Bids Welcomed for Regional Growth Fund

The third round of the Government's Regional Growth Fund is now open for bids. The fund supports projects and programmes that lever private sector investment to create economic growth and sustainable employment. More information can be found on our Regional Growth Fund page.

Come to  a free Breakfast Business Seminar - Knowledge Transfer Partnerships

Tuesday 24th May 2012
Cranfield University Technology Park
8am for an 8.30 start

In collaboration with Cranfield University, the seminar will be presented by Ian Chapman, Corporate Relations & Communications at Cranfield University. Find out about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships and how your company can benefit from this UK-wide, part-government funded project, designed to help businesses access the skills and expertise needed to increase their innovation, competitiveness and profitability.  

Contact Morgan Perry at mperry@stmodwen.co.uk to reserve your place or see Cranfield Seminar flyer for details.

Leading Names from Business to Speak at Cranfield VentureDay

Central BedfordshireCouncil will be sponsoring Cranfield Venture Day for the 4th year running. Some of the UK’s leading names in business will take to the stage to share their ideas on entrepreneurship at the Cranfield VentureDay conference on 10 May.

Among them will be Craig Sams, founder of premium organic chocolate company Green & Black’s and Warren East, CEO of British microchip designer ARM Holdings that designs chips for televisions, mobile computers and smartphones.

For more information about Venture Day, visit the VentureDay Website

Have Your say about Broadband

The Council is developing a Local Broadband Plan to ensure that our residents benefit from superfast broadband as part of the Government’s aim for the UK to have the best superfast broadband in Europe by 2015. We have set up a survey to find out what residents and businesses want from their internet capacity. The results of this will inform the Plan and will inform the market of demand for services in the area. Find out for more information on superfast broadband.

Lets Talk Business

Business people across Central Bedfordshire can now sign up to a special newsfeed service that will keep them up-to-date with the latest developments in the area. Called Let's Talk Business, the service is being run by Central Bedfordshire Council giving information on all sorts of targeted business information on subjects as varied as financing and funding opportunities, contracts and tenders from Central Bedfordshire Council, networking events and awards and competitions. When people join they will also receive a Business Timebank voucher giving access to one hour's free advice from a business professional. Sign up now to keep up to date.

Do you have aspirations to grow your business?

Would you like to be part of our pilot group of 10 companies selected for our high-growth programme? Register your interest here by emailing Vicky Hlomuka on vicky.hlomuka@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk and quoting “high growth pilot 10” in the subject.

Central Bedfordshire is a great place to do business!

Situated just 40 miles north of London, Central Bedfordshire is an exciting and innovative place to locate and grow. Take a closer look and you will find....

Connectivity

• Excellent access to the heart of the national motorway network
• Access to London in less that 40 minutes
• Access the over 35 million UK customers within a two hour drive
• Access to an ever increasing number of European and worldwide destinations from London Luton Airport
• Situated halfway between the Cambridge and Oxford centres of excellence and innovation 

• Prime business and technology parks
• Newly constructed industrial units
• Pristine land available of employment related development.....and all at very competitive prices!
  Follow this link to find your perfect property in Central Bedfordshire.

Skills

• Home of Cranfield University with is global reputation for research and links to industry and commerce
• 3,800 post graduate and research students on your doorstep
• over 25% of the population at NVQ level 4 or above
• 70% of the population have NVQ 2 or above
• Over 140 languages spoken, a multi -skilled diverse workforce

For further information about how we can help you move into Central Bedfordshire and the many benefits we have to offer, call 0300 300 6984 or email caron.kendall@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk     

What if....... 
 
Every year, one in four businesses face major disruption to their services. Would you know how to handle a flood, fire or communications breakdown?
 
Every business should have a business continuity plan. They are quick, easy to put together and will help you to analyse how you would cope in range a situations and what you must do to keep your business going.

Just take the ten minute health check or complete the on-line tool at www.whatwouldyoudoif.co.uk, so that you are well prepared whatever the situation.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are designed to help you access expertise and bring it into your business by working in partnership with academics or researchers.

The university, college or research organisation will work with you to define your project and together you will recruit someone with the expertise and qualifications to carry it out. On average, graduates will work within a company as a KTP Associate for two years. Your business would be expected to cover part of the total cost of the project and any associated overheads.

Latest information shows that for each programme involving a single KTP Associate, the average business benefits from an increase in annual profit of around £138,000, a one-off increase of around £47,000, with 70% of graduates remaining with their host company after the project has been completed.

For further information about Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, visit the national KTP website, or contact the University of Bedfordshire's Knowledge Hub for information on the programme locally.

Apprenticeships can help businesses across all sectors by offering a route to harness fresh new talent.

Apprenticeships ensure that your workforce has the practical skills and qualifications your organisation needs now and in the future. The mixture of on and off job learning ensures they learn the skills that work best for your business.

Whether you are:

• An employer wanting to recruit an apprentice
• An employee wanting to start an apprenticeship
• Someone who wants to find out more about what training is available

Click on the following link: Training and Apprenticeships

Skills Support for the unemployed & Apprenticeship Support to Employers – aims to help unemployed people back into work through support, advice and training.

Skills Support for Redundancy - offers employers and their staff funded advice, guidance and re-training opportunities to help prepare individuals for a new job, a new career or business start-up after redundancy.

Both programmes are being delivered by The Consultancy Home Counties (TCHC) on behalf of the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF).

The London 2012 - Business Network aims to help companies in the East of England compete for London 2012 direct and supply chain contracts:

The Network has three component parts:

• Essential information on upcoming opportunities and how to supply London 2012
• business events
• the CompeteFor Service, a brokerage service matching companies to opportunities supplying London 2012 contractors

Up to a fifth of London 2012 supply chain opportunities are expected to go through the CompeteFor system. Businesses of any size can register as a buyer or supplier of Games-related goods and services. Once registered, businesses can view opportunities and gain access to Games-related business news and events.

4YPUK LTD Supports the Young People of Bedfordshire

 4YPUK LTD  is a new not for profit social enterprise set up to support young people between the ages of 12 and 25.

4YP was founded by Gill Boydell and Dee Thomas, two experienced and qualified Careers Guidance Advisers /Mentors and previous Youth Services Manager, facing redundancy due to the recent cutbacks and economic climate. Both felt strongly that whilst the funding for their work was ceasing, the need from young people for their support, advice and in particular guidance,  was as great as ever, and set about creating our business,  to offer careers information, advice and guidance and mentoring support for young people.  

The company quickly employed three more Advisers, all well respected professionals locally, and offer project work to Associates, having been successful in winning two local authority contracts with Central Bedfordshire Council to support vulnerable young people, help unemployed youngsters back into work or training and offer mentoring support to school age children.  4YP have also secured contracts with individual schools across the county offering a bespoke service tailored to specific needs.

The wider impact of setting up 4YP has enabled five professional people about to be made redundant to remain in work and utilise their experience and skills for the benefit of young people in the county.

 4YP Advisers have worked with more than 500 young people since May 2011 to help them remain in education, access employment or training or other appropriate support services.  They offer regular drop-in services across Central Bedfordshire that are very well attended by young people, and work closely in partnership with a number of partner agencies dropping into a variety community and youth open access events.

Dee and Gill received invaluable help and support to set up their business from a ‘WENTA’ business consultant who provided a range of business advice and encouragement for two novices who had never run a business before.  The ‘WENTA’ adviser helped them put together a business plan, cash flow forecast and considers marketing strategies, and was on the end of a telephone for ongoing advice, taking a genuine interest in how they were doing. 

Gill and Dee and the 4YP Core Team have lots of ideas about how to develop their services further.  For example, they would particularly like to secure funding to work with young unemployed adults and the wider family, develop working relationships with local employers, offer mentoring/coaching services to parents for their children and set up a charitable arm to raise funds to further support people in disadvantaged communities.  Their ‘WENTA’ adviser continues to bring support to assist them to develop and grow further.

Contact:4YPUK - contact Gill Boydell  or call her on 07903202703  for more information

Dr Bike is the toast of Central Bedfordshire for National Bike Week! 
 
Sam Darling from Leighton Buzzard has achieved great success in establishing his own bicycle repair business. 
 
It was in 2009 that Sam decided to leave his job in London to set up his own business servicing and repairing bicycles. He was a keen cyclist himself and had worked in the industry giving him an excellent understanding of what his potential customers wanted. However he had never run his own business before and therefore was faced with a steep learning curve.

After contacting Central Bedfordshire Council, Sam was advised about a start-up grant of £500 available for all Central Beds residents and introduced to Steve Pryor, Business Adviser at Wenta, who worked closely with Sam to produce a business plan in support of his grant application. This process enabled Sam to consider all the variety of factors relevant to the setting up of his new business, giving him the best chance of success and the grant was invaluable in contributing towards the significant start up costs.
 
The business started towards the end of 2009 and the demand for Sam’s services was immediate. He worked very closely with Linslade Council and offered his services free for one day a month in Leighton Buzzard which raised his profile and with his successful business idea the word spread and his portfolio of customers grew.

Growth continued into 2010 including servicing the bikes for Thames Valley Police Authority and working for local authorities across Herts, Beds and Bucks. Companies wishing to promote a healthy lifestyle to their employees and integrate cycling into their sustainable transport plans have also benefitted from Sam’s Corporate Dr Bike services.