Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, has welcomed the latest extension to the governments’ furlough scheme, but urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak to come up longer-term measures to protect firms. Mr Sunak, pictured, this afternoon announced the furlough scheme would now run until the end of March, with the Treasury continuing to pay 80% of...
The new lockdown measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson over the weekend will be devastating to many Swindon firms despite their best efforts to make themselves Covid-safe, the region’s largest business organisation warned today. Most businesses will have to close from Thursday as the country enters its second lockdown, with staff being urged to...
Swindon firms are being urged to prepare now for the end of the Brexit transition period on January 1 next year, despite many questions of how it will work in practice remaining unanswered. The government has launched a campaign for businesses with the strapline ‘Time is running out’ as talks with the EU over...
Business West, the group that runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, has welcomed the latest government job and self-employment support measures – but warned that many firms, including those in the Swindons vital hospitality sector, continue to miss out. The new support package was announced last Thursay by Chancellor Rishi Sunak as businesses in...
New support for firms forced to close by law because of coronavirus restrictions by Chancellor Rishi Sunak has been welcomed by Business West, the organisation behind the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative. The scheme, under which the government will pay two-thirds of the wages of staff working for these firms, was announced on Friday. It...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, has launched a directory service to help signpost firms to vital advice, opportunities and support services. Back to Business is an evolution of Business West’s highly successful Trading Through Coronavirus platform, which has been visited by more than 100,000 businesses across the South West. It has been launched...
Tech businesses from Swindon are being invited to apply to join Tech 4 Good South West, a new initiative designed to stimulate international growth and expansion into the US, India and Singapore. The free programme will launch next month and applicants are invited to submit a pitch by next Wednesday, October 7. With the Global Innovation...
The Winter Economic Plan announced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak today may help stave off mass unemployment, but it failed to target support to those sectors that need it most, according to the West of England’s largest business organisation. Business West, which runs the Swindon & Wiltshire Initiative, along with other business groups, had urged...
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...
