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Free support for South West businesses to boost resilience

As the cost of living crisis continues to impact the prices of energy, fuel and commodities, local businesses across Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay are being urged to make the most of available support to boost their resilience.

The Heart of the South West Growth Hub offers free, impartial, expert business advice, and has a range of programmes and grants available to help support businesses with growth, resilience, trade, marketing, recruitment, and more.

Businesses are being encouraged to get in touch with the Growth Hub team, who offer signposting services and can help find the latest sources of support, including cost of living support, advice for reducing energy costs, and business planning.

The Growth Hub’s Thrive programme offers business planning to build resilience, with workshops, webinars and 1-to-1s available from partners on putting together a plan for your business.

Improving energy efficiency is one way businesses can reduce costs, whilst at the same time working towards achieving net zero. The Growth Hub works with a number of partners who offer schemes to help businesses improve energy efficiency, reduce costs and cut carbon emissions, including SWMAS, the Business Climate Hub, and the South West Energy Hub.

Karl Tucker, Chair of the Heart of the South West LEP, said: “With many businesses struggling with rising costs, it’s important that we continue to offer dedicated support to help with long-term planning, finances, bids for grants, and resilience. The LEP’s Growth Hub is a vital service for businesses across Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset, and we are urging local business owners to find out how they can benefit from the free support.”

Find out more about available support here.

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.