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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:
- Meeting with festival organisers and conducting town centre visits.
- Developing proposals for UKSPF funded skills support for young people and upskilling existing workforce.
- Launching the Summer of Fun marketing campaign and supporting summer events and festivals.
- Planning this years Great Malvern Gin Festival and supporting town centre traders groups.
Visit www.malvernhills.gov.uk/business for more information or if you need help please email us at ecodev@malvernhills.gov.uk
A new package of support for Malvern businesses is available now. The programmes are part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Malvern Hills District Council and Worcestershire County Council.
These programmes are designed to support businesses at all stages with four key pillars of support: start-up, growth, innovation, and net zero.
Support for Start-Up Businesses: This includes Start-Up Club workshops, mentorship and grants of up to £5,000.
Fuelling Growth: Support from Elevate Worcestershire to grow SME's through one-to-one coaching and peer support. Grants of up to £10,000 available.
Net Zero: Support to decarbonise with in-depth reviews and online Decarbonisation Portal. Grants of up to £8,000 available to implement energy saving initiatives.
To learn more about these opportunities and to check your eligibility, please contact the Worcestershire Growth Hub via email info@worcestershiregrowthhub.co.uk or telephone 01905 677 888.
The new package of support is delivered and managed by Worcestershire County Council on behalf of Malvern Hills District Council.
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Malvern Hills District Council also produce a monthly newsletter aimed at businesses in the tourism sector.
If you are an accommodation, attraction, food and drink or retail business sign up to receive news surrounding Visit The Malverns, marketing campaigns, advice and events.
Enter your email and choose your topic preferences to stay up to date.
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Free help and training for small businesses! Small Business Britain offers a range of free online workshops to small business owners, covering various topics which will help take your business to the next level.
From social media to sustainability, from using AI to looking after your mental health, there is a huge range of topics to choose from.
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The Quarterly Economic Survey collates responses from businesses all over the UK and gains insights on key indicators, economic activities and sentiments.
In the latest round, 329 businesses from across Herefordshire & Worcestershire contributed to the 5009 responses from businesses across the country.
There has been a slight decrease in businesses reporting concern about inflation, from 67% to 61%. Other headline statistics include:
- 33% of businesses report increased sales.
- 47% of businesses expect their profitability to improve in the next 12 months.
- 58% of businesses are confident in a turnover increase within the next 12 months.
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The Professional Advisor Programme delivered by the Worcestershire Growth Hub will continue offering free, specialist, 1-2-1 advice in its fourth wave of support.
Advice is available in areas such as workforce planning, IT systems, financial advice, marketing, sustainability and businesses of any size or sector can take advantage of the free support.
Over 600 businesses have taken advantage of the scheme since it was launched in 2020
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Help to Grow is offering SME's a management course to boost business performance delivered by industry experts at The University of Worcester. Recent satisfaction surveys suggest that 91% of those who have completed the course say that they would recommend it to other business leaders.
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 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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A new fund worth £500k is being launched by Malvern Hills District Council (MHDC) to help support rural businesses and communities.
Companies, community businesses and social enterprises can bid for a share of the Malvern Hills Rural Fund. The fund is being made available to support new small or micro businesses in rural areas, including helping farmers to diversify into other sectors, and growing tourism. The money can only be used to fund physical projects such as new buildings or renovations and not for day-to-day running costs. Individual match funded grants of between £2,500 and £25,000 are on offer.
Expressions of interest must be submitted through the MHDC website using the online form by 14 August 2023.
The funding comes from the Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
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Following on from the successful Apprentice Bursaries delivered as part of the joint Malvern Hills and Wychavon CRF Project, Malvern Hills has re-launched bursary support for apprentices.
The council recognises that trainees may struggle to cover the cost of travel or equipment to access their work or training and that this may prevent them from applying for certain jobs. £500 is available to help cover the cost of travel, equipment, tools and clothing necessary to access training.
The support is available to residents of Malvern Hills District who earn less than £220 per week, attend a qualifying course and are employed for a post of 30 hours a week for a minimum of 12 months.
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A new grant has been launched to help tourism businesses in the district grow and increase visitor numbers.
The Malvern Hills Tourism Grant Scheme, from Malvern Hills District Council, is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The scheme plans to support the Malvern Hills District tourism industry to grow over a two-year period, with the opportunity to:
- Encourage businesses to adopt greener practices
- Help with upkeep of local attractions
- Improve visitor experience
- Improve accessibility at attractions
- Encourage festival and event development in town centres
Eligible businesses can apply for a 50% match-funded grant. Grants include:
- Cultural/Heritage Attractions - up to £5,000
- Attractions – up to £2,500
- Sustainable Tourism – up to £2,500
- Festivals and Events - up to £1,000
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Following on from the successful Community Renewal Fund backed Upskilling Project, which concluded in December 2022, we have relaunched 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 30 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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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.
 Eligible Worcestershire SME's can receive free decarbonisation reviews, decarbonisation advice and 12 months access to Worcestershire's Decarbonisation Portal. Benefits of decarbonisation include savings on energy usage and more efficient business processes.
To request an application form, or to speak to an advisor, please email businessdecarbonisation@worcestershire.gov.uk
Midlands Cyber presents this strategic thought leadership event in partnership with QinetiQ Malvern.
This event will provide a unique opportunity to gain insight into one of the worlds leading global technology companies.
Hear from speakers:
- Dr Paul Kennedy, Head of Cyber Advisory at QinetiQ.
- Mark Round, Principal Data Scientist at QinetiQ.
- Bryan Lillie, Strategic Technical Lead at UK Cyber Security Council.
- Matthew Morton, Senior Security Architect and Functional Safety Engineer at QinetiQ.
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The Worcestershire Care Leavers Covenant Event is a fantastic opportunity for Worcestershire businesses to hear more about the Care Leavers Covenant and Worcestershire Care Leavers.
The Covenant is a national inclusion programme which supports Care Leavers aged 16-25 to access opportunities and supports them to make the most of their futures in collaboration with employers.
So why not join the other businesses already tapping into this talent pool for business growth, and further contribute to your company’s equality, diversity and inclusion agenda by joining this event.
Date: Monday 25 September
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: Worcestershire County Cricket Club
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Join Worcestershire County Council and Small99 for expert sustainability talks and a workshop that will help your business to build an informed sustainability plan and connect you with other local SMEs.
Date: 28/09/2023
Time: 09:00 - 17:00
Location: Worcestershire County Cricket Club, WR24QQ
Only 30 places are available and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Don’t miss out, book today.
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Friendly open networking event for the tech community in Worcestershire.
Join this informal event and network with fellow industry professionals.
This will also be your first chance to meet our line-up of Cohort 7.0 founders.
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The Worcestershire Growth Hub and Worcestershire County Council have partnered with HR Champions to provide a FREE event to support local businesses with their workforce planning.
Attendees will learn from experts about all aspects of workforce planning including the value of workforce planning, the opportunities it can bring and the importance of having a strong employer brand.
Businesses will be able to ask questions directly to experts to help with their unique situation.
There will also be refreshments and opportunities to network with other attendees.
Spaces are limited for this event, businesses are encouraged to register their place at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.
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Inclusive Worcestershire is a pledge to improve and promote inclusivity in Worcestershire’s workforce.
This seminar will raise awareness of the 6 key principles of Inclusive Leadership.
Supporting leaders to adapt their leadership approach for enhanced inclusivity within the Workplace to boost your business’s competitive advantage.
Enabling all employees, including those with additional needs, to feel supported and valued as a key member of your business.
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The UK's largest regional tech festival takes place in various locations across Birmingham this autumn.
7,500 people will be in attendance at events such as the Digital Skills Symposium and TechMids Engineering & Developer Conference.
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Sustainability Forum, with speakers Dale Parmenter on the topic ‘Making Sustainability Real’, Worcestershire County Council and Solar Technology International - 6 September 2023.
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Women's Business Conference, with speakers Baroness Martha Lane-Fox CBE, Kate Philip and Carol Cumino - 7 September 2023.
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Netwalking, network in the fresh air at Hogarth's Stone Manor - 12 September 2023.
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Food and Drink Forum, with speakers Helen Cameron from the Food Regulatory Services and Amanda Williams from Cytoplan - 19 September 2023.
- Bank of England Annual Briefing - 22 September 2023.
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BIPC Worcestershire has plenty of support and webinars for businesses of any size.
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