Ilkeston-based managed IT services specialist, IDT, has announced an unprecedented 4,000% growth in its business mobile sector through its upgraded partnerships with EE and O2.

The partnerships see IDT extending its range of services into the MSP sector, including custom business mobile deals and mobile business broadband.

The updated Partnership enables IDT, one of the fastest growing MSP in the East Midlands, to offer its customers a host of turnkey solutions on the nation’s two largest, fastest and most reliable mobile networks.

Luke Draper, Managing Director of IDT, said: “This is yet another branch to our comprehensive tree of services. Over the years we have always directly referred our customers to the main mobile players but now as a trusted Partner we can add our personal, human touch. This is the key value-added service our customers require.  

“Our impressive success over the past 12 month shows how responsive the market and our customers have been to our bespoke mobile deals. The continuation and further development of this side of the business provides a clear path to enabling our growth and servicing even more customers nationwide.”

EE business account manager at Mdee Rosie Vallance said: “We are very pleased to be working with the IDT team. The growth they have had so far in 2022 is amazing and we can only see this building throughout the latter part of this year and into 2023. They are so integrated into their customers, knowing their needs and requirements it helps us massively being able to work closer together tailoring the bespoke solutions for them.”

“The take-up of our improved mobile solutions from our customers has been amazing,” added Ellie Wheeldon-Jones, office manager at IDT, who is at the forefront of this growth.

She said: “With everyone wanting to work from anywhere from any device, the mobile data business is only going one way, so if we can help our customers tap into this and supply solutions that add value to their business then we are achieving our goal along with getting them the best deals out there.”

Liz Truss has beaten Rishi Sunak to become the new Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, seeing businesses and organisations react. David Findlay, lead director for Nottingham at JLL, said: “Businesses in the East Midlands will be hoping Liz Truss’s confirmation as Prime Minister signals a return to the priorities set out by this Government in 2019. Ensuring the £1.14bn devolution deal signed last week is delivered upon will be top of the wish list for many as a means of levelling up the region, but it’s not the only ask they’ll have. “Companies in the East Midlands also need the confidence to invest to grow in the coming years. Only by seeing a significant spending uptick in infrastructure, transport links, education and Net Zero schemes in the region will firms feel able to recruit and commit to the East Midlands as a base for business in the long run. A new government means a fresh start, but action is needed sooner rather than later.” Ben Dorks, CEO of Ruddington-headquartered global software business Ideagen, said: “The immediate focus for the new Prime Minister has to be the cost-of-living crisis, which is impacting every inch of society. Longer term I’d like to see policies that enable British businesses to remain competitive globally, leading to jobs and growth, plus a commitment to initiatives that promote greater social mobility and aspiration for young people, especially those from lower income communities.” East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “We would like to congratulate Liz Truss on winning the Conservative Party leadership vote to be appointed Prime Minister and wish her all the best in the role as she seeks to take our country forward. “She will be well aware there is a mountain of pressing issues awaiting her on arrival at 10 Downing Street but we would urge Ms Truss to prioritise the escalating energy prices that are the most significant factor in the twin crises in the cost of doing business and cost of living. “While we understand there is no easy remedy, the worsening economic projections being published daily mean we can’t afford to wait any longer without practical support measures being put in place. Without them, we risk businesses being forced to scale back or shut down altogether – resulting in people losing their jobs and livelihoods. “We would hope to see an immediate announcement that energy bills will be frozen at an affordable level for both households and businesses. Exclusively tackling residential energy bills would only solve half of the problem as businesses are being forced to raise their prices in response to the increasing costs they face in energy, fuel, people and raw materials. “There is currently no energy price cap for businesses and this must be urgently addressed if our economy is to prosper, while in the long term we hope Ms Trust’s administration in collaboration will work with businesses to create a long-term solution to the various challenges we face. “Going forward, we hope to see a genuine commitment to levelling up by investing in regions like the East Midlands, which has been left behind the rest of the UK when it comes to public investment for far too long. There is fantastic untapped potential in our region and we would be only too happy to welcome the Prime Minister to show her what we can offer our country.”

Jennifer Thomas of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said: “Congratulations to Liz Truss, whose campaign included small businesses, the self employed and unleashing enterprise.

“The challenge now is to deliver action that is big and bold enough to match the scale of the crisis threatening the existence of many small firms, and the jobs, livelihoods and communities which depend upon them.

“Small firms, not protected by an energy price cap, are seeing bills soaring out of control. This is at a time of sky-high taxes, rampant inflation and supply chain disruption, creating a toxic mix which must be addressed urgently.

“Small businesses are crying out for a comprehensive response which cuts taxes, limits spiralling bills, and provides direct cash support for the smallest businesses.

“During the leadership campaign we were pleased that Liz Truss listened to our calls to reverse the recent hike in National Insurance and to look at lifting more small firms out of business rates.

“As she prepares her full package of emergency plans, we are ready and willing to work with the new Prime Minister and her team to protect the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses and the 16 million jobs within them, in communities in all parts of the UK.”

Tony Danker, CBI director-general, said: “Congratulations to the new Prime Minister. This is an extraordinarily difficult time to be leading the country, and she has businesses’ full support in meeting shared challenges together, head on. “Most immediately, support for struggling households and firms in jeopardy is top of the in-tray. This may not be the pandemic, but the exceptional circumstances we now face mean Government must play a central role in supporting our economy. “And if we’re serious about getting the UK growing again, ensuring any slowdown is short and shallow, we need a serious plan for growth. It needs to be bold, unconventional and rooted in the very real opportunities that still exist for the UK to thrive.” Stephen Phipson, CEO of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, said: “We congratulate Liz Truss on her appointment and look forward to discussing the critical importance of manufacturing, a sector that delivers millions of well-paid, highly skilled jobs across the whole of the UK. Britain’s manufacturers are an excellent example of a growing success story, contributing billions of pounds to GDP every year and vital in implementing the Government’s levelling up agenda, creating jobs where they are most needed. “But industry at this time needs decisive action from the new Government to help it through a prolonged period of unprecedented hikes in energy bills, rising cost of raw materials and critical labour shortages in order to keep Britain’s place as a leader of innovation on the world stage.”

Specialist education provider, Confetti Institute of Creative Technologies, has announced a ground-breaking partnership with GGTech and NUEL, leading hosts of university esports tournaments across Europe, to promote and further develop esports in the UK. The partnership will see NUEL relocate its head office to the Confetti campus in Nottingham for closer collaboration with the institute. The strategic move will see NUEL gain access to Confetti’s 25+ years of industry expertise and contacts across all major production technologies within live events, TV, film, music, and games, whilst also levelling up their broadcast production values through access to Confetti’s top-specification facilities. Confetti, which is part of Nottingham Trent University, will receive support from its partners with new course development and access to esports specialist guest lecturers. In 2021, Confetti launched the UK’s first BSc Esports Production university degree; the institute now runs three esports production courses at college, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Under the direction of GGTech, NUEL organises Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports tournaments in the UK and Ireland, and this partnership with Confetti aims not only to strengthen the competition and get new participants involved, but also to raise the standard of opportunities for students interested in a career in esports. Therefore, NUEL will strengthen Confetti’s ‘Do It For Real’ ethos, providing their students with regular paid opportunities to work on many event broadcasts for tournaments nationwide, while GGTech will do likewise internationally, for example with collaborations on the broadcast of the pan-European Amazon UNIVERSITY Esports Masters competition, held this year in Alicante (Spain). The news comes as the institute prepares to officially open Confetti X – a new £5m, 14,000 sq ft dedicated esports production complex in Nottingham. Confetti X brings together years of expertise in live events, content creation, streaming, and competitive gaming. The complex is a space for students to access the very best facilities and technology for esports production and other emerging technologies, and has already played host to amateur and professional esports tournaments, including the British Esports Student Champs Finals and the qualifying rounds of the inaugural Commonwealth Esports Championships. Confetti X will become NUEL and GG Tech’s default UK venue, where they will host major university esports tournaments at the facilities, allowing students to run the production of the event, with the primary goal of increasing the awareness and accessibility of careers in the esports industry. Craig Chettle MBE, founder and Chief Executive of Confetti Media Group, said: “Alongside our longstanding partnership with the British Esports Federation, this exciting initiative with GGTech and NUEL will further support our mission to shape the future of esports education. We are excited by the opportunities set to be created and are thrilled that NUEL has chosen our campus and Nottingham as its UK base. Our partnership highlights shared ambitions to help advance esports as an inclusive and innovative industry, and I am certain that, together with our new esports production complex Confetti X this is another step towards making Nottingham a hub of the UK’s esports industry.” David Jackson, NUEL Managing Director, said: “After the success of our Amazon University Esports tournament in April, we are delighted to continue our collaboration with Confetti who are helping lead the way with their university education and their facilities. It is great that we can continue to help the next generation of students lead a career in esports whether it be in events production, game design, or casting.” Tao Martinez, head of University Esports Development at GGTech, said: “It is an exciting time for the esports industry which is growing by the day, and with that creates a plethora of opportunities in this field for university students to thrive in. Confetti’s work supplying university courses has been excellent for encouraging people to pursue a career in esports, and with their upcoming Confetti X complex, students will be able to gain valuable work experience using industry-grade facilities. “Our shared goal is to continue improving the grassroots esports scene and levelling up services across the country for the latest wave of students who are poised to shape the esports industry. Through cultivating a positive environment and supporting student careers, we can collectively grow grassroots esports which will help the industry as a whole.”

The Federation of Small Businesses has set the as-yet-unappointed Education Secretary with a challenge – sort out a system that provides small firms with the skilled employees they need. According to a survey of almost 900 small firms in England, they’re being held back by poor vocational skill provision in schools, challenges in accessing apprenticeships, and inadequate incentives to retrain and upskill, according to the latest FSB research, published today. The Scaling up Skills report finds that almost 80% of small firms are currently struggling to recruit the right people, with firms flagging up a lack of relevant qualifications, skills and experience among candidates – added to which, a lack of applicants is an issue. Self-employed people, meanwhile, are being held back from realising their business’s full potential by a lack of encouragement to get them to learn skills which are outside their core operations but which are nonetheless vital for growth. Four in five sole traders (80%) have no training plan, budget or relationship with a training provider, while two in five (40%) have not completed any training or professional development over the past year. With apprenticeship starts tumbling since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, one in five small employers say that bringing back the £3,000 incentive to hire an apprentice which existed over lockdowns would encourage them to hire additional apprentices. A similar proportion (22%) say financial support around hosting T Level placements would encourage them to bring more young people into their business. In light of the findings, FSB is urging the Education Secretary and other Cabinet ministers to:      

• Establish a target in legislation that by 2035 no young person in England should complete compulsory education without at least Level 2 qualifications, and that three-quarters of the working age population in England should have at least Level 3 qualifications, with at least two-thirds of working-age people in every English region qualified to this level.
• Launch a nationwide young enterprise competition for both school leavers and university/college leavers, with the winner receiving start-up funding; provide grant funding so all schools can offer programmes to encourage enterprise, such as Young Enterprise’s Company Programme; and ensure young people have encounters with employers that reflect their local labour market by amending statutory careers guidance.
• Maintain the Apprenticeship Levy and government funding for apprenticeship training within small firms; revamp financial incentives to take on apprentices and host T Level placements; and provide apprentices with free bus passes.
• Increase the Corporation Tax relief for employers training low or medium-skilled employees, and build on the success of Skills Bootcamps by introducing 50+ Skills Bootcamps, which would provide the skills older people require to remain in or re-enter the labour market.
• Extend tax relief for sole traders who up-/reskill to include training aimed at securing business growth, and widen rollout of the EnterprisingYou programme.

FSB Policy Chair Tina McKenzie said: “Our members tell us their growth potential is being held back by a lack of appropriately-skilled staff, with vital roles going unfilled, ultimately harming the economy. “This skills and training deficit is a perennial issue, but far from an insoluble one. Our report sets out a roadmap for change on every level, from schools to apprenticeships to workplaces. “We also want more to be done to upskill groups further away from the workplace, such as ex-offenders, older workers, and disabled people, who could help fill skills shortages and find meaningful employment if given a helping hand. “We need to take a holistic approach to skills and training, from nurturing young people’s entrepreneurial instincts and vocational skills in schools right through to retraining later in life to take advantage of new opportunities. “As things stand, too many young people, through no fault of their own, are leaving school without the knowledge, awareness and advice they need to excel in commercial settings and start businesses. That has to change. “Equally, we have to provide opportunities to up- and reskill throughout careers. The economy is changing apace; there is huge potential for growth, if we can get people with the right skills in place. “With our net zero deadlines approaching, and with technology opening up whole new fields such as AI and robotics for entrepreneurs, the need to react to global shifts with responsive education, hands-on experience, and relevant training has never been greater. “The challenges involved are huge, but the potential rewards are even greater. If the Government is serious about levelling up every region of England, and rebuilding the economy, our recommendations definitely need to be on the new Education Secretary’s slate. “Education policy cannot exist in a silo – the new minister will need to work with Cabinet colleagues to ensure a joined-up approach to improving skills and education levels to where we as a country need them to be.”

As the judges work to decide the winners of the prestigious East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, secure your tickets to the unmissable ceremony to see who clinches Contractor of the Year, Developer of the Year, Commercial Development of the Year, Residential Development of the Year, Sustainable Development of the Year, Deal of the Year, Most Active Agents of the Year, Architects of the Year, Excellence in Design, Responsible Business and of course Overall Winner. The East Midlands Bricks Awards recognise and celebrate those behind the changing landscape of our region – the very best companies, teams, individuals and projects – showcasing the exceptional work carried out over the past 12 months. The glittering awards ceremony revealing the winners will take place on Thursday 15 September, at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in the Derek Randall Suite. The occasion also presents plenty of time to network, to develop relationships with property and construction professionals from across the East Midlands. Book your tickets here. The event will begin at 4:30pm and continue until 7:30pm and will additionally feature John Forkin MBE DL, Managing Director at award-winning investment promotion agency Marketing Derby, as keynote speaker. Complementary drinks and canapés will be served on arrival. Dress code is standard business dress.  

Shortlist for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022

Most Active Agent – sponsored by Blueprint Interiors Mather Jamie OMEETO BB&J Commercial Commercial Development of the Year – sponsored by Frank Key Broad Marsh Bus Station and Car Park – Galliford Try Construction Etiquette Park – Clowes Developments Nottinghamshire Police and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service joint HQ – Henry Brothers Responsible Business of the Year – sponsored by Press for Attention PR Cawarden Arc Partnership Phoenix Brickwork Residential Development of the Year – sponsored by Sterling Commercial Finance The Rise, Southwell – Stagfield Group Glenvale Park – Glenvale Park LLP Hindle House – KMRE Group Deal of the Year – sponsored by Blythin & Brown Insurance Brokers St James Securities – Phase Two of the Becketwell regeneration scheme in Derby – 3,500 capacity Becketwell performance venue with ASM Global Wells McFarlane, APB and Newton LDP – sale of 460 acres of land in North Leicestershire, making way for a new garden village Morgan Industrial Properties Limited – acquisition of the former Ewart Chain site in Shaftesbury Street, Derby Developer of the Year – sponsored by Ward Hockley Developments St James Securities HBD Architects of the Year – sponsored by OMS Swain Architecture Rayner Davies Architects CPMG Architects Excellence in Design – sponsored by Cawarden  St. Peter’s Gate renovation – CPMG Architects Health and Allied Professions Centre at Nottingham Trent University – Pick Everard Brookside Farm – Chevin Homes Sustainable Development of the Year – sponsored by Viridis Building Services Refurbished HQ for LKAB Minerals – Scenariio Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre – Chesterfield Borough Council, Whittam Cox Architects, Robert Woodhead Group Broad Marsh Bus Station and Car Park – Galliford Try Construction Contractor of the Year – sponsored by RammSanderson Galliford Try Construction Cawarden Enrok Construction The Overall Winner, sponsored by Streets Chartered Accountants, will also be announced at the ceremony, who will be awarded a year of marketing/publicity worth £20,000. Thanks to our sponsors:                                      

To be held at:

The Government has announced that it has decided not to appoint Commissioners at Nottingham City Council, which it had previously indicated it was minded to back in June, but will instead strengthen the powers of the independent Improvement and Assurance Board currently overseeing progress on improvements at the council. The decision has been welcomed by the council which sent a formal letter of representation to the Government last month outlining why it believed the current support arrangements in place through the IAB had been working well and that its preference was for these to remain in place. In practice the Government’s decision will mean that recommendations from the IAB in relation to the council’s ‘Together for Nottingham’ improvement plan will now have the weight of Statutory Direction. In short, the IAB will have the power to direct the council in relation to its improvement programme, in addition to offering advice. The chair of the IAB, Sir Tony Redmond, will be required to provide a formal review of progress in three months’ time which will be considered by the Secretary of State. Working with the IAB, the council says it has made significant progress on improvements over the last 18 months, which include:

• Agreeing a balanced Medium-Term Financial Plan for the next four years, a key requirement of the non-statutory review, and within that a balanced budget for this year without the need for any other financial support or intervention
• Reducing debt levels and taking a strategic approach to disposing of property assets to bring an income to the council
• Carrying out a review of council-owned companies including bringing Enviroenergy in-house; selling Thomas Bow and transferring housing services back to the council
• Identifying and responding to issues with unlawful HRA misallocation – commissioning and implementing recommendations from two independent reports
• Working with bodies such as the Local Government Association and the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy on implementing best practices at the council
• Implementing a modernised Council Constitution, including a new Councillor-Officer protocol

The Government’s announcement follows the council’s own discovery – as part of its ongoing improvement work – that it had unlawfully allocated Housing Revenue Account (HRA) funds to its General Fund. Action is being taken to remedy this issue, including placing funds back in the HRA and bringing the council’s housing management function back in-house. City Council leader, Councillor David Mellen, said: “The decision not to appoint Commissioners shows that our representations about the positive progress we were making with the current Improvement and Assurance Board have been listened to and taken into account by the Government. “I would like to thank the significant number of partners and stakeholders who wrote to the Government in support of the council and the progress we were making. This was acknowledged by the Secretary of State who said that he wants to offer help not punishment. “We know there is a lot more work to do but we have demonstrated our determination to address the issues which led to the non-statutory review and I am confident we will continue to work well with the Board to make the progress needed to emerge a better council.” Chief Executive, Mel Barrett said: “We have had a positive relationship with Sir Tony Redmond and the Improvement and Assurance Board and have valued their support and challenge as part of our improvement journey. I have no doubt this will continue as we work together in the interest of providing services in the best possible way for Nottingham residents. “It is reassuring that Government has identified that our Together for Nottingham recovery and improvement plan remains the basis of the council’s required improvement, but we understand the pace of improvement needs to increase and that the plan will need to be reappraised to ensure we continue to head in the right direction. “We will continue to support our dedicated and committed staff in the highly valued work they do to provide vital services to city residents and continue to engage constructively with partners.”