The Numbers Are In: Our 2025–26 Services Impact Report Is Here

The South West is home to businesses doing remarkable things, and this year's Services Impact Report captures what that really looks like, and our role in making it happen.

Every year we ask ourselves the same question: are we actually making a difference?

This year, we can answer with confidence and with evidence. We're pleased to share our Services Impact Report for April 2025 to March 2026, setting out in clear terms what Business West's support has meant for businesses and communities across the South West.

Over the past twelve months, our team of more than 100 professionals has supported 788 companies across the region. Together, those businesses have raised over £91 million in grants and investment, maintained or created more than 3,500 jobs, and forged 23 international partnerships spanning Europe and beyond.

Behind each of those figures is a founder who found their footing, a team that grew, a product that made it to market, or a business that took its first steps overseas.

The report covers the full breadth of what we do, and some of it might surprise you.

Did you know we help innovative tech businesses protect themselves against state-level cyber threats? Through the Secure Innovation Security Review scheme, we've completed 154 security reviews, and nearly half of participating businesses achieved Cyber Essentials accreditation within six months.

Or that we're leading Local Skills Improvement Plans across four regions, working to close the gap between what employers need and what training providers are offering?

And through our 25-strong team of international trade documentation specialists, we’ve supported the movement of approximately £1.5 billion of goods internationally.

We’re also proud to have delivered over 3,000 hours of tailored support to charities, social enterprises and co-operatives through Social Economy West. These organisations often struggle to access the kind of expert guidance that their commercial counterparts take for granted.

What this report ultimately shows is that the South West is home to ambitious businesses with huge potential, and that with the right support, they punch well above their weight.

We're proud of what this year's figures represent, and for anyone with a stake in the South West's economic future, we think it makes a compelling read.

Read the full Services Impact Report here →