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New business support hub opens at Central Library
A new hub to support the development of new business has opened at Central Library.
The Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) has been set up to help people across Bristol start and grow small businesses.
The centre, which is part of the British Library’s national network of more than 100 BIPCs, offers free resources, confidential one-to one support, advice clinics, and workshops.
Bristol City Council has been allocated almost £500,000 to establish the BIPC, with three smaller centres set to open at the Southmead, Junction 3 and Knowle libraries in 2022.
The Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) is on the ground floor of Central Library.
Councillor Ellie King, cabinet member with responsibility for libraries, said: “Business and IP Centres can open up the path to entrepreneurship for anyone with a business idea, regardless of their background.
“We know that Bristol is full of people with great ideas, and we want to help turn those ideas into a reality.
“I am really excited that Bristol had become a part of this network, and I cannot wait to see what businesses are created.”
The BIPC network has supported the formation of over 12,000 new businesses and led to the creation of over 7,800 new jobs.
More than half of those who use a BIPC to set up a business are women and a third are from under-represented ethnic backgrounds.
Main photo by Bristol City Council
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