Wokingham Borough Connect
 Share your story in this newsletter
We want to promote local businesses and showcase their inspiring stories across the borough.
If you have a story to tell, get in touch with our Business Engagement Team by emailing economicdevelopment@wokingham.gov.uk to discuss potentially being featured in the 'Business Spotlight' section of this newsletter.
 Business Spotlight: Tepeo Limited
This week's Business Spotlight falls on Tepeo Limited.
Based in Winnersh Triangle, Tepeo designs and manufactures zero emission electric boilers. As Iain Duncan from Tepeo explained: "We have developed a technology with the power to change the way we heat buildings forever. Our technology will enable the rapid decarbonisation of domestic heating with no additional upfront or running costs to homeowners while supporting the transition to a decentralised, decarbonised and democratised energy system."
With the help of a recent business grant, the company has invested in new machinery to speed up the production of boilers. The technology and its application contribute towards the reduction of carbon emissions, supporting the borough in tackling climate change. Discussion is also underway to look at the options for retrofitting to council assets.
Visit the Tepeo website to learn more.
 Insights for starting your own business
Are you interested in starting your own business? Or have you just started it?
If you’re looking for some great advice on business start-ups, the Early CResCent Resource Centre is hosting an event to give some fresh insights to local entrepreneurs. They are looking to cover the benefits and drawbacks of starting a new business, the types of business setups, and how to develop new ideas and identify your first steps.
This event will be held on 12 October, from 9.30am to 12.30pm. To find out more, visit the Earley CResCent Resource Centre website.
Helping local food businesses reduce waste
Did you know Too Good To Go is now running in our borough?
Join more than 22,233 stores in the UK to sell your unsold food items through this app, instead of throwing them away or having them incinerated or sent to landfill.
Shops put their unsold food items into ‘magic bags’ and list them on the Too Good To Go mobile app for about a third of the original retail price. Users of the app can search for magic bags offered by nearby businesses and purchase them through the app. They can then go and pick them up at a set time.
As part of our partnership, Too Good To Go will waive its administration fees for the first six month on the platform, if businesses in the borough sign up before 31 December 2022.
You can find out more about our partnership with Too Good to Go on our website.
 Employer Consultation on Multiply
Since August, local authorities across the UK have started receiving funding from the government for helping adults in their areas improve numeracy skills.
The programme, named 'Multiply', enables employers who could benefit from boosting their workforce’s skills in numeracy to work with their local authorities and training providers (e.g. Further Education Colleges) to design and deliver bespoke adult numeracy programmes for their employees, at no cost to them.
We want to hear views from employers in Berkshire on what they think about the new 'Multiply' programme and how it will work for them. Please take part in a short survey, which only needs 5 to 10 minutes to complete.
The information gathered from this survey will help develop the 'Multiply' programme, so it works for local residents and employers.
 Let's talk climate survey
Earlier this year, nine focus groups made up of residents, businesses and children, were guided through three sessions looking at what can be done locally to reduce our carbon impact.
As a result of these sessions, we are now launching the Let’s Talk Climate survey to find out how we can help you in reducing your carbon footprint.
The survey explores what impacts the decisions you make, and how we can help you make more sustainable choices, such as by providing skills workshops to repair items, community waste reduction schemes and incentives or penalties.
The participants started by thinking about if money and technology were no issue, what could they could do. They then narrowed those down into tangible and practical ideas.
In the survey, we are sharing those ideas so let us know what you think!
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