Business Sheffield supporting businesses to manage cost of living
The rising cost of living is putting pressure on businesses across Sheffield, and the council is urging businesses to make use of free expert support to help them weather the challenge.
Costs are increasing across the supply chain, from raw materials and ingredients to transport and energy costs. At the same time, people have less to spend and are thinking differently about what to do with their money, making it harder for businesses to attract customers and cover costs.
This means many businesses are looking for new ways to market themselves and adjust their business model, as well as seeking to reduce their costs.
Business Sheffield, the council’s business support department, has teams of business experts who can support businesses with these changes. The Business Information Officer team supports high street businesses across the city, while the Business Advisors work with business of all kinds, from tech start-ups to big manufacturing companies and more.
In these challenging times, they can help businesses to review their cashflow and find efficiencies, as well as to refresh their marketing strategies. They can also help business owners to understand energy costs, bills and contracts.
Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee, said: “Sheffield’s businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and a key part of what makes this city such a special place to live and work.
“Our dedicated support teams within Business Sheffield have valuable experience and real practical support to offer businesses who are struggling with the impacts of the cost of living. If you own a business, we really encourage you to contact the team and see how they could help you.”
“I think the thing to try and remember through these challenging times is resilience,” says Alan Ball, Business Information Officer. “It can be really tough at times, but you’re not alone. Cash is king: try and make sure that you manage and control your cash flow. Look at new opportunities to sell, either online or through social media.
“Take full advantage of the free advice that’s there for you. You’re not alone in this: we will get through it and things will be better, and whilst it may seem challenging at the time, there is support out there.”
We don’t want any money, Hull Chamber tells Shadow Business Secretary
We don’t want money – just make bold decisions and let us get on with decarbonising the Humber and building for the future – that was the clear message voiced by the biggest businesses in the Humber when they met with the Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband at the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce.
Business leaders from Ineos Acetyles, Equinor, Drax, Orsted, Able UK, Prax Group, Phillips 66, Lindsey Oil Refinery, Smith & Nephew, Reckitts, Spencer Group and numerous others all made clear requests of present and future Governments to sweep the red tape out of their way and put the infrastructure in place to let these major businesses thrive in this region.
The former Labour Party leader who has praised the Humber 2030 Vision document was knowledgeable and enthusiastic as he outlined his Party’s plans to create GB Energy, a publicly-owned generation company. Ed Miliband listened carefully and questioned the company representatives in turn to establish precisely what blocks these major industries are facing and what needs to happen to get things moving faster in the Humber.
Business leaders around the Chamber table have billions of pounds to invest in the Humber, but much of that investment would be anticipatory he was told, and there was a need for certainty from Government that if that investment is made, contracts will follow. Businesses needed to have that confidence in place to bring those investment plans to fruition.
David Brooks, the Chief Executive of Ineos Acetyles UK had travelled from London to attend. He told the meeting: “The Government saying yes or no was very important. If you have ambitions for carbon zero in the Humber for 2030 BEIS needs to step up. Sometimes investment carries risk, but sometimes you have to take risks. The private sector does demand action and promptness to commit, otherwise they lose the confidence to invest.”
Emma Toulson from Orsted said: “We have invested £14billion in infrastructure and created the largest offshore wind hub in the world and it’s based in Grimsby. Hornsea 3 and 4 will cost another £14billion which then becomes £30billion investment potential, but we need access to the grid and planning permissions if we are to reach our ambition of 50GW by 2030 – it’s not too far away now! We all need to work together to decarbonise the Humber.”
Rolls-Royce works through site visits for nuclear reactor ‘parts factory’
Rolls-Royce is visiting all sites shortlisted as potential homes for its first factory to make small modular reactor power station components – including Pioneer Park at Stallingborough and the former Tioxide site on Moody Lane in Grimsby.
Since then, the company has added two additional sites to its shortlist – Shotton, Deeside and Teesworks, Redcar. These join Catterick and Ferrybridge in Yorkshire, Sunderland, Newton Aycliffe, Deeside in north Wales and Carlisle.
A team from Rolls-Royce SMR is currently in the process of visiting each site to gather more information in order to narrow down the potential factory locations.
COO of Rolls-Royce SMR, David White, said: “I’d like to thank the Local Enterprise Partnerships, the Welsh Government and the owners of the shortlisted sites for their continued support and cooperation.”
If Lincolnshire is chosen as a host for the new factory, the area is expected to benefit the area through significant investment, providing high-skilled jobs and sustainable economic growth.
The shortlist was selected from over 100 submissions from Local Enterprise Partnerships and development agencies which suggested sites across the UK where the Rolls-Royce SMR factories could be located.
‘Tech-for-good’ firm raises £750,000
Tech-for-good company GWD has secured a £750,000 investment from NPIF Maven Equity Finance.
Founded by Marek Narkiewicz and Ben Widdows, GWD supports socially minded organisations in the digital transition, accelerating their ability to build stronger relationships with customers and clients through impactful products and services.
A flagship product of GWD is its contactless fundraising device, the Donation Station, which uses interactive storytelling and intuitive design to help organisations enhance the donor experience, encouraging engagement, and creating a lasting impression of a fundraising cause.
Headquartered in Sheffield, GWD has deployed hundreds of Donation Stations across the UK. The company is proud to be a partner of choice for organisations across the charity, faith, arts, heritage, and corporate sectors, which can include institutions such as libraries, gardens, and museums.
The £750,000 worth of equity will allow GWD to accelerate key product development and add new service lines, enabling the company to continue helping its clients to build long-lasting donor relations more effectively.
“We are delighted to provide funding to GWD as it enters its important scale-up phase. GWD have market leading products in sectors that are rapidly growing, with great potential to expand the business rapidly. I am excited to be working with Marek and Ben and the rest of the team,” said Alex Rothwell, investment director at Maven.
“From the first meeting we were confident that Alex and Maven were the right funding partner for GWD. We have a fantastic team and a mission to bring innovative technology to right where it’s needed and Maven immediately saw the value in that. I’m excited to push on with their support and to continue serving our clients,” said Marek Narkiewicz, co-founder and CEO of GWD.
Leeds engineering services group acquires Northern Irish firm
Renew, the Leeds-based engineering services group, has acquired Enisca Group from its founders for a total consideration of £15.6m.
Enisca is a multi-disciplinary engineering business operating in the water and environmental sector with headquarters in Cookstown, Northern Ireland but with a base on the UK mainland. Enisca has long term Mechanical, Electrical, Instrumentation, Controls and Automation (MEICA) frameworks with Southern Water, South East Water, Affinity Water, Yorkshire Water, Irish Water, Northern Ireland Water, Anglian Water and Northumbrian Water.
The entire executive management team of Enisca will remain with the business post acquisition.
Paul Scott, Chief Executive of Renew, said: “This acquisition broadens Renew’s exposure to the UK water market and is consistent with our stated strategic objectives. Enisca is a highly regarded business with a strong track record and is well known to Renew having been a joint venture partner of Browne since the start of AMP6 in 2015.
“Our existing multidisciplinary water capability, complemented by the inclusion of Enisca will significantly enhance Renew’s proposition ahead of AMP8 procurement in 2024. I am delighted to welcome the management and staff of Enisca to the Renew family.”
Tom Ruddy, chairman of Enisca, said: “We very much look forward to the opportunity to join with Renew for this attractive new chapter. Renew will be an excellent long-term strategic fit for Enisca giving us access to its interconnected group subsidiary businesses, clients and frameworks.
“I would like to thank my fellow directors and shareholders and all the employees of the Enisca Group companies for building the company to where it is today, a strong and vibrant business in the UK and Ireland Water and Environmental markets.”
MAG reports distribution reaching £20 million amid company growth
One of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial laundry machines, MAG Laundry Equipment, has successfully distributed over £20 million of equipment as they continue to support businesses across the UK, as well as celebrating a 16-year partnership with the manufacturing giant The Onnera Group.
MAG, which has recently won a Laundry & Dry-Cleaning Award for Machinery Distributor of the Year, has experienced significant growth during its 13-year partnership with The Onnera Group. The company’s sales have been further enhanced by MAG’s exclusive UK distribution of the Primer brand, which has contributed to its overall machine distribution exceeding £20 million.
This record growth has resulted in a continued and steady investment into the commercial laundry sector, with MAG leading the way in research and development, upgrading its fleet with green vehicles, and doubling its network of UK engineers.
MAG’s leadership in the sector was recognised within the company’s recent award win where the team was celebrated for strong overall performance, innovation, technological advances, excellent customer service and thoughtful environmental standards.
Commenting upon the company’s recent growth, Mark Dennis, Managing Director at MAG, said: “To have achieved such unprecedented growth and to be this year’s Machinery Distributor of the Year is truly such an honour.
“Our success is reflective of the hard work the team puts in day in, day out. Particularly with regards to forging strong manufacturing partnerships, which have allowed us to supply some of the most energy efficient, technologically advanced equipment in the world.
“I would personally like to thank everyone who has helped us get to where we are today. MAG has always been a business that doesn’t stand still – and we look forward to enjoying future successes like this with the team.”
MAG, which supplies and services commercial and industrial washing machines, tumble dryers and ironers, is currently within the top five suppliers in the country. The business has grown from strength-to-strength since being founded in 1986.
Mayor unveils plan to make West Yorkshire a digital giant with focus on skills
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, has launched a major new plan to improve digital skills and help grow the region’s digital sector.
The Mayor’s first Digital Skills Plan will ensure that everyone across West Yorkshire can develop the digital skills they need to get the career or life skills they want, with the goal of creating an inclusive society and thriving economy.
With the pandemic turbo-charging the shift to digital and online services, it is vital that people and communities have the skills necessary for the modern world.
Supported by officials from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Mayor’s Digital Skills Plan is for everyone – from those who have never turned on a laptop, to those who want to learn how to use social media, to those who are expert coders.
The plan will also promote digital careers, linking education and business, so young people in West Yorkshire are ready for the ‘jobs of the future’. It will also inspire businesses and charities to invest in digital skills to transform their workforce.
West Yorkshire has the fastest growing digital sector outside London and is the UK’s number one location for tech scale-ups. The new plan sets out what is needed to support and boost the region’s already thriving sector.
This includes:
- Building the capacity of community organisations to deliver digital skills and access to those who are digitally excluded
- Rolling out a programme to help raise school-aged children’s digital literacy
- Offering digital support for businesses through the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s business growth service and Digital Enterprise programme
- Launching a region-wide digital skills campaign to inspire excitement in digital careers and increase uptake of digital skills provision
Yorkshire Energy Park takes a step closer to reality
The proposed Yorkshire Energy Park moved a step closer to construction after securing planning permission from East Riding of Yorkshire Council for a series of detailed planning applications.
The Council’s Planning Committee unanimously approved a Section 73 application, which details minor amendments to the outline planning consent granted in 2020. Last week, Council officers approved two Reserved Matters Applications. The first provides detail on the construction of a 13.5MW energy centre provided by Vital Energi; a 240-rack data centre; and a new access road including associated drainage infrastructure and landscaping. The second brought forward the detail of an onsite Ecological Mitigation Zone, earmarking nearly half of the site as a green space. These applications will deliver domestic, secure energy generation here in the Humber, protect and enhance our green space and implement new technology for energy production which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40%. Located on land owned by our partners, Hull City Council, YEP will be a leading energy and technology business park, strategically positioned on the north bank of the UK’s ‘Energy Estuary’ and in one of the Humber Freeport’s proposed tax sites. Once completed, it will have the potential to create around 4,480 jobs, upskill local workers, create state-of-the-art community sports facilities and an educational campus in conjunction with the University of Lincoln. The project will attract investment in the energy, data, technology and manufacturing sectors to an area that has an abundance of skills and experience in these industries already. Combine all of this with YEP’s location within the East Coast Carbon Capture and Storage Cluster and the proximity to the UK’s “Energy Estuary”, and it is clear that YEP will play an important role in boosting jobs and investments in the region. Jo Barnes, Director of Yorkshire Energy Park, said: “We are pleased that the Committee has approved these applications that build on the outline consent YEP already has, taking us a step closer to delivering a state of the art energy and technology business park adjacent to the port and within the proposed freeport tax zone. “We are excited by the potential of Yorkshire Energy Park to bring new investment and jobs to the region and to support our local communities through our partnerships with the University of Lincoln and Vital Energi. Our work with key stakeholders in the South Holderness area has been building over the last few years as we are determined to bring forward something that our local community can be proud of. “We are also committed to putting Yorkshire Energy Park at the heart of the UK’s “Energy Estuary” and these applications are the next part of that journey. We will continue to work closely with the Council and local community to deliver the next phases of YEP.”Sheffield Hallam graduation fortnight generates £3.4m benefit to city
Students and their families attending Sheffield Hallam University graduation ceremonies have generated £3.4m for city centre businesses.
The figure has been revealed as the University’s annual graduation fortnight draws to a close. More than 31,000 guests accompanied 8,400 students to 34 ceremonies held at Ponds Forge during the graduation programme.
Academics in the University’s Sheffield Business School calculated the significant benefit to the city’s economy based on estimates that over 75 per cent of graduates and their guests had a celebratory meal out in Sheffield with approximately 50 per cent staying the night in a local hotel.
Professor Sir Chris Husbands, vice-chancellor, Sheffield Hallam University, said: “This year’s graduation ceremonies have been a huge success and I would like to thank everyone who contributed to making them so special for graduates and their families.
“It is always a delight for me to chat to attendees before and after the ceremonies, and to understand just how important graduation, and the University, is to them. I wish them the very best for what the future holds.”
Australian company buys into UK gas networks
Global financial services group Macquarie is planning investment of the largest gas distribution and metering networks in the UK – Cadent and National Grid – and Southern Water.
The Asset Management arm of the Australian company bundles those assets alongside others in Finland, Spain, Greece and Germany as part of a €12.6 billion commitment to and alongside its Super Core Infrastructure Fund upon the Final Close of Series 2 fundraising.
The long-term, yield-focused strategy targets investments in core, regulated, network infrastructure – enabling investors to gain exposure to predictable, inflation-protected income streams while supporting the operation and upgrade of essential community infrastructure. The strategy has committed capital across seven investments, including electricity and gas transmission and distribution network operators and a water and wastewater utility in Finland, Germany, Greece, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
Martin Bradley, Head of Macquarie Asset Management’s Real Assets team in EMEA, said: “Network infrastructure underpins our daily lives and will play a central role in the transition to net zero as the electrification of the economy and shift to clean energy accelerates. This represents a major opportunity and responsibility, and we look forward to working closely with our portfolio companies and clients to actively manage the fund’s existing investments while progressing a strong pipeline of new opportunities.”
The successful fundraise closely follows Macquarie Group’s results for the half-year ended 30 September 2022, where Macquarie Asset Management revealed it had raised a record $US15.9 billion across its Private Markets business during the period – bringing total fundraising to $US26.3 billion over 12 months.
Ben Way, Group Head of Macquarie Asset Management, said: “At a time when the investment environment is increasingly complex, we thank our clients for the continued strong support they have shown our team and platform. This latest fundraise underlines the growing value placed on infrastructure during portfolio construction, given the historically strong performance of the asset class through economic cycles and its potential to align with sustainability objectives.”
