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

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We're here to support?"your business."

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Season's greetings from the NCC Team of the D2N2 Growth Hub!

2022 has been another challenging year for many, and as a small team which works closely with local businesses like yours we know times have continued to be more than a little challenging for SMEs in Nottingham.

Over the last year we've seen adaptability, resilience, hard work and dedication, just as we have since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic,?and?*the D2N2 Growth Hub [ [link removed] ]*?remain here to support you, provide impartial advice and guidance, and make sure you get the business support you need as we move into 2023.

There is a wealth of support available locally for businesses like yours and whatever the challenges are, there are also opportunities to grow and develop your business - so don't hesitate to *contact us [ [link removed] ]*?to find out how we may be able to help you.

Whatever your business plans are for the New Year, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and successful New Year!

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High Street Small Business Grants

NCC logo

Nottingham City Council is?targeting a portion of its UKSPF allocation to support retail centers and?the city?s High Streets,?establishing a small grants scheme to support and sustain existing businesses on the High Street, particularly retail businesses and those in the hospitality and leisure sectors.

The High Street Small Business Grants scheme will provide funding to eligible small businesses to deliver a range of interventions to support High Streets in Nottingham city center and local neighborhoods. Interventions include marketing and events, equipment purchases including digital and ICT, support for shop premises including energy efficiency measures, shop front improvements, and greening in line with our City Centre Strategy and Action Plan.

The High Street Small Grants Scheme has a total grant pot of ?249,000 to be distributed between November 2022 and March 2023, subject to funding. A further, expanded programme of small grants for businesses will be available from April 2023.

If this would be of interest to you, you can read the full guidance on the City Council's website and complete the application form here:?

*High Street Small Business Grants* [ [link removed] ]

*Please note here that there is limited availability for these grants and that they are available on a first-come first served basis.?*


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*Have your say in the East Midlands Devolution Survey: *

A public consultation is currently underway until 9 January 2023 for residents, businesses, voluntary and community sector and other stakeholders to give their views on the East Midlands Devolution Proposals.

Don't miss your opportunity to have your say on these proposals and what impact they will have on you and your business.?To fill in the survey or attend an in-person information event, visit the Have Your Say page [ [link removed] ].

You can find out more about the deal and what's being proposed on the?East Midlands Devolution website [ [link removed] ].

East Midlands devolution consultation slider [ [link removed] ]________________________________________________________________________

*ARC. Grants to help businesses reduce energy costs.*

Businesses are currently facing a number of inflationary pressures, not least the rising cost of energy.

Nottingham City Council?s Accelerating Reduction in Carbon (ARC) project helps small and medium sized businesses in Greater Nottingham to reduce their energy bills and their carbon footprint through the introduction of energy efficiency measures.

Grants are available from the project to purchase and install energy efficiency measures including solar panels, air source heat pumps, LED lighting and insulation providing businesses with reduced energy bills and a degree of future energy security. Solar PV is becoming an increasingly popular option for businesses delivering significant energy and cost savings.

Grants of up to ?16,000 are available to part fund energy efficiency measures. The grant can fund 35% of the net costs of purchase and installation.

Information on the support available, eligibility and how to apply for a grant can be found at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/arc [ [link removed] ] . Alternatively contact David Kelly, the Project Manager, at [email protected] ?or 0115 876 4271.

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Collaborative funding: University of Nottingham working with businesses

UoN

Why not explore the range of finance options available to help you work with academics, graduates and facilities.

If you collaborate with the team, there are funding opportunities to help support your business, from research and development to recruitment. Talk to the team to explore the options available, including:

Innovate UK funding

You can access between ?25,000 to ?10 million in grants to support collaborative research projects. Innovate UK is the government's innovation agency. It drives productivity and growth by de-risking innovation and enabling businesses to collaborate with the UK?s research institutions.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

A three-way collaboration between a business, an academic and a suitably qualified graduate to find innovative ways for businesses to grow.

Postgraduate Placements

Access up to 200 hours of high-calibre postgraduate students working directly in your business.

Productivity through innovation

A programme of support for SMEs in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire. Work with our postgraduate students through placements to identify and deliver productivity improvements in your business. Fully funded consultancy support is still available to eligible companies.

Funding for energy projects

If your business is based in Nottinghamshire or Derbyshire, you can access funding for energy projects supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

For more details: [link removed] [ [link removed] ] ?Email the Team about options available here: [email protected]


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*Skills Support for the Workforce (SSW)*

Work Pays Level 1 Award

Work Pays are offering a range of courses for Hospitality employers, as part of the Level 1 Award in Hospitality and Catering.

Pathways

This qualification will provide your employees with the fundamental skills needed to excel in the hospitality sector, as well as role-specific skills and knowledge. This programme is designed to support progression and supports the foundation skills required for a prosperous career in hospitality and catering. This programme has a flexible and blended delivery method, tailored to your business?s needs.

Additional option elements to the course include; equality and diversity awareness, staffental health, conflict, stress and time management and safe guarding.

This training is delivered through the Skills Support for the Workforce contract, created to help small to medium-sized employers turn their business growth plans into reality by upskilling their existing workforce. It is co-financed by the Education and Skills Funding Agency and the European Social Fund.

If you are a hospitality business, interested in finding out more ? please contact the D2N2 Growth Hub or Workpays direct via email: [email protected]



Contact Lesley Winnard
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*NBV Masterclasses:*

There are two NBV masterclasses available to book on to early next year., covering how to build a strong business presence on LinkedIn and what you need to know about Intellectual Property.

*Building Business Bridges LinkedIn Masterclass
*Tuesday 31st January, 10am-1.20pm

Find out more about this masterclass here [ [link removed] ]

Book early to avoid disappointment!

LinkedIn masterclass

*Intellectual Property ? what you need to know
*Wednesday 8th February, 10am-1pm?

Find out more about this masterclass here [ [link removed] ]

Intellectual property masterclass
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*B Global*

BT Skills for Tomorrow

B-Global is working in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University to deliver the newly developed Level 7 Diverse Leadership Development Qualification. Course is FREE for all participants.

*Who is the course aimed at?*

This course covers a range of diversity and leadership topics beneficial to all growing SMEs, so is for anyone who manages a diverse team and wishes to maximise the benefits of diversity, optimise their own diverse strengths, and improve inclusion in their own organisation, specifically:


* Leaders/managers or aspiring leaders/managers
* HR managers, directors, EDI specialists

For more information about the course see Diverse Leadership Development Professional; Short Course | Nottingham Trent University [ [link removed] ].?

Alternatively, contact Alfred Bawak, B-Global Account Manager by email ([email protected] ).


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Nottingham City Council secures ?10m of Government prosperity funding

Skyline

This week, the UK Government announced approval of Nottingham?s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) Investment Plan securing ?10,454,325 for the City to deliver support to residents, businesses, and communities across four investment priorities:

1. Communities and Place
2. Supporting Local Business
3. People & Skills
4. Multiply Adult Numeracy

UK SPF is the successor programme to the previous European Structural Investment Fund driving economic prosperity across regions.
UK SPF will fund interventions that build pride in place, support high quality skills training, supporting pay, employment and productivity growth and increase life chances in Nottingham.

The Fund?s interventions will be planned and managed by local authorities across England, working closely with local partners.
To define Nottingham?s UK SPF Investment Plan priorities, the Council established and consulted with the Nottingham UK SPF Stakeholder Advisory Group as well as undertaking wider community engagement.

The themes of Inclusion, Productivity and Carbon Neutrality will run through the heart of Nottingham?s UK SPF Investment Plan

Based on consultation feedback, local evidence, and strategic priorities, Nottingham?s UK SPF Investment Plan was submitted to Government over the Summer of 2022.

Further details on how UK SPF will be delivered across the City and guidance on how to access funding are included on the Council?s website here: UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) - Nottingham City Council

(Across the UK, funding for years two and three of UK SPF (2023/2024 and 2024/2025) is indicative and subject to will be reviewed on submission of reporting requirements).

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Nottingham?s owls are being auctioned off to support food banks

Nottingham Owls

Nottingham Business Improvement District (BID) is auctioning their parliament of ten beautifully decorated owls that have been adorning various city centre trails over the last couple of years to raise funds for Nottingham families across the city this winter.

The ten colourful and intricately painted owls which formed part of the Wise Owl Walk were installed to welcome visitors back to the city centre following the pandemic and to form part of the Nottingham Ale Trail.

Equally popular in real life and on social media, the owls have been visited by thousands of people across Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and beyond.

With the help of Wild in Art and a variety of artists, each wise owl was designed to represent what people associate with the city of Nottingham and is a piece of beautiful art in its own right.

*The Nottingham themes are:?*

The Sheriff of Nottinghoot

Mrs Bramley Southowl

Carousowl

Ey Up Duck!

Lacey

Little John

Sherwood the Wise Owl

Rock Chick

Goose Fair

Raleigh Apple

All money raised from the online auction will be donated to the local charity, Switch Up, which will help local families with food parcels and support vulnerable children with educational presents for Christmas. Any monies remaining at the end of January will be allocated to the Robin Hood food bank charity.

Alex Flint, CEO of Nottingham BID, the city centre alliance said: ?During this challenging time, the need for food banks is on the rise due to rising living costs. We sincerely hope that businesses and individuals will participate in the auction to support local people facing immediate hardship and help them through this difficult time.?

The online auction is now live until 11.59 pm on Sunday 18 December 2022. Bids can be accepted via?[link removed] [ [link removed] ].

Bids for the owls start at ?1,000 with a reserve of ?2,000 and may be purchased for donation to a city centre park for the enjoyment of the community.


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