Friday, April 4, 2025

Lincolnshire’s £1.7m drive to fund filling job vacancies

Steve Fisher
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Lincolnshire’s £1.7m drive to fund filling job vacancies

Greater Lincolnshire LEP is launching a call for innovative projects to support jobs and the region’s labour market by offering funding worth a total of £1.7m

The number of job vacancies in the UK is at all time high, and in Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland there are vacancies across a whole range of different sectors, occupations and salaries.  There are many reasons for this, and today we are launching a call for projects that is designed to test out activities to support filling vacancies. Vacancies are particularly high in caring roles, driver occupations, machine operatives, the construction sector and a whole range of jobs within the visitor economy and food sector. The demand for labour in these areas is not new, but the combined impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, a desire for better work-life balance, and a reduction in migrant labour from EU has resulted in large increases. Pat Doody, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP said: “On behalf of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership I am pleased to launch the Greater Lincolnshire Labour Market Support Fund today. It is designed to test out new ways of supporting and growing talent within our area, and we are keen to see innovative proposals that support future economic growth and resilience.” Any business, training provider or third-sector organisation in Greater Lincolnshire or Rutland is eligible to apply as long as the proposals do not duplicate existing activity and are innovative in new ways of addressing the challenge. The fund is seeking to strengthen or address Greater Lincolnshire’s immediate labour market challenges. The LEP is keen for the fund to demonstrate direct short-term impact where possible, understanding that the fund is limited in what it can cover. The closing date is 29th April 2022 , and the lead officers are Halina Davies halina.davies@lincolnshire.gov.uk and Clare Hughes clare.hughes@lincolnshire.gov.uk. Known barriers to employment and categories that will be considered for funding are:
  • Training, eg for specific occupations such as Large Goods Vehicle Training (LGV) or training that is more flexible than other funds allow
  • Labour market attraction schemes, e.g. face-to-face jobs fairs, industry tasters, job related campaigns
  • Specialist support for people out of work (over and above what is already available through Government funding and European Social Fund schemes)
  • Specialist recruitment and retention support
  • Purchase of equipment/capital investment/new technologies, eg to resolve requirement to labour-intensive roles
  • Support to fill roles that have been continuously challenging to fill
  • Other innovative or collaborative schemes, eg transport schemes, sustainable childcare schemes
  • Consideration of the impact of Covid – how do we enable people to return to work ensuring that any mental health needs are addressed?
  • Rural dimension is very important – are there technology interventions in social care that could be considered? Care, visitor economy and hospitality sectors are losing large numbers of staff to other sectors; what opportunities are there to rebalance this beyond offering higher salaries?
  • Innovative schemes/structured approaches to help address vacancies in the interim, given that automation and planning for the future take time, eg food sector, loss of seasonal EU staff
  • Ideas that help address retention of skills in key sectors, eg in the construction and manufacturing sector; many are picking and choosing their jobs in other regions (attraction of larger projects, higher salaries, etc)
  • Initiatives such as wheels to work, bespoke demand-responsive transport options, understanding the seclusion of many of our rural communities
  • Innovative ideas that might help attract back recently retired individuals, garnering knowledge and expertise
The LEP has laid down a series of rules:
  • Wage incentives will not be eligible
  • Schemes must not duplicate something already funded or readily available and accessible
  • We are seeking schemes that are innovative and/or collaborative
  • All projects must address labour shortages in the immediate or short term and focus on solutions that reduce the need for labour or fill job vacancies
  • Schemes that will not result in addressing labour shortages by March 2026 will not be considered
  • Where the proposal is for a capital asset, or for funds to train your own staff or recruit staff for your own business, match funding will be required
  • Schemes that deliver training must result in people moving into job roles that would otherwise not have been filled within 60 days of the end of the intervention
  • All project proposals must state clearly how outputs or outcomes will be measured and reported
  • There is a maximum of £1.7m available in this scheme
  • Scheme proposals can be capital or revenue or a combination of both
  • Funding requests should be in excess of £200,000, although consideration will be given to proposals that seek £100,000 if there is a very strong case
  • All funds must be spent by 31st December 2024, and outcomes delivered by 2025
Outline business cases will be welcomed from now. The closing date for submissions is 5pm on Friday 29th April.

Lincolnshire foundry expands with £250,000 funding package

Tess Egginton
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Lincolnshire foundry expands with £250,000 funding package
Grimsby-based specialist engineering company, Fowler & Holden, is set to expand its manufacturing facilities and invest in new machinery following a £250,000 funding package from HSBC UK. The support from HSBC will allow Fowler & Holden to significantly expand its facilities through the addition of new and repurposed factory space, with the additional space being used to house a new second moulding line and a new plant room – in turn, increasing the privately-owned company’s production capacity by up to 80 per cent and creating up to 14 new jobs. In addition, the funding from HSBC UK will enable investment in new equipment, which includes a sand recycling machine that will allow the business to re-use 95 per cent of the sand from its casting process, substantially reducing wastage. As a result, there will be a reduced need for sand quarrying, and fewer HGVs will be required for transportation, significantly reducing traffic and CO2 emissions in Grimsby town centre. Tim Brooksbank, director of Fowler & Holden, said: “The support from HSBC UK has been invaluable in allowing us to fulfil the requirements to secure our domestic supply chain through the expansion of our facilities and investment into a second moulding line. “Increased government investment into infrastructure coupled with rising international delivery costs has meant that there is more demand for our products and this funding from HSBC will allow us to grow our business domestically and create new jobs to benefit the local economy. “We’re also extremely proud to be reducing our environmental impact as a result of the support, proving that foundries and manufacturing facilities can also contribute to sustainability.” Theodora Akuffo, business banking relationship manager at HSBC UK, added: “Fowler & Holden has demonstrated a clear commitment to manufacturing quality products in a more sustainable manner whilst growing its business in a way that benefits the local community, and we look forward to contributing to its future success.”

Planning secured for 1,600 new homes and commercial development in Northampton

Tess Egginton
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Planning secured for 1,600 new homes and commercial development in Northampton
Outline planning permission (subject to Section 106 agreement) has been approved for up to 1,600 new homes, along with major commercial development at Overstone Green, an area of land located to the north east of Northampton. Pegasus Group secured the outline permission from West Northamptonshire Council on behalf of Davidsons Developments Ltd and L&Q Estates. The scheme, on land east of Kettering Road, Overstone, is set to secure and deliver the balance of the Northampton North Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE) as allocated in the adopted West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy. The plans, which were recommended for approval by planning officers and unanimously approved by Councillors, also include works to accommodate a new section of A43 dual carriageway along with the development of 5.73ha of commercial land to include an employment area, local centre, new primary school and an assisted living/residential care home. Rachel Pramayon from Davidsons Development Ltd said: “We are delighted that outline permission has been granted for this exciting scheme which is set to deliver a high quality development focusing on place making and design.” Richard Edwards from L&Q Estates said: “This is an excellent outcome that has resulted from several years of hard work and effort from all the team. This is an important strategic site for our business located in a strong market area and we look forward to delivering the infrastructure the site to enable serviced parcels to be sold to our housebuilder clients.” Pegasus Group provided a range of services throughout the project, including planning, design, economics, environmental and heritage expertise. The outline plans approved are:
  • Up to 1,600 homes
  • Up to 5.73ha of mixed-use commercial land, including a local centre, over 55s living/residential care home, community hub and light industry/office accommodation
  • A 2-form entry primary school
  • Public open space, including allotments and children’s play space(s)
  • Structural landscape planting
  • Associated infrastructure including drainage features, footpaths and cycleways and vehicular access

Lincolnshire’s Property & Business Investment Expo gathers pace

Steve Fisher
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Lincolnshire’s Property & Business Investment Expo gathers pace
Lincolnshire’s free to attend Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo returns on Wednesday 27 April 2022 at The Bentley Hotel, Lincoln. Business Link Magazine is a proud partner of the well targeted event aimed at the Construction, Property, Business, Investment, Finance, Professional Services and related B2B markets. Opening at 9am, the expo will also host a seminar, and as the exhibition closes, it will roll directly into an informal, open buffet style network lunch – tickets are just £25 plus vat and can be ordered and paid for directly online. Spaces for the lunch are limited, so order as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. Tina King, of Business Shows Group, said: “It’s been a long time in the making thanks to the pandemic, but we are finally nearly there, The Property & Business Investment Lincolnshire Expo is gearing up to be one of the best to date!” To attend the event, register for free here. To generate opportunities by exhibiting at the event, click here. Purchase tickets to the networking lunch here. Meet more potential clients in one amazing cost effective day, than it would take months out on the road.

Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show returns after two year forced break

Steve Fisher
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Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show returns after two year forced break
A town’s popular classic car show is set to roar back into life this summer having been cancelled the last two years because of the Covid pandemic. The Ilkeston Heritage and Classic Vehicle Show will hit the road on Sunday, August 14 bringing the sights and sounds of yesteryear to the town centre. This will 10 years since the first show,  filling the Market Place and surrounding streets with colourful memories and attracting exhibitors and visitors from across the country. Organisers Erewash Partnership Events – a sister company of enterprise agency Erewash Partnership – hope the revitalised free extravaganza will again be a major attraction after organisers had to cancel it the last two years because of social distancing restrictions and fear of spreading the virus. Before then it had grown rapidly over seven years to attract thousands of visitors of all ages to make it the biggest one day event in the town. Families have wandered around hundred of classic and sports cars, motorbikes and scooters, lorries, buses, tractors and steam engines enjoying chats with proud owners about their history. As well as a great day out there are other benefits – local businesses have opened up on the day enjoying extra trade, charities have received much-needed cash and the event has boosted the profile of both Ilkeston and the Partnership. The organisers have already had offers of sponsorship from Ilkeston firms car dealer Ron Brooks Toyota and  Larklands Body & Paint Centre, and Pidcock Motorcycles of Long Eaton. Proving the show’s popularity, a new sponsor has come forward – Alliance Group Solutions of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, who have done groundwork on the re-opened Bennerley Viaduct and flood defences in the Ilkeston area. These sponsors have provided almost half the income towards the £7,000 target for putting on the show – but more are needed to ensure it goes ahead as planned. The organisers are also hoping to recruit more volunteers to set up and close down the displays and act as marshals. So well-liked is the show that when there was a preliminary mention on Facebook the item attracted 10,000 views in a day. Ian Viles, chief executive of Erewash Partnership, said: “We are thrilled at the prospect of putting on the car show again and providing an entertaining day out for past attendees as well as new ones which we hope will boost spirits after a difficult time “Once we are confident that we have received enough support we will then make exhibitors tickets available to book online.  We look forward to welcoming people to what we hope will be a great day.”    

Vision unveiled for historic mills site

Tess Egginton
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Vision unveiled for historic mills site
Property developer Wavensmere Homes has revealed details of its latest development, which will be built on the site of a historic Derbyshire mills complex. The scheme, called Milford Mills, would be built at the 4.7-acre heritage landmark, on the A6, between, Duffield and Belper – and would feature 69 properties, comprising a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments and two-, three- and four-bedroom homes. The project will be delivered in partnership with Chevin Homes, which will be restoring two buildings at the site – The Dye House and The Pattern House – to create retail, office and leisure space. James Dickens, Managing Director at Wavensmere Homes, which is currently building the 900-home Nightingale Quarter scheme, in Derby, said: “Milford Mills will offer peaceful, countryside living yet is also conveniently located within just a few miles of Derby centre. “Derby is currently seeing huge economic regeneration and investment at the moment, and we look forward to continuing to build communities in this region.” John Fearnehough, director at Chevin Homes, said: “The development of this high-profile and historic site is a labour of love for Chevin and now that we have cleared the site in readiness for development, we’re delighted be working with regeneration specialists Wavensmere on this special project.” The Milford Mills site is located seven miles north of Derby city centre in the heart of the Derwent Valley. Positioned along the River Derwent, the development is set within the countryside landscapes of Milford village centre. The Milford Mills site is part of Derbyshire’s industrial heritage and dates back to 1780 when the former mills were some of the world’s first mechanised industrial spinning factories. The project will include the restoration of key historic features, including the mill building, a 40-meter chimney and a lade for a hydro-electric mill that will be opened up and exposed. The development sits on Milford Bridge, which was built in 1793 by Jedediah Strutt, who was a hosier and cotton spinner from Belper. Jedediah Strutt is the man who connected and built all the sites in the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site – including the Belper and Milford Mills.
  Wavensmere Homes and Chevin Homes will now look to transform the site, which will feature cottage-style homes designed by architects Gould Singleton. Design features include natural stone facades to compliment the surrounding architecture of Milford and nearby Belper. Work on the Milford Mills is expected to begin this spring. James said: “We look forward to working closely with Chevin Homes to produce a beautifully designed site that will be perfect for families, first-time buyers and investors.”

University of Derby offers fully funded support for Derbyshire businesses

Tess Egginton
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0
University of Derby offers fully funded support for Derbyshire businesses
Businesses across the Derbyshire Dales and High Peak areas can access funded support from the University of Derby between now and the start of the summer to help them recover, grow and innovate. Working in partnership with East Midlands Chamber, Derbyshire County Council, Marketing Peak District & Derbyshire and The Food and Drink Forum, the University is offering fully funded support to businesses in these areas, as part of the East Midlands Accelerator Programme. Part-funded by the UK government through the UK Community Renewal Fund, businesses can access fully funded workshops, training, masterclasses and events, and networking through Derbyshire Accelerator until 30 June 2022. The University and its partners are urging businesses to register their interest soon to ensure they don’t miss out on this opportunity. Through Derbyshire Accelerator, the University is offering support to help identify the strengths and weaknesses of a company’s business model, as well as develop a pathway to improvement or growth. This can be achieved through support to develop the skills of a company’s leaders and workforce, make better use of digital tools and technology, or develop new processes, products and services. The Derbyshire Net Zero Accelerator Programme can also provide an opportunity for businesses to improve their energy, resource and operational efficiency; reduce costs and greenhouse gas emissions; gain green business skills and take some giant steps in their journey towards Net Zero. Firms with membership will have access to a new sustainable business platform that will allow them to calculate and manage the carbon footprint of their company. In addition, the University is offering SME’s in the Derbyshire Dales, High Peak, Bassetlaw, Mansfield, Newark, Sherwood and Nottingham City areas fully funded places on its Help to Grow: Management programme. Professor Kamil Omoteso, Pro Vice-Chancellor Dean of the College of Business, Law and Social Science at the University, said: “We are delighted to be part of Derbyshire Accelerator and providing the support needed to help businesses recover, grow and innovate following the pandemic. “By taking part in the programme, participants can access support with leadership and workforce development, digital innovation and adoption, product, process and service innovation, as well as the Derbyshire Net-Zero Accelerator to help them realise their growth ambitions.”

Sanctions on Russia increases threat of cyber attack on firms

Steve Fisher
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Sanctions on Russia increases threat of cyber attack on firms
Increasing levels of sanctions on Russia are leading to an increased threat of cyber attack, warns online payment specialist Takepayments Ltd. Amongst firms surveyed by the company fears are greatest amongst businesses in engineering, manufacturing, and the law, which has prompted the company to ask James Bore, Director of Bores Security Group, to provide tips in staying safe online. 1. Backup.  Back up everything in at least some form separately from your business devices, and test the backups. Nowadays, if you’re using good cloud storage services, they can provide a high level of availability, screening for any known malware, and online storage that business owners can access from anywhere they need for a low cost rather than having to invest in expensive backup hardware. Given the cost of good cloud storage these days, business owners can either identify the most important things to backup or in most cases just ensure absolutely everything data-related is replicated online. 2. Be aware of malware.  Malware is any malicious software. There are various different kinds, including viruses, and just like human viruses, no protection will be perfect. Protecting your business from malware is about hygiene – business owners should make sure that their antivirus or antimalware software is installed and turned on (there are good, free options as well as commercial ones, but do your research), make sure staff are not downloading and installing anything dodgy, do regular patching or turn on automatic updates, set up firewalls on machines, and try to avoid using USB sticks or memory cards – with cloud storage these should be largely unnecessary anyway. 3. The hygiene extends to phones and tablets as well. Turning on password protection, using some of the tools business owners are most likely already paying for to make sure devices that go missing can be found, or wiped, keeping everything up to date, and if they use public wifi assume everything they’re doing is visible to someone so don’t do anything sensitive. 4. A few words about passwords. If business owners have the option, secure passphrases (a collection of random words strung together or written in a sentence) are much more secure and easier to remember than a scrabble of letters and symbols. Business owners should also, for anything sensitive, use two-factor authentication – Google and Microsoft provide their own free Authenticator apps, and another good one is Authy – with an app installed on their phone or tablet. 5. Don’t get hooked.  The vast majority of attacks happen because of malicious emails, commonly known as phishing emails. There are lots of lists of tips about how to avoid them, many of which are highly technical, but as a very basic piece of advice I usually say that if any message (email or voice) is asking a business owner to do anything out of the ordinary, or causing any sort of emotional response (excitement, fear, etc) then take a few seconds to verify it. To do this do not use any of the contact details provided in the e-mail, instead use a phone number they know to be right, a live chat page on a website, or any other method they know to be safe to confirm that the e-mail is genuine. Sandra Rowley at Takepayments Ltd said: “Cyber security should ultimately be taken as seriously to a business owner as taking out business and liability insurance. More than one in five small business owners created a website for their business during the pandemic according to our recent report, and cyber security should come as a top priority for any business looking to move online. Unfortunately, as further sanctions are implemented towards Russia, the threat of cyber security attack’s could  increase so now is more important than ever for businesses to implement as many cyber security measures as they can to ensure their business is protected as much as possible.”

Firms hit by 63% surge in customs duties reveals new report

Steve Fisher
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Firms hit by 63% surge in customs duties reveals new report
Firms have been hit by a 63% surge in customs duties – a record high of £4.7bn in the year to the end of January, according to a new report. The figures – up from £2.9bn in the previous 12 months – show that the last six months to 28 February 2022 are the six highest months on record for customs duties paid, with £2.6bn paid in that period alone. Over the past five years, the total amount of customs duties paid has averaged just £3.3bn per year. UHY Hacker Young, who compiled the report, says the rise comes as post-Brexit increases in customs duties begin to bite for UK businesses and consumers. Post-Brexit ‘Rule of Origin’ requirements have dragged far more imports into the customs duty net. These rules mean anything sold in the UK by EU businesses must wholly or largely originate in the EU to be exempt from customs duties when it enters the UK. The company adds that the tightening of the ‘Rules of Origin’ requirements looks to be already having an impact on UK businesses and consumers. From January 1, the Government introduced a requirement that importers must show a declaration about the origin of the goods at the point of entry. If a business cannot prove the origin, they face paying the full rate of customs duty and additional penalties. Sean Glancy, Partner at UHY Hacker Young, said: “These figures show that post-Brexit increases in customs costs are hitting businesses and consumers hard. With UK consumers already being hit by a cost-of-living crisis driven by increased energy costs and rising taxes, the jump in customs tariffs is the last thing they need.” “Businesses are struggling under the weight of tariff costs and additional paperwork. These additional costs are biting just as they try to recover from pandemic-related costs and interruptions.” “Since Brexit, customs duties have substantially increased costs for many businesses, in some cases making a dramatic impact on the bottom line. Businesses which are heavily dependent on trade with the EU may well be looking to reassess their models.” “UK consumers are likely to face price increases at a time when the cost of living is already rising. They may also find familiar products no longer in stock should UK businesses cut imports of EU products.”

New £1.75m research and innovation centre that will revolutionise precision medicine and nutrition opens at University of Derby

Tess Egginton
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0
New £1.75m research and innovation centre that will revolutionise precision medicine and nutrition opens at University of Derby
A new £1.75 million research and innovation centre designed to revolutionise diet and medication by combining biomedical and data science expertise has opened at the University of Derby. The Facility for Omics Research in Metabolism (FORM), based at the University’s Kedleston Road site, will focus on personalised foods, vitamins, supplements and medicine, while supporting the education of 800 highly skilled learners and providing more than 20 jobs. FORM, which is backed by £850,000 from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership via its Local Growth Fund allocation, and matched by the University, was officially opened this week (22 March) to guests from industry, academia and local government. Professor Kathryn Mitchell CBE DL, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University opened the event with a presentation on the University’s research strategy. Professor Chris Bussell, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Science and Engineering and Professor Gyan Tripathi, Director of FORM at the University, then provided guests insights to the research potential of the Facility, a tour of the world-class laboratory, and introduced them to academics and researchers who will be working in FORM. The Facility is equipped with Metabolomics and Genomics capabilities and is supported by the University’s Human Sciences Research Centre (HSRC). The aim is to improve the health outcomes of people through a stratified medicine approach for a better understanding of the disease pathologies and agents that can improve metabolic conditions and treat diseases. The University of Derby is already working on metabolomic research for conditions such as COVID-19, diabetes and obesity. The FORM provides the University with the capability of universal detection of genes (genomics), mRNA (transcriptomics), proteins (proteomics) and metabolites (metabolomics) in biological samples which will help advance understanding of diseases and help identify new and innovative solutions to improve health and prevent and treat diseases. The technologies within the Facility will also be applied to develop forensic investigation work, boost the performance of elite athletes and support new forms of sustainable agriculture, such as vertical farming. Professor Chris Bussell said: “This new facility will further the capabilities of D2N2 and will establish cutting edge technologies, innovation and world-class research in the Life Sciences sector within Derby and Derbyshire, further advancing the reputation of the region as a hub for innovation in the understanding and treatment of human diseases. “FORM will not only provide better scientific understanding and knowledge for meditech and personalised treatments, but it will also create more opportunities for the University to work with companies as part of their own R&D and innovation.” Professor Warren Manning, Provost for Innovation and Research at the University of Derby, added: “We are delighted to be making another significant development in the University’s research capability with the opening of this centre, which will provide vital data and information for industry and consumers alike, with the long-term aim of improving people’s health outcomes. “Working in partnership with D2N2, the facility will also deliver new jobs and skills and support the recovery and future prosperity of our city and region.” Commenting on the new facility, D2N2 chair Elizabeth Fagan, said: “The D2N2 LEP is delighted to have supported the University of Derby’s Facility for OMICSs Research in Metabolism (FORM) with £850,000 from our Local Growth Fund. “Our region has an excellent reputation for biomedical science and the opening of the new facility will continue to advance our reputation in outstanding research. “This project is just one of many investments D2N2 LEP has made in partnership with the University of Derby, to boost our economy, improve the lives of local people and shape the future of our region.” David Campbell, director of Surescreen Diagnostics Ltd, added: “The establishment of the FORM centre is a great achievement for the University of Derby and will be a very valuable asset for businesses, education and the economy across the Midlands. Better research and understanding of the body’s metabolism is crucial to improving patient care and developing the right solutions to improve what is currently available going forward.”
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