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New Header March 2020



The newsletter of the *Nottingham team* of the *D2N2 Growth Hub*



We're here to support"your business."





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Business support grants update

*It is a priority for Nottingham City Council to pay grants to eligible businesses:*


* *Almost 70% of eligible businesses have applied to date*
* *Over 33m of business support grants have been paid to local businesses*
* *All grant applications made to date will be processed by the end of today*

Payments will take 3 working days to clear into accounts. Additionally, businesses currently in receipt of 50% retail rate relief have had this increased automatically to 100% for 2020/21, including in Leisure and Hospitality sectors.

*If you are eligible, please don't miss out:*


* *Apply here* [ [link removed] ]if you haven't done so already
* Complete your application as accurately as possible
* *Email the Business Rates team <[email protected]>*if you have any issues or queries

For more information on Business Rates and links to the latest Government advice and support, visit Nottingham City Council's*dedicated business support webpage* [ [link removed] ].

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Local footballing hero to distribute 1m of equipment to frontline staff in COVID-19 crisis

Dexter Blackstock

*In his own words, Dexter Blackstock, ex-Nottingham Forest player and Director of Nottingham-based MediConnect [ [link removed] ] has set out to "convert our claps for the NHS into real change on the frontline" by sourcing and supplying critically needed personal protective equipment (PPE) to NHS and care home staff in Derby, Nottingham and the local area.*



Even in our short conversation, when speaking to Dexter its clear that being a local boy really makes this an important undertaking, as does using his business and personal connections to make a difference. Hes passionate about his work and even more so in this time of need; from sourcing the right equipment to getting it delivered quickly and free of charge to the front-line workers who need it the most.

In a recent interview with the Guardian newspaper [*LINK* [ [link removed] ]], Dexter says; "Through MediConnect, I have built relationships with everyone along the supply chain from pharmacies, manufacturers, distributors and logistics companies to bring it all together. PPE is one of the biggest problems people are struggling with. I have the connections instead of people just coming out the woodwork which means you can actually get the product. I can help source this."

At this time of need, its reassuring to know that Dexter, and other business owners and individuals across the region, are doing all they can to support NHS and care home staff and the communities they serve, and its heartening to also know that we can all do our bit too.

Dexters website carries an important message that we can all make a difference and by making a donation, we can help supply important items to this worthy cause. 100% of the proceeds from the website will be used to provide PPE including disposable 3-layer medical face masks, filtering face masks and face masks with breathing valves, which will be delivered to key workers safely and free of charge.

If you would like to donate to help Dexter, visit *[link removed] [ [link removed] ]*

Nottingham City Council and the D2N2 Growth Hub are also supporting the efforts by running campaigns to recruit much needed care workers in the city. They want to hear from anyone who would like to make a difference by providing safe and appropriate personalised care which will support residents to remain independent whether living at home, the community or within a care home. *Find out more on the website* [ [link removed] ].

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Billion pound support package for innovative firms hit by coronavirus

UK businesses driving innovation and development will be helped through the coronavirus outbreak with a *1.25 billion government support package*, [ [link removed] ] the Chancellor has announced. The comprehensive package includes a new 500 million loan scheme for high-growth firms, called the Future Fund, and 750 million of targeted support for small and medium sized businesses focusing on research and development.

The Future Fund will issue convertible loans to innovative companies which are facing financing difficulties due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Future Fund will provide government loans to UK-based companies ranging from 125,000 to 5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors.

These convertible loans may be a suitable option for businesses that rely on equity investment and are unable to access the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme. The scheme will be delivered in partnership with the British Business Bank and will launch in May 2020. Find out more about the scheme *here*. [ [link removed] ]

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LATEST from Gov.UK

High street shops and other companies under strain will be protected from aggressive rent collection and asked to pay what they can during the coronavirus pandemic.High street shops and other companies under strain will be protected from aggressive rent collection and asked to pay what they can during the coronavirus pandemic.

*Read more on the Gov.UK website* [ [link removed] ].

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A message from our partners

Paul Southby

"History tells us that if any city can rise up in the face of adversity, its Nottingham. These are the words of our very own Robin Hood taken from a video recorded in a secret location in Nottingham, and viewable *on the Visit Nottingham website* [ [link removed] ]where Robin introduces our #nottgoingout campaign and all the resources available to you during lockdown.""

Paul Southby

*Chair of MarketingNG*



We are all - of course staying indoors to slow the spread of COVID-19, and we are doing it to protect our loved ones and the NHS. Many of us have children at home, and are keen to find interesting and educational things for them (and us!) to do whilst #nottgoingout.

The Visit Nottinghamshire team, who are usually busy working hard to attract visitors to come and enjoy what Nottingham has to offer, have refocussed their efforts at this difficult time to help make many of the fantastic things to see and do in and around Nottingham available to you and your families. This spans immersive events and tours to educational videos from partners such as the National Justice Museum and the National Holocaust Centre and Museum, through to educational resources and interactive games for your children. There is help with reading and maths, audio books and music lessons, live performances from great local artists, many creative activities, dance and exercise classes for children, and encouragement to enjoy gardening and nature.

These are difficult times for all of us, but with thanks to all of our great local partners for making them available - we can all enjoy this wealth of fantastic Nottingham-made resources at *www.visit-nottinghamshire.co.uk/nottgoingout [ [link removed] ]* and I encourage you to explore them with your children (there is plenty for grown-ups too!).

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How is COVID-19 affecting you?

Thank you to everyone who has completed a COVID-19 business survey, we've extended the deadline now to *Friday 1 May* to give you further opportunity to tell us about any effect the pandemic is having on your business so that we can refine, improve and extend the support we are able to offer. It should take you around 10 minutes to complete.

*Take the survey here* [ [link removed] ].
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Latest news from the Creative Quarter

CQ Logo

We understand that for some businesses and business owners these are exceptionally challenging times, but the Creative Quarter is determined to be as positive as possible.

We quickly shifted delivery of our Big House business support programme online. We started Lunchtime LoCQdown as a place for creative people to come together each day to hear from sector experts, share knowledge and to network. We also upped the frequency of our newsletter including as much business support advice and good news as possible.



A few of our workshops had to be rescheduled at short notice, but we quickly and smoothly got both workshops and mentoring up and running again. A number of beneficiaries have said that they prefer it online.

Our aim is to operate as normally as is possible but not to be overly concerned - for now - with the normal restrictions on who we are funded to support. We are here to assist all businesses at this difficult time and will try to help to anyone who comes asking.

The reaction of our Big House partners has been similar. A number rely on commercial revenues, so some staff have been furloughed, and their capacity is a little reduced. But overall there is a lot of activity now and the outlook is positive.*Find out more about the Big House [ [link removed] ]*.

The Creative Quarter team is based at Sneinton Market. Many of our neighbours are now operating their businesses from elsewhere, so we've collated *all their latest trading information here* [ [link removed] ].

If youre a business based elsewhere in the Creative Quarter, *get in touch [ [link removed] ]*, wed love to know more about how you are getting on.

*Sign up for the Creative Quarter newsletter* [ [link removed] ].

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And Finally...*Email the Editor <[email protected]>.*

Do you have a positive story to tell about how your business is getting through the COVID-19 outbreak or how you are supporting your local community? I'd love to publish some of them here or on our twitter account [ [link removed] ].

Thank you!

Andrew
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*Important message about your personal data:*

In response to COVID-19, Nottingham City Council and partners Nottingham BID, MarketingNG and the D2N2 Growth Hub have shared data in order to get messages out to as many affected businesses as possible. If you do not wish to receive these updates, you can unsubscribe using the link in the footer below.



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Contact the Nottingham team of the D2N2 Growth Hub on 0333 0069178

Visit our website www.d2n2growthhub.co.uk [ [link removed] ]

Follow us on Twitter @GrowingNottm [ [link removed] ]

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