One of the UK’s largest regional fund managers has opened a West of England office to provide finance to small and medium-sized business through the British Business Bank’s new £200m South West Investment Fund. FW Capital will manage the debt finance fund for the north of the region, providing commercial loans of £100,000 to £2m...
Bath-headquartered spectacles designer and manufacturer Inspecs has continued to recover from a difficult 2022 by focussing on driving sales and improving operational efficiencies, its CEO said this week. Revenue at the group, which produces a wide range of spectacle frames and lenses, including sunglasses and safety glasses, for markets across the world, increased by 6%...
This year’s TEDxBath is shaping up to be the best yet, according to its organisers as they prepare to announce 2023’s line-up. Taking place at The Forum on Saturday 14 October, will feature six speakers and two acts and, according to the team behind it, generate unlimited ideas. TEDx events, which are held across...
Bath area businesses are being urged to enter teams for a half marathon in September to help raise funds for a range of charities. More than 500 people have already signed up for this year’s Chippenham Half Marathon, with hundreds more expected to register over the coming weeks. But its organisers are keen to...
Bath and the West of England will become the UK’s centre for electric vehicle technology when the long-expected green light is finally given for a battery gigafactory in Somerset, according to business leaders and politicians in the region. The government this week agreed a deal with Tata Group, which owns Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), to...
Profit warnings from South West companies listed on the London Stock Exchange soared by 66% in the first half of this year as the cost of living crisis hit consumers. According to new research by international accountancy group EY, 15 warnings were issued by quoted firms in the region during the six months –...
Regional alternative finance lender South West Investment Group (SWIG) lent a record £14m to ambitious small and medium-sized businesses across the region in the past year, new figures show. The non-profit group, which supports viable businesses that cannot secure sufficient funding from their bank, provided 559 loans to 478 start-ups and growing firms in...
Growth capital investment group BGF’s South West team backed fast-growth businesses to the tune of £40m during the first half of this year as the region continued to provide fresh opportunities for funding. Capital investments were made across a diverse range of sectors including technology, healthcare, engineering and manufacturing. Among the deals were Bristol-based healthcare...
Specialist engineering firm SEA’s support for ex-military personnel has earned it the highest badge of honour under a scheme that recognises the role businesses play in supporting the Armed Forces. The firm, which has its head office in Beckington, near Frome, was presented with the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) Gold Award, having previously held a...
Small and medium-sized firms in Bath with growth potential can apply to a new £200m fund aimed at boosting innovation and prosperity across the South West. Launched by the British Business Bank yesterday, the South West Investment Fund (SWIF) will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for new and growing smaller firms....
