Portsmouth and South Coast Business Week

There’ll be talks and discussions around property issues, funding available for innovation, an update on the Solent Freeport, marketing for SMEs and much more.

The South Coast's week-long festival of enterprise is back, providing free business events throughout Portsmouth and the region.

Portsmouth and South Coast Business Week (PSCBW) runs from 6 to 10 February and offers a wide range of inspiring events, with the chance to interact with like-minded businesses, learn about latest business thinking and develop potential investment opportunities.

The week will welcome over 40 speakers including Will King, founder of British toiletries company King of Shaves, and Dr Heather Melville OBE, Senior Managing Director of International PR and advisory company Teneo.

There’ll be talks and discussions around property issues, funding available for innovation, an update on the Solent Freeport, marketing for SMEs and much more. Over 20 businesses will also be opening their doors for anyone to drop in.

Becky Miles, Business Development Liaison Officer at the University of Portsmouth, said: “As the University 'for' Portsmouth, we’re committed to celebrating Portsmouth’s unique strengths and heritage as a city; championing our shared interests, supporting economic growth and making the city a destination of choice for people to live, work and visit.

“The Business Week is the perfect opportunity for us to support and engage with our local business community. We work with businesses from all sectors, large or small, to find out more about their challenges, and identify opportunities where we can use our world-leading research and expertise to help.”

This year the week is supported by Headline sponsor Catax; and business sponsors Flude and Kier.

Dawn Coker, Group Strategic Partnerships Director at Catax, said: “Portsmouth and the South Coast region has some great businesses of all sizes, which may not all be aware of what funding is available to them nationally, in addition to local funds. We know the region and have been members of the Hampshire Chamber for some time and sponsored events such as Venturefest in Southampton.”

Find out more and register at portsmouth.southcoastbusinessweek.co.uk

Help to Grow

Portsmouth Business School is one of the first in the country to deliver the Government-backed Help to Grow Management course. This is a short business course, with a mixture of online and in-person sessions, designed to support local businesses with growth and resilience.

Do you want to be part of the community of business leaders? Are you a business with 5 to 249 people? Have you been trading for a year? Are you looking for networking opportunities?

If so, please join us on 21 February to hear more about the course and explore some of the pioneering technology at our Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality (CCIXR). CCIXR is the UK’s first purpose-built facility to bring together a whole suite of the very latest XR technologies under one roof to support innovation in virtual, augmented and extended realities.

The 12-week course is designed to fit alongside work commitments. You’ll learn about marketing, leadership, operations, finance, strategy, innovation, business values and more. There are no exams or assignments, you only work on creating a bespoke business growth plan to help your business reach its full potential. You’ll also get 1:1 support from a business mentor and the chance to learn from peers and network with businesses just like yours.

Book for the free event on 21 February at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/help-to-grow-management-live-broadcast-and-networking-portsmouth-tickets-516787153287

Check out the next starting date for the course and the schedule here.

PFC Scholarship

The University and Portsmouth Football Club partnership has launched the third edition of its scholarship.

The Portsmouth FC Scholarship, which looks to support local young people with their higher education and career ambitions, will award £9,000 to a student who is under the age of 25 and lives in the Portsmouth area or on the Isle of Wight.

They will receive £3,000 in each of the three years of their undergraduate studies, while also getting the opportunity to gain valuable work experience with the football club. The student must be the first member of their family to progress to higher education or have a household income of under £35,000.

To apply, students looking to start with the University in September 2023, can visit port.ac.uk/pfcscholarship for more information and to find a link to the application form.