This month is packed with events and support to help your business grow, read on!






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*Newsletter **of the Nottingham City Council *

*UKSPF Business Growth Hub Team*



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1
Investment Readiness Training Day

*?? 13 November | ?? 10:00 AM – 03:00PM | ??Oldknows Factory*

Built in Notts & Nottingham City Council present a two-part series helping founders go from investment ready to pitch perfect!

 

*About this event*

Following the success of the Ready, Set & Pitch event, we’re excited to present another opportunity for Nottingham founders, this time in partnership with Built in Notts.

Join us for Investment Readiness Training Day, a hands-on session designed to help early-stage entrepreneurs build confidence, understand the fundraising process, and prepare to pitch to investors.

Led by *Martin Sandhu (Built in Notts)* and *Will Mellors-Blair (Mindora)*, this event blends practical founder experience with real investor insights. Expect expert-led workshops, pitch practice, and actionable advice to help you take the next step in your investment journey.

 

*Core Topics*


* *Understanding Investment*: Learn what investors look for in startups and how equity, valuation, and dilution impact your business.
* *Telling Your Story*: Discover how to position your business using storytelling techniques that highlight your mission and traction.
* *The Pitch Deck*: Get expert tips on what to include in your pitch deck and how to meet investor expectations.
* *The Data Room*: Understand which documents investors expect and how to present them professionally to build trust.
* *Pitch Practice*: Deliver short pitches and receive feedback to improve your delivery and boost confidence.
* *Next Steps*: Leave with a clear plan to refine your pitch, approach the right investors, and prepare for *Nottingham Pitch Night*, the second event in the series.

*Only for Nottingham businesses, eligibility checks will be made.

Limited Availability: Book Your FREE Place Today! [ [link removed] ]

 

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2

Exciting New Support for High Growth Businesses

High growth businesses* are being invited to take advantage of expert support from the new High Growth Academy. Delivered by East Midlands Chamber in partnership with the University of Derby, University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University, the Academy helps eligible businesses develop the skills, knowledge and resources they need to innovate, scale, and grow sustainably.

High Growth Academy workshops are now available to book, including:

 

*Growth Drivers*

One-day workshops suitable for businesses employing fewer than 25 people and for new and emerging leaders in larger businesses


* *Unlocking Hidden Growth: **9 October, Enterprise Centre, Derby* [ [link removed] ]
* *Access to Finance: **15 October, University of Nottingham* [ [link removed] ]
* *Marketing: **5 November, Enterprise Centre, Derby* <[link removed]>

 

*Growth Builders*

One-day workshops suitable for businesses employing more than 25 people


* *Your Personal Leadership DNA*: *7 October, NTU, Nottingham* [ [link removed] ]
* *Coaching for High Performance: **10 November, NTU, Nottingham* [ [link removed] ]
* *Leadership Team Dynamics: **19 November, University of Nottingham* [ [link removed] ]

 

*High Growth forums*

A series of monthly forums will also enable businesses to access support, hear from industry experts and share insight with peers.

The first forum is *Big Business, Small Feel: Strategy, Systems, and the Human Touch* *6 November (9.30am – 11am), Enterprise Centre, Derby* [ [link removed] ].

Professor Marvin Cooke OBE DL, former Executive Vice President for Manufacturing at Toyota Motor Europe, will lead a talk on exploring how organisations can maintain a personalised, human-centred approach while scaling operations through strategic planning and robust systems.

 

*Simply click on the appropriate links above to book your place.*

"*High growth businesses are defined as those able to demonstrate 20% annual growth in revenue, employment or market share over the past three consecutive years."

"This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber."

 

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Futureproofed: Building the Agency that Thrives Tomorrow

?? 8 October | ??10AM - 3PM | ??NTU City Centre Campus

Futureproofed is an immersive, high-impact programme designed to help forward-thinking agency leaders define, design, and deliver the next evolution of their business.

Through a powerful mix of expert talks, peer-to-peer masterminds, and strategic 1:1 coaching and advisory support, this programme guides you in answering the critical question: what must your agency become to remain relevant, resilient, and remarkable in the years ahead – given the dynamic and technology centric market that awaits us

Whether you’re navigating change, scaling up, or reinventing your positioning, Futureproofed gives you the clarity, support, and strategy to evolve with confidence.

 

*What’s included*


* Keynotes & Fireside Talks
Insights from leading specialists in strategy, AI, talent, brand, operations, and AI*.
* Mastermind Sessions
Curated peer groups solving shared challenges in real time.
* 1:1 Strategic Coaching
Bespoke advice tailored to your unique agency journey.
* Action Planning & Advisory
Practical guidance to turn future vision into focused execution.

Futureproofed NTU : Book Your FREE Place Today! [ [link removed] ]

 

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5
Unlocking Finance and Growth for Small Businesses

?? 8th October 2025  | ??1:00pm - 4:00pm | ?? Dryden Enterprise Centre

 

Unlock funding, grow your business, and connect locally at this dynamic SME event during the Business Finance Week 2025.

Unlocking Finance and Growth for Small Businesses is a vibrant event tailored for small and medium-sized business owners across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.

Held during Business Finance Week 2025 and delivered in partnership with the British Business Bank, the forum aims to ignite growth, unlock funding, and build powerful local connections.

Expect a mix of engaging presentations, practical workshops, and thought-provoking panel discussions - all designed to help you navigate the business landscape with confidence. With guest speakers, expert panels, and a networking lunch, this event offers a valuable chance to connect with entrepreneur peers, councils, finance providers, and support organisations.

Whether you're looking to scale, start, or stabilise your business, this event will offer actionable insights, real-world connections, and direct access to resources.

Register: Unlocking Finance and Growth [ [link removed] ]

 

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6
Microsoft 365 Copilot for Business Users

?? Thursday, 23rd October  | ??9:30AM - 4PM | ?? Antenna Nottingham

 

This one-day workshop aims to give the business user the skills to begin to unlock the potential of Copilot in Microsoft 365.

You’ll learn how to use Copilot in Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, One Drive and across Microsoft 365 to save huge amounts of your time and become more efficient and effective in your work.

 

What outcomes will be achieved?

After attending this workshop, you should be able to use Copilot to:


* Manage your Inbox effectively every day
* Manage your diary effectively
* Analyse data and gain deep insights into data in Excel
* Streamline communication and collaboration in Teams
* Create formulas in Excel instantly
* Create and format content in seconds in Word
* Create a new Excel workbook
* Create engaging presentations with speaker notes in PowerPoint
* Find and compare files in SharePoint
* Create and share bots in SharePoint

 

Who should attend?

This workshop is designed for users new to Microsoft Copilot who want to increase efficiency.

Register: Microsoft 365 Copilot for Business [ [link removed] ]

 

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Business Start-Up Essentials Group 2

?? Monday, 10th November |??9:30AM - 4PM |??Online

Looking to start your own business? This workshop can help you transform your idea into a business.

This one-day workshop can help you transform your idea into a business. Led by one of our experienced business trainers who will guide you through the nuts and bolts of starting and running a successful business.

Here at NBV we understand the challenges you face and are passionate about helping enterprising individuals start their own business.

 

*What we will cover on the day:*

- How do I register my business?

- What do I need to do to be legally compliant?

- What tax and National Insurance do I pay?

- Do I need to be VAT registered?

- How can I get customers for my business?

- How do I know if my idea will work?

Available to individuals based in Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire, and Leicester City*

Why not let our inspirational trainers impart their knowledge and experience of running their own companies, to help you build a solid foundation for your business?

Our Business Start-Up Essentials workshop is designed to equip you with the tools and practical tips to get your idea to the next level.

 

This project is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity fund and delivered locally by NBV Enterprise Solutions Ltd.

NBV Register – Business Start-Up [ [link removed] ]

 

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3
Introducing the Create Growth Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Networking Grant Scheme! 

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s creative, digital and creative technology sector is vibrant and bursting with talent, and CGN2 is helping these businesses across our fantastic county connect with the support they need to ignite their creativity and succeed.

As part of this, CGN2 is investing in the sector’s future by funding small-scale events and activities led by local organisations – helping bring businesses together, spark innovation and grow the community.

*Grants Available:*
- Small Grant – up to £500
- Large Grant – up to £1,000

Open to registered businesses, social enterprises, local authorities, nonprofits and business network groups based in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire that have been operating for at least six months.

*Apply by 30 January 2026, a**ctivities must be completed by 27 February 2026*

Start Your Application: Create Growth N2 [ [link removed] ]

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10
Built in Notts Tech Meetup

?? Multiple Dates Available |??10:00AM - 01:00PM |??The Oldknows Factory 

 

Join us for the Built in Notts *Weekly Tech Meetup *— an open, friendly space for founders, students, tech professionals and anyone curious about ideas and innovation in Nottingham.

 

*Each week we come together to:*


* Co-work, share ideas and get feedback in a supportive environment.
* Connect with like-minded people working on projects, startups or exploring tech.
* Hear occasional short talks or founder stories (when available).

There’s no agenda, no pressure — just a safe place to learn, connect and build. Whether you’ve got a startup idea, want to meet new people in tec or simply want a productive space to work alongside others, this is the place for you.

 

*Everyone is welcome regardless of background or experience.*

Register: Built in Notts Tech Meetup [ [link removed] ]

 

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8
Realising the Remarkable returns!

Behind every small business is a big dream – and the right support can make all the difference. Enterprise Nation and VistaPrint are teaming up once again to champion the UK's small business community.

This year, six inspiring independent retail businesses will each receive a £5,000 grant, plus expert design support and marketing tools to help them grow with confidence.

 

*Questions*
If you have any questions about the Realising the Remarkable grants, please contact Diane Mensah, Head of Programme Delivery at *[email protected]*.

Don't Miss Out: Apply Today! [ [link removed] ]

 

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

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Come check out the Nottingham Goose Fair - Friday 26 September through Sunday 5 October at the Forest Recreation Ground [ [link removed] ]


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