Bath’s small and medium-sized firms can secure grants of up to £25,000 to help them innovate and grow under a scheme set up by the West of England Combined Authority. The £1m programme offers eligible firms a one-off grant towards the cost of research and development – with the ultimate aim of getting new...
Bath-headquartered eyewear firm Inspecs has been named as the South West’s fastest-growing company in a new financial league table. The firm, which designs and makes a wide range of spectacles, lenses and frames for worldwide sale, has achieved a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 143.26% over the past two years. As well as...
A series of events aimed at developing the leadership skills of Bath businesses will put the focus on digital leadership at its next gathering. Coinciding with the city’s Digital Festival, the session on Tuesday 14 May will be the third quarterly leadership development evening staged by Bath Unlimited, the organisation that celebrates the city’s...
A strong pipeline of new orders has given Bath-headquartered specialist manufacturer Rotork a positive outlook for the rest of this year. The firm, which designs and makes high-quality flow control equipment for the global oil, gas, water and power industries, said revenue growth during the past three months was in the ‘mid-teens’ against the...
Shares in iconic Somerset-based fashion business Mulberry crashed to their lowest level for 14 years after it warned that its well-heeled customers were continuing to cut back on spending. The global group, which has manufacturing sites at Chilcompton, south of Bath, and in Bridgwater, also said the cost of opening new stores and ongoing...
Business optimism is increasing rapidly in the South West as lower inflation is expected to trigger strong sales and profits growth, a new survey shows. Confidence among the region’s firms has surged over the past six months at more than three times its usual rate, according to the latest Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) from...
The key issues of transport and access are the themes for the second Bath Business Breakfast, which takes place next Friday, 3 May. The quarterly events, which take the form of ‘fireside talks’, are hosted by the Bath Business Improvement District (BID), the independent initiative working to create a positive environment for businesses in...
The international trade team at regional business organisation Business West has been recognised in a major awards scheme for its use of digital innovation. The 21-strong team of trade specialists, which helps firms across the UK growth through successful overseas trading, has become known over recent years for consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation...
Inspecs, the Bath-headquartered eyewear firm, has said it is currently seeing more encouraging trading following what it called a disappointing end to 2023 and a slow start to this year. The firm, which designs and manufactures a wide range of spectacles, lenses and frames for worldwide sale, made a pre-tax profit of £200,000 last...
A team of engineering students at the University of Bath have become the first in the world to successfully build and run a hydrogen-fuelled engine. The 15-strong Bath Hydrogen team made the breakthrough with their hydrogen-powered internal combustion – or H2ICE – engine, pictured. Engines of this type are not currently commercially available, although...
