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October 2019 Newsletter

Read the latest round-up from
David Ralph, HotSW LEP CEO

As we make the final preparations for this year’s Annual Conference and AGM on 4 November, we look forward to sharing with our stakeholders the year’s achievements and the impact that the LEP is making on the economy. Over 150 delegates have already registered, and there’s still time to do so at the link  here. […]

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What is “clean growth” and what could it mean for the Heart of the South West area? Find out at our Annual Conference and AGM

Once again it’s almost time for our Annual Conference and AGM, with a theme this year of “clean growth”.

Booking is essential for this popular free event, which takes place  on the 4th  November […]

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New Digital Momentum initiative provides free digital skills training to under-represented groups in the Digital Sector

The new Digital Momentum initiative was launched by Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership  following a successful bid for a   share of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sports  (DCMS) £1  million  national Digital Skills Innovation Fund.    The 12 month pilot scheme  provides  free digital training  and support  for  people from  Torbay,  Devon, Plymouth  and Somerset, and targets groups which are  underrepresented  in the digital sector […]

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Get Ready for Brexit

The Heart of the South West Growth Hub team have searched out relevant Brexit related information and guidance available from HM Government and from a range of organisations from both the public and private sector. Businesses can use this resource to quickly get to the information that is most relevant for them […]

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First stage submission for the
Great South West prospectus

The first stage submission for the Great South West prospectus has been sent to the Minister of State Jake Berry, along with the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretaries of State for BEIS and HCLG […]

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Nuclear South West Conference Cannington and Bridgwater 2-3 October 2019

The 4th Nuclear South West Conference was held in Somerset this year, over two days with the aim   of showcasing the capability and capacity of the regional supply chain, and providing further visibility of the opportunities currently available on the HPC project or in other areas of the nuclear life cycle, not just now but in the medium term future as well.  […]

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Double business boost as
Enterprise Centres have lift off

Two business-boosting enterprise centres for Somerset have taken a great leap forward with work now underway at the sites in Wells and Wiveliscombe.

The aim is for both centres to be open next Spring, bringing the total number of centres in the Somerset network up to seven. Enterprise centres provide modern, accessible space for small and growing businesses – something that can be hard to find in rural areas […]

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Funding secured for
North Devon Enterprise Centre

Funding has been secured by Devon County Council for an exciting new Enterprise Centre to be located at its emerging Business Park development at Roundswell, near Barnstaple.

The centre will be the flagship of the business park, providing high quality office and collaboration space with tailored support for entrepreneurs and small and medium sized businesses which have potential for high growth and innovation […]

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CSW Group Awarded to Deliver Apprenticeship Support Services in Cornwall, Devon and Torbay

CSW Group will from this month be delivering the Apprenticeships Support and Knowledge for Schools (ASK) Programme in Cornwall, Devon and Torbay.  The programme supports the government objective to improve awareness and uptake of apprenticeships […]

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Out now: Somerset Rivers Authority Annual Report 2018-19

Dozens of extra flood works across Somerset are described in the Somerset Rivers Authority Annual Report 2018-19.

Works funded by Somerset Rivers Authority fall into five main  categories. They are Dredging and River Management, Land Management including Natural Flood Management, Urban Water Management, Resilient Infrastructure, and Building Local Resilience […]

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Working with our business community – some new tools

As you know the LEP is a public / private partnership and we often tell you about the things that we are doing with our public sector partners – as they lead on the strategic infrastructure projects for us.  However, we may not be as good as we could be about sharing the work that we do with the wider business community, so we’ve introduced a couple of new tools for businesses to use […]

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High Potential Opportunity in the Heart of the South West

The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership with support from partners at TDA have won a competitive bid to promote the area’s High Potential Opportunity in Photonics & Microelectronics, working as part of UK wide programme with the Department for International Trade (DIT) to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) to the area […]

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About HotSW
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is a strong and dynamic partnership between the private sector, local authorities, universities and further education across Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, and Torbay with the purpose of leading and influence economic growth, job creation and prosperity across the Heart of the South West.

Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
Increasing productivity and prosperity for all.#LivingBetter

             

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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.