News Releases

A company using drones to deliver cargo, food and medical supplies to remote locations has seen demand for its services take off.

Skyports Drone Services, based in the Westcott Space Cluster, is going from strength to strength thanks to a clutch of contracts from across the world.

Space research, manufacturing and testing facilities at the Westcott Space Cluster will get a £5.9 million boost thanks to UK Space Agency funding, which was announced during the UK Space Conference held in Belfast yesterday.

The investment is a result of a successful collaborative bid led by URA Thrusters and including Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), Skyports Drone Services and Plastron UK.

Join the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) team at their Annual General Meeting on the 17th November at The Gateway, Aylesbury, to hear all about their achievements, not only over the past year, but over the past decade and the exciting plans for economic development in Buckinghamshire.

A company helping to lead the electric vehicle revolution has relocated its Global Technical Centre to a new facility at Silverstone Park.

Saietta Group Plc has taken a newly-built 22,000 sq ft hi-tech engineering facility within the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone at Silverstone Park, moving its electric drivetrain design, engineering, and development activities under one roof from its previous base at Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire.

A pioneering piece of equipment designed to help cyclists and bicycle manufacturers maximise performance has been launched.

The Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub (SSEH) has added a Pedalling Efficiency Rig to its already impressive list of facilities which will allow professional cyclists to boost their efficiency using cutting edge equipment.

A company which transforms refuse trucks and classic cars into state-of-the-art electric vehicles has been named the Buckinghamshire Business of the Year.

Lunaz, based at Silverstone Park, picked up the prestigious honour along with the Innovative Business of the Year title at the Buckinghamshire Business Awards, which showcases the best of the county’s business talent.

A company specialising in 3D modelling for space and engineering applications has been given a major boost after being accepted onto a support and development scheme.

Techwerk will benefit from the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme
aimed at encouraging start up and SME companies to grow and develop at Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire.

A company which is developing rocket technology powered by water has been shortlisted for an international award. URA Thrusters has been shortlisted in the top 50 finalists for the European Startup Prize for Mobility.

The company, based at Westcott Venture Park made the cut in the competition aimed at identifying Europe’s top clean mobility startups which attracted a record 700 entries.

Silverstone Park clean-tech business Lunaz has been appointed to ‘upcycle’ bin lorries to electric power for national operator Biffa as well as Buckinghamshire Council.

The first truck converted from diesel to electric inside Lunaz’s 200,000 sq ft Silverstone Park premises will be delivered to the Buckinghamshire authority this autumn ahead of its wider fleet undergoing conversion in 2024.

A special event designed to provide an insight into the future of the space industry has been hailed a major success.

The Westcott Showcase attracted delegates and representatives from over 100 companies and organisations who discussed the next exciting developments including drones, rocket propulsion and sustainability in space under the theme of ‘driving space innovation.’

In light of the recent Government announcement to cease funding for Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) from 31 March 2024, and to transfer responsibility for LEP functions to local authorities, Buckinghamshire LEP would like to clarify that LEP funding has been confirmed for 2023/24 - as has Growth Hub and Skills Hub funding - and our current programme of activities will remain in place. We will consider our future arrangements as part of the LEP Board meeting in October.

Students from across the UK came together for the ‘Race to Space’ competition where they set an unofficial world record for the number of different hybrid/liquid rocket engines hot-fired for the first time on one site in one week.

The students’ rocket engines all underwent their maiden test firing over a busy four days at Westcott Venture Park, as part of a new national competition to boost UK space skills.

Directors of a start-up firm which helps with manufacturing in space are celebrating after being the first business to benefit from a new funding and development initiative.

Growbotics Space has joined the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme aimed at encouraging start up and SME companies to grow and develop at Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire.

With all the excitement of this weekends (7 - 9 July) Grand Prix at Silverstone, it is easy to forget there is far more going on at Silverstone than just Formula 1.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s (Bucks LEP) Silverstone Enterprise Zone, next to the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit and at the centre of the Silverstone Technology Cluster, is a global destination for innovation, business development, and engineering.

Growbotics and Techwerk have joined the Westcott Space Cluster to take advantage of new funding available through the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme. They will become part of the fast-growing ecosystem of space companies situated at Westcott Venture Park.

Funded through Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and managed by the Satellite Applications Catapult, the Westcott Incubator and Accelerator (WIA) Programme is designed to support the growth and development of early-stage businesses and SME companies to explore, build and test their innovations at Westcott. Growbotics and Techwerk are the first successful companies to secure funding from the Incubator programme and will have access to business support and the business spaces provided by the Satellite Applications Catapult at Westcott Venture Park.

Westcott based European Astrotech has successfully fuelled the EUCLID spacecraft on behalf of ESA, OHB-SE and TAS-I ahead of its launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 in July 2023.

A team of four engineers, supported by expert colleagues from OHB-SE and TAS-I performed the operation on 16th July, loading ~141 kg of hydrazine propellant on-board before pressuring the tank for flight.

The government has today, 14 June, announced that Royal Holloway, University of London, is the preferred bidder for the national Convergent Screen Technologies and performance in Realtime (CoSTAR) lab. This was announced as part of the government’s Creative Industries Sector Vision to maximise the potential of the UK creative industries and grow the economy.

This sector vision builds on more than £230million in government spending on the creative industries since 2021. This includes £75.6million to build the largest virtual production research and development network in Europe to put the UK at the forefront of advancements in visual effects, motion-capture technology, and AI for the screen industries and live performance. The government also announced that regional research labs will be based in Yorkshire, Dundee and Belfast with a national lab in Buckinghamshire. The programme will be supported with an additional £63million investment from industry.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £18 billion.

Bucks LEP are seeking applications for new private sector board members who will bring further commercial experience and insight to the board and help generate new ideas and who will best reflect the communities they serve across Buckinghamshire.

The Confident Futures Skills Show is Buckinghamshire's most exciting experiential careers event aimed at young people and career seekers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or those facing barriers to entering the workforce.

On Tuesday 13th June, Confident Futures (formerly the SEND Skills Show) will return to Stoke Mandeville Stadium to connect young people to over 50 employers and next steps providers.

18th May, 2023: The Satellite Applications Catapult launches its new Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC) facility at Westcott Venture Park in Buckinghamshire.

The site is a former RAF base and has a 270m runway, four dedicated landing pads for vertical, or vertical to horizontal take-off, and multiple flying areas offering real-world environments.

The DTDC offers permanent hangars as workshop space for companies wishing to base themselves at Westcott, and flexible workbench options for those operators looking for short term leases and a place to test their equipment. The Satellite Applications Catapult is proud to have Skyports Drone Services as their inaugural customer.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is proud to announce its sponsorship of the national propulsion competition UK Race2Space which is aimed at inspiring students and giving them the skills needed to join the space industry.

The competition, which is organised by the University of Sheffield, is taking place at Westcott Venture Park from 3-7 July and will be the first competition worldwide to focus on the development of bio propellant and hybrid rocket engines.

A unique opportunity for employers to inspire the next generation, the Confident Futures Skills Show is Buckinghamshire's most exciting experiential careers event aimed at young people and career seekers with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or those facing barriers to entering the workforce.

As part of the Confident Futures Skills Show, taking place on June 13th at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, Buckinghamshire Business First is hosting a workshop on Becoming a Disability Confident Employer, designed to help businesses create a more inclusive workplace.

One of Europe’s leading niche cable and wiring harness manufacturers is going from strength to strength at Silverstone Park with new investment in equipment and training.

Nicab recently invested £200,000 in a Komax Alpha 530 machine which can crimp and seal high-quality wire cross-sections at a rate of nine metres per second.

The Buckinghamshire Recovery Investment Fund was established by Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to directly support businesses needing to adapt their operational practices. A review recently conducted by Buckinghamshire Business First, highlights 210 new jobs and 74 new products and services to market created as a result of the investment.

The King’s Awards for Enterprise are as prestigious a business honour as you can get, a royal seal of approval and global recognition that your business is outstanding in its field. Past winners have cited increased growth, sales, exports and staff morale as a result of winning.

King Charles III continues Queen Elizabeth’s legacy by giving His Majesty’s name to this prestigious award. To discover how your business could gain royal recognition, register for the free Launch and Networking Event, which takes place on Thursday 11th May between 6pm – 8pm at Westcott Venture Park, Aylesbury. The event is hosted by the Countess Howe, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire and organised by Buckinghamshire Business First and MK Business Leaders Partnership.

A pioneering rocket technology firm has successfully tested a rocket using only water as a propellant.

URA Thrusters based at Westcott Venture Park led a consortium of commercial enterprises and academics from the UK and Singapore, to fire and operate a Hall Effect Thruster (HET) which is powered by oxygen and hydrogen produced from water electrolysis (AQUAHET).

Local businesses are being asked for their reactions to the government’s Spring Budget, as part of the latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey.

Businesses can also provide an update on their own recent performance and how they are faring with current trading conditions.

The Spring Budget comes at a crucial time for businesses, who are looking for stability following a prolonged period of economic uncertainty. As the government looks to outline its plan for growth, Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are keen to hear the reactions of local businesses.

Matt Peachey formerly of Oxford City Council has been named as the new Head of Enterprise Zone Development for Buckinghamshire.

Matt is an accomplished Economic Development Manager with extensive experience working with partners to attract investment into local areas across the country. He will play a key role in accelerating growth and innovation of Buckinghamshire’s Enterprise Zones (Bucks EZ) at Silverstone Park, Westcott Venture Park and Arla Woodlands.

A company dedicated to training students and staff involved in the space industry is going from strength to strength after opening a new facility.

European Astrotech, which provides engineering, technical and advisory support to the space propulsion industry, has trained more than 300 individuals at the Centre of Excellence for Rocket Engine Flow Test at Westcott Venture Park in the last year following £740,000 of Getting Building Fund investment via the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Over 5,000 people walked through the doors of Stoke Mandeville Stadium for two days of careers inspiration, at this year’s Bucks Skills Show held across 8th and 9th March.

A great mix of students, young adults and people of all ages looking for careers inspiration and guidance visited this year’s event to be motivated by over 120 plus businesses exhibiting, including Pinewood Studios, Metro Bank, Amazon, Disney, Buckinghamshire College Group, GE Healthcare, Hartwell House Hotel & Spa, Cloudy IT, Balfour Beatty, Buckinghamshire Council and URA Thrusters.

A pioneering company specialising in the development of drone services including deliveries, surveys and monitoring operations, is spreading its wings as it looks to provide medical supplies to remote communities.

With its UK flight operations based at Westcott Venture Park, Skyports Drone Services is carrying out ground-breaking delivery trials in locations across the globe, including Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) deliveries in Kenya and school meal deliveries in Scotland. These trials are being performed in anticipation for regular drone deliveries in hard-to-reach and rural locations in the future.

The Bucks Skills Show has been inspiring people to step towards their dream career for years and this year will be no exception. Doors open at Stoke Mandeville Stadium on Wednesday 8th March from 4pm to 8pm for people of all ages looking for careers inspiration or a career change. There will be several speakers per hour from a range of business sectors giving inspiring talks and discussing career opportunities in Buckinghamshire.

To book onto the free event, visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bucks-skills-show-2023-tickets

Businesses in Buckinghamshire have a unique chance to improve the strength and depth of the local skills and labour markets across key sectors and skillsets, thanks to Buckinghamshire’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP), which aims to align local skills needs with local skills training.

In 2022 Buckinghamshire Business First was designated as the Employer Representative Body (ERB) for skills in Buckinghamshire. Selected by the Department for Education, it was chosen to lead the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) for Buckinghamshire to address the local skills shortages that are felt by employers across the county.

Lunaz Applied Technologies (LAT) has announced that its vast vehicle upcycling campus at Silverstone Park is now fully operational following a major expansion.

The facility, the first of its kind in the world, now occupies a total of 200,000 sq ft according to Lunaz – nearly four times its original size when it opened in 2018.

Some 300 jobs have been created as a result of the expansion, making LAT one of the largest companies within the Silverstone Technology Cluster by space and employees.

Westcott Venture Park’s position as launchpad for the development of drone technology has been further strengthened with the opening of a new Drone Test and Development Centre.

Westcott’s owner PATRIZIA Hanover Property Unit Trust has agreed a lease with the Satellite Applications Catapult on newly developed drone test facilities in a project funded by the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP).

We have much to be proud of in the ten years since Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership was established. Over the past decade we have built strong foundations to help our business community grow and worked tirelessly with stakeholders, political, education, business and community leaders to make our county a highly attractive place for businesses to thrive.

Silverstone Park within the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone is continuing to expand rapidly with high demand backed by ongoing finance and support channelled through the Local Enterprise Partnership.

Developer MEPC has completed Phase 3 of the site comprising 265,000 sq ft of industrial accommodation and has now turned its sights on planning Phases 4 and 5.

Working together can produce spectacular results – that is the message being delivered by members of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Three key sites within the Enterprise Zone (EZ) - Silverstone Park, Westcott Venture Park and Arla/Woodlands have been identified as having synergies providing untapped potential to power future economic growth and attract investment for the region.

One of the world’s leading companies in the delivery of complex equipment and instrumentation for Space and large scientific facilities has arrived at Westcott Venture Park.

AVS UK is currently based at the Westcott Innovation Centre for the next two years, while the new facility is developed and the company is already set to double its workforce.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First’s latest Business Barometer survey shows the second quarter of 2022 brought a negative change to trading conditions and business performance for respondents, undoing some of the progress achieved following the end of Covid restrictions.

The Barometer asked Buckinghamshire businesses about areas where they are seeing rising business costs and their severity. All businesses that responded to the survey experienced a rise in business costs in at least one of the 13 areas identified. More than half (57%) experienced surging business costs in at least six or more areas.

Small businesses looking to develop their expertise in the space sector are being offered a new funding package.

The £500,000 Westcott Accelerator and Incubation Programme delivered by the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone is designed to help start up and SME companies to grow and develop at Westcott Venture Park.

Join the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) team at their Annual General Meeting on the 15th November at the newly opened Building 4000 situated within the Westcott Enterprise Zone, to hear all about their achievements over the past year and ambitious plans for the future.

As well as celebrating the achievements of the LEP over the past 12 months, the AGM will mark the launch of the Bucks LEP funded new Drone Test and Development Centre at Westcott Enterprise Zone. The new Centre will help to shape and transform private and commercial aviation over the next decade and help facilitate growth in the Buckinghamshire economy and further establish the county as a global centre of excellence in drone and space technology.

A technology company focusing on helping cyclists achieve ultimate performance levels is on track to expansion.

Vorteq Sports specialises in the development of aerodynamic skinsuits designed to help cyclists go faster and is growing with the help of ongoing rates relief from the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Zone.

Garden room company Green Retreats has expanded into a new facility within the Westcott Venture Park Enterprise Zone, scaling up the business to create a further 250 jobs.

The company has taken a new factory and production facility of 65,000 sq ft set on 4.5 acres of Enterprise Zone allocated land on the 650-acre business park between Aylesbury and Bicester.

A hi-tech business is expanding rapidly and creating jobs boosted by business rates relief provided by the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone as a Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership programme.

3C Test which specialises in Automotive Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) testing, expanded into new premises in Silverstone Park last year and is benefiting from rates relief for five years thanks to being in the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are seeking the views of local businesses for the latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey, which seeks views in particular on rising costs being experienced by businesses.

Along with general questions regarding trading conditions and business confidence, this quarter’s survey seeks to understand how business costs have changed over recent months and what the impact of these has been. There is increasing concern that inflationary pressures will have a major impact on businesses across the UK this winter. With this pressure set to impact businesses of all sizes and types, Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First are keen to hear how this is affecting local businesses.

A company which restores and re-engineers a range of vehicles from refuse trucks to classic cars with state-of-the-art electric technology is going from strength to strength with the help of funding sourced by the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP).

Lunaz was only launched in 2019 and, despite the pandemic, reached a £158m valuation in February following a private capital raise, growing its workforce to 130 employees with a total of 350 skilled jobs set to be created by 2024.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £18 billion.

Bucks LEP are seeking applications for new private sector board members who will bring further commercial experience and insight to the board and help generate new ideas and who will best reflect the communities they serve across Buckinghamshire.

A company which is helping to revolutionise rocket technology has moved to the Westcott Space Cluster.

URA Thrusters specialises in the use of water as fuel for rocket propulsion in space and is soon to carry out testing having spent the last nine months refurbishing the old R site at Westcott.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey shows the first quarter of 2022 brought improved trading conditions and performance for many Bucks businesses, despite rising costs as a result of on-going disruption to supply chains, reduced labour availability and inflationary pressures.

The Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey also focused on the barriers facing businesses in their drive to Net Zero. The Barometer asked businesses about the challenges they faced on their journey to Net Zero, which also forms a key part of a green economy audit Bucks LEP has commissioned to understand how businesses in Buckinghamshire are reducing their carbon emissions, and to identify opportunities for net zero growth.

Buckinghamshire Skills Hub inspired over 300 students with SEND, at its first SEND Skills Show, which exposed students to a broad range of employers to discover different industry sectors and be inspired!

The SEND Skills Show took place on Monday (20th June) at Stoke Mandeville Stadium and enabled young people to explore careers, discover different industry sectors and work out how to achieve their ambitions. But equally, it was an opportunity for employers to inspire the next generation and secure their talent pipeline.

A new Cycling Test Lab designed to help students develop their engineering skills has been launched at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub (SSEH). This is an extension of their aerodynamic test facility and R&D tools and services offered to sports engineering.

The project has received £800,000 of Local Growth Funding from the Bucks Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). An allocation of £350,000 has been put towards the Cycling Test Lab at Silverstone University Technical College (UTC), this facility will give students at the college access to three specialist rigs which will allow them to apply their learning to real world applications. £450,000 has been put towards a pedaling rig which will be homed at SSEH and an initial version is due to be completed by the end of 2022.

An exciting event highlighting the success of space-related industries at Westcott is being held in July.

The Westcott Space Cluster Expo will showcase the achievements of companies operating on-site alongside their pioneering products and services and their bold vision for the future.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted with the announcement today by Skyports to select Westcott Venture Park as its new home for research & development, training and flight operations.

This announcement follows Bucks LEP Getting Building Fund investment of £2.6m into the innovation ecosystem at Westcott including the new drone port testing facilities. Bucks LEP successful delivery of its Getting Building Fund programme shows this investment is having an immediate return through Skyports decision to choose Westcott as their research & development base.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are seeking the views of local businesses for the latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey, which seeks views in particular about the barriers businesses are facing towards achieving Net Zero emissions.

“Help is at hand for businesses that are reducing or want to reduce their carbon emissions,” explains Philippa Batting, Managing Director, Buckinghamshire Business First. “For more than a decade, Buckinghamshire Business First has taken a lead role in influencing, educating, and supporting local businesses to make practical changes to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency.”

Buckinghamshire Advantage is delighted with the decision earlier this month by Buckinghamshire Council to give the green light to the outline planning application for the Aylesbury Woodlands development.

Aylesbury Woodlands, part of the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone, is an extensive site to the east of Aylesbury, where a major new mixed use urban extension will be delivered. The development will include commercial premises, strategic road infrastructure, housing and sports and leisure facilities.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are delighted to partner the Innovate Local South East online event on Thursday 28th April, which aims to inspire local businesses to develop and grow.

What funding and investment do you need to develop your ideas and grow your business? Join this free one-day event and get inspired by business innovators who have received support to supercharge their ideas across Buckinghamshire and beyond.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted to announce that full funding has been allocated to ten key projects from the Governments £7.7m Getting Building Fund, helping to boost economic growth in Bucks.

Richard Harrington, CEO of Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Getting Building Fund investment into ‘shovel-ready’ projects in Buckinghamshire is creating hundreds of new jobs and opportunities for training and providing facilities for education and space for new businesses to develop their ideas.”

The eagerly anticipated new relief road opened in Beaconsfield today.

The Beaconsfield relief road has been a long-term aspiration to improve north-south connectivity in Buckinghamshire by easing the heavy congestion on the A355 corridor and London End roundabout making this new section of road a key strategic scheme. It will also provide a more suitable route for HS2 construction traffic.

The Buckinghamshire Skills Show 2022 was a fitting in-person return for the county’s pre-eminent skills and careers show.

Across March 9th and 10th, at the first Skills Show since 2019 to be held in-person, over 120 businesses and 4,500 people walked through the doors of Westcott Venture Park for two days of careers inspiration.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) and Buckinghamshire Business First are delighted to partner with Bucks Skills Hub to launch the second annual Buckinghamshire Local Skills Report.

The ‘go-to’ document for everything skills-related within the county, Buckinghamshire Local Skills Report 2022 brings together evidence, strategy, information on current and planned skills initiatives and great examples of local employer-education collaboration.

European Astrotech is growing rapidly after landing a cash injection and winning a clutch of new contracts.

The business which provides engineering, technical and advisory support to the space propulsion industry, is taking on a new operation at Westcott and refurbishing its existing facilities at the Park having received £740,000 of funding from the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Aimed at anybody looking for a career’s inspiration, the 2022 Bucks Skills Show is back and promises to be bigger than ever!

With over 120 businesses and organisations attending from a wide variety of industry sectors - including Pinewood Studios, Google, MetroBank, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, Cliveden House, Cisco, Buckinghamshire Council and Satellite Applications Catapult - held on the 9th and 10th March at Westcott Venture Park, a venue synonymous with excellence and innovation, the 2022 Skills Show is the first since 2019 to be held in-person.

The Satellite Applications Catapult, in partnership with Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, is pleased to announce its expansion at Westcott Venture Park due to a £5.7m investment in new facilities. 'Building 4000' is set to house an In-Orbit Servicing and Manufacturing facility alongside the expansion of the Healthy and Agri Living Labs. These exciting initiatives will help the UK secure a 10% share of the global space market.

The £5.7m investment, funded by £2m from the Getting Building Fund (GBF) through the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and £3.7m private sector investment from PATRIZIA Hanover PUT, signals the UK’s steadfast commitment to grow its unique space ecosystem.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First’s latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey shows trading conditions improving for Buckinghamshire businesses going into the Autumn, and more were looking to invest in their future than in the previous quarter, however, challenges remain, in particular rising costs.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted to launch its first web-based annual report, which brings to life all the achievements of Bucks LEP over the past 12 months.

The interactive annual report includes video, ‘drop-down’ imagery and infographics and links to further content and partner information, to create an eye-catching visual experience.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) celebrated their achievements of the past 12 months and previewed ambitious plans for the future, at their Annual General Meeting this week, presented at Buckinghamshire New University, High Wycombe.

As well as celebrating the achievements of the LEP over the past 12 months, the AGM marked the launch of the Buckinghamshire Economic Intelligence Observatory, an invaluable tool to help all businesses and public organisations in Buckinghamshire to easily find the latest economic data for the county, including latest statistics, reports and analysis.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), today launched the Buckinghamshire Economic Intelligence Observatory, a single source of up-to-date local economic data and insight.

The Buckinghamshire Economic Intelligence Observatory is an invaluable tool to help all businesses and public organisations in Buckinghamshire to easily find the latest economic data for the county, including latest statistics, reports and analysis.

Join the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) team at their Annual General Meeting on the 10th November at Bucks New University, High Wycombe, to hear all about their achievements over the past year and ambitious plans for the future.

As well as celebrating the achievements of the LEP over the past 12 months, the AGM will mark the launch of the Buckinghamshire Economic Intelligence Observatory, an invaluable tool to help all businesses and public organisations in Buckinghamshire to easily find the latest economic data for the county, including latest statistics, reports and analysis.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First are seeking the views of local businesses for their third Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey.

Along with general questions regarding trading conditions and business confidence, this quarter’s survey seeks to understand how business costs have changed over recent months and what the impact of this has been. There is an increasing concern that the volatility in energy markets, dramatic increases in transport costs and supply chain issues will continue to affect businesses across the UK into the new year. With this disruption set to impact businesses of all sizes and types, Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First are keen to hear how this is impacting local businesses.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, with Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, launched the Buckinghamshire Health Research and Innovation Centre last week.

The Centre was officially opened by Richard Harrington, CEO for the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), on Thursday 8 October. He was joined by the Trust’s CEO Neil Macdonald, Chief Medical Officer Mr Andrew McLaren, Director of Clinical Partnerships Dr Tina Kenny and Head of Research and Innovation Dr Nana Theodorou, amongst other guests for the opening at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

The Buckinghamshire Careers Hub from this week will be expanded to include every secondary state-funded special school and pupil referral unit in Buckinghamshire. This will see an additional nine schools join the 36 mainstream schools already in the Careers Hub.

This week’s launch event, hosted by Stony Dean School was attended by headteachers from the hub, as well as Careers Leaders, The Careers and Enterprise Company, Talentino, Department for Work and Pensions, Buckinghamshire Council, The Pinewood Group, Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership, other partners and local MP, Sarah Green.

“Buckinghamshire LEP are delighted to see the publication of the UK Space Strategy today and the recognition that the Westcott Venture Park and Enterprise Zone in Buckinghamshire are a vital driver of the UK Space ecosystem, helping to promote national growth and supporting levelling up across the space economy.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First’s latest Buckinghamshire Business Barometer survey shows that trading conditions for local firms improved considerably in the second quarter of the year, and business confidence grew. However, many firms were still experiencing ‘worse than normal’ trading conditions and challenges remain, not least rising costs.

The University of Buckingham, School of Computing’s Centre for Artificial Intelligence and innovation hub was officially opened by Lord Clement Jones on Friday 3rd September.

A former chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence, Lord Clement Jones was joined by Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) CEO Richard Harrington, University of Buckingham Vice-Chancellor James Tooley and Dean of Faculty of Computing, Law and Psychology Dr Harin Sellahewa for the opening.

The government is on a mission to deliver lightning-fast, reliable broadband to everyone in the UK and is investing £5 billion in Project Gigabit to ensure that hard-to-reach communities are not left out.

Building Digital UK (BDUK) is carrying out an Open Market Review (OMR) in five areas including Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and East of Berkshire (Lot 26) to help identify premises that may be suitable for future public funding for gigabit-capable broadband.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £18 billion.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted to announce, following approval from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) and Bucks LEP Board, the reallocation of £5.79m of Getting Building Funds to further support economic growth in Buckinghamshire.

A new gold standard national rocket test facility has been unveiled by Science Minister Amanda Solloway today (17th June 2021).

The centre will allow UK companies and academics to test state-of-the-art space propulsion engines at a more affordable rate than international rivals. It will also allow new types of more sustainable propellants to be tested, such as Hydrogen Peroxide and Liquid Oxygen which are more environmentally friendly in sourcing, storage and combustion.

In the midst of the covid pandemic when all non-essential businesses had their doors closed to visitors, students found it near impossible to secure physical work experience, however help was at hand as Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, Buckinghamshire Skills Hub’s Bucks Enterprise Adviser Network and Aylesbury High School, worked in partnership to ensure students still received first class careers education.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Business First have launched a new business survey to track business confidence and performance as the economy starts to recover from the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Buckinghamshire Skills Hub are delighted to launch the first ever Buckinghamshire Local Skills Report, which is the ‘go-to’ document for everything skills-related within Buckinghamshire, bringing together evidence, strategy, information on current and planned initiatives and examples of best practice.

Bucks Skills Hub is excited to announce the launch of its brand-new website, which provides a one-stop shop for all your career and skill needs, including support for career development and pathways and crucially at this time, redundancy support.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) celebrated their achievements of the past 12 months and previewed 2021’s plans at their virtual Annual General Meeting this week, presented for the first time from Pinewood Studios.

The event provided a great opportunity to learn more about the delivery of the Buckinghamshire Local Industrial Strategy and Economic Recovery Plan, how Bucks LEP secured investment is helping support economic growth across Buckinghamshire and how business can work more closely with Bucks LEP and its Skills, Growth Hub, Funding and Enterprise Zone teams.

Join the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) team at their virtual Annual General Meeting on the 2nd March, to hear all about their achievements over the past year and ambitious plans for the future.

The event will provide a great opportunity to learn more about the delivery of the Buckinghamshire Local Industrial Strategy and Economic Recovery Plan, how Bucks LEP secured investment is helping support economic growth across Buckinghamshire and to learn how business can work more closely with Bucks LEP and its Skills, Growth Hub, Funding and Enterprise Zone teams. In addition, there will be influential guest speakers and the launch of the new Bucks Skills Hub website.

Do you have an idea that requires capital investment for an economic development project, which can create jobs and stimulate growth in the local economy of Buckinghamshire? If so, Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) would like to hear from you!

Bucks LEP is inviting expressions of interest for well-developed projects that will drive the economic recovery and support continued delivery of Buckinghamshire’s Local Industrial Strategy and growth within our four key sectors, Upstream Space, Creative and Digital, Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing and Medical Technology and Health.

COVID-19 has brought unprecedented times to the Buckinghamshire job market this year. Help is at hand for those that need it from the Bucks Skills Hub, which acts as a first stop shop providing support for workforce development, career pathways and recruitment training plans, and crucially at this time, redundancy support.

A new gold standard national rocket test facility will soon open its doors, the Science Minister Amanda Solloway has announced today (18 December).

The new centre will allow UK companies and academics to fire up and test state-of-the-art space propulsion engines at up to 1.5kN in high-altitude vacuum, an equivalent test altitude of 140,000ft. It will cement the international reputation of the Westcott Space Cluster – where the site will be based – in propulsion.

The annual Bucks Skills Show is the county’s largest interactive and experiential skills festival, and this year the event took place entirely virtually between the 9th-13th November, with a focus on careers in the curriculum.

The annual Bucks Skills Show helps young people explore careers and work out how to get there – but this year looks different. The exciting two-part event runs from 9th –13th November and is entirely virtual!

A thousand jobseekers previously employed in the aviation industry at Heathrow airport will be supported to transfer their skills into the screen industries.

Westcott, 19th October 2020 - The UK space sector will take its next significant step forward today with the opening of a new multi-million-pound Innovation Centre at Westcott in Buckinghamshire.

A new multi-million pound roundabout project to improve traffic flow and unlock potential for growth at Westcott Ventre Park was officially opened on Friday 2nd October.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £16 billion.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has today launched 11 new trade advisory groups (TAGs), as part of a major new business engagement drive designed to support the UK’s ambitious trade negotiations, this includes the appointment of Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s chair, Andrew M. Smith, to the new Creative Industries TAG.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership are co-ordinating a Local Economic Recovery Plan for Buckinghamshire, part of a wider place-based recovery programme, and are looking for the views of local business to help formulate this plan.

Bucks Skills Hub is delighted to receive extra funding by the Careers & Enterprise Company (through the Department for Education), to provide young people finishing Key Stages 4 and 5 this summer with one-to-one careers information, advice and guidance.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted to announce, following approval today from the Secretary of State for Housing Communities and Local Government, the allocation of £7.7m of the Governments Getting Building Fund to four keys projects to support economic growth in Buckinghamshire.

Bucks Skills Hub’s third annual headteacher conference, which brings together school leaders, careers leads and industry sector leaders from across the country, this year went virtual.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership is proud to partner with Buckinghamshire Business First in examining the opportunities and challenges facing businesses as they digitally evolve, as part of the Inno Industry Project.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership is delighted by the Culture Secretary’s announcement to allow selected sporting events and production on film and television to get underway safely, for Buckinghamshire this includes world renowned Pinewood Studios and Silverstone.

Bucks Skills Hub is delighted with the announcement made today (23 June 2020) by the Department for Education and the Careers & Enterprise Company, that the Buckinghamshire Careers Hub has been awarded an extension to its existing careers hub to cover all mainstream secondary schools in Buckinghamshire.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) is delighted to announce the launch of its new website, which aims to provide latest information on key developments across Buckinghamshire’s Enterprise Zones.

New grants of between £3,000 and £120,000 are now available to support businesses in Buckinghamshire looking to invest in resilience, repurposing or recovery initiatives as they prepare to overcome the challenges presented by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) crisis.

It has been another successful year for top performing Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), with confirmation coming from the Government’s annual assessment of Local Enterprise Partnerships, which awarded Bucks LEP with ‘exceptional’ for its delivery.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP) are making available £2 million additional funding to support businesses in the county affected by the Covid 19 (coronavirus) crisis. The Bucks LEP Board held an Extraordinary Board meeting to approve the release of £2 million to be administered by its Growth Hub, operated by Buckinghamshire Business First, as part of the Buckinghamshire Business Resilience Support Fund. This funding is part of a co-ordinated support programme for business with the LEP working closely alongside Buckinghamshire Business First and Buckinghamshire Council.

Entrepreneurs with big ideas in health, technology and digital businesses now have the space to succeed following the launch of two purpose-built hubs in Buckinghamshire.

It has been another successful year for top performing Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), who celebrated their achievements and previewed 2020’s plans at their networking breakfast and Annual General Meeting today at The Gateway, Aylesbury.

Government Transport Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton, caught a glimpse of the future last week, when she visited Westcott Enterprise Zone to to see a showcase of new technologies that could help revolutionise our lives.

A group of officials from Spain visited a Buckinghamshire school today to learn about England’s world-class system of careers education.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week (3–9 February), Buckinghamshire Skills Hub and partners Buckinghamshire Business First and Buckinghamshire County Council, are delighted to offer fully funded apprenticeship training costs as part of a time-limited scheme, with training available up to the value of £27,000 per apprentice.

Over 4,000 visitors poured through the doors of the Bucks Skills Show 2019 over two days last week (18 and 19 October) – increasing the number of students inspired about future career paths by a third compared to last year.

Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), is delighted by the news that its Buckinghamshire Careers Hub has been recognised as the highest achieving in the country by the Careers and Enterprise Company.

Booking is now open for the Bucks Skills Show 2019 on Saturday 19 October – and this year organisers are advising parents and young people to secure free tickets early as tickets are set to sell out.

Richard Harrington, Chief Executive Officer for Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership will officially open SSEH on Tuesday 10th September at 1pm.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Bucks LEP), to help to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £16 billion.

A new economic blueprint for Buckinghamshire, designed to grow the area’s creative, space, advanced manufacturing and digital health capability on the world stage, has been unveiled today (Friday 19 July).

MEPC’s development of the Aylesbury Vale Enterprise Zone (EZ) at Silverstone Park has received high praise in front of an audience of 100 influential property developers.

Bucks Business First Chairman Michael Garvey and Buckinghamshire (Thames Valley) Local Enterprise Partnership Chief Executive Richard Harrington highlighted how MEPC’s use of EZ status at Silverstone Park could be used as a model example across the wider Cambridge-Oxford growth corridor (or ‘super cluster)’.

Speaker of the House of Commons, Rt Hon John Bercow MP, visited The Cottesloe School, Wing, last week to see first-hand what excellent careers education really looks like.

Four new courses and a Doctoral Training Centre will be launched at a pioneering Computing and Centre for AI at Buckingham thanks to a £2m Local Growth Fund grant.

The University has been awarded £2m by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), which will enable it to build a new School of Computing and Centre for Artificial Intelligence.

Speaking at the Creative LEP Local Industries Partnership in Birmingham, Andrew M Smith, Chair of Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) announced £4 million in funding to support three new initiatives. The three projects* will strengthen and build Buckinghamshire’s creative sector, a key growth driver of the local economy.

ScreenSkills and Pinewood Studios are joining forces to offer people living near the Studios in Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, information on how to transfer their skills to much needed roles in film production.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership are delighted to confirm that an exciting new chapter for BTVLEP has commenced with its formal establishment as a new company limited by guarantee, to further strengthen partnership and help deliver prosperity for Buckinghamshire.

Sixth formers from Highcrest Academy in High Wycombe triumphed after a head to head final with schools from across the county in the 2019 Big Bucks Sales Challenge held at Pinewood Studios (Wednesday 27 March) and organised by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership’s Skills Hub.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), are delighted to announce the appointment of three new private sector members to its Board, Hiren Gandhi from Blaser Mills Law, Adrian Brown from the Berkeley Group, and Prof Rebecca Bunting, Education Consultant.

Young women from across Buckinghamshire came together at Wycombe Leisure Centre earlier this month, to learn more about careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM), through a speed networking event preceded by a game of roller derby. The Bucks Skills Hub event, where Roller Derby and STEM collided (STEMroller), was aimed at helping to break some myths and change perceptions of what women in STEM are like.

Thursday night brought together key businesses from the creative industries and over 200 people keen to pursue a career in the sector at a sold-out event at Pinewood Studios (7 March).

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Education visited The Misbourne School, Great Missenden, earlier this week to see first-hand what excellent careers education really looks like.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) is developing one of the country’s first Local Industrial Strategies. One of a family of strategies covering the Oxford – Cambridge Arc, the Buckinghamshire Local Industrial Strategy will set out a programme of activity to ensure that the county’s economic assets contribute more to the national and local economies. In order to help us shape this key strategy we want to hear from you.

Join the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) team for a networking breakfast as part of their Annual General Meeting on the 8th March at The Gateway, Aylesbury.

Are you an employer with a job or training opportunity and interested in meeting keen and motivated candidates? Or are you yourself looking to meet local employers with exciting opportunities and vacancies?

Then look no further. Bucks Skills Hub’s Routes Into recruitment events are about bringing opportunity and talent together. Talent is everywhere, from students in education thinking about their first steps into work, to those looking to use their experience and skills in a new environment, to those looking for a complete change altogether.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership are delighted to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board, Philippa Batting from Buckinghamshire Business First and Alistair Lomax from the University of Buckingham.

Business people are invited to join the Skills and Employability Board of the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) to help steer the skills for growth agenda in Bucks.

Business people are being invited to join the board of the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership to help steer the future of an area with an economic output worth over £16 billion.

The University of Buckingham today unveiled the new £8 million Vinson Building, which will house a Centre for Economics and Entrepreneurship.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership is delighted by the news that the Good Growth for Cities 2018 index has placed BTVLEP as the second highest performing LEP in England.

Three thousand visitors saw careers brought to life at the Bucks Skills Show last week (Friday 12 and Saturday 13 October) - thanks to a range of interactive experiences from sweetie selfies created with cutting edge 3D printing technology to immersive virtual reality demonstrations.

The space age has entered a new generation with the launch of a multi-million-pound site at Westcott dedicated to engineering, research and innovation.

Students, teachers, parents and businesses have begun the countdown to the launch of the Bucks Skills Show on Saturday 13 October - which this year features a new space industries area and a strong showing from the music trade.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), a partner in a consortium led by Royal Holloway, University of London, is delighted to be named by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) as one of nine successful bids to host an ambitious Research and Development partnership aimed at boosting the UK's creative sector.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership is delighted with the announcement that £2m of its Local Growth Funding has been invested in the development of a new 26,000 sq ft state-of-the-art sports engineering innovation centre at Silverstone Park.

An A-list cast of speakers from Google to the Ministry of Sound will be headlining the county's largest interactive careers fair on Saturday 13 October at The Gateway in Aylesbury.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) has £2m of Local Growth Funding to invest in business and skills capital initiatives to strengthen and build upon some of the key sector strengths of the Buckinghamshire economy, and are therefore issuing a call for projects for Business and Skills Capital Grant Funding.

In under three days, The Mandeville School's Year 10 student group have managed to design, market and build a working prototype of a mobile App.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership is to become one of 20 'Careers Hubs' around England, transforming careers education in schools and preparing young people for the world of work.

The President of Bosch UK has announced the company's aim to "fuel the imaginations of the brightest young minds" at the Bucks Skills Show 2018 on Saturday 13 October at The Gateway in Aylesbury.

In under three days, The Mandeville School's Year 10 student group have managed to design, market and build a working prototype of a mobile App.

The government's Review of LEPs, published today, is strongly welcomed by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.

More small businesses across Buckinghamshire could benefit from fully-funded apprenticeship training as a result of government changes announced this week.

Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), are delighted by today's Government announcement supporting plans to expand the capacity at Heathrow Airport.

On the 21st June, prominent business and public-sector leaders will come together in Milton Keynes for the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference - the region’s largest business conference of the year – which is supported by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), the National Infrastructure Commission, England’s Economic Heartland and regional and local authorities.

Preliminary work starts today (Monday 4th June) on the northern section of Beaconsfield's new relief road.

Are you looking for a new job, or want to retrain to change career or learn new skills to get back to work? Then don't miss Future Proof, the free adult skills and jobs fair which takes place on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th June at University Campus Aylesbury Vale.

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Matthew Hancock, has appointed the Chair of Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP) Andrew Smith, along with Idris Elba, Robin Saunders, and Phil Stokes, to the Board of the British Film Institute (BFI) for a four-year term.

There is still time for the best of Buckinghamshire's apprenticeship stars to shine by entering the National Apprenticeship Awards 2018.

Eight local schools across Buckinghamshire have gone head-to-head in the county's second Sales Apprentice Challenge, organised by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership's Skills Hub to help students gain essential sales experience in a fun and practical way.

Buckinghamshire College Group's latest student facility, an impressive new Construction and Trade Skills Centre, was officially opened today at the college's Wycombe campus by Richard Harrington, Chief Executive of Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership.

A bid to the Government by Buckinghamshire County Council, and backed by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership, for £204 million to support growth in and around Aylesbury has passed its first hurdle.

The new Westcott Business Incubation Centre located in the Westcott Venture Park, near Aylesbury, will provide incubation support for early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs looking to develop a new business venture in rocket propulsion, 5G communications, drones and autonomous systems, and associated services.

On the 21st June, prominent business and public-sector leaders will come together in Milton Keynes for the Oxford Cambridge Corridor Economic Growth Conference - the region’s largest business conference of the year – which is supported by Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership (BTVLEP), the National Infrastructure Commission, England’s Economic Heartland and regional and local authorities.