Additional funding for the Catapult Centres of £780m just announced

HM Treasury has announced an additional £780m funding for the Catapult Centres which have already helped over 3,000 companies develop and exploit new technologies.  Now is a great time to find out what the Catapult Centres can do for your business.

Discover what the additional £780m Catapult Centre funding could mean to you

 If you’re a business, you can use the Innovate UK Catapult Centres to access technical facilities and expertise. You can get support to help you adopt, develop and exploit your innovation. Any UK business can use Catapult facilities and you can start by finding out what the Catapult Centres do here.

Start by finding the right Catapult Centre for your business:

Business AND people support from the Catapult Centres

 "Catapults are also training hundreds of apprentices and doctoral students, such as at the High Value Manufacturing Catapult where in the last year 900 apprentices have gained invaluable practical experience with cutting-edge technologies used in modern manufacturing.”

- Dr Ian Campbell, Executive Chair of Innovate UK

“Catapult centres bring together the best ideas from the UK’s research base and the market know-how of business……Supporting their long-term growth will help more businesses to innovate successfully, delivering cutting-edge products and services to customers.”
- Felicity Burch, CBI Innovation Director

 Ongoing support for the Catapults makes them even more attractive to business

 This announcement builds on an allocation, confirmed by the Prime Minister last month, that the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult in Blyth and the Centre for Process Innovation in Redcar, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, will benefit from additional £180 million to support hundreds more businesses to develop products and services, bringing total investment in the catapult network to nearly £1 billion.

 Find out what the Catapult Centres can do for your business

 Take a look at what the Catapult Centres do here.

www.innovateuk.ukri.org

Network Rail Re-Think Week Long Brighton Line Closure in October 2018

After extensive consultation with passengers Network Rail have now removed a week of the most disruptive elements of their planned work in October 2018.  Previously no trains would have been able to use the Brighton line during one week of the October half term.

The work will now be carried out using just one nine-day closure from 16–24 February 2019, with supporting weekend closures from September 2018 to May 2019 remaining as planned.   In a statement Network Rail said, "The weekday closures have been carefully planned for the February school half-term (16-24 February), when passenger numbers are lower and some people may be able to be more flexible with their travel plans or take holiday."
 
The planned dates are:


 


The programme of works will involve:
 
• Stemming leaks into the tunnels and improving drainage
• Upgrading or replacing the third rail power system and signalling
• Replacing track and sets of points, which enable trains to switch between tracks
• Replacing fencing and improving security to deter trespassers.
 
It will improve reliability on the Brighton Main Line significantly, reducing delays for passengers travelling between London and the south coast.
 
 

Applications closing soon for Brighton’s fully funded Entrepreneur Accelerator

With a huge percentage of the Brighton economy being made up of small businesses, this thriving city has built up a solid support network for entrepreneurs, much of it fully funded.

Whether you’re at idea stage or you already have a fully fledged business looking to go worldwide, the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator has the most comprehensive support around. With co-working space, coaching, a network of mentors and specialists, and a community of entrepreneurs to share your journey with – it puts you in good stead to make your business a real success.

Applications are now open for the October intake of the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator, a 6 month programme designed to support you in growing your business, whether you’re at idea stage or looking to scale up and expand globally. 

The programme comes with free desk space in our state of the art co-working hubs, dedicated 1:1 coaching, access to the banks vast network of contacts, and a great community of entrepreneurs to share your journey with. It’s fully funded… so there’s no cost to you or your business.

Don’t hang around, applications close at the end August. Apply here today.

Or contact kristina.pereckaite@natwest.com to book a visit and find out more.

City Council Extends Licencing Policy Consultation

Due to an error with the on-line Portal survey Brighton & Hove City Council has restarted the 8 week consultation of the new Licencing Policy from the 9th August to the 4th October 2018.

Any comments already submitted will still be considered.

The council, as  licensing authority, is carrying out a consultation exercise as part of a interim review of its Statement of Licensing Policy (SoLP), looking specifically at extending the Special Stress Area and reviewing the Matrix approach in relation to café bars. We will be consulting for 8 weeks from 9th August 2018. I would be grateful to receive your comments, any suggested amendments or improvements and your reasons for recommending any changes by no later than 4th October 2018.

The policy reflects national legislation and guidance and demonstrates how responsible authorities will operate at a local level.

The council would like local stakeholders, residents and members of the public as well as statutory consultees and “responsible authorities” to have their say about the proposed policy.

Special Stress Area

The Council, supported by Police Licensing, and local ward Councillor are proposing to extend the Special stress Area (SSA) ref. 3.2 of the SoLP)) to cover Central Hove, to extend from the west side of Holland Road northwards/ intersection with the North side of Lansdowne Road, going westwards along Eaton Road/Blatchington Road to the junction and then south along Sackville Road down to the seafront (see link for map of proposed extension).

The SSA is defined as an area of concern to be monitored for levels of public nuisance and anti social behaviour (ASB). Applications in the SSA are expected to have a robust operating schedule with appropriate conditions. Unlike the CIZ there is no presumption of refusal. This proposal reflects the number of licensed premises in Church Road Hove, concerns which have been raised by residents and local Councillor in relation to the area, and the evidence from Public Health framework document. The proposal would also be consistent with the current SSA that acts as a buffer to the Cumulative Impact Zone (CIZ).

Question 1. Do you agree with the proposal to extend the SSA into Central Hove?

Matrix approach in relation to café bars

The second proposal is regarding the café bar category as described in 3.3.3 of the SoLP and categorised in the matrix (see link to current SoLP where the matrix is shown on page 16).

The Council’s Statement of Licensing Policy (SoLP) (paragraph 3.3.3) states:

Café Bars - the licensing authority may be prepared to look favourably upon an application for the grant of a licence, subject to the following conditions that will prevent the premises becoming a public house.

·         The sale of intoxicating liquor and other beverages shall be waiter/waitress service for consumption by persons seated at tables.

·         Substantial food shall be available at all times. 

It is suggested that the term “café bars” to define this category of premises is misleading. Officers suggest the term “café” is more appropriate as essentially we are not talking about bars but small food led cafes or delis where alcohol is not the primary activity and the venues do not open late. It is also suggested adding notes to the matrix that this category is defined as “small food led establishments”.

The Annual report shows an increase in café bars granted 2017/18 but a big decrease in pubs/clubs. There are considerably more pubs and restaurants in the City compared to café bars.  As of March 2018 there were 323 Pubs, bars & nightclubs, 297 Restaurants and 89 café bars. Please see link to Licensing Committee Report

Concern has been raised about the increase in café bars granted in the CIZ. Resident’s representations to licensing panels have highlighted issues of saturation of licensing premises in the CIZ, particularly the North Laine area, leading to an increase in public nuisance and Members have raised their concerns.

Therefore, it has been agreed to consult on whether to reduce the hours of café bars in the CIZ from the current 11.30pm to earlier in the evening.

Question 2

i)     Do you agree to the change of name from “café/bars” to “café” (notes to Matrix to be amended to “small food led establishment”)?

ii)   Do you agree with the proposal to reduced hours for café/bar category in CIZ to earlier in the evening?

If you do agree, what time do you consider would be appropriate and why?

This information can also be found on-line on the Council’s Portal https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/solp-consultation.

Please submit your response either on-line to ehl.safety@brighton-hove.gov.uk, or to the Environmental Health & Licensing team, 2nd Floor, Bartholomew House, Brighton BN1 1JE.

Privacy Notice (Consent)

The Council is the data controller for purposes of the EU General Data Protection Regulation and any UK legislation supplementary to this. The Council is registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number Z5840053.

Brighton and Hove City Council are committed to protecting your personal information. As a data controller we have a responsibility to make sure you know why and how your personal information is being collected in accordance with relevant data protection law.

Why we are processing your data

·         We are collecting your data for the purpose of informing the Brighton & Hove Licensing Authority’s Statement of Licensing Policy.

·         We have a legal basis for collecting this data and any special category data under Explicit Consent and you will be required to provided consent below.

·         Personal data from individuals responding as residents or visitors will not be shared with any other third party without you being informed.

·         Data from individuals responding as a representative of an organisation or as a stakeholder may be shared with the Licensing Committee members and will be available as a public document on the internet.

·         We will hold your data until Brighton & Hove Licensing Authority’s Statement of Licensing Policy has been agreed by the council’s Licensing Committee.

 

Your information rights

·         You have rights around the information we hold on you, further information on your rights are available on our website.

 

Further information

 

·         If you would like to discuss this further please contact the city council  Information Governance Team on 01273 295959 or data.protection@brighton-hove.gov.uk

 

BHCC’s Data Protection Officer may be contacted on gdpr@brighton-hove.gov.uk

Applications open for the Utilise Plus Programme

The Utilise Plus programme, is funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Utilise Plus helps eligible small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) save energy, reducing their costs and Greenhouse Gas emissions in the process. Since starting the programme in late 2017, they have already helped SMEs make an estimated combined annual saving of 125 tonnes of CO2e by reducing their individual annual energy usage, on average, by 27%. We have achieved this by offering a variety of complimentary services, including:

  • Grant funding of between £1,000 to £5,000 to cover one-third of the cost of an energy saving project.
  • Energy Audits, fully-funded by the ERDF, to identify energy and cost saving opportunities that SMEs can then act upon.
  • Energy Saving Workshops, outlining the business case for saving energy and helping participants create their own, unique ‘Action Plans’ to tackle energy use in their organisations.
  • Business Networking Breakfasts, featuring Expert Speakers on a particular aspect of sustainability and connecting like-minded SMEs.
  • Sustainability Tours of interesting organisations that have implemented significant energy saving measures, to inspire attendees to do the same in their own organisations.


If you are interested, SMEs should register their interest on our website.

Fully funded Earthship sustainability tour for Brighton & Hove SMEs

12th September 2018, 09:30 to 12:30, Brighton

Join the Sustainable Business Partnership for a Sustainability Tour of Earthship in Brighton. Earthship was built in 2006 by the Low Carbon Trust, to show how a low-energy and low-waste future could look. An ‘off-grid’ building, Earthship generates power from the sun, harvests rain water, and treats wastewater on-site using plants!

Delegates will be treated to a tour of the building to see first-hand the multitude of energy-saving measures throughout. Mischa Hewitt, Director of the Low Carbon Trust, will discuss these various sustainability features and answer questions from delegates.

Eligibility

This event is part of the Utilise Plus programme and is fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). As such, only those from eligible organisations can attend. Utilise Plus supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to improve their resource efficiency. Please note, we will only accept one attendee per organisation. Additional bookings will be added to a waiting list and notified should any places become available.


Full details & bookings


Alternatively call 01273 964239 or email info@sustainablebusiness.org.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Howzat! Brighton & Hove Rotary annual cricket event supports local charity

For a number of years, the Brighton & Hove Soiree Rotary Club has been running an annual Cricket Day at the County Ground in aid of local charities; raising a total of over £40,000 for local causes. 

This year the profits will be donated to the Starr Trust, a charity based in Hove that supports local young people aged 10 –18 to fulfil their potential in sports, arts & education; Fare Share which redistributes surplus food to organisations within the city of Brighton and Hove and the Worthing area, which in turn feed vulnerable groups and to Friends of the Royal Sussex County Hospital in supporting elderly patients through their Small Acts of Friendship Project plus other Rotary Charities.

The cost of the day is £55 per head and we are making up a number of shared tables.

Take a look at the information below, and if you need more, contact

Robert Griffiths on : 07802 580867

cricket event.jpg

 

 

Brighton based director to speak at South East Construction Expo 2018

 Brighton-based Director of Passiv Pod Clive Bonny will lead the way on the future of UK construction industry, as speaker at South East Construction Expo 2018 on 13th September.

The topics Clive will discuss focus around the crisis in UK construction and changes that could be made from using timber to improve quality and reduce costs as well as how to successfully engage in joint ventures and raise alternative finance for new projects.

South East Construction Expo 2018 will be held in Sussex for the first time in September at the South of England Event Centre in Ardingly.

The trade show, founded ten years ago and previously held in Kent, will showcase the region’s largest range of construction products and services and is a ‘must visit’ for anyone whose business deals in development, property and construction.

Carole Black from South East Construction Expo said, “Sussex really is leading the way with its exciting construction projects in Brighton & Hove and across East and West Sussex, so it is great to be able to hold the South East Construction Expo 2018 here.

“The UK’s construction output stands at more than £110 billion per annum, accounts for ten per cent of employment and will continue to be a key driver in our prosperity over the coming years. We are committed to continuing to support this fast-moving industry with a leading conference and exhibition enabling sponsors, exhibitors and delegates to build lasting business relationships.”

New for 2018 will be the ‘Construction Village’, which will accommodate exhibits of any size both inside and out – offering the ultimate in flexibility for exhibitors and demonstrators. It *will take this event to a totally new dimension and make it one of the most exciting Construction Events in the UK.

 The event offers free Meet the Buyer appointments with the top construction companies in the country, great exhibitor packages, brilliant networking opportunities, high quality CPD approved workshops, plus the latest news on projects and developments across the UK.

An exciting list of speakers and panel discussions will cover every aspect of what is important to the industry right now, with Wayne Hemingway MBE from the Design Council, Kevin Byrne founder of Checkatrade and Anne Timpany from On Tap Plumbers speaking at the BIG networking breakfast and the entertaining Gyles Brandreth hosting the BIG construction dinner. Many more speakers and attractions are yet to be announced.

Delegates can sign up for free entry and Meet the Buyer appointments at www.constructionexpouk.co.uk and there are still sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities available. Twitter @ConstructExpo

South East Construction Expo 2018 will take place at South of England Event Centre, Ardingly, Haywards Heath, Thursday 13 September 8.30 am - 4.30 pm.

Clive Bonny

Queen's Award Nominations are now open for 2019

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are for outstanding achievement by UK businesses in the categories of:

  • international trade

  • sustainable development

  • promoting opportunity through social mobility

  • innovation

The 2018 winners included timNexus Ltd who are based in Brighton. 

About 88% of all QAEs go to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).  They can result in a terrific boost to profile and the resultant business.  Companies do not need to go through one of the consultancies that say "we will get you one for a fee".  In fact it is better if they do not as such applications can sometimes be seen by the recipients as formulaic.  

The application form is simple and the QAE office will offer support over the phone. Any company with two or more employees that is registered in the UK and pays UK tax can apply.  

This link will give you all the details :-

https://www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise

£10 Million Energy Entrepreneurs Fund - Phase 7 Open for SME Bids - Deadline Imminent

 

The seventh phase of the Government's Energy Entrepreneurs Fund is open to applications, with £10 million available for allocation.

Administered by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Fund is designed to support the UK businesses operating in the green energy sector to propose low carbon ideas of the future.

The Fund will provide financial assistance to businesses in order to help them develop and demonstrate state of the art technologies, products and processes in the areas of energy efficiency, power generation, and heat and electricity storage. Businesses will also be able to access support from experts on how to bring their products to market.

A total of £10 million is available for projects in phase 7, with up to £1 million available for projects up to £250,000.

Up to £1 million of the £10 million available grant funding will be ring fenced for smaller projects with a total value up to £250,000. The remaining funding will be used to fund projects with a total value greater than £250,000.

The EEF is open to applications for innovative technology development and demonstration projects in the areas of energy efficiency, power generation, heat and electricity storage.

Expressions of Interest are now being accepted until 1pm on 3 August 2018. The deadline for full applications will be 1pm on 14 September 2018.

Click to view further information about this news alert

IUK Launches Open Grant Funding Competition: Round Two

 

Innovate UK (IUK) is the UK's innovation agency and, as part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), works with people, companies and partner organisations to de-risk, enable and support innovation, and promote UK economic growth.

IUK’s vision is to help the UK economy grow over and above other nations by inspiring and supporting pioneering UK businesses to create the industries of the future. The Open Grant Funding Competition is designed to help businesses develop cutting-edge ideas for innovative new products and services that could have an economic impact on the UK economy.

This competition is open to the best ideas or concepts with a view to commercialisation. These can come from any area of technology, science or engineering, including arts, design, media or creative industries. Proposals can fit into, or be outside of, one or more of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund areas.

Projects can focus on disruptive and game-changing ideas in any sector of the economy. They can be of various kinds, from small feasibility studies to longer industrial research or experimental development projects. Priority will be given to proposals that are likely to lead to sustainable gains in productivity or access to new overseas markets through export-led business growth.

IUK has allocated up to £20 million to fund innovation projects through grants in this Open competition. IUK expects projects to range in size between £25,000 and £2 million and for them to last between 6 and 36 months.

To lead a project, applicants must be a UK-based business of any size or a research and technology organisation (RTO). The project must be undertaken in, and exploit results from, the UK. Applicants may work alone or in collaboration with others (businesses, research base and third sector).

The competition is now open with a deadline for applications of midday on 12 September 2018.

Click to view further information about this news alert

Brighton Business Zone Launched for Liberal Democrats Conference

Brighton again is hosting Liberal Democrats Autumn Conference. This year they are introducing something new and exciting. The idea will showcase Brighton as a great place to host events, visit and experience what Brighton has to offer. They would love local businesses to participate and be part of it.

Exhibiting at the Liberal Democrats Conference is an unmissable opportunity to engage their 4500 attendees between Friday 14th and Tuesday 18th September. The Exhibition is at the heart of conference and is held in the official Conference venue - The Brighton Centre.

Brighton Business Zone: you will have an opportunity to showcase your product, store or service while attendees are in town.  Exhibition is valuable for all type of local businesses because it allows face-to-face engagement and offer a great opportunity to networking.

Exhibiting at the conference is one of the most cost-effective ways for your company to reach competent audience.

For more information, check out the leaflet here or contact Daiva Kisler on daiva.kisler@libdems.org.uk or 020 7227 1233. Or take a look at the website.