News
The Business Gateway growth hub connects businesses to many different providers of business support services. Below is a selection of case studies for business that we have supported with our business support partners.
News
Business grant funding sent to local authorities to relieve SMEs
The Business Secretary Alok Sharma has this evening confirmed that funds have been disseminated to local authorities, with a view to allocating them to SMEs and retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in the form of grants. Mr. Sharma also...
Covid-19 grant instructions for Charnwood businesses
From today, 1 April 2020, Charnwood Borough Council is commencing the processing of payments of the recently announced Government grants for businesses. Businesses which are eligible for financial support as a result of the COVID-19 related measures introduced by...
New life-saving breathing aid approved
The Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved a newly adapted breathing aid developed by University College London and Mercedes Formula One that will help keep coronavirus (COVID-19) patients out of intensive care. The team of engineers...
Remote assistance offer for SMEs from DMU
Do you have technology or business needs that De Montfort University students could provide free, remote help with during the pandemic? Someone to help you use social media or meetings tools? Website development? Hands-on help running your business remotely?...
Covid-19 support for business led by Growth Hub
In response to the coronavirus crisis, the Business Gateway Growth Hub is co-ordinating support for businesses. The growth hub is the first port of call for businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire seeking advice and information in these unprecedented times....
Plans announced to rescue stranded UK citizens
The government has announced a £75m initiative to rescue tens of thousands of British citizens stranded abroad because of the coronavirus crisis. The foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, announced a mixture of charter flights to priority countries, and subsidies for...
Could your business provide vital support?
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick has confirmed that millions of urgently needed items of protective equipment and clothing are now being delivered to the NHS. However, the Government is still asking businesses to...
Business Secretary announces changes to insolvency rules
UK Business Secretary Alok Sharma has announced changes to insolvency laws to help businesses “emerge intact the other side of the Covid-19 pandemic.” The new rules will allow companies undergoing restructuring to continue to get access to supplies and...
Frontline health workers to be tested for coronavirus
Michael Gove has announced increased testing capacity for frontline workers at the 5.00pm press conference this evening (27 March). Testing will commence this weekend to see if health workers on the frontline have coronavirus. Tests will be rolled out...
Chancellor unveils support for self-employed
The Chancellor has announced that up to 95% of self-employed workers will be eligible for a taxable grant of 80% of their average earnings (up to £2,500 a month), to help them cope with the financial impact of coronavirus....
Call for rapid sanitising technology for ambulances
Do you have an innovative or novel approach to get ambulances cleaner quicker to help combat Coronavirus? The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is looking for rapid sanitising technology to speed up the time it takes to clean ambulances...
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Under the coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, all UK employers with a PAYE scheme will be able to access support to continue paying part of their employees’ salary for those that would otherwise have been laid off during this crisis....
Free R&D Tax Claim for ideas to combat COVID-19
Independent consultancy, TBAT Innovation are now offering free R&D Tax claim for anyone doing novel R&D to combat COVID-19. Over the past weeks the TBAT team has seen several companies releasing inspiring and heartening announcements that they are making...
Updated list of businesses that should close
The list of non-essential businesses that should close their doors due to the ongoing Coronavirus/Covid-19 crisis has been updated by the government. Restaurants, bars, shops, libraries and hotels are classed as non-essential by the government, and are asked to...
New technology challenge to support isolated
£500,000 of funding is available for technology companies who come up with digital support solutions for people who need to stay at home because of coronavirus. The funding will be available to innovators who can find digital ways to...
PM tells us all to stay at home
In an announcement given at 8.30pm on 23 March, the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has told the country to “Stay at Home”. People must stay at home except for shopping for basic necessities as little as possible, exercise outside...
Covid-19 Business Finance Schemes open today
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) will provide government-backed loans of up to £5 million to small and medium businesses. The Bank of England’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF) will provide a quick and cost-effective way to raise...
Launching tomorrow – free business network
East Midlands business network service, KuKu Connect is launching a whole free service to aid and support thousands of businesses to ‘carry on going, carry on smiling & carry on connecting’. KuKu Connect already works with thousands of businesses...
Ventilator manufacturers required
The coronavirus outbreak is the biggest public health emergency in a generation. It calls for dramatic action, at home and abroad, of the kind not normally seen in peacetime. The Government is working to contain the spread of the...
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Support for your Business
The Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to escalate as a global issue. While the main priority is clearly the well-being of individuals affected by the virus, there is nevertheless a growing impact on business. Some of the ways businesses are being...
Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme
At Budget 2020, the Chancellor announced that a ‘Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme’ (CBILS) will temporarily replace the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), becoming available over the coming weeks. It will operate in a similar way to EFG and be...
New toolkit from LLEP to build future workforce
Last week the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) launched its new toolkit for employers, Building the Workforce of the Future. The toolkit shows employers how they can tap into a future workforce by offering experiences of the workplace....
BLOG: Productivity & Time Management
Adam Payne, Business Growth Coach from the Business Growth Academy, provides his advice to business owners who are struggling to get things done in their business and provides his tips on how to boost productivity and remove all those...
Breaking the barriers to growth
Business owners looking to take their companies to the next level of growth will have access to a new programme of funded events through the Business Gateway. Ready to Grow has been created for business leaders who want to...
Grants and loans available from Invest to Grow
The Invest to Grow programme is a re-circulating finance scheme providing loans and grants to support private sector businesses across the East Midlands to innovate, grow and create jobs. The programme aims to generate economic activity by investing in...
Campaign to make finding business support easier
The Government wants to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a business – a place where you can build on your ideas and find success. As part of a new campaign, Government is bringing all of the various support schemes together in one place on...
Funding for student internships
The Leicester Talent Internships Programme offers a great opportunity for local businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire to recruit students graduating in June-July 2020 by providing partially funded internships. The programme will run from mid-June for a duration of 4-8...
Blog: Continuous Improvement
As part of Innovation Week, LLEP Board Member and Chief Executive of Morningside Pharmaceuticals, Dr Nik Kotecha OBE, looks at how putting Continuous Improvement at the heart of a business’ Innovation Strategy can deliver positive business benefits. “Getting...
Could you be a STAR Manager?
The second launch of the Government-funded online training programme to support business growth, STAR® Manager has taken place. STAR® Manager is an award-winning, online training programme developed to improve managers’ competence by enabling them to incorporate coaching-related behaviours into...
QES will establish direction of travel for businesses
2019 was another year of political and economic uncertainty for businesses across the East Midlands and the UK, characterised largely by the ongoing negotiations to leave the EU – only resolved in the final month of the year –...
Leicester Innovation Week starts next week
Is innovation a key driver when it comes to growing a successful business? Local business support providers certainly think so as Leicester Innovation Week returns for the third successive year this February promising a programme to inspire, inform and...
WebinArt looking for participants and mentors
WebinArt is Creative Leicestershire’s flagship one-year Professional Development Programme for early-career creatives and artists in Leicestershire. They collaborate with experienced professionals online and in-person to help creative start-ups navigate their way to confidence and success. As the current WebinArt...
New PROSPER support programme launched
Following on from the success of the SING programme The iNet has announced a new package of support for businesses seeking to develop new products, services and processes. PROmoting SME Product Enhancement and Research (PROSPER) will also help small...
Blog: Should your business claim R&D Tax Relief?
Only 2.15% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the East Midlands claimed R&D Tax Credits in Financial Years 2016/17 and 2017/18. There should be 1000s more making a claim. SMEs from our area made up just 6.6% of...
Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award
A new funding opportunity – Artificial Intelligence in Health and Care Award has been launched, with £140 million over 3 years, to fund and accelerate the testing and evaluation of the most promising AI technologies, that align to the...
Funding for rural growth programme
Updated post: Deadline for Expression of Interest: 16 February 2020 Planning a project that will grow your business, create jobs or bring more money into the rural economy? You might be able to apply for a grant to help...
£40 million unlocked for Midlands’ businesses
The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) has appointed a new fund manager and made £40 million available to invest in the region’s small businesses. Appointed to address regional demand for alternative debt finance options, The FSE Group will manage...
TBAT support for Innovate UK’s Smart Grants
Innovate UK fund cutting-edge projects via their Smart Grant Competitions. With multiple deadlines a year, these competitions give businesses from all industry sectors the opportunity to submit their innovative project ideas, to be awarded up to £2 million in...
Woman Who Achieves Awards 2020 are open for entry!
The Woman Who Achieves Awards inspire and celebrate the achievements of Women in Business and Rising Stars of the future. Woman Who encourages women to recognise their achievements, celebrate their successes, motivate others, gain confidence through the Awards process and to grow through the experience. The 2020 Awards are now open for entries and...
Get ready for Leicester Innovation Week 2020
Innovation Week kicks off on 24th February 2020 and there are a wide range of inspiring events taking place across Leicester and Leicestershire. Now in its third year Leicester Innovation Week 2020 offers a great opportunity for businesses, universities...
LLEP Welcomes three new board members
The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Ltd. (LLEP) is delighted to announce the names of three new members to its Board of Directors. Rani Mahal, Anne-Marie Hunt and Sonia Baigent have been officially appointed as non-executive directors, after a...
Green grants to improve energy efficiency
Green BELLE supports small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Leicester and Leicestershire to increase their energy efficiency, reduce their energy costs and lower their carbon emissions. Round 2 has opened which means grants of £1,000 to £7,000 are available...
Made in the Midlands Awards- Nominate Now!
Made in the Midlands is now firmly established as the region’s premier celebration of engineering and manufacturing, having attracted entries from some 50 different companies last year. So why should you enter? Firstly it’s free and relatively easy: there’s...
Invitations to Tender – Growth Hub events
Launched in 2014, Growth Hubs are a local public and private sector partnership led by the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) that provide a mechanism for integrating national and local business support, so it is easier for businesses to access...
Blog: Where in the world do you want your business to be?
Laura Howard shares her blog on Brexit In our blog this month, Laura Howard, Head of International Trade at East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire), discusses the effect Brexit will have on international trade, and how businesses can prepare....
Leading to Grow helps microbusinesses
The Leading to Grow Programme will support small businesses to grow, innovate and increase productivity through adopting digital and new technologies. The programme will help small business owners to explore digital and new technologies suited to their business goals,...
Attend North America’s largest construction expo
Midlands Engine in partnership with Innovate UK is taking a business delegation to CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2020, North America’s largest construction exhibition. This event brings contractors, dealers, distributors, service providers, engineers and producers together. Featuring everything related to construction, the show...
Funding boost for the great British pub
Regulars across the country will be raising a toast to the Great British Pub with over £1 million of new government money for community pubs, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick announced last month. The funding will help an estimated 100...
Tender opportunity for graphic design and print
To support the marketing communications activities and ensure the successful delivery of both the ERDF-funded Digital Growth Programme and Digital Upscaler projects, East Midlands Chamber is seeking to invite proposals from suitably qualified and experienced agencies. This will be...
Grants on offer to help local business vehicles go green
BUSINESSES in Leicester can benefit from a generous grant scheme that aims to increase the uptake of ultra-low emission vehicles and help further improve air quality. Leicester City Council is making grants of up to £15,000 available to...
New Growth Hub Manager for the Business Gateway
The Business Gateway Growth Hub has appointed a new manager to lead the expanded service that offers all businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire a single place to access information, funding and advice to support performance and growth. Jon Egley...
Find the right finance option for your business
The British Business Bank Finance Hub is designed to help businesses understand the financial landscape and ultimately access the right finance for their growth potential. It’s an independent, impartial digital hub designed to raise awareness of the different types...
What does the Sporting Capital Fund offer?
The £3m Sporting Capital Fund offers loan funding of up to £150,000 to eligible organisations. The investment is a simple, repayable, unsecured loan. It has been formed through a pioneering partnership between Sporting Assets and the Access Foundation and...
Blog: What does success look like?
In our blog this month, business author and editor of ‘The Small Business Growth Magazine’ Marc Ford provides his straight-talking advice for business owners that want to move their businesses forward. Warning: this blog is not for the faint-hearted. We...
Remember your auto-enrolment responsibilities
If you’re thinking of taking on seasonal or temporary staff to help you through the festive period, or have staff whose pay and hours fluctuate, be aware that you’ll have automatic enrolment responsibilities. You must assess seasonal or temporary...
Start. Scale. Succeed with NatWest
NatWest’s Pre-Accelerator programme has been tailored to empower entrepreneurs at an early or pre-start stage and offers a variety of opportunities. It’s fully funded, and you don’t have to be a NatWest customer to take advantage. They have a...
Council flexible workspace boost for Fenwick revamp
PLANS for a major revamp of Leicester’s historic former Fenwick building are set to get a boost with £450,000 of council investment for a new flexible workspace. Leicester City Council has announced plans to create almost 12,000sqft of...
Network for Food and Drink Manufacturers
Food and Drink Manufacturers are being offered membership of a network to help them stay informed of industry information, funding, trends and other sector-specific news. There are three levels of membership: Free, Business and Consultant with different benefits. The...
Give and Take Leicester looking for ‘rewards’ from local businesses
Give & Take Leicester is a new community initiative, designed to provide opportunities for volunteers to earn rewards by volunteering. The initiative, hosted by Vista, the local sight-loss charity, will be able to match a volunteer’s skills, talents and...
22 years of pension savings gone in 24 hours
Victims of pensions scams could lose 22 years’ worth of savings within 24 hours, according to the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and The Pensions Regulator (TPR). New analysis as part of the regulators’ joint ScamSmart campaign reveals that it...
Improving productivity through technology grants
Companies looking to grow in the next six months can still take advantage of the Digital Growth Programme’s Technology Grant with grants from £2,000 to £25,000 available – subject to conditions. The grant supports firms with the introduction of...
Leicester Start-Up Week offers new opportunities for young businesses
This week – November 18th to the 24th – the University of Leicester and De Montfort University along with businesses and organisations across the city will unite for the second annual Leicester Start-Up Week. The programme of events, led...
Smart Grants from Innovate UK
Smart Grants provide an opportunity to apply for a share of up to £25 million to deliver ambitious or disruptive R&D innovations that can make a significant impact on the UK economy. Innovate UK, part of UK Research and...
Chamber’s Quarterly Survey gives you a say
The Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) is the biggest business survey of its kind in the East Midlands. The results provided are analysed by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) in order to help shape crucial policy discussions locally, regionally...
Search for our region’s innovators is on!
There is no shortage of talent, ideas and innovation in Leicestershire. Inventors in the county are thriving are a result of their own creations – just ask the innovators behind HedKayse. The ground-breaking company was created by two former...
Boost to business support for Leicestershire
Business owners across Leicester and Leicestershire, looking to expand and grow their enterprises, now have access to an enhanced service through the Business Gateway Growth Hub, including the addition of a £1.4 million pot of grant funding. The Business...
Funding opens for rural growth programme
Updated post: Deadline for Expression of Interest: 16 February 2020 Planning a project that will grow your business, create jobs or bring more money into the rural economy? You might be able to apply for a grant to help...
Support for micro businesses announced
Universities have been awarded funding to support 50 micro-businesses to engage with technology to boost their productivity. Leicester Castle Business School at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) and the University of Leicester School of Business are part of a...
The Customer is always right
The Customer is Always Right, is a BBC series which celebrates small businesses, entrepreneurs, and people that are proud and passionate about their products – and producers are on the hunt for people to take part.
Leicestershire’s Largest Careers Speed Networking Event Returns
More than 300 students from 20 schools and colleges are set to take part in the region’s largest careers speed networking event.
New electric bikes could be your Wheels2Work
EIGHT new electric bikes are part of a fleet of cycles and scooters available to hire from the city council for people who need help getting to work, training or education. The Wheels2Work scheme offers low-cost loans for electric...
New business park in Coalville has lift-off
A new £5.5m industrial park in Coalville, set to create 120 jobs, is now open for business. Apollo Court Business Park – developed by Leicestershire County Council – will boost business in the town by supporting start-ups and firms...
UK:100 chooses Leicester for first green energy
Partners from across the Midlands have come together to discuss initiatives, infrastructure and investment in the green economy at the first step towards commitments to 100% clean energy by 2050. Organised by UK:100, a consortium of local authority leaders from...
New office scheme at historic Friars Mill wins regional planning award
A £2.3million office development at the heart of Leicester’s Waterside regeneration area has won a regional planning award. The new Fabric and Riverside office buildings at Friars Mill were awarded the Excellence in Planning for a Successful Economy prize...
Skills for the Future focuses on manufacturing to link careers to the classroom
On Thursday 26 September, the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) hosted an event aimed at linking careers with the curriculum. Skills for Tomorrow saw over 80 attendees from the worlds of education and business meet to share experience...
Discovery at Loughborough University leads to breakthrough in forensic tech
A discovery made at Loughborough University is set to revolutionise forensic science, as a cutting-edge fingerprint development technology becomes commercially available. The technology is being developed at the LLEP area’s Loughborough University Science and Enteprise Park (LUSEP). RECOVER is...
Large business holds the key to auto skills training for a generation
Automotive sector businesses that pay the Apprenticeship Levy are being urged to use their funds to upskill their workforce, take on new apprentices, or help other organisations to do so. Under new arrangements now in place, levy-payers can share...
COLLEGE PRINCIPAL COMMENDED FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Marion Plant, OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College has been recognised with an award for lifetime achievement at a glittering ceremony in Leicester. The award was made in recognition of Marion’s business skills...
BID Leicester launch Independent Leicester campaign
BID Leicester has launched an exciting new ‘Independent Leicester’ initiative using the slogan “We’re in” as a rallying cry for indie companies. The campaign, delivered in partnership with BID Leicester and a host of local independent businesses, has been...
LLEP Hosts event to nurture the skills of tomorrow
On Thursday 26th September, senior school leaders, teachers and careers staff will attend a free Continuing Professional Development (CPD) event called Skills for Tomorrow, hosted by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). The event, at Leicester’s City Hall,...
Social care work opportunities on offer at careers event
Job seekers and students from across the city and county considering careers in social care are invited to attend a specialised careers event next month. The Social Care Experience is open to people of all ages, from 12pm to...
Space-themed events bring Moon landing story to life
THE 50th anniversary of the historic Moon landing is being brought to life with an exciting series of space-themed activities taking place in Leicester city centre during the half term holidays. The ‘One Giant Leap’ programme of events will...
Space Park Leicester receives boost from global brand
The University of Leicester is pleased to announce that Airbus plans to re-locate their Leicestershire based Earth Observation expert team to Space Park Leicester when their current lease expires. The Space Park is an ambitious initiative that will develop...
Green Fox Community Co-op wins £100,000 to develop zero-carbon schools in Leicester
LOCAL group Green Fox Community Energy Co-operative has been awarded £100,000 by a national charity to develop a dedicated zero-carbon energy system for Leicester schools. The local group teamed up with the Attenborough Learning Trust and Leicester City Council...
APC Technology Developer Accelerator Programme for automotive industry
The APC Technology Developer Accelerator Programme (TDAP) supports micro, small and medium-sized companies that are developing technology, products and services which are relevant to the automotive industry. The programme targets Technology Developers (TDs) with early-stage (TRL 1-4) low emission...
Midlands Engine deepens ties with China
Ties between the Midlands and China have received a further boost with the signing of a new agreement to promote science and technology co-operation between the Midlands Engine and the Province of Zhejiang. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was...
New Online Magazine examining Britain’s Regional Performance
If you are interested in how your region is performing statistically versus other UK regions that you can browse www.thestateofbritain.co.uk/stats to find out. The State of Britain is a subscription free monthly online magazine that critically explores how the major economic issues...
35 Year discovery that changed criminal investigations forever
At 09:05 on Monday 10 September 1984, a discovery in a laboratory at the University of Leicester changed the way criminal investigations were carried out. The discovery, made by Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys who had his eureka moment when...
Over 300 local firms benefited from Collaborate support
Leicester City Mayor, Peter Soulsby welcomed over 120 business people to the King Power Stadium last week as Collaborate for Growth, the Leicestershire business support project, celebrated supporting hundreds of local businesses. The event provided inspiration and information to...
Brewery crafts out new products with support
Langton Brewery is a small local brewery historically producing traditional beers. When the brewery first started in 1999 it operated from the back of the Bell Inn, East Langton and only intended to produce enough beer to supply the...
New service will help hundreds of homeless people into work
A new college for people experiencing homelessness is set to open in Leicester’s Dawn Centre in the New Year. The St Mungo’s Recovery College is a pioneering skills and employment service which aims to support people into work,...
Planning permission for new unit puts JLR in the fast lane to new jobs
Jaguar Land Rover has had planning application for a major new storage unit in Leicestershire approved. The unit is planned for the area around junction 11 on the M42 near Ashby, and will be built by IM Properties. It...
New Labour Market Dashboards Available
We have released our latest labour market dashboards for September 2019. These provide a valuable snapshot of the area. Information contained in the dashboards relate to employment, unemployment, claimant rates and more. Labour Market Dashboards are released on a monthly...
