheme can be found on the Communities and Local Government website.

Greening your business

Going green can be an exciting and cost effective challenge for businesses, large or small. The benefits of managing environmental resources such as water, waste and energy can result in equally beneficial impacts on your bottom line, transport, supply chains, legal obligations and even your reputation, marketing and branding.

In addition to improving your own business, you would also be contributing to Plymouth’s low carbon economy by helping to reduce your carbon footprint and helping the UK meet its targets for tackling climate change. Supported by the Government, the emphasis on greening the economy is going to grow over the next twenty years which could bring new investment, jobs and opportunities to the city, and ultimately benefit your business.

Further information is available on the greening your business page.

Licensing

We have a number of licensing regulatory and registration powers and duties. The licensing section deals with the licensing and registrations of a wide range of people and premises. Information about licences and permits can be found on the licences and permits page.

Information about street trading licences and street trading sites in the city is available from the City Centre team.

Sell2Plymouth

Sell2Plymouth is a partnership between Plymouth’s public sector buyers, local business support agencies and both the Chamber of Commerce and Federation of Small Businesses. It promotes business relationships between micro and small businesses and the public sector, with public sector partners having committed to providing opportunities to access contracts for goods and services up to £20,000 in a one-stop information point which also contains details of how to bid.

Self employment support

There are several organisations in the Plymouth travel-to-work area offering various schemes that provide support for those considering self employment.

Trading standards

Plymouth Trading Standards Service aims to protect and promote the safety and economic and environmental interests of Plymouth consumers and businesses. It aims to ensure that Plymouth’s prosperity is not jeopardised by unfair or illegal trading. It also offers information and guidance for businesses.

Training

City College Plymouth

City College Plymouth is a leading provider of training and business services with a dedicated employer response team that advises on training, qualifications and funding for businesses. It offers a wide range of general business and management training as well as bespoke training designed to meet exact needs. It can also help businesses recruit, train and qualify apprentices.

It also offers an employer seminar programme aimed at supporting SMEs and micro-SMEs, whether they are new businesses or firmly established and wanting advice and the opportunity to share best practice.

All speakers are specialists and have a wide range of knowledge and experience relating to the chosen topic. Seminars cost £15 per person (or £10 per person if three or more bookings are made). A light buffet is also included at the seminar.

To book a place, contact the Employer Gateway on 01752 305026. Card payment is required at the time of booking.

The employer seminar programme can be downloaded below.

PDF icon Employer seminar programme [317KB]

University College Plymouth St Mark and St John

The University College Plymouth St Mark and St John works closely with businesses and offers a range of services to employers including:

Plymouth University

Enterprise Solutions is a service provided by Plymouth University that enables businesses to access a wide range of expertise, services and facilities, including:

Transport

Information about major transport schemes in the city, highway permits, potholes, street licence applications, public transport, policy and planning can be found on the transport and streets pages.

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