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.

Raise the profile of your business by submitting a nomination for Business Link’s 10th annual East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025. Celebrating the region’s property and construction industry, its people, and outstanding developments, the annual awards attract leaders from all over the region and are the perfect way for businesses to showcase the work they are completing and create more buzz. Award categories include: most active agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner. It is completely free to enter, and making the top three finalists in your category will win you free tickets to the awards ceremony. A highlight in the business calendar, winners will be unveiled on Thursday 2nd October (4.30pm – 7.30pm) at Nottingham’s famous Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of opportunities to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region. To nominate your (or another) business/development for one of our awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page. 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.

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. 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. To find out more about the East Midlands Bricks Awards please click here. For tickets to the event, please click here.

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.

With shifting trade dynamics and a changing buyer mindset, sales and marketing teams are being forced to evolve — fast. We spoke to Paul Ince, marketing strategist and co-host of the upcoming “Funeral for the Funnel” event, about why the traditional B2B sales model is on its last legs, and what manufacturers and suppliers need to know to stay ahead. What do you mean by “the death of the sales funnel?” Isn’t that how most B2B sales still work? The funnel’s been a useful model for decades — but it’s based on the assumption that buyers move in a straight line: awareness, interest, decision. In today’s B2B landscape, that’s just not reality. Buyers are doing their own research, reading peer reviews, involving multiple stakeholders, and jumping back and forth in their journey. The funnel doesn’t reflect that chaos. It’s not dead because it’s useless — it’s dead or dying because it’s too simple. So, what’s replacing the funnel — and why does it matter now? It’s being replaced by something more circular and more collaborative. We’re seeing a shift toward relationship-led marketing — where value, trust, and timing matter more than discounting or flashy lead gen tactics. However, with the economic environment, budget compliance is still often a higher priority than things like cultural fit between buyer and supplier. You’ve said price isn’t the deal-breaker it used to be. Is that really true in a climate of rising costs? Well, our latest B2B Buying Decisions Report shows that while price is always a factor, it’s not the only one but right now it’s moving higher up the list again– this isn’t to say values, service etc. aren’t important to the buyer but they are also asking: can this supplier integrate with our systems? Can they be relied on if things get rocky? Can they help us stay competitive long-term? So, for example, tariff pressure might start the conversation, but confidence is what closes the deal. What’s the biggest mistake suppliers are still making? Leading with product and price, not people and problems. People don’t mind being sold to; they accept it’s part of the game of buying. What they want is transparency. They don’t want to feel like they’re being hoodwinked or tricked. People trust what they see less. They need to feel that they can trust a supplier. Being clear on messaging and costs help move the customer along on whatever journey they take. Leading with product and price may well help set the best foundation for the customer journey because further information such as understanding challenges and value can justify that cost. You’re co-hosting an event called “Funeral for the Funnel.” What’s the thinking behind that? It’s a light-hearted title with a serious point. We’re gathering sales and marketing leaders to talk about how customer journeys are evolving and how we need to evolve with them. It’s not a theory session — it’s practical, grounded in data, and designed to help people rethink how they engage prospects and customers. Think of it as a send-off for an old friend… and a welcome party for a better approach. If you could give one piece of advice to B2B sales and marketing teams right now, what would it be? Stop chasing clicks. Start building confidence. In uncertain times, your biggest competitive edge is trust. For more information and to register for the Funeral for the Funnel event, visit https://gi.creationzmarketing.co.uk/home-1515