Welcome to the Harborough Business Bulletin. We provide a fortnightly overview of the latest business related news, initiatives and support packages.

Through the Rural England Prosperity Fund, Harborough District Council has allocated funding towards digital projects for rural communities. Projects which can be supported must be capital (lasting assets such as a building or equipment) with a focus on digital infrastructure, and it must meet the objective of strengthening social fabric and fostering a sense of local pride and belonging, through investment in activities that enhance physical, cultural, and social ties and amenities. This includes community infrastructure and local green space, and community-led projects.

The council would like to engage with the community to collate ideas and potential projects that this fund may support. If you think you have a project, please complete the survey and the Economic Development team will be in touch.

Leicestershire Education Business Company are carrying out research into what businesses are looking for when recruiting young people and their reasons for and against supporting young people in schools with opportunities such as work experience placements. All submissions will contribute to an anonymised summary report which will be shared on their website later in the year. LEBC are particularly interested in survey responses from small to medium-sized enterprises.

No previous engagement with schools is needed and the survey should only take five to ten minutes to complete. All submissions with a valid email address will be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 Highcross Shopping Centre voucher. Three vouchers of £50 each will be issued with winners picked at random. Please add your email address to the end of the survey if you wish to enter. The deadline to be entered into the prize draw is 30 September 2023.

LEBC works to link education and business in a number of ways, including working with both schools and employers to arrange work experience placements and organising apprenticeships, providing valuable opportunities for young people to gain skills and experience and introducing businesses to new talent.

Volunteering through LEBC can develop recruitment channels, strengthen community profile and contribute to Corporate Social Responsibility. For further information about how volunteering can benefit businesses and to read some testimonials from volunteers, please click the link below.

The Harborough Innovation Centre has received fantastic feedback from one of its newest residents, a care and support service company.

When asked why they chose the HIC as their new office base, Bridgewater Home Care said: “The vibrant workplace and office views create an environment which people will want to come to work. The workplace also accommodates those with disabilities, with ease of access to all key areas of workspace. If we should have meetings booked with our clients, again the office provides a professional and welcoming environment to facilitate everyone’s needs.

“From the initial contact to the day of the move in, the experience was flawless. Our initial engagement with Tim was fantastic, he was keen to understand us and our business. He continued to support and work with us through the process. Similarly, the support we had from Carly and the team, prior to moving in and to date, has been great. It has always been effective and professional.”

To enquire about offices, meeting spaces, and the wide range of other facilities and services available at the HIC, call 01858 414200 or email hic@harborough.gov.uk

East Midlands Chamber’s network for young professionals, business leaders and apprentices is hosting its first conference next month to help inspire young entrepreneurs.

The Generation Next event will be held at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground on Monday 9 October, with celebrity chef Jon Watts the keynote speaker, talking about how he overcame adversity to carve out a successful career in hospitality.

He will be joined on the conference line-up by Stephen Fern, managing director at 200 Degrees Coffee, which was founded in Nottingham in 2012 and now has 18 coffee shops and six barista schools.

The half-day conference will also mark the launch of a report into the needs of the young generation in the East Midlands business community, along with a panel discussion.

East Midlands Chamber director of resources and Generation Next lead Lucy Robinson said: “The conference will be an excellent opportunity for young professionals, and their employers, to learn more about how entrepreneurial thinking can be applied to all areas of working in business. We also look forward to sharing the results of our first-ever survey, which will help inform our network’s activity moving into 2024 and beyond.”

Following the completion of groundworks, construction is now underway at Beauchamp Business Park, a new commercial development in Kibworth, Leicestershire.

Clowes Developments and its team including IMA Architects, TanRo, Millward Consulting Engineers, Gateley’s Legal and Postins Project Services, are progressing the scheme that, when complete, will feature a series of freehold and leasehold industrial units ranging from 1,270 sq ft to 10,085 sq ft.

Agents Phillips Sutton and TDBRE have been working closely with interested parties during the planning process which has seen Beauchamp Business Park receive “unprecedented interest” from day one.

James Richards, director at Clowes Developments, said: “The demand for these units has been exceptional which shows the importance of putting the infrastructure in place to support growing local businesses. The majority of interested parties are all local businesses which is fantastic to see, and we are sure that Beauchamp Business Park will develop into a thriving commercial hub, creating employment opportunities for Kibworth and the surrounding areas.”

The British Business Bank will once again be working alongside several partners across the UK to host Business Finance Week 2023 from 6-10 November.

Through a series of free nationwide and regional in-person events, webinars and more, Business Finance Week helps smaller businesses learn all about the different finance options available to them to support their individual needs.

The events will cover topics such as start-up funding, diversification and sustainability, and investment for innovation and growth. There will also be interviews with business founders to showcase real-life examples of how finding the right funding and financial support has helped them to achieve their goals.