Business Birmingham
Key Competitive Attractions
Invest in Birmingham
A modern, international destination with the youngest population in Europe, Birmingham and its surrounding area is powered by technology and innovation.
With a working population of 4.3 million people the city and surrounding region offers access to a diverse and highly skilled workforce including 97,000 graduates a year.
Over £18 billion has been earmarked for investment in future growth of both new businesses and homes by 2026. The regional economy is already worth over £94 billion.
This includes an investment of over £200 million in the upcoming 20 years at Birmingham Airport, a £65 million runway extension and its status as ‘best UK airport’ by Which? Travel in 2011.
A £17 billion High Speed rail link has also been confirmed from London and Birmingham, cutting journey times to under 39 minutes and is expected to be in operation in 2026.
For more information, please visit the Business Birmingham website. For the surrounding areas, visit the listings of Dudley, the Black Country Consortium and the rest of the West Midlands.
Assistance and Support For New Business Investors
The Business Birmingham team can help you create a convincing business case for setting up in the Birmingham area.
We give you direct access to an extensive network and will secure a streamlined, coordinated response to your enquiry. Our services are independent, free of charge and driven entirely by your needs.
We can provide relevant information for your business and a comprehensive package of support, by working as a strategic partner and consultant with your internal project team. Our services include:
- Business Networking
- Intelligence
- Relocation advice
- Labour market advice
- Personal support service
- Familiarisation tours
- Legislation and tax advice
- Funding
We’re dedicated to supporting inward investors once they are based in the city. Our long-term business service is aimed at supporting continued development of significant inward investing companies in Birmingham.
Visit the Business Birmingham website to find out more.
Business Birmingham receives funding from the European Union.
Existing Business Base
Birmingham Unlimited
Birmingham is a leading European destination with the resources to help energise your business and power your ambitions. Home to over 42,000 companies and including 900 international firms, it is in the centre of a £94 billion regional economy with the adjacent Black Country and Solihull.
Birmingham is the best connected UK city, with access to over 90% of the UK market within a four hour travel time and 126 direct connections from Birmingham Airport every day.
It is a city of real creativity that delivers the ideas, entrepreneurial spirit and work ethic needed for business success, supported by its status as the highest ranking English city for university quality (Cushman & Wakefield, 2011). This results in an existing and emerging talent pool, which provides access to a working age population of 4.3 million and 97,000 highly skilled graduates within one-hour’s drive each year.
Development in the city
Despite the recession, major redevelopment is still occurring in the city, with some of the key projects including:
- The £600m redevelopment of New Street Station
- The Library of Birmingham - A £189 million investment creating one of the largest public libraries in Europe, due to open in 2013.
- £200m investment and the UK’s only permitted runway extension at Birmingham Airport, due to open in 2014
- The multi billion pound regeneration of Eastside, which aims to stretch the city core eastwards and create thousands of jobs.
For more information about investing in Birmingham, please visit the Business Birmingham website.
