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
Made Smarter East Midlands Welcomes Government’s £4.5 Billion Investment in Manufacturing
27 November 2023Made Smarter East Midlands welcomes the recent government announcement, delivered by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Autumn Statement on 22nd November 2023, who confirmed; “(the Government) will make available £4.5 billion of support over the 5 years to 2030...
Workforce would benefit from green skills training, new report advises
24 November 2023Upskilling and training will be required to get Leicester and Leicestershire’s workforce up to speed with green skills, a new report advises. The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) released the Green Skills Report in partnership with Leicestershire County...
New multi-million pound Programme helps British SMEs lead the way on net zero air travel
23 November 2023The new ATI SME Programme will provide up to £10 million per year in funding opportunities for UK aerospace SMEs’ cutting-edge R&D projects. Cutting-edge British aerospace companies are set to benefit from a new multi-million pound SME Programme that...
BLOG: Empowering JIG UK Ltd’s Innovation and Growth Through Digital Transformation
20 November 2023JIG UK Ltd. specialises in crafting customised cast iron radiators and bathroom products, catering to plumbing merchants, radiator retailers, and direct consumers. Recognising the need to enhance their manufacturing operations, JIG embarked on a journey to boost productivity and...
Nominations open for LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards 2024
16 November 2023Nominations are being accepted for the LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards 2024. The annual awards – now in its sixth year and the flagship event of the LLEP-led Leicestershire Innovation Festival – recognises implementation of ideas, new products and services, and...
Leicester charity leads way in shaping national recruitment inclusivity framework
16 November 2023Employers are invited to assess themselves against nine new standards measuring the quality of their engagement with young job-seekers. The Careers & Enterprise Company has developed its ‘Employer Standards’ framework as a method of improving engagement between young people...
Over £2.6m of support for city projects to support local prosperity
15 November 2023A NETWORK of over 30 groups and organisations is set to receive over £2.6million in funding to deliver advice, support and training for Leicester businesses, people and communities. The local projects will be supported through Leicester City Council’s allocation...
First sponsors announced for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
14 November 2023The first sponsors have been announced for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024 – as the event focuses on productivity gains from small changes. The theme of the sixth annual festival is ‘Small Change, Big Impact’.
Tackling the climate emergency in Leicester
9 November 2023Leicester City Council have launched a public consultation on climate change and is looking for feedback from businesses, universities, voluntary/community groups, organisations and others. Take the Survey.
Blog: How to test your business idea before blowing a fortune
9 November 2023We’re sharing information from the British Business Bank. Here we look at steps to take before you launch a new business.
Businesses can now apply for Cohort 2 of £1.2m East Midlands Create Growth
8 November 2023Applications have opened for the second cohort of a £1.2 million support programme for East Midlands creative businesses. Companies are being encouraged to apply for the next phase of Create Growth, which is funded by the Department for Culture, Media...
The world is in full sight at launch of Leicester Business Festival 2023
7 November 2023The ninth Leicester Business Festival 2023 officially launched into action yesterday at the University of Leicester’s Space Park with the Conference Of Parties (COP) Globe* as the backdrop. Over 70 free business events will take place in the area...
Female Founder Accelerator open for applications
3 November 2023The Female Founder Accelerator powered by Barclays Eagle Labs and funded by UK Government has been designed to support 100 innovative, female-led technology businesses.
Blog: Start-up success – how to avoid 8 of the biggest risks for start-ups
3 November 2023We’re sharing information from the British Business Bank as part of Business Finance Week which takes place all next week (6 to 10 November). In this post, they look at some of the key pitfalls to avoid when starting...
Hinckley and Bosworth Rural England Prosperity Fund Grants Now Open
30 October 2023Rural businesses and organisations are being invited to apply for grants to help them to become greener. A new scheme aimed at boosting the rural economy has been launched by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council and will run until...
LLEP funds Skills Festival at MIRA Technology Park for automotive employers
30 October 2023A LLEP-funded programme of employment and skills initiatives in support of high-tech businesses in the automotive sector will take place in November. The free event is aimed at people working in the region’s automotive sector and is designed as...
Loughborough start-ups given top tips at networking event
20 October 2023New and early-stage business owners in Loughborough were introduced to a host of organisations and support available, to help them grow in a free networking event yesterday. The Kick Off in Business event was held at the Careers and...
£4.6m investment will bring 222 jobs to world-class lab space
19 October 2023More than 200 jobs will be created through a £4.6m investment in revamping laboratory space at Charnwood Campus. Highly specialised lab space, which is currently unused, is to be reactivated to create a world-class biochemistry building. The project will...
Businesses needed to support new employability programme at HMP Fosse Way
18 October 2023Key4Life, a rehabilitative charity for young offenders is launching a new employability program at state-of-the-art HMP Fosse Way and is looking for employers to get involved. They are hosting three afternoons at HMP Fosse Way in Leicester where you...
Does physical inactivity affect our productivity?
16 October 2023Active Together and other Active Partnerships across the Midlands have been working with the Midlands Engine and Coventry University to raise the profile of physical activity levels in relation to labour market participation (people being in work) as well...
BLOG: Start your digital transformation journey with Made Smarter East Midlands
16 October 2023The central purpose of the Made Smarter East Midlands programme is to fuel growth and bolster productivity among East Midlands-based manufacturing SMEs. By participating in the Programme, businesses are presented with a unique opportunity to delve deep into the...
New app for Oadby and Wigston businesses
13 October 2023Businesses in Oadby & Wigston will have the opportunity to reach more customers through a new app created by the Oadby & Wigston Council. The new OW Local app, which launches on 1 November 2023 has been designed to support...
HVM Catapult helps SMEs slash energy costs with new Manufacturing Energy Toolkit
12 October 2023The HVM Catapult launches national pilot scheme that can save SMEs up to 46% of their energy costs. As the winter sets in, the cost of energy will be a key concern for businesses of all shapes and sizes...
Expansion breathes new life into Phoenix
10 October 2023Phoenix Cinema and Arts Centre has been the focal point of Leicester’s independent film and digital arts scene for many years. In fact, it celebrates its 60th birthday this month! Following an £8 million expansion plan, Phoenix is looking...
Line-up of events and speakers revealed for Leicester Business Festival 2023
6 October 2023Events running at Leicester Business Festival (LBF) 2023 are now live on the official website so people can book their places. The festival starts on 6 November and is backed by well-known businesses including De Montfort University, Pattersons Commercial...
NEW capital grants for Melton businesses
6 October 2023Melton Borough Council has developed the Discretionary Business Grants Fund which will see up to £300,000 worth of grants go to supporting business start-ups, business growth, the high street and retail sector and developing the tourism economy. The new...
Final round of SHIRE Community Grants open
5 October 2023Round 3 of this year’s SHIRE Grants programme 2023-24 is now OPEN for applications. Leicestershire-based VCSE (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise) sector organisations can apply for a grant (maximum £5,000) to deliver community based projects and activities that are...
£50 Million data innovation hub for manufacturers to access digital technology
4 October 2023UK manufacturers are to have their productivity and competitiveness boosted thanks to a new digital smart factory and testbed at Ulster University, backed by £20m of funds from UKRI’s Made Smarter Innovation Challenge.
The Digital Innovation Fund is now open!
3 October 2023The Digital Innovation Fund (DIF) is now open for applications! This fund from the Smart Manufacturing Data Hub allows manufacturers and organisations to drive innovation in the manufacturing sector and accelerate SMEs’ journey towards digital transformation. Submit your application...
Innovation Festival 2024: Apply now to sponsor and host events
2 October 2023Sponsors and hosts are invited to get involved in the Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024. February’s fortnight-long festival is set to be the biggest yet, with a programme packed with events for local businesses.
Calling all Scale-up businesses
20 September 2023The ScaleUp Institute’s 2023 Scale-up Survey is live and needs Leicestershire business owners to get involved. It is the UK’s largest survey of scale-up and growing companies, now in its 10th year and wants the views of all scaleup...
Gearing up for growth – UK Games Fund’s new content fund is live
15 September 2023The UK Games Fund’s new content fund was launched on 14 September. The content fund will provide grants of £50,000 to £150,000 to indie games studios that can demonstrate an employment and revenue growth trajectory.
Leicester Digital Live 2023: Industry Leading Speakers Announced
15 September 2023Renowned digital marketing agency, Anicca Digital, is thrilled to unveil the highly anticipated event, Leicester Digital Live 2023. This exclusive event is set to feature an assembly of distinguished international experts.Scheduled for Tuesday 3rd October 2023, the event returns to the stunning Winstanley House for the 2nd year running. The...
Two weeks left to submit Leicester Business Festival 2023 event applications
12 September 2023The application deadline to host an event at Leicester Business Festival has now been announced. On Monday 25 September at 11:59pm the application form to host an event will close.
Loughborough businesses can thrive in digital world thanks to Town Deal-backed programme
11 September 2023A free training programme is being launched to help businesses in Loughborough town centre make the most of the digital world. Love Loughborough is launching the Digital Training Hub which will include online workshops, in-person courses and one-to-one support....
Innovative Leicestershire – UKRI Children’s Health Impact Accelerator Success for Moti Me
7 September 2023Moti Me, led by Katie Michaels, is an innovative enterprise geared towards enhancing children’s health. With a special focus on children with developmental delay disabilities, their products support children in achieving significant milestones and consistently practising their physiotherapy exercises....
Cyber security boost as cluster launches to support SMEs and local firms
4 September 2023A new cyber cluster has been launched to support SMEs across the East Midlands in the cyber security industry to help the sector grow and boost the region’s economy. Backed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and...
Initial line-up for business festival now live
25 August 2023Due to popular demand; Leicester Business Festival organisers have published the first ten events already approved as part of the 80 event November programme.
Take Your Website to the World
21 August 2023The Take Your Website to the World programme from the Department for Business & Trade (DBT) will help to provide a deep dive on a number of website areas to get your website fighting fit for international reach and...
Save the Date! Business Finance Week – 6 to 10 November 2023
17 August 2023Based on the positive outcomes achieved last year, the British Business Bank will once again be working alongside several partners across the UK to host Business Finance Week 2023 between 6 to 10 November. Research consistently tells them that...
BLOG: Top tips for inspiring your employees to hop on their bikes!
16 August 2023Phil Saunders, SmartGO Project Manager at GO Travel Solutions provides his top 5 tips on encouraging your staff to travel to work by bike. Encouraging your staff to ditch the car and cycle to work can be quite a...
One-stop-shop to help businesses save money and go green
14 August 2023British businesses will be able to access brand new advice and support to reduce their energy bills while cutting their carbon emissions. The UK Business Climate Hub launched today (14 August 2023) includes a free carbon calculator and a suite of...
Can your business support the next generation of energy innovators?
14 August 2023The Energy Research Accelerator (ERA) is training the next generation of energy innovators and needs the help of businesses across the region. The ERA consists of eight world-class research-intensive universities in the Midlands including Leicester and Loughborough. Many of...
National Space Centre’s journey to net zero
10 August 2023The National Space Centre, which has been open since 2001, has already made a ‘giant leap’ when it comes to sustainability. In 2019 the Centre recorded that 621 tonnes of carbon had come through their standard operations. However, by...
New online service will support with employee health and disability
10 August 2023The government has launched a new online service offering free advice to employers and managers about employee health. The Support for Employee Health and Disability Service is tailored to the needs of smaller businesses and will provide: Guided information...
Dates confirmed for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
9 August 2023The sixth Leicestershire Innovation Festival will take place at venues across city and county over two weeks in February. The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) has confirmed that the annual festival will be staged from Monday 5 February...
NatWest’s Accelerator and other fully funded support for SMEs
8 August 2023Enterprise is an area that clearly defines NatWest. As the UK’s biggest bank for business, they understand that SMEs are the lifeblood of the economy and have a responsibility to help them build back better. There are a number...
Help to shape the cultural and creative industries strategy for Leicester
4 August 2023Leicester City Council and its partners (De Montfort University, University of Leicester and Arts Council England) appointed consultants The Fifth Sector in November 2022 to help develop and shape a cultural and creative industries strategy for Leicester.
New cost of living fund for community organisations
3 August 2023The National Lottery Community Fund have launched the new £75 million Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund. The funding is for frontline charities and voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations that are experiencing increased demand for critical services...
Melton Borough Council launches project to connect businesses with jobseekers
2 August 2023Melton Borough Council has built upon the success of its well-established Community Support Hub by creating a new Work and Skills Project, which will connect and support businesses and jobseekers across the borough.
New NW Leicestershire Rural Grant opens
1 August 2023The North West Leicestershire Rural Business Grants Fund will run until 2025 to fund capital projects for small businesses that will help to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy. This programme has been funded by the UK Government’s...
UK Government announces extension of CE mark recognition for businesses
1 August 2023The Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has today announced an indefinite extension to the use of CE marking for businesses, applying to 18 regulations owned by DBT.
Leicester Digital Live, early bird tickets now on sale
26 July 2023Leicester Digital Live, the city’s premier digital marketing conference, is excited to announce its return on Tuesday 3rd October 2023, with early-bird tickets on sale until 4th August.
New information hub to help directors make the right decisions at the right time
25 July 2023The Insolvency Service has launched a new online information hub to support company directors. The hub hosts guidance and information on a range of business themes commonly faced by companies and aims to help company directors to push their business...
Language Support Business secures funding to help non-native speakers
25 July 2023A start up language support business, CruxMate, has secured four-figure funding from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans under the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme to get the business up and running.
Events pour in for Leicester Business Festival
24 July 2023Leicester Business Festival 2023 is one of the most unique dates in the business calendar and is taking place from 6-17 November. A few weeks since launching and 40% of the 80 event slots have already been applied for.
Help to Grow: Management Course can boost business performance
20 July 2023Business leaders are sought for the next cohort of the Help to Grow: Management Course. The course is 90% funded by UK Government, so the cost is £750 per person. This practical course offers 1-1 support from a business...
Shop front improvement grants open for Oadby and Wigston
18 July 2023Oadby and Wigston Borough Council have launched their Shop Front Improvement grant scheme. The scheme is aimed at businesses in the borough to make improvements to their shop fronts. Grants of up to £2,000 are available, to be matched...
Improvements to apprenticeship scheme announced
18 July 2023The Department for Education has announced a series of improvements to the apprenticeship scheme which should make it easier for employers to access them and for learners and parents to find out about the skills and opportunities available.
Leading UK bubble tea brand secures £150k funding to grow its offerings
17 July 2023Chatime UK, a bubble tea brand with over 30 stores around the UK and more than 1,000 stores worldwide, has secured £150k funding with support from First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans for stock purchases. The funding was obtained through...
LLEP welcomes praise for Growth Hubs in Government-commissioned report
17 July 2023The LLEP has welcomed publication of an independent report recognising Growth Hubs for their support for local businesses. The Government-commissioned report identifies a number of encouraging results in relation to the impact of Growth Hub support provided to local firms between...
New webinar aims to support local businesses with skills challenges
12 July 2023A new webinar showcases the experiences of local business owners and provides a variety of practical solutions to the current skills challenges. The Building the Workforce of the Future webinar sets out why businesses need to think about developing...
Top business opportunities offered at the festival
7 July 2023Size does not matter…. at Leicester Business Festival! Any business – small, large or from the public or private sector – who has something to share with other businesses, can get involved. The annual festival will take place between 6...
Grants of up to £5,000 available to Leicestershire businesses
6 July 2023The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity pledges to support businesses in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland through £50,000 delivered in grants in 2023. Having provided interest-free loans to help support aspiring and existing business owners within Leicestershire and Rutland since...
Digital Marketing Conference gives Leicestershire businesses latest insights
6 July 2023Last week, Leicestershire businesses learned about the latest digital marketing trends and updates at the Business Gateway’s Digital Marketing Conference. The event which saw 200 delegates in attendance, was opened by LLEP Chief Executive, Phoebe Dawson who spoke about...
Growth Hub celebration event sets out post-ERDF business support plan
29 June 2023It was ‘business as usual’ as success stories were shared at the conclusion of a growth project that has supported 4,000 local firms. The sold-out celebratory event in Leicester marked the end of a partnership project part-funded by the...
BLOG: SMEs are integral to us achieving our global sustainable development goals
28 June 2023Andrea Collins of Global Trade Department provides her thoughts on sustainability and the role of SMEs. COP26 dominated our newsfeeds, radio waves and television screens in November 2021, and rightly so. We are on the verge of no going...
Could you host T-Level industry placements?
27 June 2023Over the next few months, the Department for Education and SDN are hosting a series of practical webinars looking at how you can host T Level industry placements in different sectors and the role of the line manager and...
Nicky Morgan says local Careers Hub is ‘shining example’ as it marks 5-year milestone
27 June 2023Baroness Morgan of Cotes has praised the Leicester and Leicestershire careers team tasked with bridging the gap between schools, colleges, and businesses. The former Loughborough MP, now chair of the Careers and Enterprise Company, says the work of the...
East Midlands businesses awarded Create Growth grants worth up to £30k each
22 June 2023The first group of successful Create Growth grant applicants has been announced – with up to £400,000 of funding now heading to the East Midlands. Fourteen grants, each worth between £10,000 and £30,000, have been awarded to creative businesses...
Harborough’s Rural Grant Scheme opens today
21 June 2023Updated 29 August 2023: The application deadline for the Harborough Rural Grant Scheme has been extended until Monday 30 October 2023. The Harborough Rural Grant Scheme opens today, Wednesday 21 June 2023. Eligible businesses across Harborough District are invited to apply for...
Growth Hub celebration event sells out as European business funding support draws to a close
19 June 2023All tickets have now been reserved for a one-off event celebrating business growth success in Leicester and Leicestershire. The LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub organised the event to mark the conclusion of a partnership project – part-funded by the European...
East Midlands NatWest Accelerator is now OPEN for applications
13 June 2023The fully funded East Midlands NatWest Accelerator is now OPEN for applications for the September cohort. Enterprise is an area that clearly defines NatWest. As the UK’s biggest bank for business, they understand that SMEs are the lifeblood of...
Manufacturer fast-tracks expansion with help of Business Gateway Growth Hub
13 June 2023Creating jobs and improving efficiency was always part of the plan for Micro Weighing Solutions (MWS). And the Leicester-based firm turned ideas into outcomes with help from the LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub. Support meant that MWS secured funding for a...
Support for sustainable transport
9 June 2023A sustainable workplace has never been more important. As our society moves towards implementing more carbon-reducing policies and behaviour, relying on cars will become ever more restrictive and expensive. The Leicestershire county council-based team supports businesses, that recognise the...
BLOG: What is Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and how does it affect me as an exporter?
9 June 2023If you have your finger on the pulse regarding sustainability, you’ve likely heard of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) but may still be wondering how it affects you. Quite simply, EPR is an environmental policy that makes producers responsible for...
Digital Marketing Conference 2023 to bring latest digital trends to Leicestershire businesses
7 June 2023Businesses across Leicestershire can learn about the latest digital marketing trends and tactics at an upcoming conference organised by the Business Gateway Growth Hub. The Digital Marketing Conference 2023 takes place at Leicester Marriott Hotel on Friday 30 June...
From frozen food truck to £5m business hub – with more still to come
6 June 2023Ocean King is expanding from its modest 5,000 square foot base to a new £5m state-of-the-art business hub – but there’s more still to come. “We’ve worked really hard for this, and we’re not done yet,” explains Steven Thai,...
From kitchen table to the world! Urban Apothecary founder to share her business journey
22 May 2023Beauty industry stalwart Tajinder Banwait will describe the journey of her fragrance company from kitchen table to international audience during a special event celebrating local businesses. Urban Apothecary started life in Leicester in 2012, going on to supply the...
BLOG: Resolving disputes in the workplace
15 May 2023Chartered HR professional, and MD of Loates HR Consultancy, Sarah Loates has over 20 years of experience in the field. She provides her top tips for business owners, managers or HR staff on resolving disputes in the business here.
Kitchen manufacturer, Interiors by Design has tools for growth
4 May 2023A significant investment in machinery and support from the Business Gateway Growth Hub is helping kitchen and bedroom manufacturer, Interiors by Design fight back in difficult trading conditions. The independent, Wigston-based company is taking advantage of support available to...
Quick Guide on Workforce Support for Businesses
4 May 2023The LLEP Skills Team have updated their guide to workforce programmes for Leicestershire businesses. Here you will find a round up of the skills support for employers including apprenticeships, redundancy support, T-Levels and ESF funded help. Download the quick...
13 top tips experts offered up at one day conference for small business owners
27 April 202313 expert speakers offered free advice to small business owners at the Business Gateway Growth Hub’s one-day conference. The event – hosted by LLEP Board Members Glynis Wright MBE and Sonia Baigent – gave business owners a host of...
BLOG: Conflicts, clashes and calling in Acas
24 April 2023The dark days of winter have coincided with the biggest pressures in employment relations seen for many years. Public sector workers’ concerns over pay, coupled with the social and economic hiatus caused by covid-19 (coronavirus) and the current cost...
Investment means TEK Seating is a cut above the competition
24 April 2023Leicestershire-based TEK Seating has invested £125,000 in new machinery to satisfy rising demand and take additional control of its production process. Increased competition for the vehicle seat manufacturer was also a driver to expanding its in-house capabilities for further...
Positive mood at business conference as experts provide free tips to local SMEs
20 April 2023Energy audits, apprenticeship advice, and wellbeing at work strategies were just some of the topics covered at a free conference to help SMEs navigate the current cost of doing business. Around 150 people attended Leicester’s Morningside Arena on Tuesday...
12 speakers confirmed for free day-long ‘Survive and Thrive’ event for SMEs
12 April 2023Expert speakers who will share tips on how to ‘survive and thrive’ in business in 2023 have now been confirmed for a free event next week. The one-off conference has been organised by the Business Gateway Growth Hub and will be...
Free export support worth £1,800 for businesses through LLEP pilot with Santander
12 April 2023The Business Gateway Growth Hub has joined forces with Santander to offer an exclusive package of products to export businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire. Businesses will gain free access to Santander Navigator, a digital portal which supports the needs...
New event programme for ambitious women in business
11 April 2023A free events programme has been created for female-led enterprises in the East Midlands. The programme aims to help female-led business owners gain the tools and knowledge to make an impact in the business world and stand out from...
DfE extends HGV Skills Bootcamps with hundreds more funded places in East Midlands
4 April 2023The Driver Academy Group (DAG) a consortium led by HGV training specialist HGVC, and comprising workforce solutions group Manpower and trade body Logistics UK, has again been awarded the lead role on the Government’s extended Skills Bootcamps in HGV...
‘Growth Hub event will help businesses navigate choppy waters’ – book now
31 March 2023Support for SMEs in navigating the cost of “doing” business will be the focus of a one-day conference in April. The event, organised by the Business Gateway Growth Hub and hosted by LLEP Board Members Glynis Wright MBE and...
‘Experience on Main Street Conference’ Set to Empower Businesses
27 March 2023Following the success of Experience UK’s recently published Experience on the High Street market report, Experience on Main Street Conference will take place at the Curve Theatre, Leicester on 25 April 2023 and will explore the opportunities within high...
Phoebe Dawson announced as new Chief Executive of LLEP
23 March 2023The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Board has today announced the appointment of its new Chief Executive. Phoebe Dawson is due to start in May after being offered the position following a comprehensive recruitment process. She is now completing...
Blog: Growth for problem-solving PR agency
21 March 2023Sandstar Communications is an international PR and marketing agency established 10 years ago. The business, based at DOCK in Leicester, offers a range of services centred around copywriting from supporting a business with its marketing strategy, media relations, exhibitions...
Elite Labels – forward thinking company with a sustainable range
20 March 2023The Elite Labels Global Group manufacture and supply a broad spectrum of clothing labels, retail and e-tail packaging and garment embellishments from both the UK and strategic global sites to support their client requirements. The Leicester-based business has been...
LLEP responds to Government decision to transfer functions to local authorities
16 March 2023The LLEP will continue to work closely with partners as it awaits Government guidance as to how its functions should be transferred to local authorities by April 2024. The Treasury’s Spring Budget described on Wednesday the intention for functions...
Learn more about Loughborough start-up incubator support
16 March 2023Leicestershire startup founders are invited to learn more about gaining six months of free workspace and business development support. LUinc. is staging a series of online and in-person drop-in sessions as it recruits for the fourth cohort of its...
Employer Skills Forums – get involved
15 March 2023Finding and retaining the right staff with the right skills can be a challenge. SMB College Group have hundreds of students looking for the next step in their career, and the college aims to make sure they have the...
Free places for 200 SMEs at Growth Hub ‘cost-of-business’ expo
14 March 2023Businesses have been invited to a free business expo to learn more about reducing costs, saving on energy use, and recruiting more effectively. Delegates will be able to build networks and gain business support advice at the ‘How to...
Record attendances across Leicestershire Innovation Festival
9 March 2023Leicestershire Innovation Festival attendance hit new highs as fresh records were set at the fifth annual event. Several events sold out this year – including the flagship LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards – during a festival themed around increasing productivity among...
LLEP initiative with Microsoft gives SMEs free digital tech support
27 February 2023Thousands of businesses will gain access to free resources that will help them get the most of Microsoft technologies as a new pilot scheme is rolled out in Leicester and Leicestershire. The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) is working with...
Innovate UK CEO praises passion and energy of Innovative Leicestershire
17 February 2023Innovate UK Chief Executive Indro Mukerjee praised the energy and passion of Innovative Leicestershire in a keynote speech at the sold-out LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards. Addressing a full house at the National Space Centre on Thursday night, he reflected on...
100+ SME manufacturers have applied for £3m Made Smarter East Midlands
15 February 2023More than 150 businesses have now applied for Made Smarter East Midlands – with two-thirds already going forward to the next stage. In excess of 100 eligible expressions of interest have been received since the programme launched in December....
The Innovation Challenge has £5,000 cash prize
13 February 2023The Innovation Challenge is brought to you by TBAT Innovation with headline sponsor Shakespeare Martineau and has been designed by their expert team to stimulate and support innovation in SMEs. It leverages the expertise of their unique partner network...
Dozens of creative businesses apply for £1.3m Create Growth East Midlands
10 February 2023East Midlands Creative Consortium leading programme to accelerate growth First cohort will commence in Spring, with 100 businesses to be supported by 2025 Early uptake revealed during sold-out event for Leicestershire Innovation Festival Fifty creative businesses have already applied...
BLOG: Part 2 – Innovation puts Leicestershire business in pole position for cycle safety market
8 February 2023We continue our interview with George Fox, one of the founders of the innovative bicycle helmet company, Hedkayse. This time George shares the company’s vision for an exciting future of growth and diversification. (Catch up on part 1) You’ve...
Innovative Leicestershire website launches at Leicestershire Innovation Festival
6 February 2023 Innovative Leicestershire launched in Loughborough this morning as the county’s 2023 Innovation Festival got underway. The new brand and website were introduced as the Chair of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) Innovation Board also described a 10-point Delivery...
BLOG: Innovation puts Leicestershire business in pole position for cycle safety market
1 February 2023George Fox is the founder of Hedkayse based in Market Harborough. He has a degree in product design and his passion for this innovative company and the potential applications of its products is infectious. We caught up with George...
Days left for businesses to register for free events at Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023
1 February 2023More than 20 events will look at how local organisations can get more productive Festival launches on Monday with event at Loughborough University Biggest ever LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards to be held at National Space Centre
Free business tools from Microsoft
26 January 2023The Business Gateway is working with Microsoft to provide free productivity tools aimed at micro, small and medium-sized businesses from any sector. The new initiative is a suite of free resources, including advice and training, made available by Microsoft...
Applications open for £1.3m Create Growth East Midlands
24 January 2023Creative businesses in the East Midlands can now apply for a free programme of support to accelerate business growth, create jobs, and prepare for investment. East Midlands Creative Consortium (EMC²) has begun accepting applications from high-potential creative businesses after...
Innovate UK CEO to deliver keynote speech at LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards 2023
18 January 2023The Chief Executive of Innovate UK will visit Leicester to meet researchers and businesses during Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023. Indro Mukerjee will spend time at Space Park Leicester to learn about work by the University of Leicester to drive...
Free tool to help build business resilience
12 January 2023Leicestershire SME businesses now have access to a free resilience and growth tool from Loughborough University. The Resilience and Growth Tool, RAG for short is being offered by the University’s Business and Economics School to local businesses providing free...
Start your own business with LUinc
10 January 2023Start your own business in Leicestershire in 2023 LUinc. is providing free workspace and training for new start-ups Six months of support for local business founders and social entrepreneurs Applications open now for joining next cohort of free programme...
Will 2023 be the year you take your business online?
4 January 2023Will 2023 be the year you take your business online? The prospect might be attractive but do you have the knowledge (and skills) to move your business into an ecommerce operation? Our popular four-part webinar series ‘Setting up an...
Business volunteers needed to support enterprise in schools
4 January 2023More than ever, young people need support and inspiration to help them succeed in their best next steps. With the help of local business leaders, the LLEP Careers Hub is driving change to the way careers education is delivered...
Free masterclasses on offer to support SMEs across Leicestershire
22 December 2022Businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire can apply for free places on a series of masterclasses run to support start-ups and entrepreneurs. DMU award-winning Crucible programme, which has supported 70 businesses over the past five years, is making its monthly...
New guide helps small businesses build resilient workforces through low-cost investment in skills
19 December 2022How can SMEs build resilient workforces at low cost while supporting the growth of their businesses? A free guide published by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) addresses this question and more – offering a raft of practical...
Help educators understand needs of business – Local Skills Improvement Plan
13 December 2022A Local Skills Improvement Plan – or LSIP for short – is a tool being produced on a locality-by-locality basis to help educators better respond to the needs of local businesses. Further Education Colleges must consider the LSIP when...
Coffee with a conscience – Leicester Coffee House is about more than profit
12 December 2022Gail Brown and her partner, Aaron, developed their love of food and coffee into a business and made sure that it embodies the values and ethics they also share. When I arrive to interview Gail, Aaron explains that she’s...
Is your website growing your business? Inzar Haq investigates
8 December 2022Today we’re chatting with Inzar Haq from Insight Consultancy, a digital agency based in the heart of Leicester City. Inzar is one of our voluntary Business Champions, able to offer in-depth advice when a Leicestershire company needs it. Here...
Council in search of Numeracy Champions
2 December 2022As part of their Multiply project, Leicestershire County Council is working in partnership with National Numeracy. This project involves training Numeracy Champions across the region who can empower adults to get on with numbers so they can fulfil their...
M42 closures over Christmas and New Year
29 November 2022Business owners and their staff are advised to allow more time for their journey if they travel on or around the M42 J9 to J10 during the Christmas and New Year period. The M42 will be closed between J9...
Not just a Corner Shop – innovative, caring and community orientated. PART TWO
28 November 2022Pratik Master and his wife Bhavini (known as Bee) have taken the local corner shop previously run by Pratik’s parents and turned it into something truly amazing. Their innovative approach embraces the social needs of their local community as...
LLEP invests £90,000 in extending project to grow digital skills in Leicester and Leicestershire
24 November 2022Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) will collaborate in extending a project to improve digital skills across Leicester and Leicestershire. DMU has been commissioned to lead the LLEP’s Digital Skills Partnership (DSP) in...
Festival will shine light on change makers at Innovation Awards
23 November 2022Nominations for the Leicestershire Innovation Awards are now open! These Awards are one of the highlights of the Innovation Festival, led by the Business Gateway Growth Hub that takes place from 6 to 17 February 2023.
Register your interest in the Create Growth Programme
22 November 2022Creative businesses in Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Rutland and Lincolnshire will benefit from £1.3m of new funding as part of the new Create Growth programme. A brand new website for the programme is now available www.eastmidlandscreategrowth.co.uk As a regional project, Create...
Not just a Corner Shop – Wigston Deli is innovative, caring and community orientated. PART ONE
21 November 2022Pratik Master and his wife Bhavini (known as Bee) have taken the local corner shop previously run by Pratik’s parents and turned it into something truly amazing. Their innovative approach embraces the social needs of their local community as...
Niche innovation creates a global market for The Simulator Company
16 November 2022Here we talk to Sagar Haval (Managing Director), who founded The Simulator Company with his wife Babita Haval (Director). It is based on an innovative response to the need for more sophisticated medical models on which to practice various...
Your guide to Building the Workforce
16 November 2022If you’re concerned about future recruitment, want to raise awareness of your sector, or give something back – why not get involved at the grassroots, by linking to one of our excellent area skills offers that can help your...
National Forest Arts Grants 2023
15 November 2022Some great news from the National Forest: We are pleased to let you know that the National Forest Arts Grants have reopened for a third round. The Arts Grants are to support the National Forest creative community to develop...
Fast start as Growth Hub chief sets out new direction in support for local SMEs
15 November 2022The Business Gateway Growth Hub’s new Partnerships and Growth Hub Manager hit the ground running – signalling a new approach in how the service will engage with local small businesses. Salma Manzoor made full use of her arrival in...
Leicestershire celebrates major environmental achievement during COP27
14 November 2022As world leaders continue to discuss the climate crisis at COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, action to reduce carbon emissions continues to be taken closer to home. The LLEP Business Gateway and its partner Zellar, are celebrating a milestone...
Award puts Leicester logistics firm in pole position
11 November 2022We are very happy to share this story about innovation from one of our leading local companies: A Leicester logistics specialist is celebrating after winning an award for innovation from a leading industry body. Translink Express Logistics Ltd won the...
Deadline imminent for Business Gateway Growth Grant
10 November 2022Business owners in Leicestershire have just a few days to submit their interest in the Business Gateway’s growth grant. This grant is open to Leicestershire businesses trading b2b, looking to introduce new products or processes and innovate. So far...
Groups invited to apply for anti-poverty community grants
10 November 2022Organisations working to address poverty in Leicester – such as schools, charities, community groups and businesses – can now apply to the city council for a grant of up to £10,000 to support their work. Applications for Leicester’s Anti-Poverty Community...
£1.2m funding to accelerate growth and create jobs in East Midlands creative sector
4 November 2022Creative businesses in the East Midlands will benefit from £1.2m of new funding to accelerate growth, create jobs and stimulate investment. The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) led a consortium of regional partners bidding for a share of...
Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023 launches
1 November 2022The fifth Leicestershire Innovation Festival will take place in the new year – with organisers placing the spotlight on small business. The Business Gateway is again leading preparations for the festival – themed on productivity – as 20 events...
Grant helps PR business, 1284 continue its success story
31 October 2022Loughborough-based PR and communications strategy business 1284 used a business growth grant to increase productivity – translating time saved into the launch of a new service. The business was founded in 2020 from its base at the Loughborough University...
Cleaning pad business just scratching the surface when it comes to growth
31 October 2022Twelve months ago Harry Green, decided it was time to sell his cleaning pad business in Leicester. After all, he was 95, maybe it was time to close the business! However, neighbours Priyesh, Amit and Niraj Mandalia, inspired by...
Saving our Textiles industry is everyone’s concern
31 October 2022The rebirth of Leicester’s garment supply chain needs a concerted effort from us all says Sajjad Khan of the Apparel & Textiles Manufacturers Federation (ATMF). PART ONE (part two below) Before we look to the future, let’s remind...
Gardening business digs in with good practice
24 October 2022While Oliver Lockwood was on furlough in 2020 the seed of an idea began to formulate for his future. Having always loved gardening could he go from a corporate marketing job to being someone who turns up in a...
Less Waste means more business for Lucy
20 October 2022Lucy Stones discusses the success of A Little Less Waste in Melton Mowbray. A Little Less Waste in Melton Mowbray has been trading for less than a year, but its founder Lucy Stones recently won three awards at the...
New report on Leicester’s Black Business Community
19 October 2022A new report commissioned by the LLEP Business Gateway provides a blueprint for future support for the Black Business Community in the city and identifies some key challenges. The main issues include finding and securing funding; a lack of...
Exclusive events for manufacturers
18 October 2022Manufacturers across Leicestershire can find out about opportunities to collaborate together at a Leicester Business Festival event hosted by East Midlands Chamber. The Chamber is inviting business leaders to find out more about the Leicestershire Manufacturing Network at an...
Made Smarter – vital support for manufacturers
14 October 2022Are you the maker or producer of a product? Do you spend most of your days trying to resolve reoccurring issues such as machine downtime, meeting customer demand or manual tasks that cause delays? Can you not get the...
Business Resilience Workshop for Leicester SMEs
10 October 2022Now more than ever, it’s important that you and your business colleagues are resilient enough to cope with all the changes that are taking place in the economy. There is so much uncertainty and so many challenges for a...
Stephanie is nappy ever after since receiving Business Start-up Grant
10 October 2022Ashby mother-of-two – who was inspired to launch a reusable nappy business after postnatal depression – has seen the company go from strength to strength. Stephanie Revill, 29, suffered from postnatal depression following the births of both of her...
Leicester Design Season at LCB Depot
6 October 2022Here’s a message from our friends at Leicester Design Season: Unbelievably we are at our 5th Leicester Design Season this year. Based largely at the LCB Depot this year, the season now boasts partners from the city’s creative design...
Selling online? Learn the right way to do it
5 October 2022Many businesses want to sell online but don’t know where to start or how to choose between the bewildering array of options. To help, the Business Gateway is running a four-part webinar series ‘Setting up an online shop’ which...
New Peer Network to support early-stage businesses announced
30 September 2022The Business Gateway Growth Hub has launched a new Peer Network specifically aimed at helping early-stage business owners in Leicester and Leicestershire. The new programme, which starts on 27 October will support the growth and development of businesses trading...
If you have a defibrillator at work…
30 September 20223 October marks the first day of SADS awareness week. Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome affects mostly younger people and causes the heart to stop beating unexpectedly and without any prior diagnosis. When someone suffers from cardiac arrest, the clock...
Announced: full line-up for Leicester Business Festival 2022
30 September 2022Insights from a football club aiming for Net Zero, digital masterclasses, the business quiz and improving mental health in the workplace all feature on the must see line-up. The Leicester Business Festival 2022 full programme is now available online....
Zerocarbonbusiness.uk
28 September 2022Zerocarbonbusiness.uk provides free energy cost saving and carbon reduction advice for businesses www.zerocarbonbusiness.uk is a web-based resource to give businesses free, trustworthy and impartial information on how to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions, and access business opportunities from the Net Zero...
Starting in Business Programme from NBV
28 September 2022NBV are hosting a Starting in Business Workshop at the Harborough Innovation Centre. It’s available for people across Leicestershire. Starting in Business Programme Whether you have an amazing idea, have spotted a gap in the market or have taken...
DMU can help you get funding for your innovation
28 September 2022There are many sources of funding available to your business to work with universities. Here are some ways that DMU can help you apply to funding schemes. QuIDs – Quick Innovation Developers If you’ve got an idea for your...
Additional energy support for households
28 September 2022The government has also announced the Energy Price Guarantee for households in Great Britain, limiting the price suppliers can charge customers for units of gas and electricity. This support is in addition to the previously announced £400 energy bills...
Government announces energy bill support for businesses
28 September 2022Updated 14 October 2022 A new Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide help with the cost of gas and electricity for all non-domestic customers, including all UK businesses and voluntary and public sector organisations. The scheme will apply to...
Chancellor announces new Growth Plan
28 September 2022Chancellor announces new Growth Plan In September 2022 the Government announced a new plan for growth that introduces a massive package of tax cuts and new investment zones in an effort to increase productivity. Tax cuts include: – Cancelling...
Western Power Distribution Energy Affordability Fund
21 September 2022Western Power Distribution (WPD) Energy Affordability Fund Grant funding is available to all organisation types within the WPD area which includes the East Midlands to deliver local affordable warmth and/or Priority Service Register services. This year it is looking...
Growth snowballs for gritting business
12 September 2022Loughborough-based gritting business Weatherwise Services has seen a whopping 157% increase in turnover in the last four years of trading. It started in 2017 with just two vehicles covering 36 sites and now has 14 vehicles over 250 sites....
Businesses need more substantial energy support, says East Midlands Chamber – but don’t neglect green investment
8 September 2022Commenting on Prime Minister Liz Truss’ energy plan, East Midlands Chamber chief executive Scott Knowles said: “As the cost of doing business crisis bites ever deeper, it will be reassuring for firms to know there will be some support...
Time running out for free sustainability platform licences
6 September 2022Businesses are under increasing pressure to operate sustainably, but it can be hard to know where to start. Sustainability platform Zellar offers SMEs all the tools they need to understand how sustainable they are, what Net Zero looks like,...
Employers’ views sought on numeracy skills required
5 September 2022A new Serco survey seeks to understand what employers are looking for when it comes to numeracy skills, how improved skills could help their sector and what they currently offer in terms of support or training to new recruits....
Last few days to submit Leicester Business Festival events
2 September 2022On Friday 9 September, applications for Leicester Business Festival (LBF) will close. Any firm wishing to run an event in this exciting November fortnight dedicated to business has just one week left to submit its event application. By hosting...
East Midlands Accelerator
31 August 2022Here’s the latest update on support available from the East Midlands Accelerator: East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) is leading a collaborative partnership of our region’s universities and business support agencies, to deliver business support in a number of...
Meet the Business Adviser – Rana Sultan
26 August 2022Continuing our series of ‘Meet the Adviser’ blogs here’s our latest conversation with Business Gateway Adviser, Rana Sultan. What’s your background? I spent many years working abroad for Deloittes and EY (Ernst and Young) in the GCC (Gulf Cooperation...
Leicester women in business invited to join Peer Network
22 August 2022Award-winning entrepreneur, Dawn Edwards of Challenge Consulting will facilitate a Women in Business Peer Network which starts next month. The Network, along with others focused on high-growth businesses and future leaders, is being run by East Midlands Chamber and...
Leicester College Freshers Fair 2022/2023
19 August 2022A message from Leicester College: Leicester College Freshers Fair is being held on Wednesday 14 September 2022 and offers your organisation the opportunity to market products and services to approximately 2,500 learners.
Ambition to Grow: for High Growth and Manufacturing SMEs
18 August 2022Ambition to Grow aims to help deliver a programme of support to high growth businesses in our LLEP region (covering Leicester and Leicestershire). This will help them to identify their own unique barriers to growth and guide them through...
Founder of sustainable clothing brand Boy Wonder is pretty amazing herself
18 August 2022Ashby-based sustainable clothing entrepreneur, Ismay Mummery, is a multiple award winner and finalist. In 2021 she was named one of the most inspiring female entrepreneurs in the UK by f:Entrepreneur. In August this year she won £10k worth of...
Innovate UK Competition: Women in Innovation Awards 2022
18 August 2022Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is offering up to 50 Women in Innovation Awards to women entrepreneurs across the UK. The winners will receive a £50,000 grant and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and...
Meet the Business Adviser – Remee Thakrar
16 August 2022Today, we’re talking to Remee Thakrar who has been at the Business Gateway since April 2022. Prior to that he was working on a project called the Employment Hub which is funded by the European Social Fund. Remee’s background...
The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise – apply now to celebrate your achievements
10 August 2022Here at the Business Gateway, we’re committed to celebrating the success stories of our local businesses – both to encourage others to follow in their footsteps and to help put Leicestershire on the map as a great place to...
SMART Grants and the Biomedical Catalyst funding competitions from Innovate UK
9 August 2022Innovate UK have two sets of grants available to support innovation among SMEs. SMART Grants Application deadline: 26 October 2022 Funding available: £100,000 – £2 million project costs; up to 70% funded. Open to all industry sectors – projects must...
New hive of activity for local buzz-ness
4 August 2022A former engineer obsessed by bees, who decided to change his career overnight, has become beekeeper to more than five million honeybees across Leicestershire. After 30 years as an engineer and following two strokes, Nigel Collier knew he needed...
NatWest Accelerator Programme CLOSING SOON for applications
4 August 2022Enterprise is an area that clearly defines NatWest. As the UK’s biggest bank for business, we understand that SMEs are the lifeblood of the economy and that we have a responsibility to help them build back better. At the...
Free Fire Safety Workshops for Business
4 August 2022On Thursday 1 September Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service are co-hosting two FREE Business Fire Safety Workshops with our colleagues from Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Fire Protection Teams. These virtual workshops will help business owners and managers to understand their legal...
Meet Business Adviser, Juan Pardo
3 August 2022Today, we’re talking to Juan Pardo, a Business Adviser for the Business Gateway. He’s been in post just over three months on a part-time basis. This role is one of three jobs he has as he also works for...
Good news as The iNet extends support programmes
1 August 2022The iNet’s support programmes SPRING and PROSPER have been extended and the maximum spend has been increased. SPRING which stands for Supporting Productivity, Innovation and Growth will now run until December 2022. It can provide a grant of 27.41%...
An Update from the Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
1 August 2022There is lots of activity around developing the cyber ecosystem for the Midlands so you are sure to find something useful below: DCMS has a cyber newsletter to which you can subscribe Cyber Essentials Survey The Government is...
Grants to help install electric vehicle charge points
29 July 2022The Workplace Charging Scheme is a voucher-based scheme that provides grants towards the upfront costs of purchase and installation of electric vehicle charge points. Business owners on a journey to cut carbon emissions are being encouraged to take advantage...
Businesses with just one employee can now benefit from Help to Grow Digital
26 July 2022The Government’s Help to Grow: Digital Scheme has expanded its eligibility to businesses with at least one employee, meaning up to 1.2 million businesses could benefit nationwide. The government’s Help to Grow: Digital scheme is nearly tripling in reach,...
Low Pay Commission comments on national garment industry.
25 July 2022The Financial Times this week featured this article: Leicester garment factories still exploiting staff, study finds Low Pay Commission urges UK government to do more to prevent abuses that continue despite clampdown. The LPC says ‘the case of Leicester...
VegVan Farm will support the community from the ground up
20 July 2022There’s been a lot of talk about pivoting to survive for businesses during and after Covid19, but what about when you’re ready to start a new business and have to divert the idea before you’ve even begun? This was...
Funding available for SMEs related to Aerospace
19 July 2022Aerospace UP still has funds available from its Innovation Grant. If you are an SME in Leicester or Leicestershire, you could be eligible to apply. Here’s what they say about the criteria: It is not essential to have any...
Up to £5,000 travel grants available
18 July 2022Some great news from Leicester City Council for City-based businesses. The City Council’s Active Travel Team supports city businesses to make commuting and any work-related journeys more sustainable and healthier for staff. The other benefits of switching from your...
Midlands Makers Market returns to city for biggest event yet
18 July 2022July welcomes the return of the fifth Midlands Makers Pop-Up Market, and it’s set to be its biggest event yet. Launched by local business owner Nikki Millar and supported by BID Leicester, the event will take place on 30...
Charity to deliver grants of up to £5,000 to Leicestershire businesses
15 July 2022Having provided interest-free loans to help support aspiring and existing business owners within Leicestershire and Rutland since 1542, The Sir Thomas White Loan Charity has announced that it is now welcoming applications for grants of up to £5,000 to...
Leicestershire employees encouraged to take part in Cycle to Work Day
15 July 2022Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils are inviting businesses to encourage their employees to take part in Cycle to Work Day on Thursday 4 August this year. There are numerous benefits to cycling including cost savings, improved mental and...
Business support has helped mentor find her niche
12 July 2022From fashion to investment readiness, Pamela Sharpe’s enterprise journey has been far from typical. Despite her new business – Mela & Sharpe – being stalled by the pandemic, two years on she has found her place helping SMEs get...
Scale up using tech advice and funding from Digital Upscaler
11 July 2022How could one-to-one Digital Technology Advice benefit your business? If you’re a business looking to scale up, there are a number of aspects within your business that you may need to review in order to meet your growth plans....
BID Leicester succeeds in securing second five-year term after strong winning ballot vote
8 July 2022City centre businesses have voted emphatically in favour of a second term for the Business Improvement District, which will see £4.5m invested in Leicester city centre over the next five years. The result was announced today, with a total...
Business Gateway recruits Citizen of Change to support Leicestershire’s black business community
7 July 2022Leicestershire’s Business Gateway has recruited an intern from the University of Leicester to help it support the local black business community more effectively. Omolara (Lara) Anubi (20) is in the second year of her Media, Culture and Society degree...
BARCLAYS EAGLE LAB TO OPEN AT DMU
6 July 2022Ambitious entrepreneurs and SMEs will be able to get advice and support to scale up and innovate thanks to a new partnership between De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) and Barclays Eagle Labs. A new Eagle Lab will open in...
East Midlands marketer welcomes Business Gateway campaign on Neurodiversity
6 July 2022A Loughborough-based Marketing Manager has lent his support to a campaign to highlight the benefits of employing people who are neurodivergent. Barry Aldridge, who is himself neurodivergent, works at Flotec Industrial where he uses his condition to create new...
Leicestershire firms trading b2b should take advantage of growth grant before it’s too late
4 July 2022Business owners in Leicestershire are being urged to check if they are eligible for a growth grant from the Business Gateway Growth Hub before funds run out. Currently around £400,000 remains in the pot for the Business Growth Grant...
Local businesses helped by Business Gateway during 12-month period topped £2billion combined turnover
28 June 2022The Business Gateway Growth Hub supported more than 1,500 businesses – with a combined turnover topping £2 billion – during just 12 months. The service also helped hundreds more people in Leicester and Leicestershire as they started their own...
Businesses line-up to be part of festival
24 June 2022The countdown to the Leicester Business Festival (LBF) is on. It will run from 7-18 November and is a fortnight of business events and networking, held right across Leicester and Leicestershire. Each year, over 1,000 businesses take part, 100s...
Grant is driving force to increased productivity for T&N Tyres
15 June 2022With the Government’s net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions set for 2050, many businesses are making changes toward more sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices. Despite the challenges of rising costs, T&N Tyre Supplies has invested over £100,000 in new machinery...
Extension gives city SMEs a little longer to apply for growth grants or vouchers
7 June 2022UPDATE: 21 JUNE – THIS GRANT IS NOW ALLOCATED AND NO LONGER AVAILABLE. The application window for the UK Community Renewal Fund in Leicester has been extended to 30th June. Businesses in Leicester are being urged to apply now...
Leicester city businesses invited to join new Peer Networks
1 June 2022SME directors and senior managers are being invited to join East Midlands Chamber’s new peer-to-peer networking programme. The programme, part of the East Midlands Accelerator, gives directors and senior managers the opportunity to share common business challenges and objectives.
Marketing advice for Mallory Meadows is working
30 May 2022Rustic wooden cabins and luxurious roundhouses, with private hot tubs! This is Mallory Meadows, based in Kirby Mallory, Leicestershire. The business is run by husband and wife team Chris and Emily Tams as the perfect get-away for busy people....
Leicester city SMEs offered free sustainability audits
25 May 2022Three local universities – De Montfort, Leicester and Loughborough – are offering city businesses a free sustainability audit to be conducted by their students. By participating, the business will receive a useful assessment of its business practices in areas...
Leicester composite business has right formula for success
16 May 2022What do an Aston Martin DBS, a wind turbine blade and an America’s Cup boat all have in common? They are all made using innovative, lightweight but strong, composite materials. Formulating the right recipe for the job is the...
SHIRE Community Grants open for applications
9 May 2022There’s good news for social enterprises and voluntary or community organisations as the SHIRE grant programme reopens for applications. The SHIRE Community Grant programme enables VCSE (Voluntary, Community & Social Enterprise) sector organisations to deliver community-based projects, services, and...
Event ideas wanted for annual business festival
6 May 2022The Leicester Business Festival (LBF), one of the largest of its kind in the UK, will take place from 7-18 November 2022. The festival is in its eighth year and will combine online and in-person events. Large or small...
BID Leicester launches ambitious plan for 2023-2028
29 April 2022Leicester’s Business Improvement District, BID Leicester, is delighted to launch a new business plan, which outlines an ambitious vision for Leicester’s city centre over the next five years. Created after extensive consultation with more than 350 city centre businesses,...
Facing barriers to growth due to lack of tech knowledge?
27 April 2022If you’re a business looking to scale up the Digital Upscaler programme could be for you. This funded programme is designed to support high grow businesses across Leicestershire by offering knowledge, investment and capacity to scale up through technology.
Guiding the Havana Salsa team to growth
25 April 2022Laura and Rodolfo Roque began their Cuban salsa class business, Havana Salsa, in Leicester around 10 years ago. Since then the husband and wife team have established a network of venues across the East and West Midlands using trained...
Net Zero Accelerator will help Leicester businesses go green
21 April 2022The Net Zero Accelerator from East Midlands Chamber has been created to help businesses gain green skills, invest in net-zero practices and access financial support to help achieve carbon neutrality. Funding from the Community Renewal Fund means businesses in...
Next size up for growing fashion business
11 April 2022After just 18 months in its new premises, the Leicester Fashion and Textiles Academy Ltd has outgrown the space and is on the move again. Their unique mix of services including fashion design, manufacture and consultancy seem to be...
Time running out to apply for green grants
8 April 2022Businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire are being reminded that they have just a few weeks left to apply for grants to help to pay for energy efficiency improvements. Leicester City Council’s Green BELLE scheme offers grants of up to...
New support scheme available for city businesses affected by the pandemic
7 April 2022Businesses across Leicester that were not previously eligible for Covid-19 business rates relief may now be eligible for new support if they were adversely affected by the pandemic. Leicester City Council has received £8.7m from the Government to administer...
Funded leadership training for city SMEs most affected by pandemic
6 April 2022Leicester City SMEs are being invited to register for the Help to Grow leadership and management programme by East Midlands Chamber. The 12-week executive leaders programme is aimed at businesses particularly hit by the pandemic looking to recover and...
HOW CAN T-LEVEL STUDENTS HELP YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?
5 April 2022Benefits at a Glance: Taking on a T-Level student costs you nothing; you do not have to pay them You will be paid £1000 if you agree to take on a T-Level student between 27 May and 31 July...
Focus on Green Leicestershire – Green Shoots
4 April 2022In this interview, Peter Squires of Green Shoots, an emission-free courier service, shares his journey to provide a green service to local businesses across Leicestershire and beyond. When did you start your business and why? We started the...
Football America UK is (super) bowled over by grant support
4 April 2022Whilst there was no American football, or any other sport, being played during lockdowns in 2020/21 Leicestershire-based Football America UK took advantage of this quiet time to make big changes. The business has invested nearly £28,000 in a bid...
East Midlands Manufacturing Network launched
1 April 2022The East Midlands Manufacturing Network aims to help manufacturers share best practices and experience in a trusted peer environment. It will focus on shared issues and challenges; bring a better understanding of the financial support on offer and help...
Fireworks company hopes to come back from the pandemic with a bang!
28 March 2022Inspiration for what is believed to be the only moving firework system in the UK came to Rob Sosbe during his toughest time as a business owner. Watching light beams bounce around illuminated buildings in November 2020, part of...
Leicestershire’s Business Gateway offers green suppliers a shop window for sustainable products and services
18 March 2022The Business Gateway for Leicester and Leicestershire is calling on suppliers of environmentally friendly products and services to make contact, so that it can showcase these to local businesses trying to become more sustainable. Rachel York, Manager of...
Business Gateway welcomes Good Growth result with plans to help small business build on it.
17 March 2022The Business Gateway for Leicester and Leicestershire has welcomed the findings published today by Demos-PwC as part of their Good Growth for Cities Index. The Index saw Leicester achieving the highest ranking of any East Midlands city at 14th...
Representing Leicestershire’s female entrepreneurs at The House of Lords
16 March 2022Ismay Mummery is the founder and Managing Director of Boy Wonder Ltd, her sustainable fashion brand for boys. Business Live recently named her as one of their rising stars of women in business for 2022. I had an amazing...
New grants to boost Sustainable Tourism in the National Forest
15 March 2022The National Forest Company (NFC) is launching a new grants scheme to help fund projects aimed at establishing the National Forest as a sustainable destination for people to visit. The grants have been set up to support businesses with their...
East Midlands Accelerator to offer grants and support to Leicester City firms
11 March 2022Small businesses in areas earmarked by Government for UK Community Renewal Fund (UKCRF) support are being encouraged to learn more about how they can take advantage of the support on offer. These areas are: Leicester City, Derbyshire Dales, High...
In Pursuit of a Vision
10 March 2022Peer Network participant, Stuart Fraser, talks about Leicester Outdoor Pursuits Centre, its challenges and the future he would like to secure for it. If you were a child in the 1960s or had children in the late 1990s,...
Focus on ‘Innovative Leicestershire’ must continue all year round.
10 March 2022Dr Nik Kotecha OBE DL, Chair of the LLEP Innovation Board, has called on businesses and organisations across Leicestershire to maintain the focus on innovation created by the recent Leicestershire Innovation Festival which ended on 25 February. Leicestershire Innovation...
New enterprise and employment support for Leicester females
7 March 2022Zinthiya Trust have announced a new innovative partnership project designed to maximise the employment and enterprise potential of women in Leicester over the next 6 months. The She Inspires Business Playbox project has successfully secured £349,588 from the UK...
Leicester businesses offered training subsidy for growth
2 March 2022East Midlands Chamber has announced a new training subsidy to help businesses across the region with their post-Covid growth. The subsidy covers the upfront 10% fee of joining the Help to Grow management programme which is designed to help...
Support means renewable energy business is ready for high demand
28 February 2022We caught up recently with Zara Glew, commercial director of Environmental Energies. With the Government’s carbon emissions target of Net-Zero by 2030 set, the business has seen rapid growth in demand for their products and services. They’ve been supported...
Think outside the box with Charnwood Campus
24 February 2022Business leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and stakeholders gathered at Charnwood Campus to celebrate their innovative life sciences business and to share how they have thought differently to grow their business. Keynote speakers shared their insights as to why innovation is...
The Circle Foundation for disabled entrepreneurs
23 February 2022In this blog, Mark Esho MBE, shares his experience of being a disabled businessperson and launches a unique initiative to support other disabled people in starting their own business. For a while now, I’ve been planning something exciting. A...
SMEs are natural innovators – here’s how they increase productivity and profits
22 February 2022Research by the Federation of Small Businesses has shown that its members do not necessarily see themselves as ‘innovators’. Yet the FSB points out that, as entrepreneurs, SMEs and microbusinesses are, by their very nature, continuously improving their products and...
Pall-Ex’s Warehouse to Wheels scheme delivers first graduate
21 February 2022Pall-Ex’s Warehouse to Wheels programme, which aims to provide warehouse staff with the opportunity to progress into HGV driver roles, has delivered its first graduate. The initiative has been identified as a key tool in combatting the ongoing driver...
Business support means a new chapter for Willoughby Book Club
16 February 2022No one said it would be easy taking over a business. But the challenges of the last two years were never meant to be part of the story for the Willoughby Book Club. Director Marianne Chala faced a fire...
Launch Event Videos #LeicsIF22
15 February 2022The Launch Event for Leicestershire Innovation Festival took place on 14 February at Space Park Leicester. The event saw over 70 guests join us to hear from some of the most innovative companies in the county along with organisations...
Only a few months left to SPRING into action for iNet grant
14 February 2022There are just over two months left before iNet’s SPRING grant programme closes. SPRING – Supporting PRoductivity, INnovation & Growth – aims to support SMEs looking to increase their capacity or capability. iNet offers intensive support for growth and...
Business Gateway ‘Think differently’ webinars are done…differently
9 February 2022Leicestershire’s Business Gateway is offering small businesses support with a difference from 22 February with a programme of four webinars. Designed to give business leaders the skills they need to encourage new ideas from their teams, the four free...
Business Gateway and DMU join forces to support would-be entrepreneurs.
7 February 2022Leicestershire’s Business Gateway and De Montfort University are working together to offer a unique opportunity to anyone with a business start-up idea. DMU’s Crucible programme, which has successfully supported 60 businesses over the last five years, is now being...
Innovation is not just for big businesses
4 February 2022Building a culture of innovation is the way forward, according to Leicestershire’s Business Gateway Growth Hub Being open to new opportunities, finding inspiration in different places and looking beyond the here and now, are all vital contributors to building...
Innovate UK SMART Grants open
28 January 2022UK registered organisations can apply for a share of up to £25million for game-changing and commercially viable R&D innovation that can significantly impact the UK economy. This funding is from Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation. Smart...
Become the Leader you want to be
24 January 2022Leadership Development with a Difference The biggest issue on leadership training right now is that there are lots of courses that take you through a number of pre-defined, generic steps without any reference to your individual situation or needs. ...
Accelerator programme to provide free ‘green’ support in race to net zero
14 January 2022Businesses are set to get free help to go green after Government funding worth £1million was awarded to support companies in Leicester in the race to net zero. The East Midlands Accelerator programme, led by East Midlands Chamber, will...
Leicestershire Innovation Festival programme
12 January 2022Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2022 has already captured the imagination of businesses across the county. There are so many high quality events in the programme already and several more to be confirmed. Please check back with this page regularly and...
Apply to win £5,000 from the Innovation Challenge
10 January 2022TBAT Innovation have launched The Innovation Challenge, bringing together key partners to support small businesses to innovate. The Innovation Challenge has been designed by TBAT’s expert team to stimulate and support innovation in SMEs by leveraging the expertise of...
Dates announced for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2022
10 January 2022Following on from the success of Innovation Week in June 2021, dates have been announced for 2022 with the focus on innovation due to spread across a fortnight to accommodate the wide range of events. Leicestershire Innovation Festival...
Omicron grants open for applications
6 January 2022A number of local councils have started taking applications for the new Covid grants announced by the Chancellor in December.
Tourism and Hospitality Omicron impact survey
5 January 2022If you have a business in the Tourism or Hospitality sector, the Government’s Department of Culture, Media and Sport would like to know how you have been affected by Omicron. Your response will help them build a case with...
Start-up Surgeries from NBV and NatWest
22 December 2021NatWest has teamed up with the experts at NBV to deliver a fortnightly #StartUpSurgery. This aims to provide support to all those in Leicestershire who are in the process of starting a business or are thinking about doing so....
Government announces additional support for businesses
21 December 2021Additional support will be available for businesses who have been impacted by the Omicron variant, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak announced today (21 December). Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of...
Our Peer Network Programme is helping local companies to move up a level
20 December 2021Our Peer Networks continue to prove very useful and popular with small businesses locally. We still have places on the Tourism and Hospitality group. If you would like to apply please complete the form here.
Time to Go Green and Boost your Business
17 December 2021Leicester’s Business Gateway is giving small businesses the opportunity to play their part in tackling the climate crisis and improve their bottom line with a series of six webinars in the new year. As well as reducing their carbon...
Is your Technology holding you back?
16 December 2021Digital Upscaler is a project part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire). It aims to support high growth businesses across Leicestershire by providing them with the knowledge, investment and...
Keep your business moving. Get ahead of new rules for doing business with the EU
15 December 2021On 1 January 2022, there will be changes for businesses in Great Britain who import from the EU. There will also be changes for UK businesses who sell goods in the EU. Businesses moving goods from the EU to...
LLEP welcomes opportunity of Singapore digital trade deal
13 December 2021The LLEP has welcomed agreement of a major international digital trade deal as an opportunity for local firms to expand into one of the most tech-savvy and rapidly expanding markets in Asia. The UK Government announced on Thursday that...
Hauliers are you ready for import changes?
10 December 2021All UK hauliers moving goods from the EU to Great Britain (GB) need to prepare for import control changes which will take effect from 1 January 2022.
Make sure your small business starts the new year with enough cash
10 December 2021Every business needs cash to trade and to grow and this can be particularly important to small and medium businesses. To help your business find the money it will need to grow in 2022, we’re running a series of...
Selling to the Government – a guide for SMEs
8 December 2021Some good news for small to medium sized enterprises, the Government has published a guide on how to set yourself up to sell your products and services to them. The Government is committed to increasing its procurement spend with SMEs,...
Support for Covid-hit businesses reaches milestone
7 December 2021The recovery of Leicestershire businesses affected by COVID continued this week with the number of SMEs receiving support hitting the 100 mark. 100 local businesses have signed up for the Start Up Business Support or SUBS programme, aimed at...
Is your business ready for electric?
3 December 2021Switching to electric vehicles might seem risky to a business that relies upon its fleet. To remove the guesswork around vehicle range and charging patterns, Go for Zero helps businesses go electric with a free-to-use and impartial assessment of...
Funding extension for Business Gateway means support for hundreds of local firms
30 November 2021A KEY source of support for Leicester and Leicestershire’s businesses will be able to reach nearly 200 more firms following a decision to extend its funding. An additional £2million of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) money has been awarded...
Prestigious Awards return for Innovation Week 2022
25 November 2021Following the huge success of the Innovation Awards in September, LeicestershireLive has launched its fourth event dedicated to its local pioneers: the Innovation Awards 2022. Once again these awards will be supported by the Business Gateway Growth Hub. Celebrating...
Government makes £27m available for farmers, foresters and growers to boost productivity
19 November 2021Farmers across Leicestershire and the UK can benefit from a £27 million pot to invest in productivity-boosting equipment as the Farming Investment Fund has now opened for applications. If you’re a farmer, forester or grower, the Government is urging you to...
BLOG: Meet our advisers – Aruna Bhagwan
16 November 2021Changing attitudes to business advice, how robust is your business and taking a holistic approach are some of the things we cover in our latest Meet the Adviser blog. Aruna Bhagwan is one of 11 Business Gateway Advisers and...
Tender Opportunity: Business Gateway Customer Satisfaction Survey
15 November 2021The Business Gateway Growth Hub, working with the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and Leicester City Council is inviting quotations to appoint a collection of Consultants to undertake a Business Gateway Customer Satisfaction Survey.
Boost your Business Growth with 50 hours of training
15 November 2021Are you a member of the senior management team at a small or medium-sized business based in the East Midlands? Do you want to take your leadership skills and your business to the next level? Join other business leaders at the...
Why should you build your supply chain resilience?
12 November 2021Andy Neilson is a professionally qualified and award-winning procurement and supply chain executive who has delivered business transformational change programmes for global organisations. He has 30 years industry experience having worked for and/or supported large brands such as KMPG,...
Big Ideas and Peer Support for Microbusinesses
11 November 2021At the Business Gateway, the vast majority of our clients are microbusinesses. That means we understand their challenges and have experience of supporting them to grow. One of our most successful programmes is a thing called Peer Networks. That’s...
Free business advice and support, what’s not to love?
8 November 2021Challenges continue for small business owners post-pandemic whether that’s recruitment issues, reducing energy costs, supply chain interruptions or sourcing finance. The message from the Business Gateway Growth Hub is, you are not alone. Businesses will have the opportunity to...
Space Centre sees launch of a different kind, on a mission to tackle climate change.
4 November 2021This week Leicester’s National Space Centre saw the official launch of a unique approach to reducing the carbon emissions produced by businesses in Leicestershire. Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and The Business Gateway have funded 100 places for local...
New Business Gateway Manager appointed
2 November 2021The Business Gateway for Leicester and Leicestershire has appointed Rachel York to the role of Manager, taking over from Jon Egley who previously held the role. Rachel, who joined the Business Gateway in early October, is originally from Leicester...
Passion for events and all things digital? We need you!
29 October 2021East Midlands Chamber, one of the delivery partners for the Business Gateway Growth Hub is seeking an Events and Engagement Officer. This role will involve planning, organising and administering a range of digitally themed business support events for the...
Budget benefits for Leicestershire’s Small Businesses
28 October 2021The Chancellor’s budget, which was announced on Wednesday, contains some good news for small and medium businesses in Leicestershire. The Business Gateway is keen to ensure that local businesses are aware of the positive changes that affect them and...
Making the Government’s Recovery Loan Scheme work for you after the budget
28 October 2021In this article Lawrie Chandler looks at financing schemes that have been supported by the British Business Bank and how they can be useful for smaller companies, particularly microenterprises, to support development of their business from a finance perspective....
Chancellor commits £400m to next generation of Midlands Engine Investment Fund
28 October 2021The Chancellor has today announced a new £400m allocation for a new Midlands Engine Investment Fund to be delivered by the British Business Bank, bringing the total for investment in the region to over £700m. This announcement represents a...
Less than two weeks until Leicester Business Festival
28 October 2021The annual Leicester Business Festival (LBF) fortnight gets underway in just under two weeks’ time, on Monday 8 November. This is the seventh LBF which boasts another packed programme containing 90 fantastic events. Nearly all events are free to...
Modern day rag and bone business thrives despite the worst of times
26 October 2021Leicester based, Industrial Wiper Company, collects unwanted second-hand clothing and fabric and creates cleaning wipers that are used across a variety of industries from food to janitorial services. Despite a turbulent year facing many market disruptions, as well as...
Shott in the arm for engineering businesses
22 October 2021The Royal Academy of Engineering is searching for high growth engineering and technology businesses that want to develop their leadership skills. The Shott Scale Up Accelerator programme run by its Enterprise Hub is a free, six-month programme and is...
APPEX programme to help Advanced Manufacturers reach new heights
18 October 2021The Business Gateway is once again demonstrating its support for Leicestershire’s key sectors by creating a programme for innovative Advanced Manufacturing companies. Called APPEX, the course will help participating companies achieve Advanced Manufacturing Product and Process Excellence to help...
New Export Support Service
18 October 2021A new helpline and online service has been launched to give business owners answers to practical questions when exporting to Europe. The service is free to any UK business in any sector for any stage of its exporting journey....
Tickets available for region’s largest business event
13 October 2021Leicester Business Festival (LBF) is running from 8 to 18 November and has an incredible 90 events. Nearly all events are free to attend, but it is vital that tickets are booked in advance. Visit the website to have...
Support for businesses whose start-up was interrupted by Covid-19
11 October 2021If you started your business in or after 2018, and your trading was interrupted by lockdown, we have some support that’s just right for you. We can help you find grant funding and apply for it and we can...
CO2 Reduction scheme reaches milestone
1 October 2021A pioneering scheme to help Leicestershire businesses reduce their Carbon Dioxide emissions has recruited 70 local companies keen to go green. The 70 companies represent the full range of Leicestershire’s economy with manufacturers NS Engineering, MWS Ltd, DPI (UK)...
Time to Rebrand Leicester’s Fashion Sector says local entrepreneur
29 September 2021Local fashion and textiles entrepreneur, Saj Khan, is on a mission to rebrand and rebuild Leicester’s ailing rag trade. After 18 terrible months of Brexit- and Covid-related closures, plus damning media headlines about working practices, the sector must change...
Join the Leicester Startups Accelerator programme
29 September 2021Being a startup founder can be daunting, especially if it’s an ambitious and innovative business idea, but it doesn’t have to be… Leicester Startups presents a brand new accelerator programme to help you grow your startup. They have pulled...
Rapid Growth for Lockwood Salads
27 September 2021Breaking through the traditional images of farmers and farming, comes a modern day, family-run salad-growing business based in Hinckley, Leicestershire. With the use of new technology, practices that protect the natural environment and a passion for healthy, high-quality food,...
BLOG: Previns seeks to preserve Indian heritage through fine foods
22 September 2021When Niraj Bhatt set up his fine Indian foods business in 2011 he had no experience in the food industry. However, he was driven by a passion to preserve the flavours and recipes he had grown up with and...
Rebranding Leicester’s Fashion Sector – Saj Khan
20 September 2021The traditional model of manufacturing, with the exception of a few factories, was to use the limited resources they had to produce a garment as cheaply and quickly as possible with little regard to quality and craftsmanship. This very...
Learn how to make positive changes in your business
16 September 2021Making positive changes in your business can be difficult if you don’t know how or where to start. That’s why we offer a series of events to explain all of this to you. Our partners – like Leicestershire’s universities...
Covid – Government’s Autumn and Winter plan
16 September 2021Yesterday the Prime Minister set out the government’s plan to manage Covid throughout autumn and winter. To support businesses through the autumn and winter period, the Government will continue to provide up-to-date Working Safely guidance on how employers can...
Vaccination Survey for Leicestershire County Council
14 September 2021As the vaccination programme continues, Leicestershire County Council is exploring new ways to improve vaccine uptake across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR). One area they have identified is through workplaces, therefore they would like to firstly gather intelligence to...
1-2-1 support will help you exploit UK-negotiated free trade deals
13 September 2021Significant opportunity remains for trade with the EU, but also with the rest of the world; some argue that opportunities are even greater beyond the EU. So, we watch with interest the trade negotiations the UK continues to strike...
Starting out in business and getting financed in the right way for you – Lawrie Chandler
9 September 2021When you’re starting out in business, it can be pretty difficult to navigate the business landscape. Looking at it from a finance perspective can add another layer of complexity. Critically, businesses thrive or die based on cash. The topic...
Digital Upscaler Technology Forum dates announced
8 September 2021First of its kind, Digital Upscaler a technology-focused business support project delivered by East Midlands Chamber (Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire) has launched an autumn series of Technology Forums to support high growth businesses across the region. This series of Technology...
Export Live webinars from the Department for International Trade
8 September 2021The DTI (Department for International Trade) is offering a series of Export Live webinars , which is open to all individuals or businesses in the East Midlands who are looking to export or want to ask those tricky “export...
Recovery grant helps IT business serve more customers
7 September 2021A forced office move and reduced revenues due to the global pandemic meant Ashby de la Zouch-based business IT support provider UKBITS, faced an uncertain future last year. However, with the benefits to the environment caused by the lockdown...
Every business needs to change if it’s going to survive
6 September 2021“I understand that some people are switched off by the term ‘innovation’ so let’s not use that word. Let’s use the word ‘change’ instead, or ‘improvement’. If we look at where we use innovation it’s actually all about change...
Growing support for forthcoming business festival
6 September 2021Leicester Business Festival (LBF) has recently gained support from several key local businesses, joining forces to help encourage local business growth and showcase the work of the region Running from 8 to 18 November, the LBF champions five main...
Peer Networks provide real benefits to SMEs facing challenges Part 2
6 September 2021Where – honestly – is the problem? A lot of my group are on a journey of discovery in which they realise that actually they are the problem. They acknowledge this in private. The problem is normally their own...
Free Webinars to discuss Mental Health at Work
2 September 2021A series of free webinars will show Midlands businesses and organisations that talking about mental health at work is not as hard as they might think – and employers are being encouraged to attend. The Mental Health and Productivity...
PEER NETWORK Programme benefits business leaders in so many ways #1
31 August 2021John Collier is the Peer Network group leader for the Growth cohort. He shares some common issues that regularly arise in this group, and talks to the Business Gateway’s Peter Allen about how to move SMEs forward by encouraging...
Leicestershire’s Family Businesses – a proud tradition, a modern challenge
27 August 2021David Williams was MD of a family-owned business in the food and drink sector for 20 years, supplying Asda and other well-known brands. Here he discusses the pros and cons of family businesses with the Business Gateway’s Peter Allen....
Trading Places – Cocoa Amore
24 August 2021Pete Gardner is the founder and Director of Leicester-based Cocoa Amore, having taught himself chocolate making in 2009. A serial entrepreneur, Pete works closely with the region’s BIDs (Business Improvement Districts) and was a founding member of Loughborough BID....
Webinars on securing funding and managing your finances
24 August 2021Whatever happens next this year, one thing is certain – you’re going to need money The subject that most of our clients want to talk to us about is, not surprisingly, finance; how to get funding and how to...
Innovative Leicester continues with programme for SMEs
19 August 2021The drive for innovation in Leicestershire which began in Innovation Week, June 2021 continues today with the launch of a programme of events specifically for SMEs in the county and city. Leicestershire’s growth hub, The Business Gateway, has...
Lightbulb moments lead to growth for West HR
17 August 2021Many agree that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed various aspects of life including the way we learn. For Melton Mowbray-based West HR, online learning had already started to feature within their training delivery. However, the pandemic has also led...
Develop your website and digital marketing painlessly
11 August 2021Sue Jerham is the Director of National Forest E-Bike Holidays, which provides “Self-guided electric bike and walking holidays for the gentle adventurer”. Here she shares how learning digital skills has transformed her business. I worked for the same company...
End of Lockdown is only the beginning for SME staffing challenges.
9 August 2021The end of lockdown presents an opportunity for many more businesses to open their doors again and start trading, but it also presents significant challenges in terms of managing staff. Sarah Loates, owner of Loates HR Consultancy who works...
HR Essentials – in more ways than one.
9 August 2021We all know that the pandemic and prolonged lockdown have created a very difficult situation for businesses and the impact is still being felt now. Many staff have been furloughed, attitudes to home working and office working have changed,...
Manager sought to lead Growth Hub
6 August 2021Are you an experienced leader that can champion Growth Hub leadership in a proactive, efficient, coordinated and collaborative manner? The LLEP is a strategic body that exists to drive forward regeneration and growth of the local economy in Leicester...
First 40 Leicestershire companies announced for carbon reduction pilot scheme
3 August 2021Leicester and Leicestershire Business Gateway announced today that the first 40 Leicestershire businesses have secured a place on a carbon reduction programme offered by the Business Gateway in partnership with the company Zellar. This is set to be the...
Organisations sought to deliver start-up support
29 July 2021The Business Gateway Growth Hub, working with the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) and Leicester City Council is inviting quotations for the delivery of a programme of business support for start-up businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire. Locally based...
BLOG: Meet our advisers – Paul Bennett
28 July 2021In the next ‘Meet the Adviser’ blog we caught up with Paul Bennett. Paul has been with the team since March last year joining at the start of the pandemic and is only just meeting a lot of the...
Free Amazon Bootcamp: Exporting for success
28 July 2021Join a one-day online bootcamp to hear how you can export your products. Date and time: Tuesday, 10 August 2021 09:00 – 13:00 BST Online Amazon Bootcamp: Exporting for success Join this free bootcamp to hear how you can...
Please support SMEs in the Tourism and Hospitality supply chain #MyHiddenGems
27 July 2021We often work closely with The Federation of Small Businesses in our region so we would like to share their latest initiative with you so that you can take part and support SMEs in Leicestershire: As you know, the...
Rebuild of Glen Parva facility creates massive opportunity for local suppliers
26 July 2021REBUILD OF GLEN PARVA YOUNG OFFENDERS FACILITY CREATES MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY FOR LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN COMPANIES. This event has been rescheduled to 28 SEPTEMBER As part of the Ministry of Justice Estates Transformation Programme, Her Majesty’s Young Offenders Facility at...
Loughborough University launches business start-up accelerator programme
23 July 2021Loughborough University has partnered with Charnwood Borough Council to launch an exciting new programme that aims to help local people working on unique, early-stage products or services bring their vision to life. Established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,...
Get £4,000 for taking on an apprentice until 30 September 2021.
21 July 2021The Government is offering your business £4,000 if you take on an apprentice between now and the end of September; that’s an additional £3,000 on top of the £1,000 they were already offering. If you took on apprentices after...
New package of measures to support road haulage industry
21 July 2021A package of measures to help tackle the HGV driver shortage has been announced by the government. In an open letter to the road haulage sector, ministers have pledged to work with industry leaders to attract new drivers, simplify training...
Get free expert support to sharpen your pitching skills to secure investment in your business
21 July 2021Innovate UK EDGE Pitchfest supports innovative and ambitious UK small to medium sized businesses to get investment-ready and develop their investor pitch to help raise finance. “It’s a great experience and I would recommend it to every entrepreneur looking...
Future Fund: Breakthrough Now Open for Investor Applications
20 July 2021Future Fund: Breakthrough, announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Budget 2021, opens today for applications. This UK-wide programme will deliver £375m of government funding via British Patient Capital, a commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank. Due...
Up to £2,500 available for your community
19 July 2021LOCAL CONNECTIONS FUND FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY COMMUNITY FUND: GRANTS AVAILABLE UNTIL 6 AUGUST Grants are still available to support projects that aim to bring people together, in safe and secure ways, to make sure they are aware of...
Covid19 restrictions come to an end but caution advised
19 July 2021Today, 19 July, most legal restrictions will end including the removal of social distancing and social contact restrictions and remaining businesses will be able to reopen. Step 4 will mark a new phase of continued caution, whilst managing the...
Grant enables Translink Express Logistics to go green
16 July 2021Distribution and warehousing business, Translink Express Logistics is well on its way to becoming a greener business after introducing real-time track and trace service for palletized goods. The Narborough-based business has used a Business Gateway Growth Hub grant to...
New strategy launched to support hospitality sector
16 July 2021A new strategy to ensure England’s pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues can thrive long-term and adapt to consumer demands has been launched by Business Minister Paul Scully today (16 July). The Hospitality Strategy focuses on reopening, recovery...
Search on for best businesswomen in Leicestershire
15 July 2021The LeicestershireLive Women in Business Awards have launched and they are looking for entries from the best businesswomen in the region. The awards, which are headline sponsored by Growth Partners plc, will recognise the achievements of a wide range...
Access to finance spotlight from the British Business Bank
14 July 2021The British Business Bank commissioned Ipsos MORI to conduct research with SME Intermediaries on Access to Finance in their area.
Advanced Manufacturing orders are booming, but key issues need addressing.
9 July 2021CHRIS OWEN – LEADER OF THE PEER NETWORK GROUPS FOR ADVANCED MANUFACTURING Chris Owen discusses the issues facing Leicestershire’s Advanced Manufacturing sector – some of these have been created by Brexit and Covid but others are more long-standing...
New website launched to make Melton a destination for tourism and business
8 July 2021Melton Borough Council has today launched a new destination website for the borough, ‘Discover Melton’. The website will promote Melton as a go-to destination, attracting people and businesses to visit, live and invest in the borough. Discover Melton will...
Coronavirus loan schemes benefit businesses across the East Midlands
8 July 2021New data shows that businesses across the East Midlands received a total of almost £4.7bn in funding under the government’s two largest Covid-19 loan schemes, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). ...
Employees encouraged to take part in Cycle to Work Day
5 July 2021Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils are inviting businesses to encourage their employees to take part in Cycle to Work Day on 5 August this year. There are numerous benefits to cycling including cost savings, improved mental and physical...
Innovation funding available to tackle plastic packaging
29 June 2021The Government has announced that it is looking for innovative solutions to tackle the world-wide problem of plastic packaging. It is making £7m available from its Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund for research and development projects which can ‘significantly impact’...
Business Festival putting Leicestershire’s businesses in the spotlight
28 June 2021Leicester Business Festival (LBF) is back from 8 to 18 November 2021, bringing the business community back together after a difficult year. It has even been cited as contributing to the local Economic Recovery Plan, to help build back...
Towards a Greener Leicestershire Part 3 – Penny Price Aromatherapy
28 June 2021Penny Price Aromatherapy is a well-known Leicestershire company, based in Hinckley, and one which puts sustainability at the heart of its business. Here, Director of Operations, Ellie Dunmore, gives us an insight into how they ensure they always remain...