Information about funding for farmers, foresters, growers and contractors about grants for investing in new technology, equipment and infrastructure.
The Farming Investment Fund (FIF) provides grants to improve productivity and bring environmental benefits. FIF is made up of 2 separate funds:
- Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (for grants between £1,000 and £25,000)
- Farming Transformation Fund (for grants between £25,000 and £500,000)
Farming Investment Fund - Marches Growth Hub
|
-
By 07 June. Net Zero Living Digital Accelerator round 1 allows UK registered businesses to apply for a share of up to £1.5 million from Innovate UK to develop digital applications to solve challenges in delivering net zero for places. Proposals must focus on two or more net zero challenges across power, heat, mobility and product manufacture and usage.
-
By 11 June. The Co-op Local Community Fund is open to not-for-profit organisations with projects that either bring people together to access food, help to improve people’s mental wellbeing, create opportunities for young people to be heard and make a difference, or help people to save and restore nature or tackle climate change.
-
By 14 June. Innovate UK Smart Grants are available for UK registered organisations to apply for a share of £25 million for game-changing and commercially viable research and development, including in the net zero economy. Projects must have clear potential to positively impact the UK's position in the global economy, and have a clear evidence-based business plan to deliver economic impact and growth through commercialisation.
-
By 30 June. Sport England’s Small Grants Programme seeks to develop opportunities for communities to get more people physically active, with funding of between £300 and £15,000 per project. They particularly want to support projects focusing on environmental sustainability.
-
By 31 October. Localgiving are once again offering their Magic Little Grants of £500 for small charities and community groups, with one of the main priorities of the programme being to support projects that encourage climate action.
|
 |
|
Supporting businesses to find finance
This independent guide provides entrepreneurs, SMEs and growing businesses with information on the finance options that are available to them throughout their business finance journey. It draws on the expertise of partners from across the finance industry and business community.
The Business Finance Guide - Marches Growth Hub
|
The ICO is the UK’s independent body set up to uphold information rights.
The ICO provides advice and guidance for organisations on data protection and information management, including UK General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), direct marketing and electronic communications, data protection and the EU, network and information systems.
The SME web hub provides advice and guidance for all small organisations, including small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), small businesses, sole traders, small charities, groups and clubs, and small start-ups, including:
- A suite of 2-minute videos about data protection and direct marketing, including easy tips to help businesses handle personal information confidently when they’re carrying out their direct marketing activities
- A data protection self-assessment toolkit to assess your compliance with data protection law and find out what you need to do to make sure you are keeping people’s personal data secure.
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) - Marches Growth Hub
Volunteers Week takes place 1-7 June every year. It's a chance to recognise the fantastic contribution volunteers make to our communities and say thank you.
Volunteers’ Week is supported and celebrated by small grassroots organisations as well as larger, household-name charities.
Together they run hundreds of activities across the UK, which showcase and celebrate volunteers and their contribution to our communities.
Volunteers’ Week 2023 is a time to celebrate and inspire. We aim to highlight that our diversity is our strength, show that there’s more than one way to volunteer and encourage people to be the change that we want to see.
Volunteers' Week – Volunteers’ Week is a chance to say thank you for the fantastic contribution volunteers make. (volunteersweek.org)
|
Data revealed earlier in May shows Shropshire’s* economic recovery is one of the strongest in the West Midlands, following the pandemic.
Analysis from major sources confirmed that Shropshire’s economic recovery is heading in the right direction.
Key headlines include:-
- The number of people in employment has risen
- The total number of businesses in Shropshire has increased
- Shropshire continues to support high levels of self-employment.
Unemployment figures have also risen slightly, but Shropshire remains below the national average.
14% of Shropshire workers are self-employed, which is well above the national average of 9.2%. The number of self-employed individuals in the county has also increased compared to pre-pandemic levels, while nationally the number has reduced overall.
Gross Value Added (GVA) in Shropshire has fallen slightly compared to 2018, but this includes the period including the pandemic, and the drop is not as much as may have been feared initially.
The average gross salary in Shropshire has increased, and although it remains below the national average, the gap has closed by nearly 50% since 2020.
The percentage of highly skilled workers has increased from 39.3% to 41.8%, and 80% of 16-64 year olds in Shropshire are economically active, compared with 79.4% nationally.
House prices in Shropshire have risen on average to £290,845 (February 2023), compared to £395,571 in the South East, which means buying property in Shropshire remains an attractive option compared to other areas across the country.
Faring well post-pandemic: Shropshire’s economic recovery continues – Invest in Shropshire
AgriTech Bridge powered by Barclays Eagle Labs funded by UK Government.
In collaboration with CodeBase, we have developed a new programme, AgriTech Bridge, that brings together some of the UK's leading corporations and most promising startups. This programme allows some of UK’s biggest firms to share experiences and connect and learn both with peers and startups working in the industry.
AgriTech Bridge | (uk.barclays)
Are you looking to boost your business using social media channels?
If so, join us for this half-day workshop on how to optimise social media for small businesses.
Gain an overview of all the social media platforms and start to develop your social media strategy.
With Hollie Whittles - FraggleWorks
We will cover:
- Which social media channels should you be on?
- In depth look at the popular ones:
- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn
- How to create your Social Media Strategy
- How to create your Social Media Calendar
- Overview of Tools to help you:
- Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, MeetEdgar
- How to create good images
- Canva, Video, Apps
Everyone's on Social Media, Let's Get your Strategy Sorted Tickets, Mon 3 Jul 2023 at 09:30 | Eventbrite
|
 |
|
The Big Zero Show is coming to Coventry! Are you a business or public sector organisation – big or small – and want to know about sustainability and net zero? If so, join 1,500+ industry professionals looking to progress their net zero journey and save carbon, cost and energy. Come see SWM Associate Amanda Campbell at our stand in the exhibition hall!
The Big Zero Show 2023 – Sustainability West Midlands
|
The Friday Hub is Shropshire’s biggest, regular, FREE, business networking event. Every Friday 9.15-10.15am
You can register here if you've not before https://bit.ly/G2G1FriHub
Join the Friday Hub this week to fiind out how to destroy your productivity!
We all start each day with the best of intentions, our to do list is well prepared and all set to conquer the world. By mid morning we need to grab that well earned cuppa before getting stuck into item one. Before we know it, we've got to 3pm and the list is barely dented save for a couple of critical items (which were actually catch-up items from last week). When it's time to shut down for the day. We take one last frustrated look at the unattended to items on the list and promise ourselves we will do better tomorrow... If none of this is familiar then take the morning off. If however this resonates at all, then join us at the Friday Hub where we will explore how to address this common and frustrating cycle. To do this (and to keep it lite) we'll look at seven ways to destroy your productivity... There's sure to be something for everyone in this as we hold up a mirror and take a little look at who is holding us back.
As usual there are plenty of opportunities to meet others and discover the power of sharing and solving together - this is a gentle and light-hearted yet business focused group where you can be sure to finish your week on a high...
"Good things happen when you bring good people together"
You can hear Johnny explaining what the Friday Hub is all about here: https://vimeo.com/734666973/437b29363c
|
|
