Providing a prime opportunity to shout about your business’s achievements, enter the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 now! The annual event, organised by East Midlands Business Link Magazine, is an independent awards and publicity programme recognising development projects and people in commercial and public building across the region – from office, industrial and residential schemes, through to community projects such as leisure schemes and schools. The prestigious awards attract leaders from across the region and are the perfect way for businesses to promote themselves and those they work with. Indeed winning one of these awards will add considerably to a company’s or individual’s brand and enhance their commercial reach significantly. Award categories include: most active estate agent, commercial development of the year, responsible business of the year, residential development of the year, developer of the year, deal of the year, architects of the year, excellence in design, sustainable development of the year, contractor of the year, and overall winner. Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of time to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region. Henry Brothers, winners of Commercial Development of the Year at the 2021 East Midlands Bricks Awards, reflected on the event: “Henry Brothers was absolutely thrilled to have won the Commercial Development of the Year award at the East Midlands Bricks for the delivery of the Medical Technologies Innovation Facility at Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton Campus. “The Henry Brothers story began in Northern Ireland in the 1970s and the company has grown to become a leading UK construction company. However, this award for Henry Brothers Midlands cements our position as a significant member of the East Midlands construction sector and we are very proud to have been recognised for our contribution. “We enjoyed the informal atmosphere of the East Midlands Bricks Awards ceremony and hope to nominate projects next year, as we’d very much like to be part of the event in 2022.” To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page. Thanks to our sponsors:                                      

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A new strategy to make the most of the arrival of HS2 in the East Midlands is being developed. Government has given the region £1m to come up with detailed plans aimed at maximising the potential of high-speed rail, with trains coming to a new HS2 station at East Midlands Parkway and going on to Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield. Rail Minister Andrew Stephenson has requested that the work should be managed by the East Midlands Development Company (EM DevCo), which has been set up by five local authorities to plan three major development zones – including the area around Parkway. Announcing the decision, the Minister said: “I’m delighted to announce £1m of grant funding in this financial year for the East Midlands’ HS2 Growth Strategy. “This work will be vital in ensuring that the East Midlands maximises the benefits the region receives from HS2 and the Integrated Rail Plan.” The government’s Integrated Rail Plan announced in November 2021 that HS2 would come to East Midlands Parkway on a new high-speed rail line from Birmingham, with trains then joining the existing network to reach Derby, Nottingham and Chesterfield. The new HS2 Growth Strategy will examine the best ways to make high-speed trains accessible to people and communities across the region, and look at the opportunities for economic growth it offers through new development. The strategy will also look at the potential for other rail connections to be linked up to high-speed train services, including projects such as the proposed Maid Marian Line in Nottinghamshire. The HS2 station at East Midlands Parkway means high-speed trains will be directly accessible from a series of major road networks such as the M1, A50, A453, A6 and A42, connecting it to communities in Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire. It is also close to East Midlands Airport and within the East Midlands Freeport area. It is also alongside the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station area, one of three zones whose development potential is being planned and promoted by the DevCo. The others are the East Midlands Airport area and the Toton and Chetwynd Corridor. The Integrated Rail Plan pledged billions in investment for rail services in the East Midlands, including HS2 services, the electrification of the Midland Mainline, and looking at the potential to upgrade the East Coast Mainline, open a Network Rail station at Toton, and extend the Robin Hood line via the Maid Marian Line. Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, Ben Bradley MP, who chairs the HS2 Executive Board in the East Midlands, said: “This is really positive news and crucial to the region’s ambitious transport plans. “The funding will help us look at ways we can drive forward wider plans for investment projects at Toton, which include better connectivity to the site such as the Maid Marian Line – which I’m delighted to say has not been scrapped and will now be pursued via this other funding route. “Government is in fact actively talking about a Mansfield, Ashfield, Toton direct-to-London rail link, which will play a vital role in our future by unlocking jobs, housing and investment opportunities in the years to come. “It is also a sign of trust that government has given this funding and wants local planning organisations such as the DevCo to lead on coming up with a structured plan.” The DevCo will manage and coordinate development of the growth strategy with partners across the region, including local councils and Midlands Connect – the government-backed body that develops transport projects across the Midlands. The work will also ensure that local master planning around stations is consistent with the HS2 growth strategy. It is expected to take two years to complete. Richard Carr, the Managing Director of EM DevCo, added: “This is a welcome investment by government which will enable our transport specialists to develop detailed plans aimed at maximising the connectivity of high-speed rail. “We will be looking at how HS2 can integrate with both existing transport networks and new projects planned for the future, and the potential for development around the proposed station at East Midlands Parkway.”

With the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022 drawing nearer, the East Midlands Chamber has highlighted the “great opportunity” they provide to “celebrate some of the most successful businesses, individuals and developments.” East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “From the Becketwell development in Derby to the Island Quarter scheme in Nottingham, the East Midlands is home to some of the UK’s most transformative regeneration projects right now. “The property and construction industry has arguably never been more important to our region, yet its businesses are grappling with significant challenges resulting from inflationary cost pressures, energy price hikes and acute labour shortages. “Yet it ploughs on regardless and, having played a key role in keeping our country going during the pandemic, is proving once again to be hugely resilient. “These awards will therefore be a great opportunity to celebrate some of the most successful businesses, individuals and developments in one of the East Midlands’ largest industries.”

If you haven’t submitted your nominations yet, now is the ideal time.

Winners will be revealed at a glittering awards ceremony on Thursday 15 September, at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground – an evening that will also provide plenty of time to forge new contacts with property and construction professionals from across the region. To submit a business or development for the East Midlands Bricks Awards 2022, please click on a category link below or visit this page. Thanks to our sponsors:                                      

To be held at:

On Monday 14 November 2022 the East Midlands Expo will return, offering an ideal day for networking and business generation – meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road. An established event of over 20 years, for which Business Link is a proud partner, the free to attend expo is well targeted and aimed at the construction, property, business, investment, finance, professional services and related B2B markets. Taking place at the De Vere East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, the exhibition will open to attendees at 9am, with a seminar taking place between 10:45am and noon. A special networking lunch (for which tickets can be purchased here) will then take place between 12:15pm and 2:15pm, and the exhibition will close at 3:30pm.

For more information on exhibiting at the event click here.

To register to attend the event for free click here.

To secure tickets for the networking lunch click here.

The first company to move into Lincoln’s Science and Innovation Park has grown so successfully it is moving into its own premises. METIS Aerospace was the first through the doors when the Science Park opened in 2017. Originally just two people, the Aerospace, Defence and Security company now has 14 staff and is undergoing a major expansion. After 23 years flying on RAF Nimrod aircraft, CEO Tony Burnell founded the company in 2011 with the aim of developing specialist signals intelligence solutions capable of delivering real-time threat warnings. In 2018 METIS was instrumental in the reopening of Gatwick Airport during its Drone Crisis and since then METIS has been actively involved with major airports, enabling to continue operating whilst identifying drone threats that could interfere aircraft and their operations. “We develop Electronic Warfare Signals Intelligence solutions that detect, track and identify high frequency radio waves emitted by targets of interest. That could be anything from a terrorist organisation’s radio communications to a serious organised crime operation using drones.” Tony, who sits on the newly formed GLLEP Defence and Security board is also Chair of the UK’s Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space’s Drone Platform and Counter Drone group, said: “What has really made us unique is the many years of experience we have had in the RAF using tech in global conflicts, then testing, evaluating, and developing it. We have used these skills and our experiences of being the end user to provide our customers with better solutions, thereby building a strong business.” METIS was eager to move into the Lincoln Science & Innovation Park as soon the Boole Technology Centre opened. “The primary driver for moving in was to collaborate with the right people to build better products. That included companies who also moved into Boole and we were right next to the University of Lincoln who we’ve been able to work with to develop emerging technologies and pulling these through into the commercial sector in short timescales. We also liked the ‘wow’ factor of bringing clients to Boole. The biggest benefit was the flexibility and understanding of Tom, the Park’s director. His door is always open, and he is a great person who’s provided support and advice throughout but, arguably more importantly, worked with us to enable the company to grow.” Tom Blount, Director of Lincoln Science & Innovation Park, said: “We would have loved to keep Tony and his team on site but, sadly, their growth has meant that we simply haven’t the space available in such a short timescale. We will miss having them based at the Park but they remain an important part of our wider science and tech community.” METIS is now moving to its own premises in North Hykeham which will house its offices, labs and a new manufacturing facility with space to produce drones up to a 6m fixed wingspan.