Made Smarter East Midlands Digital experts will provide advice and support to manufacturing businesses on how to switch to advanced and automated technologies. The programme provides digital transformation road mapping, leadership development, grant funding and access to industrial digital technology expertise to help with implementation until 31^st March 2025.

The East Midlands Made Smarter Programme is delivered through a collaboration between Greater Lincolnshire, D2N2 and Leicester & Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnerships and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Eligible companies must be an SME who manufactures products, and be located in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Greater Lincolnshire and Leicestershire.

Expressions from SME Manufacturers are invited here https://www.madesmarter.uk/.

On the 9th January the government announced a new energy scheme for businesses, charities, and the public sector, ahead of the current scheme ending in March. The scheme will mean that all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024.

A higher level of support will be provided to businesses in sectors identified as being the most energy and trade intensive ? predominately manufacturing industries.

The Chancellor, Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt MP, wrote to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) yesterday (9 January) asking for an update in time for the Spring Budget on the progress of their review into the non-domestic market. He has asked for their assessment of whether further action is needed to secure a well-functioning market for non-domestic customers following reports of challenges certain customers are facing, including in relation to the pricing and availability of tariffs, standing charges and renewal terms, and the ability of certain sectors to secure contracts.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/chancellor-unveils-new-energy-bills-discount-scheme-for-businesses ?

ONS Research 2022 identified that 84% of employees who worked from home during the pandemic, planned to continue to carry on with a mix of home/office work in the future.? These decisions around hybrid working and the impact of the economic climate on the family household budget can have significant implications on the demand for childcare provision and the availability of local, good quality childcare provision can be driven by this demand, particularly around how many hours people choose to work, or indeed, whether to work or not.? Productive, engaged employees, who know that their family commitments are understood and supported by their employer, contribute massively to the thriving businesses our economy needs.?

Launching in March 2023, the Childcare Sufficiency Assessment will consult local businesses as part of Nottingham City Council?s statutory duty to ensure there is sufficient childcare provision to enable parents/carers to take up, or remain in, employment or undertake education and training.

As well as consulting with childcare providers, parents and carers and local support organisations, the Early Years Team are keen to engage with employers to find out about any issues their workforce face around childcare provision to enable them to do their job and also how employers support the difficult task of balancing the needs of their staff with the requirements of the business.

Our Employer Survey will be launched on our Twitter page, @Earlynottingham, or you can contact [email protected] to be informed directly when the survey goes live or for more information.