Recent news
Flourishing Barnstaple - Creative Work Experience Placement Scheme
Do you work in the creative and/or cultural sector? Based in Barnstaple and the surrounding areas? Passionate about supporting young people into creative careers? We need YOU!
The Flourishing Barnstaple Project has recently launched a creative work experience placement scheme in collaboration with Petroc College. We work with local organisations and businesses to provide meaningful, vocational placements for young people looking to enter a career in the arts.
Placements are based around the needs of the organisation – they’re not bound by certain times of day or frequencies, and do not have a minimum or maximum time. Placements range from one off days, to sessions every Saturday for 2 months. We work responsively to your project timelines and hours of work, allowing not only for a positive and beneficial experience for you, but a constructive and ‘real’ experience for the student.
What we provide…
- Financial support where needed – for example, covering the costs of additional insurances, or additional members of staff.
- Templates and guides to demystify taking on a work experience student
- Continued administrative support along the way.
What’s our students say…*
- Students scored their placements 8 out of 10 on average.
- 100% of students agreed that they learnt new skills on their placements, and that placements were interesting and engaging.
- 100% of students would recommend their placement to others.
*of students who completed a feedback form
If you would like to get involved or have any questions, please email Jess on Jessica.Reed@northdevon.gov.uk.
Article added 20th March 2025
Calling all entrepreneurs – win six months of free space in Bideford Town Centre
Torridge District Council has teamed up with SaveTheHighStreet.org and Bideford Town Council to launch an exciting competition designed to reward and elevate new or expanding entrepreneurs.
The project, known as LaunchBideford, is offering at least two businesses the chance to win six months of free space in Butchers Row at Bideford Pannier Market, along with a comprehensive package of hands-on, expert support to ensure their success!
The goal is to strengthen the local economy by incubating the most promising local businesses in vacant shop units, while inspiring many others to embark on their entrepreneurial journey. The competition officially opens on 28th February 2025 and winners will be selected before the end of March 2025.
For further information and for details on how to apply, please visit the LaunchBideford Website
Article added 10th March 2025
New plans revealed to save small firms £22,000 a year and improve access to cash
A new Fair Payments and Disability Finance Code launched to support SMEs click here for more details
Article added 3rd December 2024
North Devon Plus appoints Clean Maritime and Green Energy Officer
Fiona at the recent North Devon and Torridge Maritime Network event
Fiona Henderson has joined North Devon Plus, the business support partner for Torridge and North Devon councils as the Clean Maritime and Green Energy Officer. Fiona has already started working on impactful projects, including the development of the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre, which is set to emerge as a cornerstone of the South West's maritime potential and a leader in the pursuit of a sustainable green energy future, and the North Devon and Torridge Green Hydrogen Route Map, setting out the potential future supply and demand of green hydrogen in the area.
Fiona, originally from Devon, is excited to bring her extensive knowledge and expertise to the new role. Fiona honed her skills as an environmental consultant in the private sector, working on large scale energy projects.
The aim of Fiona's role is to promote sustainable practices within the maritime sector and the green energy industry including, but not limited to, clean propulsion, seaweed, environmental intelligence, and wider floating offshore wind-related technologies.
Fiona is passionate about improving the social and economic opportunities in North Devon, as well as protecting the environment by reducing carbon emissions and accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources. She feels strongly about creating training opportunities and new skilled jobs for young people and those looking to change to a greener career in North Devon.
Fiona recently played a major role in organising the North Devon and Torridge Maritime Network event in October held at the Royal George in Appledore. The event was a great success, and the North Devon and Torridge Maritime Network will now hold quarterly local events aimed to enable maritime related businesses to meet, share information, and learn about technological advancements and innovation within the industry.
For further information, please refer to the North Devon and Torridge Maritime Network on LinkedIn or contact fhenderson@northdevonplus.co.uk.
Lead Member for Economy and Estates at Torridge District Council, Councillor Bob Hicks said:
"We are incredibly fortunate to have Fiona join our team, bringing with her a wealth of experience and expertise. Her involvement will be pivotal in several key initiatives on the horizon, particularly the Appledore Clean Maritime project. This project promises a number of exciting opportunities as we move forward, and Fiona's contributions will undoubtedly enhance our efforts and success in these important areas."
Lead Member for Economic Development and Regeneration at North Devon Council, Councillor Malcolm Prowse said:
"We are thrilled to welcome Fiona to the North Devon Plus team. We're confident her knowledge and expertise will be instrumental in driving forward North Devon and Torridge's maritime and green energy projects, fostering a sustainable, innovative and dynamic future for the local area."
The North Devon and Torridge Maritime Network event featured a tour of the Appledore Clean Maritime Innovation Centre site
FREE Business Support for Creative business and practitioners in Barnstaple and North Devon!
North Devon+ is delighted to be working in partnership with the Flourishing Culture project to deliver an initial series of 5 fun and interactive FREE workshops aimed at supporting creative businesses and practitioners across Barnstaple and North Devon.
Workshop 1 - Marketing Basics For Busy Creatives - (In person session)
Monday 25th November 2pm - 4pm, Learning Room, Museum of Barnstaple, The Square, Barnstaple EX32 8LN
Bookings for this event are Open now Click here to find out more and to book your FREE place
Please see our dedicated web pages here for the full list of workshops and dates and descriptions of the workshop we will be running both in person at the Museum of Barnstaple (Learning Room) and also online via Zoom.
Article added 11th November 2024
Green Impact Fund - Update -this is now closed.
Devon County Council have launched the Green Impact Fund is now open for Expressions of Interest and Applications.
The Green Impact Fund is a £1.8 million capital grant scheme funded by the UK government as part of the Devon and Torbay Devolution Deal and managed by Devon County Council.
Capital grants ranging from £5,000 up to £49,999 will be available for capital projects. The Green Impact Fund will fund up to 80% of eligible costs (for revenue-generating organisations) and up to 100% of eligible costs (for non-profit organisations). Awarded grants must be spent by 31 March 2025.
The deadline for applications is 29th November 2024.
Please visit the website for further details and the application guidance.
24
The Rural England Prosperity Fund is now paused in North Devon and closed in Torridge.
The scheme is now closed in Torridge due to the volume of applications and the programme is currently paused in North Devon. We are currently not accepting new applications for the North Devon area grants, whilst we assess the applications received. We will update this website if the scheme re-opens.
Article added 7th November 2024
Sign up for an information session to find out more about becoming a Devon County Councillor
If you care about your community and want to help improve people’s lives, you could become your area’s next county Councillor. The next county council elections are in May 2025. To help potential candidates understand the role and responsibilities, Devon County Council is inviting the public to sign up for an information session.
Attend either in person or online on Tuesday 10 December at 5pm or Thursday 16 January at 9am. The County Returning Officer, Maria Price, and the Council’s Democratic Services team will be available to answer any questions about the role, commitment, support, and training.
Register your interest in advance at either the Devon County Council website or contact Democratic Services at members.services@devon.gov.uk or call 01392 380 547.
Article added 5th November 2024
CDS Mobile Boost Scheme has re-opened
We are pleased to share that Connecting Devon and Somerset’s (CDS) Mobile Boost scheme has re-opened offering businesses and residents in Somerset and Devon vouchers of up to £1,300 towards technology to improve their indoor mobile coverage and connectivity.
For further information, visit the Connecting Devon and Somerset Website
Article added 21st August 2024
Round 2 of the Rural England Prosperity Fund is now live.
Please see our dedicated grant pages for further details on how to apply,
How your rural business can get a £4,500 boost for better broadband
The UK Gigabit Voucher Scheme aims to support small businesses in rural areas. Here's how to get your broadband voucher. Vouchers worth up to £4,500 will be available for rural small businesses to help cover the costs of installing gigabit broadband.
See the Small Business.co.uk article here for more information:
Warning of false claims about Deadlines for appealing Business Rates valuations
Be aware of false claims about deadlines to appeal the 2023 list for business rates.
The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) is aware of false claims that the deadline for appeals to the 2023 rating lists is 30 June.
This is not true. You should be wary of anyone making this claim.
You are generally able to challenge your property valuation on the 2023 list at any time until March 2026.
For further information about this, visit the Gov.UK Website
Article added 20th June 2024
Boost for small business as VAT threshold raised and rates frozen
- 28,000 small businesses freed from paying VAT, encouraging them to invest and grow as the threshold is raised from £85,000 to £90,000
- Over one million properties protected from higher bills by freezing the small business rates multiplier for a fourth consecutive year
- Government backs British businesses as it sticks to the plan to cut taxes, reward hard work and grow the economy
Small businesses have today (Monday 1 April 2024) received a boost as the VAT registration threshold is raised from £85,000 to £90,000, and £4.3 billion of business rates relief comes into force. More details
Article added 01.04.2024
Farming Grants available in 2024
A summary of the grants to look out for this year.
The information published in this post is correct at the time of publication but please note that blog posts do go out of date. For the definitive, up-to-date list of all farming payments and guidance in England, bookmark Funding for Farmers and Land Managers on GOV.UK. The page contains both grants and payments. It also includes Countryside Stewardship grants and it is updated regularly.
Rural Payments Agency opens claim windows for farm payments for 2024
The claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship (CS) revenue and Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements has opened on Thursday 14 March.
Rural Payments Agency opens claim windows for farm payments for 2024 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
New guidance to help farmers through planning process
Farmers in northern Devon can now benefit from new guidance before submitting planning applications thanks to a new document from North Devon and Torridge district councils.
The councils have produced the Planning Advice for Farmers guidance document to assist those in the agriculture industry with the submission of planning applications, as well providing advice on permitted development for farm businesses.
It gives advice on what when applications are required and what a good planning application looks at with respect to new farm buildings, slurry storage and engineering operations.
It also looks at what is required for those looking to diversify their business, including through renewable energy, the conversion of buildings, or development for tourism.
The guidance has been put together following discussions with North Devon Plus and the National Farmers Union, as well as local farmers from across northern Devon. While the document is not formal planning policy, it is intended to act as signposting guidance for farmers.
Lead Member for Economic Development and Strategic Planning Policy at North Devon Council, Councillor Malcolm Prowse, says: "We know the planning system is not always the easiest to navigate, and with changes to how farm subsidy payments are received, we felt it would be useful as district councils to produce guidance for our local agricultural industry to make it that bit easier for those looking to adapt, expand or diversify their business. We hope our farming communities find it useful."
Lead Member for Planning at Torridge District Council, Councillor Rosemary Lock, says: "We have worked closely with the farming community and the National Farmers Union on this new planning guidance, with the collective goal of making the planning process an easier and smoother one to navigate for our farming community. We hope that it will be a welcome new tool for farming businesses, whether they are looking to adapt, expand or diversify, helping them to respond to market challenges and opportunities.”
You can find the Planning Advice for Farmers guidance document online here and on the North Devon Council website and on the Torridge District Council website.
Article added 12th February 2024
Using online services safely
First changes to UK company law expected on 4 March
Companies House is aiming to introduce the first set of measures under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act on 4 March 2024. The introduction of these changes needs secondary legislation so this date is still dependent on parliamentary timetables. It will not be earlier than 4 March.
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act
The Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act gives Companies House the power to play a more significant role in disrupting economic crime and supporting economic growth. The act received royal assent on 26 October 2023.
Find out more about these changes here and what actions you may need to take here
Article added 23rd January 2024
Town centre businesses - upgrade, repair or refurbish your shopfront!
North Devon Council's Town Centre Enhancement Scheme awards small grants to support existing independent businesses that would like to replace, improve or carry out repairs to their shop fronts or for other potential enhancement projects. The aim of this scheme is to encourage businesses to upgrade, repair and refurbish shopfronts in North Devon’s town centres in order to emphasise both the individuality of the business premises and, where appropriate, the historic character of the town centres. This is a capital grants scheme based on the award to North Devon Council within the UK Shared Prosperity fund investment plan for 2022/2024 within the ‘improvements to town centres and high streets’ strand. The Council will contribute up to 50% of total eligible project costs, with businesses expected to match their contribution. The maximum grant available is £2000 or 50% of eligible project costs; whichever is the lower amount. The grant is ideal for supporting small repair or improvement projects such as fascia repairs, signage, painting and decorating, guttering, lighting and more. As the grant is paid in arrears applicants will initially need to pay for the total project upfront. There is an open-application approach with no set deadlines throughout the year, meaning applications will be determined on their own eligibility and merit on a first-come, first-served basis. |
For further information, visit North Devon Council's website
Article added 8th January 2024
Free Cyber Security Support
If you - or any of your contacts - are involved in running a small to medium sized business, a local charity, a public sector or local community group, and you are concerned about the security of your IT systems or website, the South West Cyber Resilience Centre SWCRC may be able to help. Superintendent Mark Moore from Devon and Cornwall Police, heads up the South West’s CRC. They are a not-for-profit organisation, funded by the Home Office and regional policing. They exist to help south-west based small to medium sized businesses, charities, voluntary groups and public sector organisations, with their cyber security. Cyber security can feel complicated, expensive and unmanageable. It can be hard to know where to start, or how to improve resilience. Professional cyber security support is often costly and, for many, obtaining such assistance can be well beyond their financial means. These regional CRC’s have been set up by Government to help small to medium sized businesses, groups and organisations who find themselves in just this position. Much of what is on offer to you from the CRC is absolutely free. Should you wish to sign up you can do so at Membership | Cyber Resilience Centre for the South West (swcrc.co.uk) |
Article added 8th January 2024
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