Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled his Winter Economy Plan to help businesses and their employees as Covid-19 continues to have a devastating impact. The key points are: A Jobs Support Scheme for employees will replace the furlough scheme, which effectively paid people not to work. Under this new scheme, businesses will pay employees for...
Business West, the organisation behind the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, today called for a comprehensive support package for firms hit by the latest coronavirus measures. With the number of cases of Covid-19 rising again – promoting a new raft of restrictions on businesses – Business West urged the government to take action to protect...
Food and drink producers from Swindon and its surroundings will have an opportunity to meet commercial trade officers working across the world tomorrow, Tuesday, September 22, at the first-ever virtual Meet the Market Expert event. It is being organised by the Department for International Trade (DIT) in conjunction with the Great British Food Programme delivered...
Firms in the South West are among the most pessimistic in the UK about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, with many expecting to shed jobs when the government’s furlough scheme ends, according to a new survey. The Lloyds Bank Business Barometer, which takes the pulse of 1,200 firms across England every month, shows...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, has welcomed the launch today of the government’s Kickstart scheme, which offers subsidised job placements to out-of-work young people. Under the £2bn programme, 16 to 24 year olds claiming Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment, will be able to gain six-month work placements. The government...
The coronavirus pandemic has hit profits at more than 60% of firms in the West of England – with nearly one-in-seven fearing they will never return to pre-Covid levels of activity, according to the largest business survey in the region. Just under a quarter of firms have, or plan to, axe jobs with a...
A steep rise in corporate insolvencies linked to the coronavirus pandemic is being predicted for this winter – and could start as early as October. New research from insolvency and restructuring trade body R3 indicates that lack of funds to pay their rent is likely to be the biggest cause of firms getting into...
Regional alternative finance lender South West Investment Group (SWIG) has made two appointments to its growing team while also saying farewell to Brian Steer, one of its longest-standing employees, who has retired. Nicki Kimberley has joined as start-up loans officer, a role that involves supporting applicants to the Start Up Loans scheme and helping...
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed up the number of profit warnings issued by South West listed businesses to a 20-year high, with those in the travel and leisure sector hardest hit. According to new figures from accountancy group EY, profit warnings soared by 73% year-on-year in the first half of 2020 to 26 – with 85%...
Government figures showing another monthly fall in corporate insolvencies are hiding the true picture of the damaging effect of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses, according to the South West branch of insolvency and restructuring trade body R3. Insolvency Service statistics for June show 732 company insolvencies in England and Wales, lower than May’s figure...
