Construction firm Build Manager has joined the sponsor line up for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, backing the Residential Development of the Year category. With a mission to make the building process as seamless and efficient as possible, Build Manager offer comprehensive services to help you navigate the complexities of your construction project. Whether you’re planning a commercial new build, a refurbishment, or a housing development project, Build Manager are there to guide you through every step of the process, ensuring that your vision becomes a reality. Speaking with Business Link, Matthew Jones, director at Build Manager, said: “We are delighted to sponsor this year’s East Midlands Bricks Awards and to champion the Residential Development of the Year category. “At Build Manager, we bring over 50 years of combined industry experience to every project, offering a comprehensive suite of services, from construction consultancy and project management, supporting SME developers with project viability and finance process, through to full turn-key design and build solutions. “Our team, comprising former senior managers from one of Lincolnshire’s largest main contractors, provides the expertise and professionalism of a major firm, while delivering a friendly and personalised service our clients can rely on. “The Bricks Awards are a celebration of the people and projects shaping the East Midlands, and that resonates strongly with us. We’ve chosen to sponsor Residential Development of the Year because we understand the challenges and opportunities in this space, and we’re passionate about recognising innovation, quality, and the commitment it takes to deliver homes that meet the needs of growing communities. “We look forward to an evening of acknowledging outstanding achievements, connecting with fellow professionals, and sharing insights that contribute to the growth and success of the East Midlands construction community.” The East Midlands Bricks Awards, which will take place on Thursday 2nd October at Nottingham’s famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, celebrates the successes of property and construction companies in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, and Northamptonshire. Recognising those behind the changing landscape of the East Midlands, the occasion highlights development projects, businesses, and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. It also toasts the work of architects, agencies, and those behind large schemes. Welcoming almost 150 professionals, nominating a company or project for the awards is a great way to showcase your successes, recognise your team’s efforts, bolster morale, and reach our audience of over 60,000 business readers, while also offering a chance to connect with respected professionals. It’s completely free to enter and making the top three finalists in your category also wins you free tickets to the event.

To make a nomination for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, please click here.

Supporting imagery, video, documents, or links to these, can be sent to bricks@blmgroup.co.uk. Video nomination pitches are also welcome as an alternative or companion to written entries. Categories include:

• Contractor of the Year
• Developer of the Year
• Architects of the Year
• Most Active Agent
• Deal of the Year
• Residential Development of the Year
• Sustainable Development of the Year
• Commercial Development of the Year
• Excellence in Design
• Responsible Business of the Year
• Overall Winner

All finalists will have the chance to take home the Overall Winner award, which this year comes with a grand prize of a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000, with the opportunity to split or gift the marketing to a charity of your choice.

Nominations will close on Friday 15th August.

New for this year, all entrants will also have the opportunity to be featured on our dedicated nominee showcase on the East Midlands Business Link website, providing space for marketing your achievements. Upon submitting a nomination, we will get in touch for any information, imagery, and video nominees would like to be featured on their showcase page.

The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025

What: The East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 When: Thursday 2nd October (4.30pm – 7.30pm) Where: Derek Randall Suite, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, Nottingham Keynote speaker: Councillor Nadine Peatfield – Leader of Derby City Council, Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, and Deputy Mayor of the East Midlands Tickets: Available here Dress code: Standard business attire Thanks to our sponsors:                                                                

To be held at:

With a limited number of sponsorship opportunities remaining, please contact Angie Cooper at a.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk to learn more if you are interested in becoming an East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 sponsor.

North Northamptonshire Council is offering capital grants between £5,000 and £25,000 to support the growth and resilience of small businesses in the region. The funding is provided by the Rural England Prosperity Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The scheme targets micro and small businesses with fewer than 49 employees that have been trading for at least 12 months. Each eligible business can receive only one grant per financial year and must contribute at least 50% in match funding.

Applications are open until 8am on 23 June 2025. All funded projects must be completed and claimed by 31 January 2026.

Frontier Software will be participating as an exhibitor at the CIPD Festival of Work, taking place at ExCeL London on 11^th and 12^th June 2025. The Festival of Work is a major event organised by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), bringing together professionals in HR, learning and development (L&D), and internal communications for two days of insight, innovation, and inspiration. This annual CIPD celebration is for everyone invested in the value people bring to their work. It’s for leaders who know their people solve their business challenges. It’s for people managers working hard to bring out the best in their teams. And it’s for people professionals, of all roles, who drive the success of their organisations by building a thriving workforce. With 180 exhibitor stands, the event offers a dynamic environment for discovering new workplace technologies, tools, and services designed to drive business success. It’s a must-attend event for anyone seeking to enhance their professional skills, stay current with industry innovations, or find cutting-edge corporate solutions. As a long-standing and trusted provider, Frontier Software brings over 40 years of experience delivering innovative HR and payroll solutions to organisations across sectors and sizes. A fully integrated suite of software modules is designed to enable personalised employee experiences while meeting the complex operational needs of HR teams. Visitors to Frontier Software’s stand will be able to explore:

• Powerful cloud-based HR and payroll solutions
• Flexible outsourced payroll processing services
• Highly configurable automation tools tailored to your unique business processes
• Real-time data access to support informed decision-making
• ChatHR for conversational interactions between employees and ichris HR

Join Frontier Software at the CIPD Festival of Work to discover how they can help your organisation streamline HR operations, improve employee engagement, and drive strategic success. Visit Frontier Software at ExCeL London, 11-12 June 2025.

The UK Government’s Strategic Defence Review is set to trigger a multibillion-pound wave of investment across the country’s defence sector, with a strong emphasis on industrial capacity, digital modernisation and workforce development.

At the core of the plan is the expansion of the UK’s submarine fleet, with a commitment to build 12 new attack submarines. This is expected to significantly bolster the country’s submarine-building capabilities and sustain 30,000 specialist jobs into the next decade. The move aligns with the government’s broader commitment to its warhead programme, which has already received £15 billion in funding and will see further modernisation at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston.

The review outlines a national shift toward “warfighting readiness,” including expanded stockpiles of arms and critical equipment. Over the next ten years, 30,000 apprenticeships and 14,000 graduate roles will be created to meet long-term workforce demands in engineering, manufacturing and defence technology.

Cyber operations are set to undergo a significant transformation with the establishment of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic Command, designed to position the UK at the forefront of digital warfare. In parallel, over £1 billion will be invested in a new Digital Targeting Web—an initiative intended to enhance battlefield decision-making, intelligence and targeting through AI and integrated systems, informed by recent lessons from Ukraine.

The government also plans to procure up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons and construct at least six new munitions and energetics factories to reinforce domestic production capacity. However, locations have not yet been disclosed.

Defence spending continues to play a key role in regional economies. In 2023/24, the Ministry of Defence spent £28.8 billion with UK industry. The South West and South East saw the highest allocations, with £6.9 billion and £7.1 billion respectively. The South West led in per-capita terms, with £1,190 per person and 1,550 defence jobs per 100,000 residents. The region is home to major employers such as Babcock International, which operates from over 60 sites including Devonport and Filton, and Rolls-Royce’s Bristol site, where engines are built for the Eurofighter Typhoon and F-35 aircraft.

The review marks the first time the government has published a complete outline of its long-term defence investment strategy, signalling sustained demand for skilled talent, manufacturing capacity, and digital innovation across the sector.