Buckinghamshire Business First has a straightforward purpose where inward investment is concerned: to attract and assist business investment and to help companies realise their potential in the local, national and international markets.

If you have any questions please contact us at [email protected] or on 01494 927130.

Invest in Buckinghamshire

Over the years a steady stream of indicators has emerged that stand Buckinghamshire at the top table of business:

• Location - A central, strategic location with first class export links provided by the M4 corridor, close proximity to London without the congestion, with Heathrow airport only a 45 minute drive away
• Entrepreneurs – On average we start 87 enterprises per 10,000 residents, the highest enterprise rate of any area
• Talent – Buckinghamshire stands third in the country for its share of the working population with the equivalent of degree level qualifications or above
• Inventors – We rank sixth in the country for the highest rate of patents per 100,000 residents. This level of innovation ensures that fresh ideas made in Buckinghamshire can change the world

In Buckinghamshire, we quietly work hard to provide for a great life. Despite the deceptive leafy look to our wonderful environment, Buckinghamshire has particular strengths in sectors backed by globally recognised brands; high performance engineering centred on Silverstone, assistive technologies associated with the spinal injuries specialisation of Stoke Mandeville Hospital and the creative industries clustering around Pinewood Studios.

Bucks by numbers

The cumulative total of what Buckinghamshire has to offer businesses makes for impressive reading, as the statistics below indicate:

Business

• £15 billion economy
• 89 business starts per 10,000 of population – a rate which is 30% higher than the national average
• 32,050 active businesses are succeeding in Bucks
• Over 700 foreign companies have their European Head Office here
• Bucks has the fastest jobs growth of all Local Authority Areas
• After 5 years 50%+ of early stage businesses are trading and growing – the 3rd highest rank in Britain
• 4 sectors of excellence: ICT including film & digital media, advanced engineering, food & drink, assisted living
• Bucks is 6th for the highest rate of patents per 100,000 residents – ideas that change the world come from Bucks
• Bucks is part of the Greater South East Region which has the strongest economic growth in Britain at 4.6%
• Bucks has the 3rd strongest jobs growth since the recession, up 7.2%
• From 2007 to 2014, Buckinghamshire’s Gross Value Added (GVA) grew at an annual rate of 3.7%, the 3rd highest rate among Local Enterprise Partnerships

Location

• 522,000 total population
• Three major international airports in close proximity – Heathrow (45 mins), Luton (45 mins) and Gatwick (85 mins), and five in total within 1.5 hours drive (the three mentioned plus Stansted (85 mins) and Birmingham (95 mins)
• 30 minutes drive to London
• 4th largest Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Britain – over a third of the area is covered by the AONB

Future Workforce

• 46.6% of working age residents in Bucks in 2014 had achieved a University Degree or equivalent qualification, the third highest share in the country
• Bucks has the strongest schools performance in the country, as monitored by government
• 1,500 graduates per year from 2 universities: Buckinghamshire New University & University of Buckingham
• 12,500 students enrol in 2 colleges every year
• 185 Primary schools, 34 Secondary schools – 20 of which are fee paying