Business & IP Centre: business resources

How the Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Bristol can support you to start and develop your business.

What the Business & IP (Intellectual Property) Centre is

The Business & IP Centre (BIPC) Bristol can support you if you want to start or develop a small business.

The main BIPC is on the ground floor of Central Library and there are BIPC locals at Junction 3 Library, Knowle Library and Southmead Library

The BIPC is part of the British Library's National Network of Business & IP Centres. The network is supported by the Intellectual Property Office Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office (opens new window) (IPO).

The BIPC is for aspiring entrepreneurs, start ups and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Bristol. It offers:

free access to £5 million worth of business intelligence resources and databases including market research, grants, company data and reports
business publications
one to one sessions with advisors and experts, workshops and networking events
intellectual property (IP) support to protect your ideas
spaces to meet, study and research your business planning

Events at the BIPC

We hold free events, workshops and webinars to help you start and develop your business.

We also offer free one to one sessions online or in person with BIPC advisors and industry experts. Email BIPC@bristol.gov.uk to find out more.

Free business databases

We have a wide range of business databases you can use for free, including:

COBRA (Complete Business Reference Adviser), information about starting and running a business
GRANTFinder, funding database
IBIS World, UK industry market research, reports and statistics
Kompass EasyBusiness, business directory
Mintel, UK market research and consumer trends information
NewsBank, database of global news sources

Intellectual property (IP) information

Intellectual property (IP) ranges from logos and corporate identity to products, services and processes. IP rights can protect individuals and small businesses developing new products from imitators.

IP information sessions

We can offer free, confidential one to one sessions on a range of IP topics. We cannot give you legal advice.

To book a one to one IP session:

email BIPC@bristol.gov.uk
visit our Eventbrite Go to https://bipcbristol.eventbrite.co.uk/ (opens new window) page

Patent and trademark attorneys from Handsome IP Go to https://www.handsomeip.com/ (opens new window) run free IP clinics at the BIPC. To book a place, visit our Eventbrite Go to https://bipcbristol.eventbrite.co.uk/ (opens new window) page.

IP resources

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/intellectual-property-office (opens new window) is the government body responsible for granting IP rights.
IP for business Go to https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/intellectual-property-for-business/ip-for-business-tools (opens new window) has a range of online tools from the IPO, including IP Equip Go to https://www.ipo.gov.uk/ip-support (opens new window), which covers the IP basics.
Espacenet Go to https://worldwide.espacenet.com/ (opens new window) has free access to over 120 million patent documents.
The PATENTSCOPE database Go to https://www.wipo.int/patentscope/en/ (opens new window) has international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in full text format on the day of publication.

Contact us

If you have questions or need more information:

email BIPC@bristol.gov.uk
call 0117 922 3999
write to or visit Business & IP Centre Bristol, Bristol Central Library, Deanery Road, Bristol, BS1 5TL

Social media

Follow the BIPC on:

Tell us about a problem with a form, a page, or an account