< Previous10 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk FINANCE NEWS Funding enables Leicester retail design specialist to expand into new warehouse Edge Retail, the Leicester-based retail design specialist behind in- store activations for global brands including Prada, Maison Margiela, Sol de Janeiro and Kylie Cosmetics, has secured £1.89m in funding through Lloyds to support the acquisition and development of a new warehouse facility to deliver larger, more complex projects. Founded in 2006 by Craig Wick, Graham Quirke and Steve Shields, Edge Retail began when the trio, then colleagues at another firm, saw an opportunity to take on a major fragrance-brand project that would allow them to take their creative ideas to new levels. Today the business designs and delivers bespoke retail activations, pop-up environments and in-store fixtures for luxury and lifestyle brands worldwide. The business now turns over approximately £10m annually and is forecasting 20% growth over the next year as it broadens its client base and continues to invest in technology, facilities and skilled staff. The new warehouse, now fully operational, gives Edge Retail additional space for design development, assembly and refurbishment of display elements. Nottingham-headquartered home care provider secures £5.5m to accelerate growth Care Santé, a Nottingham-headquartered home care provider delivering domiciliary and extra care services across the UK, has secured a £5.5m loan from OakNorth. Founded in December 2020, Care Santé provides tailored home care to individuals with a wide range of needs, including elderly clients, adults with physical disabilities, learning difficulties, or long-term and life-limiting illnesses, such as dementia and cancer. The group currently operates 20 locations across South Yorkshire, Humberside, the East Midlands, Central England, London, and Kent, and delivers more than 17,000 weekly care hours through its network of branches. Operating through its brands Care Santé, Valley Care, Helpers Homecare, and Complete Care Chesterfield, since inception London-based family office Vitry Enfants Limited has backed Care Santé’s buy-and-build strategy. The £5.5m loan from OakNorth will enable Care Santé to accelerate its growth strategy through selective acquisitions of leading domiciliary care providers and the development of new services. Acres Insurance Brokers secures MEIF II funding for tech and workforce expansion Acres Insurance Brokers has received a six-figure finance package from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, delivered through Maven for the East and South East Midlands. The Rushden-based firm specialises in agricultural insurance and supports a varied portfolio of rural enterprises, working with major UK insurers and placing significant volumes of business across the market. The investment will underpin the company’s next phase of development. Acres plans to introduce a new IT platform to improve online quotations and policy management, relocate to larger premises, grow its marketing activity, and expand its team. These steps are designed to strengthen its position in a region where agriculture remains central to the local economy. Paul Davis, investment manager at Maven, said: “Acres Insurance Brokers has built a strong reputation for its specialist knowledge and customer focus in the agricultural insurance market. The combination of farming backgrounds and technical insurance expertise across the team gives them a practical understanding of the risks and challenges their clients face, allowing them to deliver solutions that truly meet the needs of their clients. We are pleased to support Acres with this investment and look forward to working with them as they continue to grow the business.” © stock.adobe.com/Alexander Rathswww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 11 FINANCE NEWS © stock.adobe.com/david hughes Vigilant AI.ai raises £585k to advance compliant AI solutions for regulated firms Derby-based technology company Vigilant AI.ai has raised £585,000 in pre-seed funding to accelerate the rollout of its artificial intelligence platform designed for regulated industries. The investment round was led by B2B SaaS investor Haatch, with participation from the East Midlands Combined County Authority and the British Business Bank. The company develops “AI Teammates” that integrate into existing workflows to enhance efficiency while maintaining compliance standards. The system operates within real-time guardrails and records a verifiable audit trail of every AI action, addressing a major concern among financial and other regulated sectors—how to deploy generative AI without breaching policy. Vigilant AI.ai plans to use the new capital to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams, enhance platform security and onboarding tools, and move pilot projects into commercial deployment by the end of 2025. The firm’s platform targets organisations seeking to improve productivity through automation while retaining transparency and regulatory assurance. © stock.adobe.com/ Shutter2U Pensions – Why expression of wishes matter From April 2027, pension schemes will have only six months to pay HMRC the inheritance tax (IHT) due on a pension—an accelerated timescale that makes maintaining a clear, up-to-date Expression of Wishes (EoW) essential. A worrying number of pension members still have no EoW in place. For schemes with trustee or administrator discretion, an EoW guides how death benefits should be distributed. Although not legally binding, it is the starting point for decision-making and should complement, not replace, a Will. Problems arise when outdated EoWs fail to reflect major life events, forcing administrators to investigate beneficiaries from scratch. Trustees must show they have followed a reasonable decision-making process, considering all the relevant factors. A detailed and up to date EoW helps them do so and supports the member’s intended distribution. Under current rules, naming a beneficiary influences how benefits can be paid—for instance, beneficiary drawdown is typically restricted to dependants. If wishes or circumstances change, failing to update an EoW can lead to benefits being paid contrary to intent. Forthcoming IHT changes compound the issue. From April 2027, most unused pensions will fall within the estate for IHT, with Personal Representatives required to settle liability within six months and administrators providing valuations within four weeks. These deadlines are highly challenging, even with accurate documentation. Regular EoW reviews—especially after life events—should now be a core part of financial and estate planning, helping reduce disputes, delays and unnecessary tax exposure, and ensuring loved ones are properly supported. Caitlin Southall – Director of SSAS at WBR GroupNottingham chemical manufacturer assists energy transition with largest-ever order A Nottingham chemical manufacturer has declared that its technology is “ready to make a difference” after it delivered its largest-ever order to a firm which is looking to develop a cheaper and more energy-efficient way to store gas. Promethean Particles, which is based in Midland Way, says that the deal, which involved shipping four tonnes of a material called metal-organic framework (MOF) to a customer on mainland Europe, is a breakthrough which could help in the fight against climate change. MOFs are crystalline structures which are capable of trapping and holding vast quantities of gases, including carbon dioxide, making them ideal for use in storing gases and in carbon capture technologies. However, issues with manufacturing them reliably and cost-effectively in large quantities have so far prevented them from being used on an industrial scale. Promethean Particles has developed its own proprietary manufacturing process, which has drastically increased the quantities of MOFs it can produce while reducing the cost. It means that the firm is now able to supply companies which want to use MOFs for different applications including, in this case, finding innovative ways of storing larger volumes of gas in tanks to increase energy efficiency and reduce costs. 12 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING NEWS MBO completed at East Midlands engineering company’s composites division A management buyout has been completed at a division of an East Midlands engineering company. The composites division of Neos Solutions has been acquired by a team with over 100 years’ combined experience in the sector, led by director Matty Lloyd. Following the MBO, the newly-acquired business has been relaunched as UK Composites and is operating from the same purpose-built 50,000 sq ft engineering and manufacturing facility at Westside Park, Derby. UK Composites designs and manufactures carbon fibre and composite parts for a global client base, including niche automotive and motorsport companies such as Aston Martin F1, Lotus, Norton Motorcyles and Overfinch, and businesses in the aerospace, rail, defence, healthcare, home furnishings and space sectors. Matty has more than 25 years’ experience in composites and the management team includes production manager Sam Ryde, senior composites engineer Darren Ashford, lead project engineer Ben Dale, quality manager Aaron Church and lead designer Vinoth Periyasamy, alongside finance and accounts administrator Alexandra Girla. WeDo Business Finance has provided a finance package to support UK Composites’ expansion plans, as well as HR, IT and marketing services. Manufacturing output volumes fall at fastest pace since August 2020 Manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to November, and at the fastest pace since August 2020 – according to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey (ITS). Manufacturers expect volumes to decline at a similar pace in the three months to February. The volume of total order books was stable at a historically weak level in November. Export order books improved relative to last month but remained well below average. Stock adequacy for finished goods rose, to stand above the long-run average. Expectations for selling price inflation eased in November, standing in line with the long-run average. Ben Jones, CBI lead economist, said: “Manufacturers face a challenging end to the year. What’s striking in this month’s survey is how consistently firms link the slowdown to uncertainty ahead of the Budget, with customers delaying purchases and investment until they know what’s coming.” Owen Cartmell, operations manager at Promethean Particles, with part of the four tonne consignment of MOFs Alexandra Girla, Sam Ryde, Aaron Church, Vinoth Periyasamy, Matty Lloyd and Ben Dale of UK Compositeswww.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk MANUFACTURING NEWS Added Scientific secures new backing to accelerate 3D materials development Added Scientific has received a strategic investment from additive manufacturing specialists Brent Stucker and David Leigh, strengthening the company’s plans to scale its research-driven product portfolio. The spinout, founded by academics from the University of Nottingham, focuses on material jetting, binder jetting, and photocurable 3D printing R&D for commercial vendors and research institutions. Its team of engineers and scientists supports organisations developing new materials and applications in advanced manufacturing. Richard Hague, co-founder and director of Added Scientific, said: “We are delighted to receive this investment from Brent and David as we continue our transition from a contract research organisation to providing a full product offering. The Added Scientific team is extremely excited to collaborate with them as we expand our portfolio.” Stucker and Leigh each bring more than three decades of sector experience. Their backgrounds include senior roles at major AM companies, founding early service bureaus, and contributing to recognised industry standards. They will both join the Added Scientific board to guide the company’s technical and commercial development. Premier Foods commits £36m to expand Worksop operations Premier Foods is set to increase production capacity at its Worksop site through a £36 million upgrade programme. The investment includes a new high-speed manufacturing line, expanded storage facilities, and a link road to support logistics. Work will continue through to 2029. The plan will bring Loyd Grossman’s cooking sauces production in-house from early 2028, ending reliance on a third-party supplier. The business has also extended its licensing agreement for the Loyd Grossman brand until 2034, with an option to extend for another five years. This supports the long-term development and supply of one of its key product ranges. Alex Whitehouse, CEO of Premier Foods, said: “A key pillar of our growth strategy is investing in our supply chain to increase productivity and efficiency. Representing our largest site investment in over 15 years, today’s announcement is a great example of this strategy in action. It will enable us to more than double our annual cooking sauces production capacity, supporting growth opportunities and providing enhanced capabilities for innovation across our cooking sauces’ brands, while improving the site for our colleagues.” © stock.adobe.com/Konstantin Z Greencore to sell Bristol chilled soups and sauces site to Compleat Food Group Greencore, which has its UK office in Worksop, has signed a binding agreement to sell its Bristol chilled soups and sauces manufacturing site to Nottingham’s Compleat Food Group. It follows the announcement from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that it has accepted in principle the sale of the Bristol site as the proposed remedy in lieu of a Phase 2 investigation in respect of Greencore’s acquisition of Bakkavor, through which the firms are aiming to create a leading convenience food business. The disposal is subject to formal CMA approval. The Bristol site and its related business generated revenue of approximately £47m in the year ended 26 September 2025, which would represent c. 1% of the revenues of the combined Greencore and Bakkavor group. The disposal will enable Greencore to target completion of the transaction in early 2026. © stock.adobe.com/ Timon East Midlands Business Link 13 © Added Scientific © stock.adobe.com/Maria AloisiPlans unveiled for 320-bed co-living scheme near Nottingham Railway Station Plans have been unveiled for a co-living scheme with 320 studio apartments, just south of Nottingham Railway Station and tram stop. Wavensmere Homes has published its plans for the redevelopment of the Waterway House site to seek feedback from local people, prior to submission of a full planning application. Accessed off Crocus Street in the city’s Canalside Quarter, the facilities proposed for the new residential building include a gym, padel court, communal dining area, games room, lounges, co-working space and meeting rooms. Designed by Corstorphine & Wright, Wavensmere has selected national co- living specialist VervLife as the operator for the scheme. Redford Developments Limited selected Wavensmere to bring the site forward earlier this year. Nottingham City Council previously awarded planning consent for an eight-storey apartment scheme with car parking at ground level. The new plans being put forward by Wavensmere include five habitable storeys, together with a roof level for a padel court and open air social space. The entire ground floor of the brick-built building is proposed for additional amenity provision. Full occupancy achieved at Nottingham city centre office building Clearbell UK Strategic Trust (CST), advised by Clearbell Capital LLP, has fully let 55 Maid Marian Way in Nottingham, following the agreement of a new lease with education recruitment agency Affinity Workforce Solutions. Affinity Workforce specialises in supplying temporary and long- term teaching and support staff to primary, secondary and SEND schools, as well as colleges, universities and prisons. The organisation has taken 2,881 sq ft of office space on a five-year lease, meaning the property now stands fully occupied across its five floors totalling over 14,600 sq ft. Rhys Jones, asset manager at Clearbell Capital, said: “Achieving full occupation at Maid Marian Way demonstrates the success of our comprehensive refurbishment programme and hands-on approach to asset management, which continues to create exceptional working environments that deliver strong results for our investors. “We’re delighted to welcome Affinity Workforce Solutions to the building and look forward to supporting their business as they establish themselves in this prime city centre location.” 14 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk PROPERTY NEWS Historic Nottingham War Rooms regeneration gets green light The historic Nottingham War Rooms is set to be transformed into a mixed-use community hub, with plans, led by developer Langcroft, gaining the green light. The scheme designed by Nottingham-headquartered architectural practice CPMG Architects will unlock new commercial and community opportunities for Nottingham and includes the delivery of 104 affordable homes on behalf of East Midlands Housing Group (emh), also designed by CPMG. Located close to the city centre, the former wartime bunker has long been recognised as one of Nottingham’s most distinctive heritage assets. Included within the approved plans is the transformation of the 4,563 sq m, Grade II listed bunker into a community hub set to provide viable and long-term use. The design plans include workspace opportunities, conference facilities, exhibition spaces, flexible commercial units, health and wellbeing amenities, food and beverage venues and media spaces. CPMG Architects is also set to preserve a range of significant internal features within the War Rooms building. These include original 1950s and 1960s spaces such as the Lamson Tube Room, plant rooms, kitchen facilities, and the restoration of the former BBC recording studio. Green light given to transform former Raleigh bike HQ into new residential development Housebuilder Honey will build 125 new homes in Eastwood after being granted planning permission for a £41m development on the site of bike manufacturer Raleigh’s former headquarters. Located off Church Street and called Raleigh in recognition of the site’s heritage, the development will comprise a mix of two-, three-, and four- bedroom homes and include terraces, semi-detached and detached properties. Of the 125 homes, 10 per cent have been designated to affordable housing. Honey has also committed to contributions of more than £1m toward development of education, healthcare and bus services in the local community. Honey chief executive officer, Mark Mitchell, said: “Raleigh is a fantastic addition to our growing development footprint across the East Midlands. “Our development will once again turn the site into a vibrant part of town and give local buyers the opportunity to own one of our thoughtfully designed homes. “Raleigh will meet the strong demand for high specification new homes in Eastwood and we have already seen a positive response since first announcing our plans for the site. “With planning now granted, we’re excited to start work.” Loughborough quantity surveyor expands with Lincoln office Chartered quantity surveyor and project manager Addison Hunt has expanded with an office in Lincoln. The Loughborough-based company has been active in the region for a number of years and its investment in the city is part of its growth strategy in the region. Located within Sparkhouse business centre, on Rope Walk in the city, Addison Hunt’s new office will serve as a local base to be closer to clients and projects, and to be a part of the Lincoln business community. Director Chris Hunt said: “We are active members of Team Lincolnshire and Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and have developed strong relationships in Lincoln and Lincolnshire. It feels like the natural next step for us to have a permanent presence here and further commit to the area. “Lincoln is an active and richly diverse place for business, and through our networks, we have found it to be a welcoming and enjoyable place to work with much opportunity.” 8-acre site acquired for residential development in historic Leicestershire village Cameron Homes has acquired a 7.9-acre site in the west Leicestershire village of Witherley with outline planning for 50 houses. Accessed from Kennel Lane, the site is close to the A5 and M42 and equidistant from Birmingham and Leicester city centres. The open pasture land was brought to market by Fisher German, having been promoted through the planning system by Hollins Strategic Land. Cameron Homes has appointed White Ridge Architecture to prepare a Reserved Matters Planning Application for submission during Q1 2026. John Hickman, group land director for Tara Group and Cameron Homes, said: “We have a long history of developing quality homes around Atherstone and across the Borough, so we’re delighted to acquire this prime site. As we make strategic moves to expand our area of operation and increase the number of homes we deliver year on year, the popular Leicestershire and North Warwickshire commuter villages are a key target. “This land is a natural extension to Witherley village and convenient for amenities and schooling. We look forward to submitting a Reserved Matters application early next year.” www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 15 PROPERTY NEWS Simon Collin and Chris Hunt, Addison Hunt 16 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk COMMERCIAL PROPERTY A raft of new developments are boosting education across the East Midlands, as universities, colleges, and research institutions enhance their offerings to support academic excellence. Last month (November), Loughborough College opened a state- of-the-art sports and learning facility. Designed to provide students with unparalleled access to modern training environments and flexible learning spaces, the £9.91m development was funded by the Department for Education and constructed by regional contractor, Stepnell. The new building features cutting-edge sports training zones, classrooms, and staff facilities, with the new Performance and Recovery Centre (PaRC) providing a sector-leading facility which will support the College’s sport degree programmes. Tom Sewell, director at Stepnell, said: “Delivering this world-class sports and learning facility has been an exciting opportunity to combine our specialist expertise in both education and sport and leisure developments. By working closely with Loughborough College, we’ve been able to carefully plan and minimise disruption throughout the build, resulting in a fantastic, flexible, and sustainable facility that will support academic excellence and athletic ambitions for many years to come.” Sustainability has been at the heart of the project, with Stepnell implementing a fabric-first approach to maximise thermal efficiency, reduce energy consumption, and enhance the building’s overall environmental performance. The opening of the Sports Centre is part of Loughborough College’s wider £35m campus development plan. Meanwhile, in Sutton, work is now underway to transform a former Wilko store into a college campus. Ashfield District Council purchased the building using money from their £62.6m Towns Deal and have leased it to West Nottinghamshire College. The site is in the process of being fully refurbished, creating the ‘Portland Square campus’ for students aged 16-18, adults, and apprentices, enabling them to gain trade skills and qualifications in plumbing and electrical installation. The campus will also be a centre for ‘green skills’ courses including ground source and air source heat pumps, photovoltaics, and the wiring of electric vehicle charging points for homes. Andrew Cropley MBE, principal and chief executive at West Nottinghamshire College, said: “I’m thrilled that work has begun to create another fantastic training facility for local people and local businesses. The Building academic excellence From universities to colleges and research institutions, projects bolstering education and skills development are marking milestones across the region. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 17 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY construction sector is of huge strategic significance, both locally and nationally, and I hope this forward-looking centre will inspire even more young people to seek careers in plumbing and electrical installation, and help adults who wish to advance their careers in these valuable trades.” The conversion, carried out by Vaughandale Construction Ltd, will involve a major programme of internal works to create classrooms, workshop space, offices and student social space across three floors within 29,428 sq ft, plus renovation and redesign of the building’s façade. It comes after West Nottinghamshire College launched the Mansfield Ambition Exchange earlier this year, an £8.8m facility designed to support skills development, business engagement, and innovation. Delivering courses up to level 3, the centre accommodates more than 350 students studying business and T Level professional construction programmes. Clegg Construction completed the build. Furthermore, construction has reached a key stage at Twycross Zoo, with the building frame of its £25m Global Conservation Centre now complete. Set to open in 2027, the facility will become a world-first hub for conservation research, education, and collaboration, strengthening Twycross Zoo’s role as a charity dedicated to protecting endangered species. The centre has received £18m from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, the largest single Government grant ever awarded to a UK zoo, and is being built by Henry Brothers Construction in partnership with Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and UK universities. Ian Taylor, MD at Henry Brothers 18 Á Building work has begun on a new national MRI facility at the University of Nottingham18 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk COMMERCIAL PROPERTY Construction, said: “We are very proud to be delivering the Global Conservation Centre at Twycross Zoo. The topping out of the orangutan building marks a milestone in the construction of this exciting development which will also feature a two-storey building with lecture theatre, research and teaching spaces, and a science lab, along with a two-storey residential facility. The Henry Brothers team is thrilled to be working with our partners on a world-class project that will make a game-changing contribution to the fight against extinction for endangered wildlife and we are looking forward to progressing with the other elements of this state-of- the-art scheme.” Once complete, the Global Conservation Centre will feature a 200-seat lecture theatre, classrooms, wildlife gardens, and a science lab overlooking a new Bornean orangutan habitat. A 24-bedroom residential wing will host visiting experts and students, helping train the next generation of conservation leaders. The project will also benefit the local community, creating 90 jobs and generating an estimated £3.9m in GVA per year. These recent developments follow major milestones earlier this year, with building work getting underway on the University of Nottingham’s new national MRI facility, for example, which will be home to the UK’s most powerful MRI scanner. Midlands contractor, G F Tomlinson, has been appointed to deliver the significant extension at the Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, located at the University Park Campus. The project, due for completion in January Loughborough College has officially opened its state-of-the-art sports and learning facility. www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 19 COMMERCIAL PROPERTY 2027, will see the construction of a highly specialised extension to accommodate a 11.7 Tesla Ultra High Field MRI scanner - a 70-tonne, state-of- the-art system that will enhance the UK’s capability for world-leading brain imaging research. The scheme, totalling 250 sq m, will create a new Magnet Hall - an iron-shielded space designed to safely contain the magnetic field generated by the scanner. Surrounding infrastructure will include a control and equipment room, clinical spaces, patient waiting areas and essential welfare facilities to provide a comprehensive clinical and research environment. It comes after the University of Nottingham received planning permission for a new hydrogen propulsion lab on its Jubilee Campus at the start of 2025. Moreover, the keys to The Cavendish Building, the new home of Derby International Business School, were handed over this year. The seven- storey city centre building, constructed by Kier, features cutting-edge facilities including a Google-style creativity lab, a finance lab for budding investment bankers complete with Bloomberg and London Stock Exchange Group terminals, a logistics lab, and an XR suite to create an immersive learning experience. Small businesses and start- ups are also co-located within the building. These projects represent just some of those hitting key milestones at universities, colleges, and research institutions this year, as new schemes are positioned to bolster education and skills development across the East Midlands.Next >