Firms offered grants of up to £35,000 to boost rejuvenation of Fargate in Sheffield
Grants of up to £35,000 are available as part of the second round of funding to support businesses and organisations in reviving empty shops in the Fargate area of Sheffield and adding to the ongoing transformation work that is now well under way.
The transformation and regeneration of the area is at the centre of Sheffield City Council’s plans to reimagine the city centre into a cleaner, greener, and more vibrant area for people to live, work and relax.
Cllr Ben Miskell, chair of the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Policy Committee, said: “Fargate has long been known as a vibrant and social part of the city centre and we’re looking to continue that with the fantastic regeneration work we have currently taking place there. The ReNew project is one of the many ways we hope to achieve this.
“With so many exciting businesses in the city, some just starting out and others keen to expand, it is critical we work with them to inject new life into the area. We are looking for businesses to be creative in their ideas and use this opportunity to try something new, expand, or move to a central location.”
During the first round of ReNew funding, businesses just like Juno Books were able to launch, opening up their brand-new shop in Chapel Walk.
Sarah and Rosie, from Juno Books, said: “The support from the ReNew team to make our ambition of opening our first retail space was really appreciated, helping us fit out the shop to a high standard to provide a warm and welcoming space for all.”
Game Show All-stars was another business that benefited from ReNew funding. Based in Orchard Square, Director Hannah said: “The ReNew grant was instrumental in bringing Gameshow All-Stars to life. We used the grant to renovate our venue and to create a vibrant and engaging atmosphere. The financial support allowed us to focus on providing a high-quality experience for our guests from day one. The difference it made was significant, it transformed our vision into a reality and enabled us to create a space that is both entertaining and welcoming.”
The improvements and ReNew grants are funded as part of the £15.8m Future High Streets Fund which the Council successfully bid for in 2021.
Boston company closed down after Insolvency Service reveals loan misconduct
An eel protection business based at Boston in Lincolnshire has been closed down after investigations by the Insolvency Service revealed two cases of government loan misconduct.
The Eel Screen Company Ltd, based on Dolphin Road in Boston, was wound up at the High Court in Manchester. The company provided inaccurate and inconsistent information when it applied for a £50,000 Bounce Back Loan in 2020 and a £225,000 Recovery Loan Scheme payment in 2022.
David Hope, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said: “Our investigations revealed concerns that The Eel Screen Company was being used as a vehicle to fraudulently obtain significant, government-backed loans during the pandemic.
“Bounce Back Loans in particular were made available for trading businesses adversely affected by Covid and were issued based on what should have been accurate financial statements.
“The Insolvency Service will not hesitate to apply to have companies wound-up in the public interest in such cases.”
Insolvency Service investigations into The Eel Screen Company began in August 2023. One of the former directors of the company told investigators that the business was involved in the installation of screens to protect eels in rivers. A second director of The Eel Screen Company said it had since moved into drainage and most recently the construction business. The Eel Screen Company obtained a £50,000 Covid Bounce Back Loan in May 2020, claiming an annual turnover of £320,000 for 2019. Analysis of the company’s bank account showed a turnover of just over £49,000 for that year, with no loan repayments were made despite this being a condition of the scheme. The Eel Screen Company followed this misconduct up with a £225,000 application in January 2022 under the Recovery Loan Scheme, which supports SMEs to access the finance they need to grow and invest. Insolvency Service investigators found inconsistencies in the accounts and VAT returns submitted as part of the application as well as bank statements that appeared not to be genuine. Of the £225,000 The Eel Screen Company received, £148,000 was withdrawn as cash. The company made one repayment under the loan agreement to date, with £213,750 plus £30,726 in interest outstanding. Current and former directors of The Eel Screen Company also failed to produce accounting records on request to the Insolvency Service. The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of the company.Defence Secretary visits Foregemasters to see submarine parts manufacture
UK Defence Secretary John Healey has visited Sheffield Forgemasters to set out Britain’s commitment to the AUKUS submarine delivery partnership as an important driver of jobs and growth in Yorkshire and across the UK.
Mr Healey said Sheffield Forgemasters was a shining light of UK industry that helps boost global security and employs skilled staff from the local community. This is just one example of how our hugely important partnership with our Australian and American partners can help drive jobs and growth across Britain.
The group visited our Heavy Forge to see complex forged components for the AUKUS Class submarines being made
Gary Nutter, CEO at Sheffield Forgemasters, said: “We were delighted and honoured to host such a prestigious visit and would like to thank the Secretary of State for Defence, the Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Chief of Defence Nuclear, Madelaine McTernan CB, for taking time to see what we do at first hand.
“The AUKUS pact will provide secure, highly skilled jobs not only for Sheffield Forgemasters and Yorkshire, but for the wider UK supply chain, over decades.”
An anticipated 7,000 additional British jobs will be generated through the British and Australian AUKUS submarine programmes through their life. At the peak, there will be over 21,000 people working on the SSN-AUKUS programmes in the UK supply chain.
Sheffield Forgemasters is investing heavily in its defence manufacturing capabilities, including a brand new 13,000 tonne Heavy Forging line and a state-of-the-art machine shop which will service AUKUS manufacture.
Joined by the Chief of Defence Nuclear at the Ministry of Defence, Madelaine McTernan CB, the Australian High Commissioner, The Hon Stephen Smith and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Richard Marles, Minister Healey saw how the business is benefiting from the AUKUS trilateral defence and security partnership between the UK, US and Australia.
Our Chair, Sir Tim Fraser, accompanied by Chief Executive, Gary Nutter, and Chief Financial Officer, Amy Grey, hosted the visit, showcasing the unique capabilities and skills at Sheffield Forgemasters, which make the company a valuable partner in the delivery of SSN-AUKUS submarines for the UK and Australia.
Steelwork complete at Ideal Heating’s UK Tech Centre
Steel erection for Ideal Heating’s £19.2m UK Technology Centre supporting the development of low carbon technologies, including heat pumps, is finished
Rotherham Council provide boost for small businesses
Rotherham Council has stepped up its commitment to ensure that local businesses and employers benefit from its spending.
The Council has partnered with Go4Growth, an organisation that helps businesses and voluntary sector organisations to access public sector contracts.
With a spend of over £400m per annum on public services, goods and products, the Council currently buy from a large pool of suppliers and since October 2019 its policy has been to try to increase the number of those in the local area.
The partnership will provide opportunities for a wide variety of talented voluntary sector organisations and small businesses to access Council contracts.
The programme is fully funded, meaning businesses can join the programme and access the support, guidance, tools and resources on offer at no cost.
In 2022/23, the Council spent £77.2 million in the local economy, an increase of 72% over three years. More than a quarter of the Council’s purchasing power goes directly back into the local economy, with an ambition to increase this further in the future.
Rotherham Council Leader, Cllr Chris Read said: “Our commitment to social value – ensuring that we maximise the benefit of the Council’s spending in our local economy – has already received national recognition. But we know that for many local suppliers, especially smaller businesses, it can be difficult to know where to start.
“That’s why we have brought in Go4Growth who are specialists in the field to give free advice and support to local employers. It’s all part of our mission to see more money spent locally, creating jobs and increasing wages, supporting a fairer local economy that works in the interests of our residents.
“Regardless of where a business is on their journey, if they are aspiring to do more work in the public sector, I urge them to get in touch with Go4Growth.”
Gillian Askew FCIPS – Co-Founder of Go4Growth said: “We are delighted to be working with Rotherham Council to help support local organisations to be able to find and secure work in the public sector marketplace. This is really important work which has only increased in priority and urgency in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and cost of living crises.”
Yorkshire manufacturers saw highest increase in output of any English region in last decade
Manufacturers in Yorkshire & the Humber have seen the highest increase in output of any English region or devolved nation in the last decade, as well as the best recovery in output since the pandemic, according to a new report out today.
The Make UK/BDO Annual Regional Manufacturing Outlook report shows that since 2013 output in the region has increased by 40%, while output in 2023 was 17% above the pre-pandemic levels recorded in 2019, also the best in the UK.
The importance of the manufacturing sector to the region’s economy overall is highlighted by the fact it accounts for almost 15% of the region’s total output, well above the national average. It also accounts for 287,000 highly skilled jobs, 10% of the region’s employment overall.
Three major sectors account for just under half of Yorkshire & Humber’s manufacturing production with the largest being the Chemicals sector with almost a fifth (17.5%) of industrial output. This is closely followed by the Food and Drink sector (17.4%) and then Metal Products (essentially steel) at 14.1%.
In 2023 Yorkshire & The Humber accounted for 5% of the UK’s total goods exports with the EU being the dominant destination (56%) making it one of the most dependent of any English region or devolved nation. This is followed by the United States (16%) and Asia & Oceania (12%).
Commenting, Dawn Huntrod, Region Director for Make UK in the North said: “Industry remains critical to the growth of the economy, providing high value, high skill jobs and aiding the process of creating wealth across the UK. The new Government has made a welcome bold statement of its intent to tackle the UK’s anaemic growth at national and regional level.
“It should now back this with a radical, cross government, long-term industrial strategy which has the need to tackle the UK’s skills crisis at its heart. This should be allied with the local growth strategies and priorities of each region, including infrastructure and innovation, together with other measures to ensure the UK is now fully open for business.”
Steve Talbot, Head of Manufacturing at BDO in Yorkshire, added: “Over the last decade the manufacturing sector has become vital to Yorkshire & the Humber and the health of the regional economy. Over the last few years, manufacturers across the region have faced multiple external shocks and changing policy priorities.
“They have shown great resilience in overcoming these challenges. There is now an exciting opportunity for the sector to work with the new government on the development of a new long-term industrial strategy. This could unlock vital investment needed across the region to continue to bolster manufacturing output and skilled employment opportunities crucial to the regional economy.”
Four Yorkshire enterprises in running for diversification award
Wold Top Brewery and its sister company Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery have reached the final of the Diversification of the Year award alongside Richard Nicholson from Cannon Hall Farm, South Yorkshire and Annabel Makin-Jones, Sturton Grange, West Yorkshire.
Brewery and distillery source their barley from the original family farm, Hunmanby Grange, which is also home to the brewery.
Co-founder of both Wold Top and Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery, Tom Mellor, said: “The Farmers Weekly awards is a prestigious awards programme in the agriculture industry, and we’re proud to have been judged finalists in the competitive Diversification sector on account of the partnership between the farm, the brewery and the distillery.
“It’s good to know that, irrespective of who wins, the trophy will be coming back to Yorkshire.”
Wold Top is run by Mellor’s daughter Kate and husband Alex Balchin, and his other daughter, Jenni Ashwood, is the marketing director at Spirit of Yorkshire Distillery.
The awards winners will be announced at a gala dinner in October at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London. The Mellor family faces competition from Richard Nicholson, Cannon Hall Farm, South Yorkshire and Annabel Makin-Jones, Sturton Grange, West Yorkshire.
The Farmers Weekly awards are organised by the eponymous publication, which is celebrating the 90th anniversary of its first issue.
Established in 2003, Wold Top brews cask, keg and bottled ales from home and Wolds grown malting barley, hops and pure, chalk-filtered Yorkshire Wolds water.
Home to Filey Bay single malt whisky, Spirit of Yorkshire is a field-to-bottle distillery that was launched in 2016. Its first single malt whisky was bottled in 2019. It is a collaboration between Tom Mellor and business partner David Thompson. It is one of only a handful of distilleries worldwide that uses 100% home-grown barley to produce its whisky.
FSB welcomes launch of Growth Guarantee Scheme
Said FSB National Chair Martin McTague: “The new scheme will help small firms get the funding they require to be able to achieve their dreams. The Growth Guarantee Scheme will run until March 2026, and aims to support 11,000 small businesses over that time period, with 41 lenders already signed up, and 20 already open for applications.
“Small firms’ borrowing environment remains held back by stubbornly high interest rates and some reluctance among lenders to extend finance to firms seen as riskier and less viable due to their size and the diversity of proposals compared to their standard/corporate counterparts.
“The over-application of personal guarantees has also dampened further small firms’ enthusiasm for borrowing to fund expansion which requires corrective action by the FCA under direction of the new Treasury, which the Chancellor said will be the most pro-growth Treasury the country has ever seen.
“We will be working closely with all parts of Government as they look to deliver on the Labour party’s manifesto promise to protect the flow of funding to small firms amid the threat posed by the potential removal of the SME Supporting Factor, which allows lenders to hold a lower level of capital to counterbalance loans to SMEs, in the implementation of the Basel 3.1 standards.
“The Growth Guarantee Scheme will be an important part of the funding landscape for small firms, whose growth will be an indispensable ingredient in overall economic recovery in the UK.”
Leeds firm reducing the world’s carbon footprint secures £500,000 funding deal to power growth
A business dedicated to locating subsurface energy and mineral resources to reduce the globe’s carbon footprint, is powering its strategic growth plans after securing a £500,000 funding deal.
AIM-listed Getech, based in Leeds, which specialises in data-mapping natural resources such as metals, minerals and geothermal energy, agreed the working capital facility with Reward Finance Group.
Getech was formed in 1986 and uses its geoscience data and unique geospatial software to accelerate energy transition away from fossil fuels by developing and leading geo-energy and natural hydrogen projects.
With low carbon technologies requiring significantly more metals than fossil fuels and metal production needing to increase four-fold in the next 20 years, Getech is at the forefront of meeting this global demand. It is partly utilising the funding from Reward to further invest in its data capabilities and adopting a radical new approach to locating metals in previously unexplored territories.
In recent years, Getech has provided its data and expertise to customers operating across an even wider range of energy sectors. With the ongoing global energy crisis, large corporates are needing to take control of their energy needs and are exploring ways to power their operations with geothermal, hydrogen, wind and solar energy sources in close proximity to their business location.
The company is directly enabling businesses globally to meet their Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) targets, with the working capital from Reward helping it to continue its momentum and innovation programme.
Andrew Darbyshire, chief financial officer for Getech, said: “We’re at a pivotal stage of our business growth and needed an agile funding solution that ensures we don’t standstill. It’s critical that we continue to diversify, explore new market opportunities within green energy and remain focused on our core goals of finding the natural resources vital for the energy transition.
“The team at Reward have been hugely responsive, operating at speed and investing the time in really understanding our business to deliver a working capital solution that is bespoke to our short to medium term needs.”
Harriet Gibbs, business development director for Reward Finance Group in Yorkshire and the North East, said: “Helping provide working capital to such an innovative business that is working tirelessly to reduce the globe’s dependence on fossil fuels makes us immensely proud. The company had experienced a difficult process with the mainstream banks and needed to both turn to alternative finance and identify a lender with the right experience and expertise.
“We get to work across a diverse mix of SMEs to help fund business growth. However, this partnership stands out given how much Getech’s core business goals and objectives align with our own ESG principles and initiatives. We’re committed to being a responsible lender that cares greatly about the environment and are looking forward to seeing the ongoing progress Getech makes on the world stage.”
The deal between Getech and Reward Finance Group was brokered by Bob Maxwell of BTG Advisory part of Begbies Traynor plc.
Clean energy specialist signs four-year deal with industrial company
Sheffield-based clean energy company ITM as signed a 500MW capacity reservation with an undisclosed global industrial customer.
The firm says the reservation secures future production capacity for the manufacturing of its state-of-the-art electrolyser stacks to produce industrial-use hydrogen, and will last until the end of 2028 with call-offs against future projects in Europe and the US during that period.
The two companies have agreed not to disclose further contract details at this stage.
Dennis Schulz, CEO ITM, said: “Today’s announcement is a great example of how close collaboration will unlock competitive and successful green hydrogen projects. Following the already announced capacity reservation for 100MW from Shell, this agreement with yet another large-scale industrial customer is a validation of our technology and credibility to deliver.”
Focus on pro-growth policies for small firms, FSB urges new Government
“To achieve the Prime Minister’s ambition to drive wealth creation in every community, the new Government should look to quickly build on this result with further pro-growth policies targeted at small firms and self-employed people.
“The King’s Speech next week will provide an excellent opportunity for the new Labour Government to show it is truly committed to the success of the small business community.
“Shortly after the General Election was called, we pulled together over 150 growth-focused recommendations to form a manifesto for small businesses and the self-employed.
“In it, we highlighted issues such as the need for planning reform and a Small Housebuilders Strategy to ensure that smaller construction firms are at the heart of delivery plans for new homes and upgraded infrastructure, as well as drawing back foreign visitors who have been tempted elsewhere by reintroducing an expanded tax-free shopping scheme, which could add billions to the economy.
“In order to invest in growth, small businesses need access to affordable finance of various kinds, without lenders discouraging risk-taking by demanding personal guarantees as a blanket policy. We were pleased to secure the evolution of the Recovery Loan Scheme into the Growth Guarantee Scheme, which is now live and making more small business bank loans viable.
“As a recipe for the growth we all need, we hope the new Government makes sure every decision it takes considers the needs of small firms, as well as the indispensable contribution they make to the economy.”
HMRC launches online tool for firms to gauge what VAT registration would mean to them
HM Revenue and Customs has launched a digital tool to help businesses estimate what registering for VAT may mean for them.
The VAT Registration Estimator has been developed after feedback from small businesses suggested an online tool would be helpful to show when their turnover could require businesses to register for VAT and its effect on profits.
A business must register for VAT if:
- its total VAT taxable turnover for the previous 12 months is more than £90,000 -known as the ‘VAT threshold’ – until 31 March 2024 this was £85,000.
- they expect their turnover to go over the £90,000 VAT threshold in the next 30 days.
- they are an overseas business not based in the UK and supply goods or services to the UK (or expect to in the next 30 days) – regardless of VAT taxable turnover.
South Yorkshire businesses list town centre safety and cleanliness as priorities
Safety, cleanliness and the quality of retail have all been cited by South Yorkshire businesses as top priorities for their local urban cores. This is according to the recently-published findings of the Town and City Centre Survey.
The regional Chambers of Commerce covering Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley & Rotherham asked businesses to rate the various aspects of their urban core, to highlight its greatest strengths, and to conversely identify those areas where they think investment is needed most.
Results indicate that businesses are deeply invested in their respective civic centres and regard them as being critical to the economy. Yet there are also mixed feelings about what the future holds here.
Of those businesses polled, 73% say that they visit their nearest town or city centre on at least a monthly basis. Furthermore, the general consensus amongst respondents is that these urban cores are indeed beneficial to the wider region, playing a big role in: generating tourism; attracting investors; retaining young talent; and developing civic pride.
However, despite valuing town and city centres so highly, a third of firms expressed that they are not optimistic about where their nearest hub is heading over the next five years. Indeed, there is a real split in confidence over whether there will be any discernible improvements in that time span.
Carrie Sudbury, Chief Exec of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said: “It is heartening to see that businesses do actually believe that their local civic centres are important and that many of them back up that sentiment by visiting frequently.
“We cannot ignore the fact that respondents also flagged a number of deep-seated issues too. Most notably, less than 15% of firms answered positively when asked to rate the cleanliness, retail offer and safety of their nearest civic centre and the vast majority of them told us that these areas must be prioritised going forward.
“Similarly, other characteristics — like the availability of business collaboration spaces and the quality of both our residential & leisure offers —rated quite low as well. Recognising that these challenges and concerns may not be unique to South Yorkshire, it is still clear that a lot of work remains to be done.”
Government gives development consent to Gate Burton Energy Park
Eighteen months after submission of plans for The Gate Burton Energy Park the scheme has been granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Gate Burton Energy Park is to be built on land near Gate Burton in Lincolnshire. The electricity it generates will be exported via a connection into the existing national electricity transmission system at National Grid’s Cottam substation in Nottinghamshire.
The project is anticipated as having a generation capacity of around 500 megawatts (MW). This is equivalent to providing enough clean energy to power over 160,000 homes and avoid more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
The facility plans to build on about 684 hectares of agricultural land south of Gainsborough, near the communities of Gate Burton, Martin, Knaith Park and Willingham-by-Stow.
Spencer Group wins £23m contract for pioneering energy plant
Hull-based engineering specialist Spencer Group has won a £23m contract for a key role in the development of a pioneering new energy plant which aims to reshape the future of renewable energy.
The Group will design the site layout and deliver the enabling works and civils for a first-of-its-kind energy storage facility which is being developed at Trafford Energy Park in Carrington, Manchester.
The £300m development by Highview Power will store surplus electricity generated from wind and solar, and will be the first commercial-scale plant in the UK to deploy a pioneering new technology known as liquid air energy storage.
Developed by Highview Power in the UK over the past 17 years, the technology allows renewable energy to be stored for up to several weeks, longer than battery technologies.
The plant will be one of the world’s largest facilities of its kind and, once complete, will have storage capacity to provide enough clean and green energy to serve the needs of 480,000 homes.
Spencer Group Executive Chairman Charlie Spencer said: “Highview Power is a leading player in helping the UK achieve its net zero targets and is addressing the key issue of energy storage.
“We have a strong track record of delivering large-scale energy projects and we’re excited to expand our portfolio of works within this field with a project that will play a key role in the UK’s energy transition.”
John Goldie, Highview Power’s Programme Director, added: “We are looking forward to continuing to build and further our relationship with Spencer Group, which we have developed over the past 24 months during the pre-execute phase of the Carrington project.
“We selected Spencer Group based on their expertise and experience in delivering similar type projects and providing innovative and value-added solutions in engineering and construction.”
Spencer Group’s Civils Division will begin work on site in late 2024, with the plant expected to be operational in 2026.
York chocolatier wins inaugural Made Smarter award
York-based chocolatier Choc Affair has won the inaugural Made Smarter Adoption Award on recognition of its commitment to digital transformation and innovation within the manufacturing sector.
Choc Affair achieved a huge leap in capacity for its handmade chocolates thanks to a high-tech labelling machine funded by a £20k grant from Made Smarter Yorkshire & Humber, delivered through the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub. The machine has led to an increase in capacity from labelling 600k bars a year to 1.5m.
Julian Barrie, MD of Choc Affair, said: “The process with Made Smarter was really easy. The support and financial assistance have been invaluable. We’re excited to scale up our business and secure our future thanks to this investment.”
The Made Smarter Adoption Awards, launched to recognise and celebrate SME manufacturers who have embraced technology and skills to digitalise, decarbonise, and drive growth, saw regional winners from across the UK compete for the national title at an awards show in Liverpool.
Brian Holliday, Co-Chair of the Made Smarter Commission, added: “The Made Smarter Awards celebrate digital transformation among SME manufacturers, and I would like to congratulate all winners and nominees as we collectively celebrate the successes the Made Smarter adoption programme has helped support in each of the individual manufacturing businesses.”
Amazon told to act swiftly to show compliance with Groceries Supply Code of Practice
Fewer than half of firms supplying directly to Amazon who responded to the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s 2024 annual survey believe the company consistently or mostly complies with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.
Despite the overall improvement in the treatment of suppliers, Amazon’s perceived Code compliance score fell from 59% to 47%.
Mark White, the Groceries Code Adjudicator has told Amazon that it must take swift and comprehensive action to demonstrably comply with the Code. The GCA is monitoring changes that Amazon is making and their impact on suppliers to determine whether they are sufficient.
He said: “I am encouraged to see improvements in Retailers’ treatment of suppliers across a range of issues including the management of cost price increase requests but also resolution of invoice discrepancies and data input errors.
“However, the survey shows clearly that many suppliers do not believe that Amazon is complying with the Code. Amazon must ensure suppliers understand the changes it has made since its designation and in response to these survey results, and make any further changes that are needed to ensure Code compliance.
“I will not hesitate to launch a formal investigation if appropriate and necessary to ensure Amazon is treating its suppliers fairly and lawfully. I encourage suppliers to continue to confidentially tell me about the issues they are facing with Amazon.”
The results of the eleventh annual survey, which received more than 3,000 responses, show that the number of suppliers experiencing a Code issue fell from 36% to 33%.
There was a significant improvement in relation to cost price increases (CPIs). As food price inflation has fallen, the number of suppliers which requested at least one CPI from a Retailer over the previous 12 months fell from 91% in 2023 to 67% in 2024. The number of suppliers highlighting a Retailer’s response to a CPI as an issue almost halved, falling from 28% in 2023 to just 16%.
There has also been improved performance against other issues impacting suppliers:
- 21% of suppliers highlighted inadequate processes in place to enable invoice discrepancies to be resolved promptly, compared to 25% of suppliers in 2023.
- 11% of suppliers highlighted data input errors not being resolved promptly, compared to 16% in 2023.
Fusion energy project appoints three new non-exec directors
UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd has appointed three new non-exec directors to support of the delivery of the UK’s prototype fusion energy plant.
Kaveh Pourteymour, Julie Nerney and Dr Luc Bardin will be part of STEP, the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, to be built at the former West Burton Power Station near Gainsborough, which aims to demonstrate net energy from fusion alongside paving the way for the commercialisation of fusion energy.
These strategic appointments follow the launch of a multi-stage competition to find industry partners – one in engineering and one in construction – to form a public-private alliance led by UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority Group, to deliver STEP.
Professor David Gann, Chair of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, said: “We are delighted to welcome Kaveh, Julie and Luc to our Board, together with Charlotte Valeur and our other executive and non-exec members. Their strategic insights will be invaluable as we navigate the delivery of a new technology to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of an emerging industry.”
Kaveh is currently Managing Director – Head of Business Partnering and Projects for global mining group, Rio Tinto, and joins the UKIFS Board as a digital transformation leader with over 30 years’ experience spanning energy, utilities and manufacturing in addition to complex systems engineering and digital modelling. Throughout his career, Kaveh has successfully implemented cutting edge solutions to enhance business performance delivered through operating models that incorporated diversity and inclusion at their heart.
Julie has been delivering impactful and sustainable change in organisations for over 30 years in roles that span c-suite and board level, experiencing every stage of the organisational life cycle. She has delivered high profile and complex programmes, including a leadership role in the transport operation for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of the Supreme Court in February 2023.
A current Non-Executive Director on the UKAEA Group Board, Dr Luc Bardin joins for a shorter period to help with the transition from UKAEA to UKIFS, where his world renowned expertise in organisational development and strategic partnering will be of immense value.
The UKIFS Board will also be joined by Jamie Stapleton as Board Advisor. Jamie is currently VP Digital Innovation & Synergies at Hitachi Energy.
The new appointments join fellow independent Non-Executive Director, Charlotte Valeur, an Investment Banker and experienced FTSE Chair and Non-Executive Director. Her long board-level experience spans a host of sectors and industries and covers IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and restructuring. She is a recognised international authority and professor in corporate governance and leadership, and author of ‘Effective Directors, Questions to Ask’.
UKIFS will be responsible for the delivery of STEP from later this year. The programme aims to create future opportunities for suppliers ranging from whole plant integrators to critical system manufacturers that can design and deliver future plants worldwide in addition to benefitting the communities that surround West Burton.
The fusion process can be thought of as the opposite of fission – combining lighter atoms rather than splitting heavier ones. It is based on the same processes that power the Sun and stars and has potential to provide safe, sustainable and low-carbon energy for generations to come.
Floormaster’s PV grant’s expected to save more than £3,500 a year on energy bills
Barnsley-based Floormaster Yorkshire has gained grant funding to invest in solar panels which will generate more than 70 percent of the energy it needs.
The company has installed 36 panels to the roof of its warehouse at Barugh Green to feed electricity into the company’s 600 sq ft showroom next-door. The company’s investment has been backed by a grant from the Net Zero Barnsley programme delivered by The Business Village in partnership with Barnsley Council.
Floormaster became eligible for a capital grant – which they’ve had to match-fund – to invest in a development to cut carbon emissions, after completing the programme.
The family firm bid for £6,000 to go halves on a £12,000 photo-voltaic system designed to switch the company to renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions by 80 per cent and slashing energy bills by half.
OPs Manager Daniel Deacey said: “We own our warehouse and its expansive roof, so when Net Zero Barnsley helped us look at the idea of putting solar panels up there to generate power for our showroom and offices it all made perfect sense.
“Even so, as a small business we probably wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay up-front for the PV system – the grant support was really important in our decision to go ahead.
“We look forward to much lower monthly energy bills soon. And, as we’ve all got to work towards net zero emissions, it feels good to have taken significant action towards that too.”
Floormaster currently uses 16,651kWh of electricity a year which amounts to 3,220kg of CO2 emissions and costs nearly £8,000 in bills.
Floormaster’s 15.3kWp PV system is expected to generate 13,000kWh of renewable energy a year and reduce the company’s carbon emissions by 2,613kg a year. The panels should save them more than £3,500 a year on energy bills and pay for themselves within three and a half years. It is also calculated that over the panels’ 22-year lifetime, they will produce 303,975 kWh of clean energy and reduce the company’s CO2 emissions 58.78 tonnes.
Pubs win extra time as England bid for Euros glory
Tomorrow night pubs and bars across England and Wales can keep their doors open until 1am as England bid to become champions of Europe, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has confirmed.
Following the Three Lions’ emphatic semi-final win on Wednesday night, the team is set to go head to head with Spain in the final of the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship.
The heavyweight clash will kick off at 8pm, with fans up and down the country coming together to show their support.
Pub licensing hours can be relaxed to mark occasions of “exceptional national significance”, meaning pubs and bars will be able to stay open for an extra 2 hours tomorrow evening.
Yvette Cooper said: “We’re so proud of Gareth Southgate and the England team. It’s right that we can all come together tomorrow to enjoy the match and—do we dare to dream?!—hopefully celebrate an England victory.
“I want to pay special thanks to the police officers and first responders who will be working across communities to keep us safe.
“I look forward to getting behind all our brilliant players, who bring so much pride to our country, and I want to wish the team the best of luck. Let’s bring it home.”
As well as bringing fans together for longer, tomorrow night’s extension is due to be a welcomed boost to the hospitality industry. Emma McClarkin, Chief Executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: “As with the semi-finals, pubs will be licensed to stay open until 1am on Sunday night and thanks to the Home Office for making the changes to the licensing rules for allowing this to happen. “The changes give fans even more time to enjoy the game, support our pubs and hopefully celebrate football finally coming home.“Fans have shown us resoundingly this tournament that there is no better place to watch our teams and soak up the atmosphere than the great British pub. This Sunday the BBPA urges everyone to get down their local, support our pubs and get behind the boys. Come on England!”
