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Overview of grants and business support
NWedR has collated information on the current grants and support available to North Worcestershire businesses. This ‘at a glance’ summary has been designed to provide a quick overview for business leaders across the area. This is being updated regularly and displayed on the front page of our website.
Read the summary
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Seminar on Covid-19 recovery
On Monday 22 February from 10.00am to 11.00am, Worcestershire Business Central is running an online seminar to support businesses affected by Covid-19. There will be advice about grants, loans and HR issues as well as diversification and marketing. The team will be on hand to answer questions relevant to your business and help you move to the next stage of the new normal.
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Thinking of hiring people from the EU?
The way you hire from the EU has changed. You need to register as a licensed sponsor to hire eligible people from outside the UK. Free movement has ended, and the new points-based immigration system has salary and language requirements that change the way you hire from the EU. The new system treats EU and non-EU citizens equally and transforms the way in which employers recruit from outside the UK.
You need a sponsor licence to hire most eligible employees from outside the UK. This does not apply to Irish citizens.
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Reset.Restart Business Webinars
BIPC Worcestershire (Business & Intellectual Property Centre, based in and led by Worcestershire Libraries) is running a series of webinars as part of the national Reset. Restart programme. This programme is specifically aimed at helping small businesses adapt and build resilience following the impact of Covid-19. All business webinars from @BIPC Worcestershire can be found on the BIPC Worcestershire Eventbrite channel
Reset. Restart your Hospitality Customer Journey Thursday, 25 February 2021 - 10:00 – 12:00 This session is designed to help hospitality and tourism businesses reconnect with their customers. The session is led by Jo Kenny, a Sales Operation and Sales Training Specialist with over 30 years’ experience in the hospitality industry. Book your place here.
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Local Authority Grants
As part of the Government support for businesses affected by Covid-19, Local Authority Grants can be accessed for Bromsgrove & Redditch and Wyre Forest.
- £4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or under
- £6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
- £9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000
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Be Covid safe at work
If you are an employer with employees coming into the workplace, take extra care to ensure you are complying with the social distancing rules and providing your employees with the space and equipment they need to stay Covid safe.
Public Health at Worcestershire County Council have produced a series of workplace communications tools covering common things that cause outbreaks such as car sharing, making drinks for others, hand hygiene and social distancing.
Businesses can use these guides as appropriate to prevent an outbreak at their workplace. Usefully they also include material in a variety of international languages. These tools can be found here.
Find out more about county Coronavirus cases Worcestershire data dashboard on the County Council’s website.
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Protect your employees
As an employer, you can register to order Coronavirus tests for your employees if your business is registered in England, you employ 50 people or more and your employees cannot work from home. Register to order Coronavirus tests for your employees
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Book a personal Covid test
You can book a personal Covid test in Worcestershire as long as you are asymptomatic – not showing any symptoms of Covid such as a high temperature, a new continuous cough or any changes to your sense of taste and smell.
Lateral flow testing centre at Wyre Forest House
Businesses are being urged to take up the chance of free rapid tests for their employees without Covid-19 symptoms at Wyre Forest House, the council's offices in Kidderminster. There is free on-site parking.
The tests are taken using nose and throat swabs and the results are much faster than the standard test which goes to a lab. There are no costs but anyone getting a test will need to follow social distancing and wear a face covering.
Rapid turnaround tests are supplied by NHS Test and Trace and will help identify people who are positive for Covid-19 but have no symptoms. To have a test at Wyre Forest House you must be over 18 years of age and have no symptoms of COVID-19.
Tests must be pre-booked online by visiting Worcestershire County Council's website.
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Look after your mental health
Current research shows that employees are struggling with their mental health due to external circumstances often beyond their control. As an employer there are some simple steps you can take to show commitment and support to your employees. MIND has produced an excellent toolkit for employers.
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