- Website development
- Staff training & development costs
- Business advice or consultancy costs
- Development of marketing materials or promotional activity
- Equipment and machinery or other assets that can help your business to grow
- Cost of renovating your shop front within planning and conservation area rules
- Innovations to help your business to adapt and change after COVID-19
- Development of a new product or service to help your business to diversify.
Popular grant fund to reopen for South Holland businesses
South Holland District Council will reopen its Recovery & Growth Grant Fund for new applications from businesses based in the District next Tuesday (23 November), aimed at helping local businesses recover from the impact of COVID-19 and invest for future growth.
The scheme originally opened in August this year, before closing four weeks later when the funds were fully committed, with over £1million allocated in total to support 128 South Holland businesses.
This new smaller tranche of funding, of around £170,000, will give those businesses who missed out last time another opportunity to apply. It will again be available for both capital and revenue grants, with amounts between £1,000 and £25,000 available for a maximum contribution of 50% towards any purchases.
Unlike the previous emergency COVID grants that the Council has helped distribute, which supported running costs to help keep businesses trading, this fund is focused on future development and growth, and can be used to support a wide range of investments.
Examples of things that can be funded include:
East Midlands unemployment rate lowest since start of pandemic – but inflation and skills warning issued
Unemployment in the East Midlands has dropped to its lowest level since the beginning of the pandemic, new figures show.
The region’s unemployment rate fell to 4.1% for the period between July and September 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics.
This marked a 0.2% reduction compared to the previous reported period between June and August, while it was also 0.2% below the UK average.
It is the lowest unemployment rate for the East Midlands since the three months to May 2020, when it was 4% – having peaked at 5.9% earlier this year.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive, Scott Knowles, said: “It’s promising to see the jobs market growing again after the struggles of the past year and suggests the economy is moving in the right direction.
“The latest figures reflect how industries that are heavily represented in our region’s economy – including hospitality, retail, and leisure and tourism – are recovering well after the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
“At the same time, we’ve also seen initiatives like the Kickstart Scheme – in which the Chamber has played a key role as a gateway organisation to facilitate almost 1,500 job placements – contribute to helping young people, who had been disproportionately affected by Covid, find work.
“We expect the region’s jobs market to continue improving, with the latest data from the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) for Q3 2021 showing a net 25% of East Midlands businesses saying they have increased headcount over the previous three months and a net 38% expecting a rise in employment over the coming three months.”
Skills gaps and inflation cause concerns for economic recovery
National figures show that job vacancies hit another record high in October at 1.17 million – almost 400,000 higher than pre-Covid – as employers continued to struggle with skills shortages. This is despite the end of the furlough scheme, which was still supporting an estimated 1.1 million people just before it ended on 30 September. Scott added: “The record number of vacancies highlights the acute hiring crisis faced by many businesses right now. While two-thirds (67%) of companies attempted recruitment in the previous quarter, according to our QES, 71% of this cohort said they faced problems with hiring the right people. “While some predicted the end of furlough would release more of the workforce back into the labour market to plug these issues, the continued rise in job openings suggests the problems go much deeper. “We have skills gaps across the board that urgently need to be addressed – something that was highlighted most pertinently by the HGV driver shortage during the recent fuel supply crisis. “Many of these are longstanding but as Brexit and Covid have driven a more deep-seated decline in labour supply, they have come to the fore more prominently. “The concern here is that an inability to address the skills gap and bolster productivity will dampen the economic recovery. “This could become particularly problematic if inflation, which surged by 4.2% in the year to October, continues to rise as it hits the bottom line of businesses – and therefore put a squeeze on the gains we’ve made in employment.”Dunelm to create 70 jobs with new Daventry warehouse
Dunelm Group Plc is set to move into its new Daventry warehouse at Prologis RFI DIRFT this December, creating up to 70 new jobs in the local area by the end of January.
The new site will be helping the retailer meet customer demand ahead of the festive period and then from January will be become a key element in the growth of Dunelm’s furniture business and providing better delivery service levels.
The move supports Dunelm’s focus on innovating and improving its customer proposition, as well as the growth in home delivery and click & collect operations that resulted from the pandemic.
Dunelm is one of the country’s leading homeware retailers, operating 175 shops across the UK.
The company has taken a 10-year lease on the new logistics building at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) in the East Midlands, which will be home to the Dunelm Home Delivery network and furniture range.
“We’ve worked with Dunelm for a long time, and seeing this project come to completion is testament to the strength of our relationship. The new facility will be pivotal in helping the business further grow its online retail operations and create a significant number of jobs for the local area,” Tom Price, capital deployment and leasing director at Prologis UK, said.
“DIRFT continues to be an incredibly popular prospect for businesses looking to harness the power of multimodal freight and further extensions to the site will provide even more opportunities for businesses which want to strengthen their presence in the golden triangle.”
Dunelm’s new building will also reflect the company’s ambitious targets around sustainability and carbon reduction, with an EPC ‘A24’ rating, a BREEAM rating of ‘excellent’ and features such as 15% roof lights, rainwater harvesting, and LED lighting.
The building has also had its environmental credentials certified by The Planet Mark and is mitigating 100% of the embodied carbon involved in its construction. Thanks to Prologis’ partnership with climate action charity, Cool Earth, the construction of DIRFT III DC4 will help protect 136 acres of rainforest, over 30,000 trees, and support 652 people in Sololo, Southern Papua New Guinea.
Richard Street, supply chain development director, Dunelm Group PLC, said: “Our new DIRFT warehouse facility is an important move for Dunelm – not only is the location excellent for better serving our customer needs but the new site will make a significant contribution to our improving our environmental footprint.”
Ideagen appoints chief product officer
Nottinghamshire software company, Ideagen Plc, has expanded its executive team with the appointment of new Chief Product Officer (CPO), David Moore.
The announcement follows a year of strong growth and momentum for Ideagen, as it continues to expand its product portfolio and strengthen its global presence. As CPO, Mr Moore will play a central role in facilitating further expansion via Ideagen’s product innovation strategy and road map evolution.
With oversight of strategic product direction, Moore will lead Ideagen’s development teams to deliver sustainable value, ensuring product features and activities align with the overall objectives and goals of the company.
With 25 years’ experience in the IT industry, Moore has a wealth of experience of product strategy, development and design, having previously held senior international leadership roles in a number of global software companies.
Moore joins Ideagen from Blue Prism, a London-based intelligent automation provider, where he was most recently Senior Vice President of Product Strategy and Management.
CEO of Ideagen, Ben Dorks, said: “David brings great expertise, leadership and knowledge and is well-positioned to help Ideagen continue to innovate and solve for the success of our customers.
“We see the role of Chief Product Officer as a hugely important one in the next phase of our development and David will lead the company’s product vision that will enhance the customer experience, driving growth and innovation. I am delighted to welcome David to the team and very much look forward to working with him.”
Mr Moore added: “I am proud to be part of the Ideagen family. I am impressed by the people, its values and its ambition. I am also delighted to be able to take on a world class portfolio of solutions that provides the best foundation on which to build the next chapter of our product evolution. I look forward to a fruitful and enjoyable future here.”
Davidsons Homes makes two senior promotions
Davidsons Homes has made two significant internal promotions at its Blisworth-based South Midlands region.
Paul Waterfield has taken on the new role of technical director, while Rachel Pramayon has been promoted to the position of land director.
Paul first joined Davidsons Homes nine years ago and has worked for the South Midlands region since it launched in 2019. It is his responsibility to oversee both the Architectural and Engineering functions of the region from conception through to adoption.
Rachel joined the company at the end of February last year. Dealing with both immediate and strategic land, her primary role is to oversee and secure new land acquisitions.
Paul, who started out in the construction industry as an apprentice joiner at the age of 16, said: “I am delighted to have reached this stage in my career with a housebuilder I value so highly. This marks my fourth promotion within Davidsons Homes, so I am living proof that the company encourages career progression.”
Rachel, who has almost a decade of experience working in land management roles, said: “I’m very proud to have taken this next step in my career, and would like to thank the whole group at Davidsons Homes for their invaluable support – particularly as I joined at a difficult time on the verge of the pandemic.”
The promotions will see Paul and Rachel take on greater responsibility within the business to ensure targets are met. Both say that their prime target is to support the continued growth and expansion of the South Midlands region.
Paul said: “As I’ve been with the region since it first launched, it’s a great feeling looking back at what we’ve achieved. For this reason, I am really passionate about encouraging its growth.
Rachel added: “It’s an exciting time to be working at Davidsons Homes, with the South Midlands region expanding at a fast pace. I’m most looking forward to working collaboratively with my team to enhance the growth of the region, and to continue building upon our impressive portfolio of site acquisitions.”
James Burnham, Managing Director of Davidsons Homes South Midlands, said: “Paul and Rachel were exemplary in their respective roles of head of technical and head of land. These are well-deserved promotions that will benefit the company highly.
“That these opportunities can be filled from within our own ranks is a testament to the talent we have on board here at Davidsons Homes, as well as a reflection of our commitment to promoting from within and supporting career progression.”
Ashbourne manufacturer receives Queen’s Award for export success
Ashbourne-based electric tug manufacturer, MasterMover, has been officially presented with The Queen’s Award for Enterprise: International Trade 2021.
The business has been recognised for its outstanding continuous growth in overseas sales.
HM Lord-Lieutenant of Derbyshire, Mrs Elizabeth Fothergill, presented company representatives with the honour in her capacity as representative of The Queen for the county.
A special ceremony took place on Friday, November 12 at the Museum of Making in Derby. The event was attended by guests including MasterMover employees from around the world, as well as Councillor Steve Wain, Civic Chairman of the Derbyshire Dales District Council.
Andy Owen, MasterMover Partner, said: “The Queen’s Awards are the highest honour that can be bestowed on a UK company. We’ve received this in recognition of our work in international trade, and outstanding growth in overseas sales, and we couldn’t be prouder to be acknowledged in this way.”
Software provider pledges to create 500 East Midlands jobs
Business technology specialist The Access Group has committed to creating 500 new jobs as it officially unveiled its new £20 million 109,000 sq ft purpose-built headquarters in Loughborough.
The building is home to around 570 of the company’s 4,680 staff globally, with room for another 400 in expansion.
Access plans to deliver more high-value roles and long-term career opportunities for people in the East Midlands, including graduates and apprentices. It has already hired 212 people based in Loughborough since June this year, helping to bring its total global workforce to more than 4,000 people – up from 850 in 2015.
More than 300 graduates and apprentices have also joined in the last two years, and there are plans to recruit another 70 over the coming eight months.
The Access Group is a provider of cloud-based business software for mid-sized organisations and has more than 55,000 customers working across a range of sectors including health and social care, education and not-for-profit.
Chris Bayne, Chief Executive of The Access Group, said: “We’ve always had a strong presence in the East Midlands, as well as other areas of the UK, but strategically the region was the natural choice over London and the South East when planning our new flagship office.
“Many of our employees come from the Midlands but our central location means we’re well-placed to attract talented people from all over the country, including graduates from Loughborough and the nearby cities of Leicester, Nottingham and Derby. It also helps us to reach our customers across the country easily.”
He added that the offices reflect what The Access Group stands for as a company today: “We wanted to create an environment where people enjoy working and can collaborate with their colleagues because this is what drives innovation. The state-of-the-art building has 300 solar panels that provide our electricity, as well as electric car charging points and a water management system.
“We’re also proud to cement our partnership with our neighbour Loughborough University by featuring artworks from students around the building.”
Access Group employee Jo Battisson and her daughter Hannah cut the ribbon in front of the offices at a special event, joined by the company’s Chief Sales Officer Jon Jorgensen and Loughborough MP Jane Hunt.
Hannah suffers from bipolar disorder and Jo’s colleagues nominated Bipolar UK as their charity of the year after hearing about how it had helped Hannah, Jo and their family.
The offices were built by Leicestershire County Council at Loughborough University Science and Enterprise Park (LUSEP) and the contract with The Access Group is believed to be the biggest single-occupier deal in the county in a century.
Buy-to-Let is 25: By Nic Rotton, Sterling Commercial Finance
Nic Rotton, Commercial Mortgage Consultant at Sterling Commercial Finance, reflects on Buy-to-Let mortgages as they turn 25 years old.
Last week, I found out that Buy-to-Let (BTL) mortgages were 25 years old in September, having been created back in 1996.
That’s right, before Buy-to-Let had even existed, we had actually sung “Three Lions” for the very first time at the Euros, Blur had “beaten” Oasis in the Battle of BritPop and Google was still 2 years from becoming the monster it is today!
The BTL story began when ARLA (the Association of Residential Letting Agents) met Paragon and Natwest to discuss a better way of financing residential investments. At the time, no financial product specifically catered for residential landlords and the only way they could finance a property portfolio was through commercial mortgage terms which tended to be at higher rates and low loan-to-values. The conversation resulted in an overhaul of the products and processes involved in lending to Landlords and the term ‘Buy-to-Let’ was born.
The new product allowed and encouraged new investment into the Private Rented Sector (PRS). The PRS had been in decline for years but was seeing change through Government deregulation which allowed landlords to determine rent levels, introduced Assured Shorthold Tenancies and added other protections which gave landlords confidence to invest in property.
Nowadays PRS is the UK’s second largest housing tenure accounting for 19% of households, up from 10% in 2001. Renting is no longer seen as a last resort or student dominated. It offers greater flexibility to people for all ages and better suits the lifestyles of many.
We have seen huge Government policy changes, both in regulative and legislative terms with the aim to improve safety and standards in the sector. These also include regulatory changes on Lenders to expand the underwriting criteria with the hope of controlling the level of debt available to fund the growth.
Buy to let is now a hugely competitive market with significantly more funders looking to support landlords than those first two back in 1996. We now see lenders adapting to include HMOs, holiday lets, MUFBs and serviced accommodation.
Sterling Commercial Finance works with landlords to arrange the right funding for their property purchase or refinance. With innovative products and sensible criteria at our disposal, we are supporting more clients than ever before in realising their property ambitions.
99 affordable homes set for Leicestershire village as land sold
Acting on behalf of a private vendor, heb has sold land at Garden Farm, Barlestone, Leicestershire.
Following the recent grant of planning consent, Owl Homes will deliver 99 affordable dwellings in a semi-rural setting at the fringe of the village.
Owl Homes are working in conjunction with Midland Heart Housing Association to provide 50 affordable rent homes and 49 shared ownership.
“The scheme as designed looks fantastic,” said Robert Maxey at selling agents heb. “I can’t wait to see the development take shape as Owl progress matters on-site. The fact that the whole development is providing much needed affordable units should be welcome news to the local community.”
Rob Blaney at Owl Homes said: “We are delighted to have completed this development on behalf of our valued client Midland Heart and the support from our consultants has been invaluable throughout this transaction. We now look forward to progressing matters on site and commencing work to deliver these much-needed affordable homes for the Leicestershire community.“
Chris Miller, director of development at Midland Heart, said: “The Midlands needs more quality affordable homes so it’s great news that this development at Garden Farm is able to progress. We’re looking forward to working closely with Owl Homes and welcoming new families into our homes once complete.”
The site was identified for Owl Homes by Gareth Staff at Nottingham-based Inside Land.
Wendy Shaw at Nottingham’s Ashton Bond Gigg Solicitors acted for the seller, with Kevin Nagle at Squire Patton Boggs Birmingham acting on behalf of Owl Homes.
“It was really pleasing how all parties on both sides of the transaction pulled together throughout the process to ensure satisfactory delivery of the development,” said Robert Maxey. “This is the latest in a run of land deals for us, showing the need for homes and resulting demand for land.”
Plans emerging for future of rejuvenated Glossop Halls
With work on the first phase of the transformation of Glossop Halls almost complete and plans for the future operations of the market taking shape, High Peak Borough Council continues to support traders in the busy build-up to Christmas.
High Peak Borough Council is leading the regeneration project to bring the Town Hall, Market Hall and Municipal Buildings up to modern standards – creating jobs and new spaces for community use, entrepreneurs and micro-businesses alongside the introduction of energy saving technologies and fibre broadband.
The £7m scheme is being funded by the Council including a £2m grant contribution from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership via their Getting Building Fund.
The first phase of the project, which has included replacing the Market Hall roof and the removal of the floor as well as internal plaster repairs in the Municipal Buildings, is now drawing to a close and listed buildings consent for the next stages has been submitted.
Alongside this, the Council is also progressing with its search for a commercial partner to manage and operate the re-developed complex once building work is complete.
Council Leader, Councillor Anthony Mckeown, said: “This project we’re undertaking will see significant sums invested in regenerating and restoring these essential heritage buildings for the future.
“This next stage of the works will transform the Glossop Halls complex into a modern, vibrant hub for the town. It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to deliver the business opportunities and community amenities we need to maximise recovery post-Covid.
“It’s an exciting project to be part of which reflects our ambitions for Glossop and, as we move into the next phase of the project, I look forward to getting on with making it a reality.”
The ground floor plans for the Market Hall include seven food and drink retail units and space for pop-ups and events whilst the new mezzanine level will have eleven units for non-food retail and creative and start-up businesses. The refurbished Town Hall will offer modern, flexible office accommodation in a key heritage space.
And following the recent call out for expressions of interest for potential future operators for the complex, the Council was encouraged by the positive response from the market sector and will now be progressing to the next stage of the competitive tender process.
Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure, Damien Greenhalgh, said: “The Halls really are at the centre of the town and the community and this transformation will safeguard their future as the lively, beating heart of Glossop for decades to come.”
