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Supporting businesses and the wider economy is one of our top priorities. The Economic Development team works to support businesses and the growth of the Malvern Hills district economy. This month the team have been working on:
- Appraisal and sign off of funding proposals for over £700K from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to enhance town centres, as well as support tourism growth and business grant schemes for start up, growth, sustainability and innovation. Elspeth McQueen welcomed to the team as UKSPF Programme Manager.
- Launching the new Upskilling Grant for businesses, read more about this in our grants section.
- Planning festivals and events for 2023, to increase footfall and tourism visits to The Malverns.
- Promotions for our town centres including decorative flags, literature and Dogs & Walkers Welcome campaigns.
- Appraising Malvern Hills and ERDF business grant applications.
Visit www.malvernhills.gov.uk/business for more information or if you need help please email us at ecodev@malvernhills.gov.uk
Nearly £300,000 of funding will go towards supporting growth and innovation within the Malvern Hills District. The Malvern Hills District Council Executive Committee approved funding for two projects, Worcestershire Growth Hub and BetaDen, as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan. BetaDen is an existing programme located at the Malvern Hills Science Park which provides expertise that helps local entrepreneurs get their concept off the ground through workshops and support. Worcestershire Growth Hub is a service that supports businesses at all stages of their business journey. Their aim is to help businesses develop their internal capability to improve their productivity, grow and create jobs.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government's Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
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We are happy to be supporting another Jobs Fair at Great Malvern Library in collaboration with Malvern Job Centre. There is usually a very good turn out and a buzz around the event. This year refreshments will be provided from the new café in the library, and there will be private rooms available if you would like to conduct interviews on the day. Free and open to all from 10am - 1pm.
If you are interested in having a stall, please contact Charmaine Gaitskell on: 07899 114838 or: charmaine.gaitskell@dwp.gov.uk
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We are proud to support skills and apprenticeships across the district. Last year we launched the Malvern Hills & Wychavon Upskilling Project which was part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.
The £283,000 joint project with Wychavon District Council involved a range of activities designed to boost skills, help businesses grow and support people into work. In Malvern Hills we supported 39 businesses to which 56 grants were paid out. 41 apprentices were supported with training incentive payments 27 of which claimed further bursary support for equipment, work clothing and travel.
These grants allowed businesses to take on and train new staff as well as supported apprentices and trainees through their education. Following the success of this scheme the business grants will continue, find out more.
To read more about our Community Renewal Fund Project follow the link below:
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Are you considering investing in a new energy source for your SME? Harness the power of group buying with the Solar Together scheme from Worcestershire County Council. Register your interest in buying solar panels with a short survey on your roof and electricity consumption and receive a free 'reverse auctioned' (meaning lowest price wins) recommendation for an accredited installer. You can then decide whether to go ahead, with in-depth information and support provided.
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Help to Grow is offering SME's a management course to boost business performance, delivered by industry experts at world class business schools. Running over 12 weeks with online and face to face sessions participants will receive business focussed learning with modules such as employee engagement, strategy and innovation. Business mentors will work with you to tackle business challenges and develop a plan for growth. The course is 90% funded for up to two participants, find out more by following the link below.
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If you require business support Worcestershire Growth Hub is your local contact point for any questions, support or discussion.
Multiply is the new numeracy project from HWGTA. This is FREE training for anyone 19 and over who lives in Worcestershire with no formal level 2 maths qualification. The training will be 10 weeks of 3-hour sessions in a blend of formal teaching and independent study. If you have staff that could benefit from additional numeracy skills then find out if this free training is for you.
To find out how your business can benefit complete this registration form or contact skills@hwgta.org.
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Cross-sector, leadership program for women in cyber security and resilience, delivered by Empowering You and in association with techUK and the Government Security Group in Cabinet Office. The programme aims to build a collaborative and powerful community of women leaders in Cyber Security across the UK.
Delivered over 3 months from March – June 2023, Empowering Women to Lead Cyber Security is designed to enable the transition of aspirational and early to mid-career professionals, team leaders and managers into more confident, capable and energised leaders.
This program is delivered in a face-to-face and highly experiential format, with group activities and action learning sets. Two leadership facilitators are used throughout the workshops to make sure high levels of personal engagement and diverse perspectives are maintained.
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Share your feedback for the Local Skills Improvement Plan to help shape the skills and recruitment support available for businesses. The Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) is a DfE funded project, designed to give local areas more say and control in how skills and recruitment are supported. It will bring together key stakeholders such as businesses and training providers to set out key priorities and changes needed in the area to ensure post-16 technical education and training prepares employees better for work.
This is your opportunity to have your say on skills and make a positive difference to the future economy of the county. Attend one of the consultation events, see our events section for more details, or take the survey with the button below.
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Following on from the success of the QuickPitch22 event, the Enterprising Worcestershire team and the University of Worcester have announced they are hosting an even bigger pitching event on 28 March at the Worcester Arena. Pre-start businesses and those trading for up to 12 months will get the opportunity to pitch their business idea to a small judging panel of local business experts and in front of a supportive entrepreneurial community. It is free to enter and there is a prize for the winner!
Not sure if it’s for its for you? Check out this highlight video from the last event.
How to Apply: all you need to do is fill out this simple form and press submit. Applications will close at 11 pm on Friday 24 February. For further information, please contact EW@worcestershire.gov.uk.
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Applications are open to be considered in this annual celebration of businesses across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. There are 16 different awards up for grabs and businesses can self-nominate or be nominated by another business. Categories include Employer of the Year, Excellence in Sustainability and Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace.
Becoming a finalist or winning one of these awards can be great for brand exposure and provides a boost to staff morale. The awards will take place at Worcester Arena on 15 June 2023 and the deadline for entries is March 20 at 4:00pm.
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Help boost campaigns that enrich communities in your local area. Donations from local businesses are gratefully received to help these projects reach their targets.
Following on from the successful Community Renewal Fund backed Upskilling Project, which concluded in December 2022, we are relaunching the Upskilling Grant for businesses.
We will provide funding of up to £1,500 to help with the business cost of training new staff (i.e. apprenticeships, trainee or other). In order to qualify the business must be based in the Malvern Hills district postcode area, employ fewer than 250 people and pay at least the Minimum Wage to the trainee for a post of at least 20 hrs a week including training leading to a recognised qualification.
For more information and to apply please see our website or contact us on ecodev@malvernhills.gov.uk or 01684 862185
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Are you an SME Manufacturer looking to grow your business? There is still time to access grant funding from the Manufacturing Growth Programme to support the implementation of a business improvement project.
Projects can include:
- Marketing
- LEAN Manufacturing
- Strategic Planning
- Quality & Continuous Improvement
- Productivity
- New Product Development
- Leadership & Management
- Finance
- Environmental & Sustainability
The grant will fund 31% of the project value up to a maximum project value of £10,000. Please contact your local Manufacturing Growth Manager, Catherine Bray, on 07790 358610 or catherine.bray@oxin.co.uk for more information.
The Governments Workplace Charging Scheme (WCS) provides SME businesses support with the cost of installing electric vehicle charging points, you could get 75% of costs covered, up to £350 per socket.
Businesses, charities and public sector organisations can apply, follow the link below for full eligibility criteria.
Business owners and employers are invited to attend one of the Worcestershire Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) consultation events.
This is your chance to be heard and make a positive difference to the future of skills support.
These events, along with the survey mentioned above, will shape the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP). LSIPs bring together employers, education and training providers, and other local stakeholders to set out key priorities and changes needed in the area to ensure post-16 and adult technical education and training, prepares employees better for work and to provide them with the skills they need.
Consultation Events
1 March 2023 – Steatite, B98 9EX. 09:30 – 11:30 (Manufacturing Event)
14 March 2023 – Kimal PLC, WR4 0AE. 09:30 – 11:30 (Health & Social Care Event)
22 March 2023 – Kingsway House, WR1 1EE. 09:30 – 11:30 (Business Services Event)
12 April 2023 – Venue TBC. 09:30 – 11:30 (Construction Event)
19 April 2023 – ANP Training, B60 3DX. 09:30 – 11:30 (Bromsgrove Business Event)
25 April 2023 – Bank House Hotel, WR6 5JD. 09:30 – 11:30 (County Wide Event)
To register for any of these events please contact events@hwchamber.co.uk
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Successful tech entrepreneur Adrian Burden highlights lessons learnt during the phases of business growth. Through Adrian's experience see how to take a business from start up, to scaling and profitability to positioning it for an attractive sale.
The event is from 19:00 to 20:30 at The Hive in Worcester.
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A series of eight stand alone workshops hosted by Adrian Burden. Informal presentations with plenty of time for discussion on the practicalities of entrepreneurship. Held at Malvern Library.
2 March: Workshop 1. Company shares, & fund raising
9 March: Workshop 2. Accounting basics & financials
16 March: Workshop 3. Business plan structure, strategic planning tools
23 March: Workshop 4. The Board, organisational structure, departments
30 March: Workshop 5. IP, licenses, agreements, records, documentation
6 April: Workshop 6. Staff, cyber security, data protection
13 April: Workshop 7. Branding, marketing, sales, business development
20 April: Workshop 8. Scale-up, dashboard, acquisition / exit
Please book each workshop separately.
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Registration for the next Business Worcestershire Conference, organised by Worcestershire County Council and the Worcestershire Growth Hub, is now open.
The conference, focusing on Marketing and Sales, will take place on 15 March 2023 at Sixways Stadium Worcester, between 8:00am – 1:00pm.
Through thought-provoking discussions and talks, attendees will hear the latest thinking from expert speakers, on digital marketing, branding, relationship management; and data driven decision marketing.
There will also be networking opportunities and time for attendees to learn about the support available to businesses throughout the county.
This event is open to all businesses across the county from Start-ups to SMEs to large-scale corporations.
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Food and Drink Conference, sponsored by Worcestershire County Council & MFG Solicitors - 28 February 2023
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Virtual Growth Forum, platform for owners, directors and senior managers of high growth businesses to share best practice and advice - 2 March 2023
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Chamber Business Expo, register your attendance for the expo, speed networking or networking breakfast - 9 March 2023
BIPC Worcestershire has plenty of support and webinars for businesses of any size.
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