 COP26 Business Pledges
The United Nations climate change conference held in Glasgow has been at the forefront of the news. The aim is to bring almost 200 countries together to accelerate goals of the Paris Agreement, which focuses on cutting carbon emissions globally and limiting global temperature rises in the coming years.
Businesses and consumers alike are putting a greater importance on sustainability and we are here to help businesses achieve their green goals. There is match funding available for implementing measures for a low carbon workplace as well as support you can get from the Business Growth Hub.
For more information on how to start or accelerate your green journey, please visit the Thames Valley Berkshire website to find out more information.
Webinar: How to submit a successful Kickstart bid
Register now to join our Economic Development team in a discussion on how local businesses can submit a successful bid for the Kickstart scheme before the 17 December deadline.
Taking place on Thursday 18 November, 4-5pm on Zoom.
Click on the button below to sign up and get the link.
 Autumn Budget: 4 takeaways for businesses
The Autumn Budget sets out the Government's tax and spending plans for the year ahead. Here are some main highlights for businesses to consider:
Business rates discount
Business rates will not increase in 2022/23, and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure industries will be able to receive a 50% discount on their rates bill in 2022/23. This should apply to 90% of businesses in eligible industries.
Recovery Loan Scheme extended to June 2022
The Recovery Loan Scheme allows businesses to borrow Government backed loans to grow and recover from Covid. It has been extended until 30 June 2022, but from January 2022 only SMEs will be able to apply, with finance capped at £2m. Read more.
Corporation tax increases to 25% in 2023
From April 2023 a new corporation tax rate of 25% will be introduced for businesses that make more than £50,000 in profit. However, this will taper marginally meaning that the full rate will only be paid on profits greater than £250,000. Read more.
Living wage increase
The Government have increased the National Living Wage to £9.50 per hour from April 2022. The National Living Wage must be paid to employees aged 23 and over, while the minimum wage for younger employees will also increase. Read more.
Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to 'shop local' and support small businesses in their communities.
The day falls on Saturday 4 December this year and there is a UK wide tour from the 1st of November to 1st of December which will have a range of workshops, webinars and mentoring for small businesses to participate in.
In support of this day and what it represents, we have compiled a 'Shop Local, Shop Green' digital magazine with some of the district's independent green businesses. This will promote shopping locally at a business which has great green credentials! Keep an eye out on our website for magazine which will be available at the end of November.
If you are small business owner, why not join in!
Apprenticeship Levy
The West Berkshire Training Consortium is rolling out the 100 Apprentice Challenge for 2021. This is a new initiative designed to build back apprenticeship numbers in Berkshire and provide a helping hand to local small-medium sized employers. It aims at targeting levy paying businesses to pledge enough of their unused funds to support 100 new local apprenticeships.
The challenge benefits the local economy, communities and aligns with many larger organisations’ corporate & social responsibility agendas. It is an enormous opportunity to make a meaningful difference to apprenticeships.
If you think you've got unspent apprenticeship levy, find out more and get involved here.
Welcome Back Fund in Newbury
We're excited for the upcoming events in Newbury that has been organised by the Newbury Business Improvement District team. These are supported with the Welcome Back Fund from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support the recovery and re-opening of high streets across the district. Take a look below at the events.
Christmas Light Switch on Festival Take part in over 20 FREE workshops and activities, meet the Grinch and a Frozen Princess, visit Santa’s Grotto, watch a pair of Frozen ice-queens ‘Let it Go’ on stage and of course, join us for that special, Christmas Lights Switch-On moment! Saturday 20 November, 10am-9pm. See more here.
The Newbury Victorian Christmas Fayre Taking place across the first weekend of December, the fayre is set to include a wide range of market stalls with traders dressed head-to-toe in typical Victorian attire, alongside Victorian-themed roving performers, a Victorian carousel, live music and entertainment and, of course, Father Christmas, helping to make this a truly unforgettable event for Newbury. See more here.
T-Levels
T-Levels are a new 2-year qualification for 16-19 year olds that offers a vocational path after GCSEs, equivalent to 3 A-Levels.
T-Levels are designed in collaboration with employers and they provide students with practical skills to thrive in the workplace in way that meets the needs of industry.
Every student must complete a 45-day industry placement, and if you think your business can offer one, then you can claim a £1,000 grant to do so.
Offering a placement is an excellent opportunity for your business to tap into the emerging pipeline of talent, whilst also supporting our future workforce.
You will need to partner with a school or college, and Newbury College is a local provider recruiting to T-Levels from September 2021.
Made Smarter Innovation- Sustainable Smart Factory
UK registered businesses and organisations can apply for a share of up to £20m for digital innovation projects that will improve the resource efficiency and energy efficiency of manufacturing processes in factories.
Thanks for reading! The West Berkshire Business Newsletter will be back with regular bulletins.
For more frequent updates from the Economic Development team, follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
 
|
