Business wins food waste recycling tender with Lincolnshire County Council
BioteCH4 has secured a new contract with Lincolnshire County Council to recycle food waste from all districts within Lincolnshire.
BioteCH4, the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) operator, handled over 600,000 tonnes of food waste in 2023, producing power equivalent to the electricity used by over 30,000 homes for an entire year.
When food waste is disposed via Energy from Waste, the energy and nutrient benefits are not fully harnessed. By separately collecting food waste and recycling it through AD, these greenhouse gases are captured and converted into biogas and renewable energy, which is then injected into the national grid and the digestate by-product is recycled to land to help grow more food.
Following confirmation that all Councils must provide a weekly food waste collection from March 2026, Lincolnshire County Council has moved quickly, securing an in-county solution with BioteCH4 which will see up to 50,000 tonnes of food waste captured annually from homes and businesses across the county.
Starting in Autumn 2025, BioteCH4 will collect the food waste daily from a network of six transfer stations throughout the county for up to 9 years. BioteCH4 will use its experience to collaborate closely with the councils as they implement these food waste collections for the first time, ensuring a smooth rollout of services and maximising the amount of food waste recycled across the county.
Pamela Woolcock, Group Public Sector Lead for BioteCH4, said: “Although the Simpler Recycling journey has been long, we are nearing the finish line. We are thrilled to now be partnered with Lincolnshire County Council with a year to work on perfecting the implementation plans before we kick-off in September 2025.
“We’re delighted Lincolnshire have taken the step of introducing their food waste collections so soon and we’d urge other local authorities currently looking at their procurement to speak to operators and get the ball rolling as soon as is feasible. We’d welcome any questions, and our sites are open for visits to meet our team of experts.”
Chris Yorston, acting head of waste at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Having secured our treatment solution, we can now focus – with our district council partners and BioteCH4 – on designing, procuring, and implementing the other elements of our food waste collection service. We are looking forward to bringing all our knowledge and experience together to bring food waste recycling to households across the county.”
Major industrial and logistics scheme gets go-ahead at Ferrybridge Power Station site
Mountpark has secured planning permission from Wakefield Council for the redevelopment of The Coal Yard at Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire.
The hybrid application includes detailed planning permission for site infrastructure works and outline approval for up to 1.64 million sq ft of industrial and logistics space on the 110-acre site. Extensive highway improvements from the adjacent A162 into the development are also included within the scheme.
The regeneration of the former Coal Yard site is expected to create upwards of 2,000 jobs as Brett Huxley, development director for Mountpark (UK & Ireland) explains: “This decision is the next step towards delivering a new future to this iconic site.
“Mountpark Ferrybridge represents one of the largest job creation projects in West Yorkshire in recent years, and we hope to attract significant inward investment by creating a high quality industrial and logistics campus for our occupiers.
“The project will generate a vast array of job opportunities for local people, bringing industry and economic prosperity back to Ferrybridge.”
Mountpark Ferrybridge will cater for requirements from 40,000 sq ft to 640,000 sq ft. Mountpark’s plans also retain the existing railway sidings that bound the scheme with enhanced landscaping, footpaths and cycleways reconnecting Ferrybridge with the local community.
Mountpark’s joint agents on the scheme are Carter Towler and JLL. The wider project team includes Oxalis Planning, SMR Architects, Markides Associates and Hydrock+CPD.
Abbeydale nursery proves apprenticeship funding is child’s play
Abbeydale Cottage Nursery is one of the first businesses in South Yorkshire to benefit from the South Yorkshire-wide Apprenticeship Levy Matchmaking scheme.
Based on Abbeydale Road South in Dore, the nursery employs 33 staff and looks after almost 160 children under four.
The matchmaking service enables larger employers to pledge their unspent Apprenticeship Levy funding to support smaller to medium sized businesses.
Small businesses usually have to make a contribution towards the training costs of apprentices, but if their application to the matchmaking service is successful, that cost is waived.
Emily Steele, Manager at Abbeydale Cottage Nursery, said: “This is an amazing and priceless opportunity to get apprenticeship training for free and incredibly valueable for our business. Given the significant demand for nursery places and the need to retain skilled staff, it was a no brainer – we couldn’t not apply to the fund.
“We run a busy and popular nursery. It is vital that we invest in our staff to develop and retain them, which in turn helps us to provide the best service for our customers.
“There are so many advantages to training apprentices. They bring fresh, new ideas and we can mould their training to suit our business skills needs. The fact that apprentices learn in the workplace really helps with the development of their knowledge and skills. There is no substitute for learning on the job.
“The process of applying to the Apprenticeship Levy Matchmaking Service was really straightforward and I would encourage any other small businesses to consider it.”
Keith Richardson, Manager, South Yorkshire Apprenticeship Hub, said: “We are committed to building the skills that South Yorkshire needs by ensuring that smaller employers get the support to grow their businesses.
“Scores of businesses and apprentices are benefitting from the hub including the transfer of levy funding to SMEs to support apprenticeship training costs.
“Apprenticeships are a great way to invest in the future of your organisation and we would encourage more businesses to get in touch and find out more.”
£60m set for West Yorkshire skills courses
West Yorkshire’s colleges, councils and education providers are primed to deliver over £60 million of training courses from September, funded through the devolved Adult Skills Fund.
The funding will help deliver a huge variety of courses catering for both school leavers and adult learners of all ages from across the region.
The announcement came as students collect their GCSE results (22 August), with regional Mayor Tracy Brabin promising that “regardless of grade, you can find your future here in West Yorkshire.”
With devolved responsibility over adult skills, Mayor Brabin has vowed to support people with basic skills like English and Maths, while also supporting people with more advanced technical education, helping them secure well-paid jobs in growing industries such as the green, digital and creative sectors.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “To anyone collecting a result, finding their first job or looking for better-paid work, my message is simple – you can find your future here in West Yorkshire.
“Because of devolution, we and our partners can equip you with the skills you need to succeed, with a laser focus on helping you secure a real, well-paid job in the local labour market.
“For our economy to succeed and thrive, we need everyone in it to succeed and thrive. That’s why we’re building a region of learning and creativity, where everyone can fulfil their potential.”
The multi-million pound investment follows a high-profile manifesto pledge to “build a region of learning and creativity,” with almost £50 million divided up between the region’s colleges, almost £7 million between the five district councils, and over £4 million between specialist training providers.
This £4.5 million of targeted contracts will tackle the specific labour shortages facing the region, with a focus on much-needed training for essential jobs including bus drivers, construction engineers and healthcare workers. To date, over 150 new bus drivers and over 400 new telecoms engineers have been trained and employed through targeted funds.
A recently withdrawn procurement will also be repurposed and sharpened, to provide a further £7 million to fill any emerging gaps in adult skills provision from January 2025.
Over the past academic year, over 40,000 learners were supported through funding from the West Yorkshire Mayor, helping to deliver thousands of vital jobs in the local labour market. Of those supported, there was a higher proportion of young learners, ethnic minority learners and disabled learners on the previous year.
Homebuilders’ golf day raises £11,000 for charity
A golf day arranged by Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West has raised £11,000 for its charity of the year, Candlelighters, which supports families affected by childhood cancer.
Almost 80 golfers, including Barratt and David Wilson Homes’ employees and sub-contractors, took part in the tournament at Garforth Golf Club in Leeds.
Iain Blackwood Hobbs, Partnerships Executive at Candlelighters, said: “Thank you so much to Barratt Homes Yorkshire West for organising another incredible golf day for Candlelighters. The £11,000 raised on the Golf Day allows Candlelighters to continue providing vital, practical, emotional, and financial support to so many families in Yorkshire who are sadly affected by childhood cancer.
“We can’t thank the Yorkshire West Team enough for their support over the past six years and for doing so much in this successful partnership.”
Gavin Birch, MD at Barratt and David Wilson Homes Yorkshire West, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who participated in our annual golf day for another year. This day helps to support such a great cause and we hope everyone involved had a good day.”
Doncaster Chamber calls for shake-up in careers advice offered to school leavers
Doncaster Chamber believes a step change in both quality and quantity of careers advice for school leavers, and the number of private sector representatives involved in education governance.
Proposals to improve Doncaster‘s performance in both of these areas are included in the Chamber’s recently published Manifesto – Doncaster ’35: A Manifesto for a Winning City.
Congratulating those who’d received their results this week, Chamber CEO Dan Fell said “Last week, data was published showing that Doncaster is the best performing town or city in Yorkshire when it comes to the growth of our business stock. This, along with pending news about a new operator for our re-opening airport and the investment of flagships businesses such as Hybrid Air Vehicles into our city, shows that Doncaster is on the up.
“I would therefore strongly encourage young people receiving their GCSE and A-Level results to look at local training and employment opportunities and to seriously consider pursuing a career in Doncaster’s increasingly vibrant business community.
“However, despite many years of concerted effort by many talented people and organisations, we still hear too much dissatisfaction from employers about the way their industry or sector is promoted to young people, and too many employers fear that a hopeful message about Doncaster’s economy is not getting through to young people.
“That is why we have called, in our recently published manifesto, for a shake-up of careers advice in this country and for careers to have increased prevalence in the way schools are assessed by organisations like Ofsted.
“To help embed a demand-led approach to skills within our local education community, we are also encouraging more business leaders to put themselves forward for education governance roles. Being a school governor is a great way to use your skills to enhance peoples’ lives and to help ensure that the curriculum aligns with the needs of your sector. Many talented young people will be celebrating today, by closer aligning the education and business communities, we can ensure as many of those young people access exciting careers as locally as possible.”
University of Bradford has Small Business Charter extended for five years
The University of Bradford’s School of Management has been recognised for its work with small businesses by having its Small Business Charter renewed for a further five years.
Professor Sankar Sivarajah, Dean of the School of Management at the University of Bradford, said: “The five-year award is a testament to the growth and development of our engagement with entrepreneurs and small businesses within the region over the past few years, as well as the ongoing strength of the School’s business and community engagement offer.”
Tim Rogers, CEO of Bradford district-based firm Future Transformation, said: “With access to students, research and innovation the University of Bradford School of Management proves a vital resource for SMEs like mine and the wider business community locally, regionally and nationally to grow sustainably and increase our skills resulting in a strong and stable economy.” Flora Hamilton, Executive Director of the Small Business Charter and CEO of the Chartered Association of Business Schools, said: “We congratulate the University of Bradford School of Management for retaining their SBC status. “It is fantastic to see that the school has built upon the foundations of its initial application and continues to demonstrate impact in supporting small businesses and student entrepreneurs in their local economy. “We look forward to seeing the ongoing impacts of their work deliver for their regional economy.”
Professor David Spicer, Director of Business and Community Engagement at the University of Bradford, said: “As a civic institution our engagement with, and support for, the local community is a key tenant of our work.
“Our SBC award reinforces the importance of those links and recognises the value we create for businesses and entrepreneurs in the city and University.
“The five-year accreditation achieved this time is testament to the School’s team in extending our work in this regard.”
The School has been recognised for its contributions in three categories: Support for Growth of Small Businesses, Stakeholder Engagement to Support Growth, and Encouraging Student Enterprise and Entrepreneurship.
Private equity firm sells West Yorkshire-based Cutwel
NorthEdge has completed the sale of Cutwel, the cutting tool distribution firm serving the SME precision engineering sector, to Inflexion Private Equity Partners.
Cutwel, based in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, serves over 13,000 customers across a range of sectors through a disruptive sales model.
The exit was led by Andy Ball, Partner, and John Hammond, Director, alongside the Cutwel management team. The deal provides a strong return for NorthEdge Fund II, delivering over a 3x gross return.
Since the initial investment in May 2018, NorthEdge has supported Cutwel to refine and accelerate its disruptive commercial model, alongside building a scalable platform fit for future growth through investment in people, technology and operational infrastructure.
Alongside appointing a Chair and CFO to complete the Board, the business built out the operational leadership team with six critical hires. This included a Head of Operations, who has driven a process and technology transformation to improve efficiencies, deliver operational leverage and create a platform for growth, and a Head of Sales and Marketing, who has built out the marketing, sales and account management team from 15 to over 45 people.
Alongside headcount growth, the business has placed a significant focus on improving digital customer acquisition and embedding a data-driven account management culture – resulting in a resilient and re-occurring revenue model, which enabled the business to take market share and provides resilience through economic cycles.
The business also recognised the importance of ESG in supporting its long-term growth ambitions, becoming one of the first of NorthEdge’s portfolio companies to publicly commit to a net zero target and ensuring it remained an employer of choice in the region.
From a social impact perspective, the business contributed over £31m of GVA to the UK economy in 2023, with the majority of this contribution concentrated in Yorkshire and across the North of England, achieved Great Place to Work accreditation and won a Yorkshire BVCA Vision Award.
Adam Gillard, CEO of Cutwel, said: “With NorthEdge’s support we have built a platform that is fit for future growth and we are excited to build on this momentum with our new partners, Inflexion.
“Our growth plan is focussed on building deeper relationships with existing customers; utilising our digital and data capabilities to acquire new customers; continuing our focus on operational excellence and expanding our product range.
“It is thanks to NorthEdge’s belief in our team and our plan, alongside their local, practical and commercial support that we are in the position to take this business to the next level.”
John Hammond, Director at NorthEdge, added: “We are proud to have played our part in supporting Cutwel achieve strong top and bottom line growth, despite the challenging market conditions the business has faced since our initial investment.
“By refining and investing in its disruptive sales model and operational platform, the business has continually outperformed competitors whilst retaining its focus on being a great place to work for its people.
“Cutwel is a great example of a regional business creating local and national impact, ready for the next stage of its growth journey. We are delighted to have delivered another strong exit for Fund II and remain excited to see what Adam and the Cutwel team achieve over the coming years.”
Plant-based meat alternatives business, The Tofoo Co. acquired
Comitis Capital has acquired The Tofoo Co., a plant-based meat alternatives business with over 60% market share in tofu.
The Tofoo Co., headquartered in Yorkshire, was acquired in 2016 by David Knibbs and Lydia Smith. Beyond its core tofu portfolio, The Tofoo Co. offers a selection of value-added tofu products as well as other plant-based meat alternatives such as tempeh and seitan.
With a strong holding in major retail, the company is expanding its food service channel with restaurant chains such as Wagamama.
Nikolaus Bethlen, Managing Partner at Comitis, said: “The Tofoo Co. has firmly established itself as a leader in the plant-based meat alternatives market with a strong brand image offering high-quality products.
“David Knibbs and Lydia Smith have built a remarkable enterprise that is ready for the next phase of growth. The Tofoo Co. represents a great addition to our portfolio, covering the thriving plant-based food market.”
Felix Jauch, Investment Associate at Comitis, added: “We are thrilled to collaborate with visionary entrepreneurs who are eager to foster growth, and the team at The Tofoo Co. perfectly embody this spirit.
“Together, we share a unified vision of propelling The Tofoo Co. into a leading position in the international plant-based meat alternatives market. With our investment, expertise, and extensive network, we are committed to fueling the company’s dynamic expansion plan.”
Existing management David Knibbs and Lydia Smith will remain invested in the business and continue to steer the company’s growth in the UK and international markets.
David Knibbs, Managing Director of The Tofoo Co., said: “We chose Comitis as our partner to enter a new era of rapid expansion. Their deep understanding of our business model and entrepreneurial thinking has left us convinced that they are the right choice to bring The Tofoo Co. to the next level.
“Their value-based investment approach aligns perfectly with our vision, and we see significant opportunities for The Tofoo Co. ahead.”
“The Tofoo Co has plans to grow further, both with existing & new customers and channels, and needed a strong and proactive partner to help that growth journey. Comitis are a great fit as that partner for this next chapter of Tofoo Co’s growth journey,” said Lydia Smith Executive Director of The Tofoo Co.
Comitis was advised by MCF Corporate Finance (Buyside Financial Advisor), CADEN Strategy (Commercial), Eight Advisory (Financial, Tax and Operations), and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Legal).
Aptean expands global footprint with acquisition of Wakefield firm
Aptean, an AI-driven ERP solutions firm, has acquired SSG Insight, a provider of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) solutions headquartered in Wakefield.
The acquisition of SSG immediately increases Aptean’s EAM geographic footprint. SSG also bolsters the capabilities of Aptean’s cloud-based EAM offerings, which are purpose-built for manufacturers, distributors, logistics providers, healthcare facilities, light rail operators and other asset intensive industries.
Founded in 1983, SSG provides Agility, a mission-critical suite of EAM solutions designed to manage complex challenges across global sites with a smart ecosystem of connected data. SSG delivers a scalable and integrated suite of CMMS and EAM solutions which give total control over asset lifecycle management, workflow automation, condition monitoring, contract / vendor management, and advanced analytics.
The team at SSG possesses deep industry expertise across Aptean’s core focus areas including food manufacturing, industrial manufacturing, light rail, retail distribution, and healthcare facilities, among others.
“SSG has a proven track record with over 40 years of experience delivering mission-critical enterprise asset management solutions across the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and North America,” said Duane George, President of EMEA and APAC at Aptean.
“SSG’s Agility product suite delivers robust software solutions specifically designed to manage complex enterprise asset management challenges and is backed by a team of seasoned industry experts. We are thrilled to welcome the SSG team and customers to Aptean.”
Mike Edwards, CEO of SSG, said: “We are delighted to join a global organization like Aptean, where together we can continue to develop and deliver innovative enterprise asset management solutions to the market.
“The combination of our businesses offer an exciting opportunity for SSG’s future growth given our shared commitment to the long term success of our products and customers. Additionally, being part of Aptean presents our customers and our team with exciting opportunities for growth and development and we can’t wait to get started.”
