chesterfield business support

Conference urges business growth and collaboration to boost Chesterfield’s economy

Businesses in Chesterfield are being encouraged to explore ways in which they can grow, as part of ambitious plans to improve the town’s economy and create higher-value jobs for residents.

Speakers at Destination Chesterfield’s annual Celebrate Chesterfield Business Conference highlighted ways in which local businesses can harness support to innovate and create new jobs.

They also identified that if all organisations in the town currently categorised as ‘low growth’ experienced just a 1% uplift, it would significantly boost the local economy.

Helping businesses to grow and ensuring people have the right skills are key objectives of Chesterfield Borough Council’s Growth Strategy (2023-2027). To support this, delegates at Celebrate Chesterfield heard from businesses which are innovating and overcoming challenges to boost growth.

Mike Isherwood, Managing Director of event headline sponsor, System Q explained how his business has evolved and adapted to become a supplier to major organisations, including the Ministry of Defence: “We are committed to providing our customers with the most innovative and advanced technology, ensuring their safety and security at all times.

“Our company is proud to be a part of the thriving high-tech community in Chesterfield, a town known for its innovation and progress. Despite the common belief that the best firms and talent are found in larger cities, this quaint town is home to a wealth of undiscovered talent.”

Ash Young, Managing Director of CarMats.co.uk recently relocated his business to the town.

He said: “If we hadn’t done things differently, we wouldn’t have seen the growth that we have. When we set up the business we were aiming for 100 orders per day, but because we changed the way we marketed the products, we are now shipping around 150,000 orders per year and we’re going to turn over about £7.5m this year.

“We’ve managed to hire a really skilled team in Chesterfield and the transport links mean it’s easy for us to get out to couriers easily.”

Amy Revell, of We Are Spaces Ltd recently expanded her business into larger office space at the Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre, having initially moved into the development last year.

She said: “We currently turn over around £7m and have 15 employees, and we are rapidly growing. Chesterfield has played a big part in our growth – we have a lovely office space here which we managed to grow from one of the smaller suites into a larger one. We’ve managed to recruit really good people in the area, and we are strategically placed really well. Being so central has allowed us to grow all of our core services nationally.”

At the conference, Destination Chesterfield also launched its ambitious new strategy and plan, which outlines the partnership’s aims to attract further inward investment, support businesses to grow and encourage more people to visit the town.

Peter Swallow, Destination Chesterfield Chair, commented: “This plan reflects our town’s ambition, and where we collectively see the biggest growth opportunities. Recent research has identified 26% of revenues from tourism, inward investment and talent growth are shaped by people’s perception of a town or city.  Meaning our collective work to promote the town are vital to achieving the towns growth aspirations.

Celebrate Chesterfield business innovation panel, Mike Isherwood, Cllr Tricia Gilby, Adam Doyle

“Since 2010, Destination Chesterfield has worked alongside Chesterfield Borough Council and Chesterfield Champions to promote the area as a contemporary destination to invest, work, live and visit, and our public-private partnership continues to play a central role in the town’s success. We must continue working together to raise the profile of Chesterfield to realise its significant potential.”

Cllr Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council added: “Celebrate is always a fantastic event that showcases the very best that our borough has to offer. It was great to be able to meet with businesses to talk about how the council can support them to grow, but also to hear from them directly and discover what else we can do to drive growth and investment.

“I was also pleased to see a strong reception the new Destination Chesterfield strategy and plan – this aligns closely with our own growth strategy and together we can help grow our local economy, attract more investment and deliver benefits for both businesses and our residents.”

The 2024 Celebrate Chesterfield Business Conference was also sponsored by Markham Vale and the University of Derby. The event also saw almost 40 businesses exhibiting across the East Midlands Chamber Business Support Zone and the Invest in Chesterfield Zone.

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Midlands Engine Investment Fund II launches providing businesses with the funds to grow

The British Business Bank has launched its £400 million Midlands Engine Investment Fund II, unlocking additional funding to help smaller businesses in Derbyshire prosper and thrive.

The fund will drive sustainable economic growth by supporting new and growing businesses across the whole of the Midlands, through investment strategies that best meet the needs of these firms. It includes a range of finance options with loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investments up to £5 million to help small and medium-sized businesses start up, scale up, or stay ahead.

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund II aims to build on the success of the inaugural Midlands Engine Investment Fund, a £300m fund which has already supported 739 smaller businesses since its launch in 2017. The new fund will help hundreds more businesses to achieve their potential and further increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance by providing options to firms that might otherwise be unable to secure investment. Funding is designed to help smaller businesses with activities including expansion, product or service innovation, new processes, skills development and capital equipment.

Five fund managers have been appointed to manage the fund. BCRS Business Loans and First Enterprise – Enterprise Loans will manage the smaller loans part of the fund (£25,000 to £100,000), Frontier Development Capital and Maven Capital Partners will be responsible for larger loans (£100,000 to £2 million) and Mercia Ventures will manage equity deals (up to £5 million).

Louis Taylor, Chief Executive Officer, British Business Bank said: Small businesses are at the heart of The Midlands’ economy. Since launching in 2017, the first Midlands Engine Investment Fund has so far created more than 4,000 jobs across the region by backing 739 smaller businesses, boosting the region’s productivity by 70%.

The first Midlands Engine Investment Fund provided a blueprint for how we can support entrepreneurs and founders, whoever they are and wherever they are in the region, to access the funds and support they need. This new fund will allow us to continue supporting business owners across the Midlands, whether they’re at the start of their journey or are already running an established firm.

Promoting growth by ensuring entrepreneurs can access the finance they need regardless of where and who they are is one of the Bank’s strategic objectives, and vital to unlocking the full potential of the UK’s smaller businesses.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Gareth Davies MP said: Small businesses are the engine of the economy, which is why having access to funding like this is vital to help them thrive and grow, creating jobs and spreading opportunity everywhere.

As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the Midlands propelled the UK into a new era of technological and economic growth and now the next generation of entrepreneurs will have the support they need to continue this success.

Find out more about support available to businesses in Chesterfield.

Manufacturing at Weightron. Two men working on industrial weighbridge with sparks flying

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Chesterfield businesses encouraged to grow with University of Derby support

Business leaders in Chesterfield are being encouraged to explore how they can realise the potential of their organisations, with support to grow from the University of Derby.

Help to Grow: Management is a practical training course delivered by world-class business schools, accredited by the Small Business Charter focusing on building and strengthening people’s capabilities to lead a business, delivered by the University of Derby across Derbyshire.

This course incorporates hybrid learning, peer group networks and mentoring and will support managers and leaders of small and medium-sized businesses to boost business performance, resilience, and long-term growth. The 12-week course is 90% funded and the fee payable by participants is £750. The course has been designed to allow participants to complete it alongside full-time work.

A new cohort is now available to join this January. Benefits from taking part in the course include:

  • Enhance your management and strategic capabilities
  • Produce a growth plan for your business
  • Build resilience to future shocks
  • Learn how to innovate in your business
  • Adopt digital technologies to boost productivity and operational agility
  • Develop your value proposition and reach into growth markets
  • Improve employee engagement and responsible business practices

One of the course tutors, Dr. Elnerine Greeff, Lecturer in Marketing at Derby Business School, commented: “I’m especially excited to form part of this Help to Grow initiative. The beauty of this programme is that we have businesses which are just starting out now, and we have people with a wealth of experience.

“It is everything that you wanted to learn in your three-year business course at university, condensed and tailor-made to your business, with face-to-face time, mentorship, and absolutely everything that you need to make successful what you are already passionate about.”

Get more information on the Help to Grow: Management programme here. To explore the range of business support available to organisations in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Branded stone wall in front of red brick building - University of Derby Chesterfield campus

University of Derby, Sheffield Road, Chesterfield

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Businesses urged to find out more about Chesterfield Accelerator support scheme

A range of new business support programmes that aim to provide advice and funding for both established and start-up businesses has been launched in Chesterfield.

Chesterfield Borough Council and East Midlands Chamber launched the support projects at an event at Chesterfield Football Club’s SMH Group Stadium on Thursday 7 December.

The Chesterfield Accelerator initiative, which will be run by East Midlands Chamber but funded by Chesterfield Borough Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), includes a dedicated local business advisor, access to a range of courses and workshops on a variety of topics which are free for local businesses to attend.

Chesterfield Borough Council has also launched a new business grant scheme funded through the UKSPF. The grants are open to any business based in Chesterfield and can be used to support initiatives designed to help the business grow.

Councillor Tricia Gilby, Leader of Chesterfield Borough Council and cabinet member for economic growth, said: “We are an ambitious borough with our sights firmly set on growing the local economy to create new jobs and improve the quality of life for our residents.

“We recognise the importance of working closely with local businesses to deliver growth. Our business support packages aim to help businesses in any sector and of any size to realise their potential. From providing tailored business advice to business grants and hosting workshops, there is a wide range of support available.

“I encourage any business owner in Chesterfield to look closely at the support we can provide and to get in touch with us as soon as possible to access these business support programmes.”

The Chesterfield Accelerator is one of 16 Accelerator programmes being run by the Chamber across the East Midlands. The programme includes access to a dedicated business advisor who can provide advice on a wide range of issues relevant to businesses.

It also includes access to training workshops designed to support development in areas like digital skills; a subsidy for a 12-week executive leadership programme; support to apply for grant funding; networking sessions; vouchers for specialist consultancy programmes; and energy saving audits.

Diane Beresford, Deputy Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber said: “It was standing room only at today’s launch event, such is the interest of local businesses in the new Chesterfield Accelerator project, decarbonisation grants and the business grants on offer from the Council.

“The Chamber and Council have a great track record of partnering on such initiatives, including on the Chesterfield Digital High Street Project which brought much-needed footfall to the town’s high street businesses. We’re now looking forward to reaching a much wider range of sectors to give businesses the skills and resources they need to build in the most robust way for the future.”

As well as the Chesterfield Accelerator, businesses in Chesterfield can access the new grant scheme that could provide 80% of the cost of investments designed to help a business grow or expand. This could include the cost of new equipment – for instance a local café could apply for new machinery that would help expand their menu. These grants are only available for a limited time, and businesses are advised to apply as soon as possible.

Green business grants are also available to help businesses to reduce their carbon footprint.

The new initiatives complement the existing business support offer in Chesterfield which includes a local business advisor who can provide advice and support on a range of relevant issues. These include:

  • An Innovation Support Programme which includes regular workshops designed to give business leaders information around new topics and industry standards.
  • A skills brokerage service which aims to provide local businesses with advice around skills development, including apprenticeships and will signpost them towards relevant training courses.
  • As part of Vision Derbyshire anyone in Chesterfield looking to start their own business can access specialist start-up advice and grant funding to help with the initial costs.
  • Chesterfield Borough Council also runs a dedicated commercial property service.  Through this service landlords can advertise properties for free and business owners looking for premises can receive advice on the types of property currently available.

Find out more about the wide range of business support programmes available in Chesterfield.

Chesterfield Accelerator launch

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Second round of £1.2m East Midlands Create Growth programme opens to businesses

Applications have opened for the next cohort of a £1.2 million support programme for East Midlands creative businesses.

Companies are being encouraged to apply for the second phase of Create Growth, which is funded by the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS).

It comes as 23 East Midlands businesses completed the first cohort of the regional business growth accelerator.

The inaugural cohort, made up of firms from across Leicester, Leicestershire, Derby and Derbyshire, and Lincoln, Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland, have benefited from a programme of focused support over the last eight weeks.

Participants ranged from marketing and design agencies to architects, theatre companies to video producers.

Businesses completed an initial business health check, attended a full-day business bootcamp, which included opportunities to network, and logged on to eight virtual masterclasses covering themes including leadership, marketing, sales, finance and business planning.

As well as the 90-minute masterclasses delivered by industry experts, all participants were also assigned a mentor offering five hours of free support.

Guy Lewis, Director at programme delivery partner CDI Alliance, said: “Our first cohort were enthusiastic, engaged and committed to the programme.

“We’ve had some really encouraging feedback about the bootcamp session, masterclasses, and support offered throughout the programme, and look forward to seeing what’s next for the businesses who took part in Cohort One.”

All of the participating businesses now have the option to complete a fully funded 12-hour investment readiness workshop, helping to prepare their firms for growth.

To be eligible for Cohort 2 of the East Midlands Create Growth programme, businesses must:

  • Have turnover growth of 10% year-on-year over approximately 3 years (including either prior to or during the Pandemic)
  • Employ a minimum of 2 people over the last two years (full-time, part-time or freelance)
  • Have created a revenue generating product, launched a new platform or service, or reached a market of scale
  • Generated sales revenue in the last 2 years.
  • Be trading or registered within Leicester, Leicestershire, Derby, Derbyshire, Greater Lincolnshire, or Rutland.

Create Growth was launched in 2022 by DCMS, in partnership with Innovate UK. It is designed to support the development of creative industries with high-growth potential across England, outside of London.

The East Midlands programme is led by East Midlands Creative Consortium (EMC²), which aims to help creative businesses get investment ready. Its members include local authorities, universities, local enterprise partnerships, and many other organisations in the private, public and voluntary sector.

EMC² aims to support 100 creative businesses across three years through four cohort groups. The coalition came together through its successful £1.2m bid for the Government’s Create Growth Programme, led by the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).

Applications for the second cohort are now open – any eligible businesses interested in applying can find out more here.

CentralTechnology office

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Funding scheme for green innovation scoops national award

A programme that supports organisations to develop green energy and carbon reduction schemes in Derbyshire has won a category at this year’s Innovation Awards.

The Green Entrepreneurs Programme, a partnership between the University of Derby and Derbyshire County Council, is a £2 million grant fund open to individuals and organisations based in the county looking to invest in and develop projects that support the drive towards the UK’s target of net zero carbon by 2050.

The programme team picked up the Sustainability Innovation Champion – Organisation category at the Innovation Awards, organised by the Technology Supply Chain, a membership organisation that connects UK innovative manufacturing, engineering and technology companies to grants, funded support and new opportunities. The awards recognise, reward and celebrate the companies, individuals and organisations dedicated to innovation. The national awards ceremonies attract thousands of entries from across the UK and beyond in four main categories: innovators, individual innovators, innovation champions and innovation thought leaders.

Mark Wheddon, Head of Delivery, Innovation and Research at the University of Derby, said: “We are delighted to win this award in recognition of our partnership with Derbyshire County Council that supports so many innovative projects in the county as we move towards net zero carbon. It is inspiring to see the resourcefulness and creativity of individuals and organisations here in Derbyshire, and it is rewarding to be able to contribute towards initiatives that are making a real difference to our sustainable future.”

Councillor Tony King, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Clean Growth and Regeneration, said: “We recognise the contribution our business community can make towards meeting our target of becoming a net zero county by 2050.

“We’re proud that through the Green Entrepreneurs Programme and our partnership with the University of Derby, we’ve been able to support local firms to develop green energy and cut carbon emissions as part of our net-zero ambitions.”

Dr Richard Fallon, CEO of the Technology Supply Chain, added: “The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward innovation across the UK and internationally. Our winners are considered best-in-class and it is a pleasure to celebrate their achievements. This is a great win for the work done by the University of Derby in supporting SMEs in their region with much needed green innovation.”

Find out more about the Green Entrepreneurs Programme. To find out about the latest support for businesses in Chesterfield, go to: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

The University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

eco busines green recycle suatinability

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Chesterfield firm supports local council to reduce energy costs

A Chesterfield-based energy broker has worked alongside a local council in the area to help reduce its energy bills.

Choice Utility worked alongside Staveley Town Council to ensure the authority wasn’t paying over the odds on its gas and electricity. The partnership shows the value of collaboration between local businesses and organisations in the town to boost the local economy.

Dan Molloy, Director at Choice Utility commented: “We worked to define the parameters of the contracts in place, as well as when they were set up and how. Some of these were auto-renewed by the supplier without STC’s knowledge.

“We also evaluated the true energy consumption, as the supplier had not recorded it correctly. Following that, we spoke to the energy supplier to understand the new energy contracts agreed. We were then able to explore options available and offer those to STC, giving our advice on what we be most cost-effective.

“After negotiating firmly with the supplier, we were able to reduce the rate to something far more palatable (saving around 60% going forward) without needing to extend the contract.”

Sabrina Doherty, Town Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer at Staveley Town Council said: “Dan from Choice Utility has been brilliant at helping us deal with a very difficult situation and uncooperative suppliers.

“He really went the extra mile for us and achieved a significant saving on our existing contracts whilst finding us the best deal for our new contracts.  I can’t recommend them highly enough – they were excellent.”

The company, based in Chesterfield’s Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is looking to further support local businesses in the area, and will be hosting a drop in session in January for businesses to discuss their energy costs in a relaxed and informal setting.

Choice Utility supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

 

Choice Utility team exhibition

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East Midlands Chamber secures £8.9m funding to deliver new generation of business support

Businesses in the region are to receive a significant boost to their operations with a helping hand from East Midlands Chamber’s new generation of business support.

The chamber of commerce for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire has secured £8.9m of public funding until March 2025 to deliver its Accelerator project, which aims to provide one seamless point of entry for relevant business support.

It comprises key activities under the strands of net zero, innovation, digital and finance, with the aim of helping companies at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow and innovate.

The East Midlands Chamber Accelerator project brings together a number of publicly-funded contracts including the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), a key part of the Government’s levelling up agenda to enhance communities, businesses and skills; Innovate UK EDGE, which helps innovative SMEs to grow and achieve scale; and Made Smarter East Midlands, which assists manufacturers in switching to advanced and automated technologies.

Diane Beresford, deputy chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “The East Midlands Chamber Accelerator programme has been carefully designed to provide businesses across the district with the right support, at the right time.

“At the heart of the project is a team of locally-based advisers and specialists, employed by the Chamber, who will offer high-intensity support to businesses seeking to grow, create new jobs or exploit technology to improve performance.

“Working with an adviser or specialist will be a key ingredient for businesses interested in taking advantage of Accelerator support and a diagnostics report will show them where best to point their energies.”

Key activities will be delivered under the strands of net zero, innovation, digital and finance to help businesses achieve the following:

  • Develop new-to-the-firm technologies
  • Improve productivity
  • Safeguard and create jobs
  • Adopt new digital technologies and processes
  • Engage in new markets
  • Improve productivity
  • Introduce new products and services
  • Increase revenue
  • Make progress on their journey to net zero.

The Net Zero Accelerator will build on the success of the Sustainable East Midlands campaign to deliver events, workshops, and the opportunity for an energy-saving and improvement opportunities audit.

Other investment themes include increasing investment in research and development at local level, with a focus on commercialising ideas and accelerating the path to market; improving training hubs, incubators and accelerators to support entrepreneurs and start-ups through the early stages of development and growth; and taking a whole systems approach to infrastructure investment that delivers effective decarbonisation across energy, buildings and transport.

While the Accelerator programme is open to participation from all sectors, there is recognition that manufacturing, visitor economy, retail and services businesses are critically important sectors that warrant targeted support.

The East Midlands Chamber Accelerator programme will build on the success of the Growth Hub service via a range of fully-funded action-planning workshops delivered locally on topics such as finance, carbon efficiency, HR and digital marketing.

Working with a locally-based business adviser or specialist will be the first port of call for businesses interested in taking advantage of Accelerator support. Diagnostics will be assessed, and a business action plan produced through the Balanced Scorecard strategic management system model.

Growth vouchers worth up to £2,000 – covering 100% intervention – will be available for specialist or sector-specific training or consultancy advice, in addition to support for identifying and accessing grant funding.

Businesses employing more than five people and with a turnover of £100,000 are invited to apply for a Chamber subsidy covering the £750 cost of joining the Help to Grow: Management course being delivered by the region’s universities, with the remaining cost of attendance covered by a Government subsidy.

The course provides an excellent opportunity for senior managers and leaders to engage with and learn from their peers.

Collaboration is very much the theme too for the Chamber’s East Midlands Manufacturing Network, in which manufacturers have the opportunity to share best practice and seek advice during local forums that take place every six weeks.

Businesses interested in benefitting from this next generation of business support are invited to contact the Chamber’s Information team on 0333 320 0333, info@emc-dnl.co.uk to arrange an exploratory meeting with a business adviser.

Upcoming events delivered as part of the Accelerator programme include:

  • 2 November: Building a high-performance team
  • 7 November: WordPress masterclass
  • 14 November: Negotiating sales through excellent customer care
  • 15 November: Getting started with paid advertising
  • 21 November: Managing finance

Workshops will be held in person at various locations across the districts.

For a full list of East Midlands Accelerator events, visit bit.ly/AcceleratorEvents

Find out more about support available to businesses based in Chesterfield.

Commerce House, East Midlands Chamber

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High-growth businesses in Chesterfield achieve new ambitions through Digital Upscaler

More than 1,000 ambitious businesses across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire have received valuable support to embrace new technologies courtesy of an East Midlands Chamber-led programme.

The Digital Upscaler project, which part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and ran from 1 April 2020 to 30 June 2023, provided SMEs with knowledge, investment and capacity to scale-up.

It achieved this via intensive digital adviser support and specialist consultancy, capital grants to support technology investment, dedicated peer networks and a comprehensive programme of strategic action-planning workshops.

Technology grants valued at £1.6m in total, delivered as part of the project, have supported companies across a range of sectors to acquire and integrate new enterprise resource planning (ERP) and material requirements planning (MRP) systems, new access and entry systems, as well as install high-performance servers and high-speed Wi-Fi.

Diane Beresford, deputy chief executive at East Midlands Chamber, said: “Digital technology support has been a core service of East Midlands Chamber for many years now. A significant part of that offer was Digital Upscaler, the impact of which can be seen both in the project’s deliverables and in the subsequent growth of the businesses supported.

“ERDF support may well have ended but the Chamber’s innovation and technology specialists continue to be on hand to guide scaling businesses on tapping into support from the Chamber’s new East Midlands Accelerator projects and through national programmes such as Made Smarter and Innovate UK EDGE.”

Digital Upscaler has supported several Chesterfield firms, including Images Costumes, a family-run business which supplies custom-made dancewear, uniforms and active wear to dance schools, individual performers, theatres and production companies.

These outfits have taken centre stage in a number of shows, from The BRIT Awards to that of Irish-American dance sensation, Michael Flatley.

Michelle Webb, Owner and Managing Director at Images Costumes Ltd. commented: “Technology really is ever-changing and, no matter how we try, we are never up to date! So the triage of support we’ve received; D2N2 Business Adviser support, workshops, and digital consultancy, has been hugely important to our business.”

North Derbyshire-based manufacturer, Penny Hydraulics also received the support. The Digital Upscaler project funded bespoke training on CAD Autodesk, which has helped automate the business’s goods lift design process, in turn reducing the wasted time and material caused by manual errors.

Find out more about Chesterfield’s vibrant business community, and the support available to firms in our area at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/

computer laptop digital

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East Midlands businesses tell Chamber what they want from next Government ahead of party conferences

Long-term strategies for energy and industry are top of the wishlist for the region’s businesses ahead of the next General Election, according to a new study by East Midlands Chamber.

Speeding up the rollout of full-fibre broadband and 5G connectivity, greater investment in road and rail infrastructure projects, and better incentives for upskilling and reskilling people followed closely behind as priorities.

The chamber of commerce for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire asked businesses to provide views on 20 policy asks in its latest Quarterly Economic Survey, with the development of a long-term energy strategy for the UK ranking as being the most important.

Results were compiled to establish a list of top priorities for businesses, which has been published ahead of the upcoming Labour and Conservative party conferences in October.

Chris Hobson, director of policy and insight at East Midlands Chamber, said: “With a General Election drawing closer on the horizon, it’s hugely important for the voice of businesses to be heard by the next Government in order to drive sustainable economic growth that delivers jobs and prosperity.

“After many years of policy flip-flopping, economic shocks and the resulting uncertainty this has created for businesses, long-term planning appears to be front and centre of minds.

“A long-term energy strategy is understandably top of the list given the huge rise in utilities costs for firms and households over the past two years combined with the opportunities business see to deliver future solutions in this space. It’s closely followed by a comprehensive industrial strategy that finally addresses the UK’s perennial productivity problem – which is crucial to growing output, creating jobs and bringing down inflation.

“In our regional economic blueprint, A Centre of Trading Excellence: A Business Manifesto for Growth in the East Midlands and Beyond, launched in Westminster last year, we highlighted the importance of infrastructure – that is, both digital and transport – as one of ‘four Is’ to spearheading growth.

“Businesses are telling us they want to see real improvements across broadband and 5G connectivity, which are both crucial to 21st century working, while investing in our roads and rail is crucial to their future success – an important consideration at a time Government is deliberating over the future of HS2 and our region continues to be bottom of the pile for public transport investment.

“We have also spoken in our manifesto about ‘getting the basics right’ and ‘growing our competitiveness the right way’, and both these themes are reflected in our survey as firms tell us they want the broken business rates to be made fit for purpose and better incentives to support the net zero agenda.”

Policy priorities for East Midlands businesses

The responses on policy priorities were gathered by East Midlands Chamber in August and September 2023 as part of its Quarterly Economic Survey, in which 296 businesses across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire took part.

They were presented with a list of 20 policy asks of Government and asked to score them based on importance to their organisation, providing additional comments as to why. The top 10 priority areas, in order, were:

  • The development of a long-term Energy Strategy for the UK
  • The development of a long-term Industrial Strategy for the UK
  • Speeding up the rollout of full-fibre broadband
  • Greater investment in local infrastructure projects (road, rail)
  • More flexible/generous incentives for investment in staff development/reskilling (including application of Apprenticeship Levy)
  • Greater investment in major infrastructure projects (road, rail)
  • Speeding up the rollout of 5G technology
  • Comprehensive reform of the business rates system
  • Greater investment in integrated public transport networks
  • More flexible/generous incentives for developments associated with the green agenda.

Perfectly located in the centre of the UK with excellent connectivity to several major cities, find out why Chesterfield is a great location for your next business base.

East Midlands Chamber supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Chris Hobson, East Midlands Chamber

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy and Insight, East Midlands Chamber

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Chesterfield firm offers sustainability support to local businesses

A Chesterfield firm which specialises in helping businesses in change management is now offering support for firms to gain sustainability accreditation.

CCM Change Consultancy is now helping companies in our town and beyond to become ISO 14001 accredited. This is an international standard which signifies that an organisation has gone through a structured process and has strong systems in place.

The benefits of the accreditation include a good ROI, increased client engagement and bottom-line cost savings from introspection and improved efficiencies.

ISO establishes discipline, credibility and trust among employees, consumers, clients, business partners and supply chains.

Nick Gorman, Owner of CCM Change Consultancy explained why he is passionate about supporting firms in this field. He said: “I fully understand that my generation will not feel the full force of climate changes but as a fellow trustee of our planet I want to do everything possible to protect it for generations to come, we are deciding the future now.

“Professionally I am a Practitioner with the IEMA (Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment) as part of CCM. This gives me the opportunity to work with organisations in not only managing change but also in adopting value add practices that can earn sustainability and environmental credentials.”

Commenting on why he loves to help other firms with their growth and innovation in Chesterfield, Nick added: “The ultimate testament for a consultant or coach is to see a business, group, or individual grow and develop as a result of considered changes they undertake. The CCM outlook is one of service: our sole objective is the client outcome. In almost every situation progress is made by releasing latent potential

“Chesterfield is a town with a strong, hardworking heritage. Our enterprises have superb support functions in Chesterfield Borough Council and Destination Chesterfield amongst others. Investment, new developments around the town and a healthy and symbiotic business community put Chesterfield in a great position to thrive sustainably.”

Nick has the following advice for businesses who are just starting to look at their sustainability: “Undertake a review of waste (Muda) within your business, it might be galvanising! An environmental exercise does not have to be the whole organisation going vegan or erecting windmills on the roof.

“Understanding and communicating the why? is a good start: this can be best done in conjunction with an environmental audit. There are three main strands to getting started – Processes, Property, Supply Chain/Customers.”

Chesterfield Borough Council recently launched its sustainability strategy, which aims to achieve a carbon neutral borough by 2050. Find out more here.

Thinking of launching a new business in Chesterfield? Find out about the support on offer to help your organisation start and grow.

CCM Change Consultancy supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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