Tag Archives: marches

Midlands News, News

Andriané takes up the reins at careers hub

Supporting young people in the Marches area with the best possible careers education is the priority for the new face at the helm.

Andriané Usherwood-Brown has been appointed as strategic lead for the Marches Careers Hub, where she was previously enterprise co-ordinator for the Telford & Wrekin area.

Andriané said: “I’m really looking forward to continuing the work the hub has been doing since its launch to support young people within the Marches area.

“We can help them to understand the many opportunities available to them and support young people to make informed decisions around the direction they might wish to take.

“It’s great to be working in partnership with the Marches LEP and the Careers & Enterprise Company to make sure that careers education is meaningful for each young person we meet.

“My priority is to ensure that local skills priorities, jobs of the future and skills shortage needs are fully embedded into the careers support that schools and colleges provide.”

The Marches Careers Hub, organised by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and the Careers and Enterprise Company, was launched in 2021 and brings together employers, schools, colleges and enterprise advisers from across the Marches to unify careers support for young people across the region.

Marches LEP Chair, Mandy Thorn added: “I’m delighted that Andriané has taken on the role of strategic lead for the Marches Careers Hub. She is dedicated and passionate about delivering the best careers education possible for the young people of the Marches area

Finance and Banking, Midlands News, News

£5million funding pot available across the Marches

Businesses across the Marches were today urged to take advantage of a £5 million funding pot to help them grow.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership says the money is available through a variety of business support programmes supported by the European Regional Development Fund and could provide vital help for companies across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

It is part of a wider package of support offered through the Marches LEP and its business support service the Marches Growth Hub amounting to more than £10million.

Paul Kalinauckas, the Marches LEP’s access to finance champion, said the ERDF funding could help companies in a huge variety of ways, including to grow, develop innovative new products or services, expand into new space, become more energy efficient, develop their sustainability and purchase key equipment and innovate.

“Small and medium-sized enterprises across the region can access more than 10 EU-funded business support projects – including grants and consultancy support – with a total financial value of almost £5million.

“This funding and support can make a big difference to small businesses, particularly against the current economic backdrop, and we would urge as many businesses as possible to get in touch to explore how they might benefit from this support.

“We would also urge our partners in the financial services economy to promote the benefits of all these programmes – and the wider support now available – to their clients to help ensure they can get the funding they need just when they need it.”

Examples of the ERDF-funded schemes include:

 

  • The Business Energy Efficiency Programme – through which companies can get expert help and up to £20,000 grant support to reduce their energy costs and carbon footprint

 

  • Business Growth Programme 2 – A £23.5million SME business support package for both start-ups and established companies, with grants of up to £1million available.

 

  • The Low Carbon Opportunities Programme – Grants of up to £50,000 to help businesses in Shropshire develop low carbon products and services.

 

  • The Marches Step Up Programme – Offering support to entrepreneurs, micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across the Marches through ​Step up to Start and Step up to Growth programmes. Support available under Step Up to Start is aimed at aspiring entrepreneurs, those at the pre-start stage or perhaps registered but not yet trading. The support will enable new businesses to get off to the best possible start.

 

  • The Small Equipment Grant – Funding of up to £10,000 to help SMEs purchase new machinery to help them to grow and develop new products and services

 

Paul added: “Alongside these and many more programmes, the LEP also supports the work of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF), which makes a wide variety of financial solutions available. The fund will invest in debt finance, small business loans, proof-of-concept and equity finance funds, ranging from £25,000 to £2million, specifically to help small and medium sized businesses secure the funding they need for growth and development.

“And we have just launched our £4million Marches LEP Energy Fund for capital projects which help future-proof energy provision, promote the use of renewable and sustainable power sources and boost the low carbon economy.

“All this means there has never been a greater variety of funding available to our businesses to help them meet their own ambitions for growth and develop in an environmentally-responsible and sustainable way.”

News

Help at hand for companies to develop international markets

Companies across the Marches are being urged to take advantage of a fund to help them develop their international markets.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) has launched its new Internationalisation Fund for eligible businesses in England.

Match-funded grants of between £1,000 and £9,000 will be available to help support companies which want to develop and expand their international operations.

To secure a grant, companies will need to fund a proportion of the costs themselves. This will be either 40 or 50 per cent of the total cost.

The funding can be used to help meet the cost of:

  • Market research
  • Intellectual property advice
  • Translation services
  • International social media/SEO
  • Trade fairs (where no TAP funding is available)
  • Independent market visits
  • Consultancy and other international commercial services

Marches LEP Access to Finance champion Paul Kalinauckas urged businesses across the region to make use of the fund.

“This funding can offer real help to businesses across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin to develop their global footprint. If any company is thinking of developing or expanding their international operations, this fund can be a huge help.”

To qualify for funding, the business must be based in England, be a small or medium sized enterprise (SME) with up to 250 employees, have an annual turnover of less than €50 million or annual balance sheet of no more than €43 million and no more than 25% of the business should be owned by an enterprise which is not a SME.

The fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

 

Midlands News, News

Marches LEP launches search for dynamic business leaders

A search is being launched for inspirational, strategic business leaders to help shape the future economic growth of the Marches region.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership is recruiting for a new chair and private sector board members to guide the organisation’s next phase of work across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

Current chair Mandy Thorn MBE DL will step down next year after helping the LEP, which also runs the Marches Growth Hub business support service, to deliver significant growth and job creation across the region.

Chief executive Rachel Laver said the LEP had established a first-class public/private sector partnership which “approaches business growth and local regeneration in a positive and commercial manner.”

“We are looking for people with a strong business acumen, who are also politically astute and can represent the Marches at the highest level.

“A new chair and new board members will be helping the LEP navigate a period of change as government focuses on delivering the levelling up agenda and devolution deals. We are looking for people who will champion the Marches and the businesses which start and thrive here.

“Mandy Thorn has been an amazing ambassador for the Marches and has guided the LEP as it has delivered significant growth for the three local areas, working in partnership with private, public and academic partners.

“Mandy will not be stepping down until Spring 2023 and we are starting the recruitment process now to allow for a six month handover period. The two new board members will be appointed to start their term in July this year.”

Due to under–representation on the current board, the LEP is particularly welcoming expressions of interest from business leaders/board level directors and business people in under-represented groups such as BAME, LGBTQ+ and people with disabilities.

Interested business leaders should also have knowledge or expertise in the region’s industry, ideally this will include key areas such as advanced manufacturing & engineering, including food and drink manufacturing & processing; Renewable energy /environmental technology; cyber security & resilience, health and social care, construction/housing and tourism.

Applicants are being asked to detail how the LEP can continue to be the voice of businesses and be further developed over the next 18 months in light of the Levelling Up White Paper as part of the recruitment process.

For more details and how to apply visit Chair and Board Member Vacancies.

Awards, Midlands News, News

Businesses urged to enter prestigious awards

Entries are now open for the most prestigious awards available to UK businesses – and firms in Shropshire are being encouraged to apply for this year’s prize.

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are awarded to businesses for outstanding achievement in four categories: International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity.

Businesses across Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin were urged to enter the awards at two launch ceremonies attended by Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Shropshire, Mrs Anna Turner.

She said: “It was great to have so many of the county’s businesses with us for the launch events and I hope many of them will now go on to submit entries.

“The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise were first presented in 1966 and have since been seen as the ultimate seal of approval for businesses.

“Winners get so much more than a trophy and the right to use the logo and fly the flag – they get worldwide recognition that they are a leader in business and an example for others to follow.”

Mandy Thorn MBE DL, chair of the Marches LEP, added: “We have hundreds of fantastic businesses here in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin who are leading the way for others to follow. The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is the most prestigious award a business can win and can provide a massive boost to your business profile.

“It doesn’t matter if your business employs two people or 2,000. The awards are judged solely on merit and are a real showcase for the most successful enterprises.”

The two launch events were a breakfast meeting at Origins restaurant at Shrewsbury College followed by lunch at the offices of i2r Packaging Solutions in Telford, which has previously won Queen’s Awards for both innovation and international trade.

Peter Reay from i2r Packaging said: “I was delighted to be able to host the meeting at our new UK headquarters in Telford. Hopefully the event will help to inspire other local companies in the Shropshire region to participate in one of the country’s most sought after awards.”

At the launch events, representatives of interested businesses learned about the application process and had the chance to ask questions as well as hearing from previous award winners.

In Shrewsbury, Tullis Matson from Stallion AI Services Ltd, and Andrew Smith from Derwen College presented their experiences of winning the award with Councillor Lezley Picton, leader of Shropshire Council closing the event.

In Telford guests heard from Sara Williams from Proto Labs Ltd and Peter Reay from hosts i2r Packaging Solutions Ltd, triple and double award winners respectively with Councillor Shaun Davies, Telford & Wrekin Council leader closing the event.

Applications for the 2022 Queen’s Awards are open until midday on September 6. To be eligible, a company must be based in the UK, have at least two full time UK employees or part-time equivalents, file its company tax returns with HMRC, be a self-contained enterprise that markets its own products or services under its own management and demonstrate strong corporate social responsibility.

Winners receives an invitation to a Royal reception, a special crystal trophy presented by the Lord Lieutenant, the right to fly the award flag at its headquarters and use the logo in its marketing for five years as well as worldwide recognition as a winner.

Full details are available at https://www.qaeshropshire.co.uk/