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A full range of business support measures have been made available to UK businesses and employees.
Follow the links to see the latest updates from Government on working safely here and find financial support for your business.
The Government has set up a business support helpline on 0800 998 1098 This is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.
Visit the Malvern Hills website for the latest Covid business advice. If you are not receiving this newsletter directly, please sign up to our regular email newsletter for the latest updates on business support.
MHDC and Community First are piloting The Village Office scheme to help prevent social isolation driven by the rise of home-working. Due to the scheme, there will be times when Lindridge Parish Hall will be available as a co - working space for those who work from home or have small businesses. There will be plenty of space to set up a laptop or do crafting work, and good Wi-Fi will be provided.
Contact lindridgeparishhall@outlook.com for more information or visit their website: Lindridge Parish Hall | Eardiston
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MHDC and WDC have gained funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund to support upskilling. The project has already funded 30+ businesses and 15+ apprentices in Malvern Hills and Wychavon and there is still grant money available for businesses who take on apprentices and trainees. We can offer you, if you are an employer with fewer than 250 staff, £2000 for each new apprentice or other trainee of any age, whether previously on the company pay role or not. The main requirement is that your apprentice must have started their training after 1st April 2021 and be currently enrolled on their course. Apply online today.
With our Apprentice and Trainee Support Grants we are giving new apprentices and trainees £500. They can also get help with the cost of travel, equipment and other costs related to their training up to a maximum of £1,000. This project is also funded by the UK Community Renewal Fund.
To qualify for the payments they need to:
• live in the Malvern Hills or Wychavon postcode areas.
• be a new apprentice or trainee of any age.
• earn less than £15,000 a year.
For full terms and conditions and to apply please visit our website.
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Help is available for local apprentices and employees to access their workplace and training. Malvern Hills Car Clubs, with grant support from Malvern Hills District Council, has made available five new purpose built Ebikes and the option to convert applicants normal bikes to Ebikes. This scheme is designed to provide an alternative transport option for apprentices and other workers with their commute. The price is just £15 per week and funding to cover the cost is available for apprentices and trainees through the Training Cost Support Payment.
Further details below and please share this with your staff.
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Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils have received more than £283,000 from the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund to support a range of activities to boost skills, help businesses grow and support people into work as part of the Upskilling in Malvern Hills and Wychavon project.
As part of the programme, we are looking to provide support for local employers to develop age friendly working practices. The aim is to enable businesses to both recruit older employees and retain older employees where they wish to remain in the work force, by adopting new management practices and policies.
We have appointed Helen Astill, of award-winning HR consultancy Cherington HR, to help deliver this support to Malvern Hills and Wychavon businesses. Free 1:1 meetings with Helen for any businesses who would like support in implementing their age-friendly policies are available. If you would like to take advantage of the free 1:1 sessions and access the free resources, please contact Helen on 01684 594773 or email helen.astill@hrsolutions-uk.com
Worcestershire Growth Hub is working in partnership with Malvern Hills District Council on an initiative to look at more intensive engagement with businesses located in some of the more rural business parks in the district. Both organisations want to ensure that companies are aware of the support available to help grow their businesses and that common issues are identified to feed into the District’s Economic Development Strategy for the future.
Funding and advice is available in areas such as:
- Clean growth
- Innovation
- Supply chains
- And much more...
For more information please contact Worcestershire Growth Hub on 01905 677888 or info@business-central.co.uk
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Be part of a new programme from Worcestershire County Council aimed at supporting organisations across the county to decarbonise and save money by reducing energy costs and carbon emissions. Gain decarbonisation advice and an individual energy efficiency consultation. There is also free training and accreditation for business within the energy efficiency and renewable energy technology sectors. There are so many benefits to reducing your carbon footprint, on top of tackling climate change, a focus on sustainability can bring cost savings, positive branding and resilience.
The pilot of this programme is due to close on 30 June 2022 and availability is limited.
For more information please contact the Programme Manager Don Gembeckas on email at dgembeckas@worcestershire.gov.uk or Telephone: 01905 843 902.
There are limited spaces still available in the next cohort for the Elevate Growth and Elevate Manufacturing programmes. Both programmes offer specialist business support and funding to SME's. Elevate Growth supports your business to develop efficient processes, increase productivity, build resilience, and grow sustainably. Elevate Manufacturing specifically helps manufacturers modernise their processes by exploring how digital technologies and automation can increase productivity and profitability, whilst reducing waste and cost within the business.
Both programmes are aimed at Worcestershire SME's who have been trading for more than 3 years with 5+ employees. On the completion of the support package there is the opportunity to apply for grant funding up to £15,000.
Unleash your potential and enquire now: email info@business-central.co.uk or phone 01905 677888.
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SSW can work with you to develop a bespoke training programme relevant to your needs, and as the SSW programme is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) and the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), a wide range of training can be accessed at no cost to your business.
They can support you with qualifications in: IT, Leadership and Management, Engineering, Manufacturing, Construction, Health and Social care, Customer Service, Business Administration, and many more.
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After the success of the virtual awards last year, the popular event returns in its physical manifestation on 17 November 2022 at the West Midland Safari Park. Get your entries in for a star apprentice or excellent employer by 15 July 2022.
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There's still time for independent businesses to get a cash boost to help their Covid-19 recovery with Malvern Hills District Council's Town Centre Support Scheme. Traders in any of the district's five retail centres – Great Malvern, Malvern Link including Link Top, Barnards Green, Upton and Tenbury – can apply for the grant.
Funding is on offer to pay for shop front improvements and security measures such as CCTV. The council will pay up to £1,500 for a project with the business expected to match fund.
The scheme is part of the council's £500,000 economic recovery fund created to support the local economy as it recovers from the impact of Covid-19 restrictions.
Eligible businesses can now apply for financial help following the February floods. Affected businesses can claim a one-off payment of £1000. Applicants must be the normal occupant of the flooded premises and business rates payer to apply for the support. They must also be able to prove they were flooded in February 2022, for example with photographs. Click the link below to find out more.
Young businesses can benefit from a rage of support from Enterprising Worcestershire. Expert business coaches from Real World Consultancy will help you navigate the challenges of getting your fledgling business off the ground.
To find out more, please contact EW@worcestershire.gov.uk.
Your business could also benefit from a start up grant between £1,000 and £15,000 to help with developing your business in its early stages. This could be used to invest in your brands website, gain expert consultancy advice or anything that will help build foundations for your young business.
All Worcestershire SME's who meet the criteria can apply, click the link below to find out more or email: sbailey4@worcestershire.gov.uk.
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With energy costs rising and consumers increasingly demanding sustainability it's an ideal time to look into sustainable ways to reduce your businesses energy usage. Worcestershire County Council has lots of support available to help businesses make eco-friendly changes.
Their Business Energy Efficiency Programme (BEEP) and Low Carbon Opportunities Programme (LOCOP) offer free assessments and grants to help businesses save money and reduce carbon emissions. Grants (£20,000) from BEEP include LED lighting, heating, equipment, compressors etc. For businesses interested in solar or other renewable technologies, LOCOP offers grants of up to £100,000. LOCOP also offer advice and grant funding of up to £30,000, which is available for businesses developing an innovative low carbon product or service that helps others to be green.
The upcoming grant round submission deadline for BEEP energy efficiency and LOCOP renewable projects is on Friday 15 April.
Find out more about all WCC's sustainability support click the button below:
This networking session will take place on 17 May at West Midland Safari Park. The theme for May’s event is Sustainable Tourism, during which key note speakers will explore ways in which tourism business can develop a greener offer. Speakers will include recently awarded Visit Worcestershire Tourism Award winner for the Ethical, Responsible and Sustainable category (Little Al’s Kitchen) plus a representative from the Worcestershire Council Sustainability team who will talk about available support.
To learn more about the event and to register your interest please visit the link below:
There are plenty of business events, talks and workshops happening in Worcestershire this spring:
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