Bath and North East Somerset Council is working to become a leading local employer in the provision of apprenticeships, paid and unpaid placements, work experience, internships and volunteering by identifying opportunities within individual Services and Directorates.
Its is working in close partnership with companies in the private sector and also educational establishments, to give people the support they need in order to make the most of the opportunities in the local jobs market.
Use the links below to find out about why employing an apprentice might benefit your business, and the Government initiatives and incentives on offer to support businesses in doing so.
The City of Bath is home to a large student population, thanks to the presence of our two Universities and Bath College. All education providers are keen to forge links with businesses in order to give their students the best learning experience possible. Businesses in turn benefit from fresh ideas and the opportunity to build lasting relationships with talented people.
Internationally recognised activity at the cutting-edge
The Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services "sector" covers a range of activities spread across many sectors such as transport, construction, and energy.
The high technology and engineering skills base in Bath and Bristol is helping to keep the West of England at the forefront of a lower carbon world, and Bristol's status as European Green Capital 2015 has drawn further attention to the West of England's strengths in this field.
Local retail, leisure and tourism businesses benefit from the area’s international reputation as a cultural destination. The City of Bath's World Heritage status and natural spa facilities (the contemporary Thermae Bath Spa complex was opened in 2006) help to draw some 4.5 million visitors annually. The total value of tourism to the local economy is estimated to be around £350 million every year.
Covering a diverse range of activity, including accounting, legal services, insurance, financial services and management consultancy activities, our professional and financial services businesses play a crucial part in our economy.
The Bath area has a particularly long and distinguished track-record in engineering design excellence, with a number of firms also manufacturing high-precision products. This track-record is in large part thanks to historic strengths across the physical sciences and mechanical, electronic and electrical engineering at the University of Bath.
Technological advances are being driven by research on subjects such as nanotechnology at the Universities of Bath, Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE).
The Bath area is home to a thriving ecosystem of technologists, engineers and creative thinkers who are busy partnering and collaborating to solve problems and to improve how things work.
The Bath and Bristol area is now established as one of the three most creative centres in England (alongside Manchester and London), with a wealth of creative minds operating within and across a broad range of activities, from traditional arts, to publishing and digital content production. The BBC, Creative England and Creative Skillset all have regional bases and campuses here, and the area is home to recognised award-winning firms such as Future and Imaginarium West.
A not-for-profit membership organisation representing over 6,000 businesses across Bath, Bristol, Swindon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, Business West offers networking and lobbying support for businesses of all sizes and sectors. Business West is the managing body of the Bath and North East Somerset Chamber of Commerce and The Bath and North East Somerset Initiative (see below).
Midsomer Norton and Radstock are two market towns to the south of the District, both with active business communities. The towns were once the centre of a thriving mining industry, and as well having clusters of retail and business service firms in and around the town centres, cannow be described as being the industrial heartland of Bath and Norh East Somerset.
Make business connections between Bath and Bristol
Saltford and Keynsham-based business organisations
Keynsham is a vibrant market town situated between Bath and Bristol. The town has a well-used high street and several industrial trading areas. The high street is benefitting from the redevelopment of the Town Hall, which will open in 2014 as modern workspace for the Council, a new Library and One-Stop-Shop, and new retail units on the ground floors.
Bath has a particularly active, vocal and vibrant business community. Entrepreneurs and business representatives are getting involved in a variety of membership bodies and networks (including those listed here) in order to maximise the potential of their built and commercial environment.
There is plenty of support available to help your business make overseas contacts, and to help your business navigate the legal requirements for overseas trade.
The Bath area is home to two excellent Universities, which are developing world-class research projects on a vast array of subjects. Both Universities are keen to develop stronger links with the business community, in order to to develop commercially-appropriate solutions, and to give students the opportunity to learn directly from businesses.
Since 2013, our free business support service has advised over 700 SME businesses and helped over 90 businesses to start. Led by experienced SME advisors Cool Ventures and a range of local specialist advisors, it is a fantastic resource for the business community.
Find out what's going on for businesses in Bath and North East Somerset with the Invest in Bath events diary.
This calendar includes feeds from the most prominent business networks and organisations operating in Bath and North East Somerset and the West of England, but is not an exhaustive list - if you would like your group's events included, please let us know via Contacts.
A new £8 million funding pot is available for research and development projects.
Bristol and Bath businesses working in the advanced materials, biosciences, electronics, sensors and photonics and communications technology sectors are being urged to apply for the funding from the Technology Strategy Board (TSB).
The £8 million investment is aimed at stimulating innovation from across these sectors and building on recent technological breakthroughs.
The below list gives an overview of other online resources available to support business growth.
If you're a potential entrepreneur or existing business owner based in Bath and North East Somerset, and are unsure where to start, you can take advantage of our free business support and advice service.
This page lists some sources of alternative finance (financial channels that have emerged outside of the traditional finance system).
An experienced business advisor can help you identify the best funding and finance routes for your business and help you make applications to banks and other organisations / funds. If you run a business in Bath and North East Somerset you can take advantage of our free business advice service.
From the traditional arts to software development to mechanical engineering, the Bath area has always been beautifully inventive. Since Roman times, thinkers, entrepreneurs and investors have been attracted to its outstanding built and natural environment. You'll find that the coffee-house culture introduced to Bath in the 17th and 18th centuries is alive and well today.
The Bath & North East Somerset area is home to an astonishing range of organisations and networks that help to spark new collaborations, find new buyers and suppliers, and keep you up to date on the latest news affecting local businesses.
Every year hundreds of people call Bath and North East Somerset home for the first time. It is a special place with exceptional credentials when it comes to quality of life and wellbeing. The City of Bath in particular has the benefit of having a small centre in relative terms where you can leisurely walk from one side to the other in half an hour - learning ones way around and developing a sense of belonging can develop quickly and almost simultaneously for some.
Bath and North East Somerset is noted worldwide for its historic built environment and the beauty of its countryside, but in addition offers a combination of strengths for business. Find out more via the profiles below and visit the Case Studies section to find out more about which companies which are based here and why. .
We value imaginative, entrepreneurial investors and developers, visionary architects and designers who share our values. We recognise the necessity of building strong, positive relationships with developers – of being clear, commercial and straightforward in negotiations and minimising risk and uncertainty.
A number of sites along the riverside in Bath sites represent the most remarkable regeneration and development opportunity for Bath since the 18th century.
The sites provide much needed land for contemporary workspace, new homes and supporting cultural and leisure facilities to enhance the image, vitality and economic success of the wider city and district.
