As Business Link’s East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 draws ever-nearer, East Midlands Chamber has highlighted the opportunity it provides to “showcase the people and firms that are to thank for shaping how our urban spaces and architecture will be seen for future generations.” With nominations closing on Friday 15th August, it’s time to make your free entries for the 10th annual celebration of the property and construction industry. Take this chance to spotlight exceptional new commercial and residential developments, those demonstrating a leading position in sustainability and design excellence; gain recognition as outstanding developers, architects, contractors, and agents, as well as for significant deals; and ensure efforts in corporate social responsibility are rewarded, from eco initiatives to charity work, to social value schemes. East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Property and construction are significant drivers of growth and despite having had to overcome tough challenges like higher National Insurance contributions or the skills shortage making recruitment hard, the East Midlands can be proud of the impressive scale of modernisation to our towns and cities. “Whether Nottingham’s Island Quarter, Derby’s Castleward Urban Village, Leicester’s Waterside or Ashton Green projects, you don’t have to look far to see progress. The Bricks Awards showcase the people and firms that are to thank for shaping how our urban spaces and architecture will be seen for future generations and it’s right we recognise that work.” A key event in the business calendar, the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025 will take place on Thursday 2nd October, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Revealing the winners in a glittering awards ceremony, the evening also offers time to establish new connections with property and construction professionals from across the region and hear from 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. To nominate your (or another) business/development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards, please click on a category link below or visit this page. Entry is free – with finalists also winning free tickets to the awards ceremony. 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 (this award cannot be entered, with the Overall Winner selected from those nominated for the occasion’s 10 other categories and receiving 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.

Tickets can now be booked for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2025, click here to secure yours.

Connect with local decision makers over nibbles and complimentary drinks while applauding the exceptional companies and projects in our region.

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.

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:

Gusto, the UK-based Italian restaurant chain, is set to be acquired by Cherry Equity Partners in a pre-pack administration deal that will preserve 300 of its 500 jobs. This transaction follows the company’s announcement of its intention to appoint an administrator.

The deal, orchestrated by insolvency firm Interpath Advisory, comes after Gusto faced significant financial challenges amid ongoing pressures in the hospitality sector. As part of the deal, six locations will be closed, leading to the loss of approximately 190 positions, predominantly from smaller suburban sites that have struggled financially in recent times.

Cherry Equity’s acquisition marks the firm’s third restaurant purchase in six months and highlights its commitment to the UK hospitality industry. The new owners aim to stabilise the brand and set a foundation for future growth despite the current economic challenges facing the sector. Gusto’s leadership expressed regret over the closures and thanked its employees and customers for their support.

Loughborough-based content marketing consultancy, LikeMind Media has been appointed by Ofsted-rated ‘Outstanding’ voluntary adoption agency Adoption Focus to lead a major digital campaign addressing the national shortage of adopters. The year-long campaign will focus on reaching prospective adopters from all walks of life, with a particular emphasis on LGBTQ+ communities and people from Black and dual-heritage backgrounds — groups that remain significantly underrepresented in the adoption system. LikeMind Media will work to position Adoption Focus as the leading choice for adoption and early permanence across Central England, promoting its training and support through a strategic mix of organic and paid social media, search marketing, and event amplification. “We have delivered social media workshops for Adoption Focus and other adoption organisations, which has helped us understand some of the challenges they face in recruiting new adopters,” said Paul Ince, managing director of LikeMind Media. “Selecting the right audiences and creating content that deals with a sensitive subject requires us to work through sophisticated strategies. We have a great relationship with Adoption Focus — it’s much more like a partnership than a supplier/client relationship. We refer to us all as one team; we’re all looking forward to working with each other over the next year.” Jo Lee, director of business development at Adoption Focus, added: “We’ve worked with LikeMind Media informally in the past to strengthen our social media knowledge and output. This year, we wanted to start new campaigns to recruit adopters. Paul and his team were our first choice due to their knowledge, expertise, and our trust in their skill to maximise our resources and get the best results.”

EarthScale, a new initiative designed to help climate tech startups scale up, is now accepting applications for its first cohort. This three-year programme is backed by a £5 million grant from the Research England Development Fund and led by Imperial College London, in collaboration with five other UK universities: Nottingham, Cranfield, Derby, Exeter, and Leeds.

The aim of EarthScale is to bridge the gap between the prototype phase and market-ready deployment for climate tech ventures, addressing the challenges startups face in scaling innovative technologies. The programme offers participants access to specialised research, manufacturing facilities, and a network of experts across various technical fields.

The support provided will also include business development assistance, talent acquisition, and help navigating the complexities of regulations and policies. Startups that are selected will have the opportunity to enhance their operations and bring their climate solutions closer to commercialisation.

Applications are open until 7 September 2025, with the programme set to start on 1 October.

Silverstone Composites has partnered with TC Group to support its expansion and strengthen its financial position. As a leader in advanced materials, Silverstone has earned a strong reputation across motorsport, aerospace, and custom sectors. With this new alliance, TC Group will provide strategic guidance across multiple areas, including property, HR, tax, and R&D.

One of the first outcomes of the partnership is the relocation of Silverstone Composites to Silverstone Park, a key area for high-tech innovation. The partnership has also unlocked valuable funding opportunities, enabling further reinvestment in cutting-edge projects and talent development. TC Group’s experts are also assisting with the company’s succession planning, ensuring sustainable growth in the future.

This collaboration underscores TC Group’s approach to offering comprehensive advisory services, extending beyond the typical accountancy and compliance roles. The partnership brings together the expertise needed to drive Silverstone Composites into the next stage of its growth.

A recent study by VodafoneThree and WPI Strategy reveals stark differences in digital connectivity across Leicestershire, identifying areas where better access to technology could significantly boost employment, education, and business growth.

The study assessed digital infrastructure in Leicestershire’s parliamentary constituencies using five key metrics: unemployment, productivity, new small business formation, life satisfaction, and the percentage of residents without formal qualifications. The findings underscore that while digital connectivity has the potential to drive growth, its benefits are not evenly distributed.

The report categorises constituencies into three groups based on their performance across these indicators. Three constituencies—Leicester East, Leicester South, and Leicester West—are in the urgent need category, showing high unemployment rates (7.2%) and low productivity (£35.80 per hour), along with a significant proportion of residents lacking formal qualifications (26.7%). Despite a rise in new business creation in these areas, the report warns that poor digital access and skills are barriers to further economic development.

Other areas, such as Loughborough, Hinckley and Bosworth, and North West Leicestershire, are performing near the national average but still face challenges. While these constituencies benefit from low unemployment and reasonable life satisfaction scores, productivity remains a concern. These regions could unlock further potential through targeted investment in digital infrastructure and skills training.

No constituencies in the county currently exceed national benchmarks, which highlights a gap that must be addressed to keep pace with digital transformation seen in other regions. Areas like Rugby and Warwick & Leamington already demonstrate higher productivity and lower unemployment, supported by more advanced digital infrastructure.

VodafoneThree’s commitment to investing £11 billion in 5G infrastructure over the next eight years could be the key to closing these digital gaps in Leicestershire. The company’s ambitious rollout of nationwide 5G by 2034 promises to provide the necessary connectivity to foster growth in areas most in need.