If you would like to link to the South West RDA website from your site or need to update current links - please e-mail enquiries@southwestrda.org.uk.

Business Links 
www.businesslink.gov.uk 
If you run a small business or you are thinking about starting one up - then this website is for you.

Business Link in the South West 
Business Link provides the information, advice and support you need to start, run and grow a business.

Inward Investment

i-uk 
www.i-uk.com 
An initiative led by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in cooperation with Invest UK, Trade Partners UK, the British Tourist Authority and the British Council - i-uk is a gateway to the United Kingdom's business, tourism, educational and cultural resources.

UK Trade & Investment  
www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk 
UK Trade & Investment is the Government organisation that supports both UK companies trading internationally and overseas enterprises seeking to locate in the UK.

Business Support and Finance

Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) 
www.acas.org.uk 
ACAS is an organisation devoted to preventing and resolving employment disputes.

Beacon South West 
www.beaconsw.org 
Beacon South West is building a portfolio of South West companies that other businesses can turn to for leadership and examples of best practice.

British Venture Capital Association 
www.bvca.co.uk 
Committed to promoting the private equity industry for the benefit of entrepreneurs, investors, practitioners and the economy as a whole.

Business in the Community 
www.bitc.org.uk 
Business in the Community is a unique movement of over 700 of the UK's top companies committed to improving their positive impact on society.

Business West 
www.businesswest.co.uk 
In addition to providing practical business help and services, we develop, represent and implement through partnerships the interests of the business community.

CBI 
www.cbi.org.uk 
The CBI is the UK's leading independent employers' organisation. Representing over 250,000 public and private sector companies - it is Britain's Business Voice.

Chamber Online 
www.chamberonline.co.uk 
The British Chambers of Commerce representing UK business interests around the world, featuring 'Find a Chamber' functionality.

Enterprise Nation 
www.enterprisenation.com 
Enterprise Nation provides free information and inspiration to homeworkers across the UK

Federation of Small Businesses 
www.fsb.org.uk 
The UK's leading political lobby group for UK small businesses.

Finance South West 
www.financesouthwest.co.uk 
Finance South West understands the needs of local businesses, not just facts and figures.

govgrantsglobal.com 
www.govgrantsglobal.com 
Access to funding for start-ups, established small and medium size firms, corporate and inward investing multinationals. 

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) 
www.hse.gov.uk 
Ensures that risks to people's health and safety from work activities are properly controlled.

HM Revenue & Customs: Businesses and Corporations 
www.hmrc.gov.uk/businesses 
For anyone in business, or thinking about setting up a business. The 'Business and Corporation' section of HMRC gives you easy access to all the key information and services you will need to comply with the law.

Institute of Business Advisers 
www.iba.org.uk 
A not-for-profit professional institute of individual business advisors, councillors, mentors and trainers who specialise in helping small firms.

Institute of Directors 
www.iod.com 
Membership spans the whole spectrum of business leadership, from the largest public companies to the smallest private firms.

Link2Exports 
www.link2exports.co.uk 
Link2exports has been designed in partnership with the British Chambers of Commerce, to provide specific information on countries worldwide for companies.

NetRegs 
www.netregs.gov.uk 
Set up by the UK's environmental regulators to help small businesses to understand their environmental obligations, the site contains general management guidelines that apply to most businesses and sector specific guidance for more than 70 business sectors.

Objective One Partnership 
www.objectiveone.com  
Objective One partnership for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Plymouth Business Growth 
www.plymouth-chamber.co.uk 
Plymouth Business Growth is a business led partnership supported by many of the city's leading businesses, business groups and key public sector stakeholders.

Prime Initiative 
www.primeinitiative.org.uk 
UK wide campaign to encourage and assist over 50's to gain employment.

RISE 
www.rise-sw.co.uk  
The voice for South West Social Enterprise.

Small Business Service 
www.sbs.gov.uk  
The Small Business Service (SBS) is an agency within the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform championing the interests of small business.

South West Angel and Investor Network 
www.swain.org.uk  
The South West Angel and Investor Network (SWAIN) connects private investors, or 'Business Angels', with companies looking for investment. SWAIN specialises in helping small and medium sized companies to find equity finance, and assists private investors in the South West to search for investment opportunities in businesses with growth potential.

South West Manufacturing Advisory Service 
www.swmas.co.uk 
The SWMAS has been set up to help smaller businesses improve productivity, reduce waste and compete more effectively in the marketplace.

South West Ventures Fund 
www.southwestventuresfund.co.uk 
The South West Ventures Fund is managed by YFM Venture Finance. Venture Capital can be invested into fast growing SMEs in the South West in amounts ranging from £50,000 to £500,000 in return for a minority equity stake in the business.

Supply2.gov.uk 
www.supply2.gov.uk 
Supply2.gov.uk is a dynamic government-backed service created by the government, designed specifically to give small businesses within the UK easy access to lower-value contract opportunities (typically worth under £100,000) offered by the public sector. 
 
Register at Supply2.gov.uk to receive daily email alerts notifying you of lower-value contract opportunities relevant to your business, in your chosen area for FREE. The Supply2.gov.uk service also enables you to search online for contract opportunities whilst actively promoting your company to the public sector.

The Queens Awards for Enterprise 
www.queensawards.org.uk 
The Queen's Awards for Enterprise are the UK's most prestigious awards for business performance.

Trades Union Congress 
www.tuc.org.uk 
The TUC is the voice of Britain at work.

Sectors and Clusters

Advanced Engineering (including Aerospace)

Engineering Employers Federation 
www.eef.org.uk 
The representational voice of Engineering and Manufacturing in the UK.

West of England Aerospace Forum 
www.weaf.co.uk 
Aerospace trade association working with key partners in one of the most important and economically influential industrial sectors in the South West of England.

Biotechnology

BioApproaches South West 
www.bioapproaches.co.uk 
Supports professional and business development of the Biotechnology sector in the South West of England.

Creative Industries

Arts Council England 
www.artscouncil.org.uk 
Arts Council England is the national development agency for the arts in England, distributing public money from Government and the National Lottery.

Enterprise Pavilion 
www.aibep.co.uk 
A business centre for the creative industries, developed and managed by the Arts Institute at Bournemouth and funded by the South West Regional Development Agency

Interactive Southwest 
www.interactivesw.net 
A canvas for the imagination.

South West Screen (formerly South West Film Commission) 
www.swscreen.co.uk 
Professional advice and local expertise, paving the way for a Hassle-free Production.

Environmental Technologies

Environmental Industries Sector Unit (EISU) 
www.eisu.org.uk 
UK Trade and Investment has responsibility for promoting the UK environmental industry overseas.

Environmental Industries Unit (EIU) 
www.berr.gov.uk/sectors_environment.html 
A joint BERR/Defra unit which promotes the environmental goods and services sector in the UK.

EnviroSkills SW 
www.EnviroSkillsSW.org.uk 
A regional project funded by the South West of England Regional Development Agency to support skills and training in the environmental technology sector.

Food and Drink

South West Food & Drink 
www.southwestfoodanddrink.com 
The umbrella organisation that helps to promote and develop the food industry in the South West of England.

South West Food & Drink Skills Network 
www.swfoodanddrinkskills.co.uk 
The South West Food & Drink Skills Network was set up as a result of intensive research into the needs for basic skills within the food & drink industry.

Taste of the West 
www.tasteofthewest.co.uk 
Taste of the West provides key support for the economic development of the Food and Drink industry throughout the South West of England.

ICT

Broadbandshow 
www.broadbandshow.org 
The Bristol Interactive Cluster (BRIC) has been commissioned by the South West of England Regional Development Agency to manage a unique project called the broadbandshow.

ConnectingSW.net 
www.connectingsw.net 
ConnectingSW.net will be an important resource for anyone involved or interested in the continuing development of Broadband and ICT in the South West.

Digital Peninsula Network 
www.digitalpeninsula.com 
The Digital Peninsula Network is a member organisation serving Cornwall's rapidly growing community of media and ICT professionals and digital creatives. They also assist traditional businesses with aspirations to exploit new technology. 

Remote area broadband inclusion trials 
www.rabbit-broadband.org.uk 
Facilitating and encouraging a number of rural users to connect to a range of Broadband suppliers, monitor this experience closely and evaluate the results both technically and commercially.

Leisure and Tourism

South West Tourism 
www.swtourism.co.uk 
South West Tourism is a partnership of private enterprise and both local and central government.

Visit Britain 
www.visitbritain.com 
The official Tourist Office website for visiting Britain.

Marine

Marine South West 
www.marine-south-west.org.uk 
Providing support and advice to marine companies in South West England.

Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) 
www.wpnsa.org.uk 
WPNSA operates a sailing school, and has been selected as the venue for the London 2012 Olympic sailing events.

Supply Solutions

Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport 
www.ciltuk.org.uk  
The CILTUK exists to be the pre-eminent independent professional body for individuals associated with logistics, supply chains and all transport throughout their careers 

Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply 
www.cips.org 
The Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply - an international education & qualification body representing purchasing & supply chain professionals.

Incubation and Science Parks

Tamar Science Park 
www.tamarsciencepark.com 
The environment for science - the architecture for success. 

Bournemouth Aviation Park 
www.aviationpark.co.uk 
Bournemouth Aviation Park a premier location for Technology, Industry and Freight.

UK Business Incubation (UKBI) 
www.ukbi.co.uk 
The leading representative body for the business incubation industry in the UK.

Exeter Innovation Centre 
www.ex.ac.uk/innovation 
Exeter University's Innovation Centre provides accommodation for 18 high-tech businesses from the biomedical, environmental, software, advanced manufacturing and internet sectors. The Innovation Centre also acts as the Gateway to the University's services and facilities for business.

Bournemouth University Innovation Centre (BUIC) 
www.buic.co.uk 
BUIC provides office space for dynamic businesses from a pre-start to start-up stage. Working together with businesses, BUIC supports them with advice around marketing, finance solutions and access to grant funding as well as providing networking opportunities to help them succeed.

Bristol Enterprise Centre (BEC) 
www.bris.ac.uk/research 
Bristol Enterprise Centre (BEC) is a business incubator established by the University of Bristol to encourage the establishment and growth of technology-based businesses. 

Winfrith Innovation Centre (WTC) 
www.ukspa.org.uk 
Winfrith Technology Centre (WTC) is part of a purpose built location for advanced scientific and technical services. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has turned the WTC from a government research centre into an important south coast science and technology development location.  

Cotswold Innovation Centre 
www.oxin.co.uk/busenv/centre 
Cotswold Innovation Centre is managed by Oxford Innovation. Cotswold Innovation Centre provides workspace for small companies in an instructive and supportive environment. Their aim is to maximise the formation and development of businesses with the potential for growth.

BRAVE Enterprise Agency 
www.brave.org.uk 
BRAVE Enterprise Agency, based in central Bristol, offers business help and assists with: expert advice on your specific needs, business training, guidance on sources of money, opportunities to meet others and network, information and contacts, premises at low cost, and on-going support. 

Carpenter House Innovation Centre 
www.bath.ac.uk/innovation-centre 
The Carpenter House Innovation Centre in Bath provide hands-on support and expertise to new technology enterprises that emerge from the University's research base, that are established by academics and students.