Ofgem names preferred bidder for £1.2bn connection to Yorkshire offshore wind farm
Ofgem has selected Diamond Transmission Partners as the preferred bidder to own and operate the £1.2bn high voltage transmission connection link serving Hornsea 2 offshore wind farm.
Diamond Transmission Partners, a consortium comprising Mitsubishi Corporation and HICL Infrastructure plc, was selected by Ofgem following a competitive Offshore Transmission Owners (OFTOs) bidding process to own and operate the asset for the next 24 years.
Green energy developer Ørsted’s 165 turbine Hornsea 2 wind farm is located 89km from the Yorkshire coast and has a capacity of 1320MW. Its associated transmission assets, which connect to National Grid’s electricity transmission network at Killingholme, are the most valuable yet brought to market through Ofgem’s OFTO regime.
The initial estimated value of the transmission assets is £1.189bn. When the final value of the assets has been agreed by Ofgem, the preferred bidder will pay the final amount to Ørsted, once they have been granted the assets OFTO licence by Ofgem.
Akshay Kaul, Ofgem interim director of Infrastructure and Security of Supply, said: “Connecting offshore wind farms such as Hornsea 2 to Great Britain’s electricity transmission network helps harness the power of North Sea wind to deliver renewable energy supplies to British consumers.
“The competitive OFTO regime helps ensure this is done at the least possible cost to consumers.”
Launched in 2009, the OFTO regime has so far secured more than £7 billion of private investment in offshore transmission assets which have connected more than 10GW of offshore wind generation to Great Britain’s electricity transmission network. Competitively tendering ownership and operation of these links through the OFTO regime continues to reduce the cost of connecting offshore wind, savings that are passed on through lower transmission costs on customer bills.
The OFTO regime offers global investors a steady income in return for reliable and safe operation of this vital infrastructure, connecting renewable energy produced by offshore wind farms to Great Britain’s electricity transmission network.
Ofgem estimates that up to 13 OFTO assets, with a value of around £10bn will be tendered through the OFTO regime between 2023 and 2025, helping deliver the UK Government’s target of having 40GW of offshore wind generation operational by the end of this decade.
Ofgem anticipates that the next OFTO Tender Round, the tenth such event, will begin early in 2023, and will comprise multiple OFTO assets.
Trainers sought to deliver Skills Bootcamps funded through £820,000 government grant
The Greater Lincolnshire LEP is looking for education, training providers and businesses to design and deliver skills bootcamps funded by a £820,000 grant from the Department of Education.
Online information sessions are being held today and tomorrow, with companies asked to book places by emailing greaterlincslep@lincolnshire.gov.uk. This leads up to the submissions deadline of September 19.
Skills Bootcamps are flexible courses of up to 16 weeks which give participants the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast track them to an interview with a local employer. These courses are fully funded and come at no cost for the learners.
They are being delivered in partnership with employers, further education training providers and local government. The training and support available is aligned with local and national demand for skills, ensuring that people have direct line of sight to a job and support people to learn skills for life.
Clare Hughes, Employment and Skills Executive Manager at the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “ Skills Bootcamps are designed to help local people gain new skills for local jobs, and the emphasis on technical skills is welcomed by many businesses across Greater Lincolnshire.
“The Skills Bootcamps programme has been rolled out by the Department for Education over the last two years, and we’re delighted to receive funding as part of the Wave 3 phase.”
One of the features of Skills Bootcamps is that employers will be involved in designing the training and offering Skills Bootcamp learners guaranteed job interviews.
A call for proposals has been published and interested organisations are invited to complete the grant application form by midday on Monday 19th September. Further information and the application form is available here.
Doncaster Chamber announces shortlist for December event
The shortlist for this year’s Doncaster Business Awards has been announced ahead of the awards ceremony taking place on Thursday, December 1 at Doncaster Racecourse.
Nominations for the 2022 awards, the 24th year of the competition, opened in June, allowing firms to put themselves forward for a diverse range of categories, including the likes of: “Start Up of the Year”, “Excellence in Customer Service”, Marketing Campaign of the Year” and “Success Through Innovation and Diversification.”
Following this, the submission forms were evaluated and scored by panels of experts to produce shortlists for each category. These finalists (announced earlier today on social media) will now enter into the second stage of judging, which involves a rigorous interview process led by peers from the business community, so that the overall winners and runners-up can be decided.
Dan Fell, Chief Exec of Doncaster Chamber, said: “As is always the case, I am amazed by the calibre of our nominees here. We all know that the past few years have been incredibly trying for everyone, and times are certainly tough right now for our business communities. Firms are currently dealing with major issues in terms of people and skills, supply chains and the rising cost of doing business, yet our resourceful private and voluntary sector in Doncaster can always be counted on to rise to the challenge.
“Our nominees exemplify the very best of this tenacious and entrepreneurial spirit. They have all accomplished so much in the face of great hardship and their remarkable achievements deserve to be recognised. With that said, I would like to congratulate each and every one of them and am eagerly looking forward to celebrating with them on the awards evening itself.”
The full list of finalists:
SME Business of the Year – Sponsored by ORB Recruitment
- MultiWebMarketing
- Bubble Design and Marketing Limited
- CWE Limited
- EnviroElectronics
- LJ’s Fashion Boutique
- Harrison College
- Venatu
- Concorde BGW Group
- My Pension Expert
- SYNETIQ
- Exceed Learning Partnership
- Boxes and Packaging
- District Four Design
- LJ’s Fashion Boutique
- Leah Bakes
- Hannah’s Happy Hounds
- Skill Step Training
- RISE Adaptations LTD
- The Sleep Charity
- Active Fusion
- CAST
- Eve Merton Dreams Trust
- RSPCA Doncaster, Rotherham and District Branch
- The Partially Sighted Society
- Energise Energy Solutions
- EnviroElectronics
- SYNETIQ
- Highland Carbon
- SYNETIQ
- Curly’s Athletes
- Keepmoat Homes
- ORB Recruitment
- Make Your Mark UK
- Hannah’s Happy Hounds
- Leah Bakes
- CAST
- Doncaster Security Operations Centre (DSOC)
- My Pension Expert
- My Pension Expert
- Unipart Rail
- Navartis
- Concorde BGW Group
- Whyy? Change Limited
- Home Instead Doncaster
- St. Ledger Homes – Tom Blackburn
- Venatu – Barbara Renkiewicz
- Venatu – Joanna Surzyn
- Polypipe – Luke Lawson
- Aalberts IPS UK LTD – Jordan Forbes
- The Sleep Charity
- Doncaster Security Operations Centre (DSOC)
- IPM Group
- Agemaspark Ltd
- Premier Partnership
- The Sleep Charity
- Harrison College
- Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDASH)
- Doncaster Mumbler
- Flourish Enterprises
- Doncaster UTC
- Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDASH)
- Venatu Recruitment Group
- MultiWebMarketing
- th4ts3cur1ty.company
- Active Fusion
- Active Fusion
- Polypipe Building Products
- Agemaspark
- Footballerz
- St. Leger Homes
- The Harpham Company – Youth Theatre School
FSB sets skills agenda for new Education Secretary
The Federation of Small Businesses has set the as-yet-unappointed Education Secretary with a challenge – sort out a system that provides small firms with the skilled employees they need.
According to a survey of almost 900 small firms in England, they’re being held back by poor vocational skill provision in schools, challenges in accessing apprenticeships, and inadequate incentives to retrain and upskill, according to the latest FSB research, published today.
The Scaling up Skills report finds that almost 80% of small firms are currently struggling to recruit the right people, with firms flagging up a lack of relevant qualifications, skills and experience among candidates – added to which, a lack of applicants is an issue.
Self-employed people, meanwhile, are being held back from realising their business’s full potential by a lack of encouragement to get them to learn skills which are outside their core operations but which are nonetheless vital for growth. Four in five sole traders (80%) have no training plan, budget or relationship with a training provider, while two in five (40%) have not completed any training or professional development over the past year.
With apprenticeship starts tumbling since the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy, one in five small employers say that bringing back the £3,000 incentive to hire an apprentice which existed over lockdowns would encourage them to hire additional apprentices.
A similar proportion (22%) say financial support around hosting T Level placements would encourage them to bring more young people into their business.
In light of the findings, FSB is urging the Education Secretary and other Cabinet ministers to:
- Establish a target in legislation that by 2035 no young person in England should complete compulsory education without at least Level 2 qualifications, and that three-quarters of the working age population in England should have at least Level 3 qualifications, with at least two-thirds of working-age people in every English region qualified to this level.
- Launch a nationwide young enterprise competition for both school leavers and university/college leavers, with the winner receiving start-up funding; provide grant funding so all schools can offer programmes to encourage enterprise, such as Young Enterprise’s Company Programme; and ensure young people have encounters with employers that reflect their local labour market by amending statutory careers guidance.
- Maintain the Apprenticeship Levy and government funding for apprenticeship training within small firms; revamp financial incentives to take on apprentices and host T Level placements; and provide apprentices with free bus passes.
- Increase the Corporation Tax relief for employers training low or medium-skilled employees, and build on the success of Skills Bootcamps by introducing 50+ Skills Bootcamps, which would provide the skills older people require to remain in or re-enter the labour market.
- Extend tax relief for sole traders who up-/reskill to include training aimed at securing business growth, and widen rollout of the EnterprisingYou programme.
Siemens’ donation brings school’s new minibus £3,000 closer
Siemens Mobility has given £3,000 to a fundraising campaign by Roverside School in Goole, which is trying to buy a new minibus for its pupils with profound learning disabilities to go on trips.
It launched a fundraising campaign earlier this year for a new minibus with electric wheelchair access to take classes on off-site enrichment trips to leisure centres, museums, galleries and other attractions.
The school needs £47,000 for the 17-seater vehicle. It currently has to hire a minibus with the required specifications every time staff want to take pupils that require a wheelchair on a trip.
Siemens Mobility, which is developing a pioneering rail facility in Goole, has now donated £3,000 to the cause, bringing the current fundraising total to £38,000.
It has been supporting Riverside and 12 other schools through the Primary Engineer programme, which is designed to ignite interest and curiosity in exciting careers in engineering among local children from a young age.
Designated STEM Ambassadors from Siemens Mobility have supported hundreds of pupils with rail-themed engineering projects and concepts such as design, problem-solving and testing and evaluation.
Pete Parker, Director of Asset Management and Assurance at Siemens Mobility in Goole, has been the STEM Ambassador for Riverside and heard about the fundraising appeal for the new minibus. He said: “Riverside is a wonderful school and the staff there go above and beyond to give the pupils there the best possible opportunities they can, including taking them out on enrichment trips.
“It’s so important that the less advantaged people in society don’t get forgotten about and Siemens Mobility was more than happy to come forward with this contribution.
“I’d like to think we could see some of the pupils from Riverside working at our factory in Goole at some point in the future.”
Andy Hall, Headteacher at the 136-pupil school, said: “This donation from Siemens Mobility is absolutely brilliant and we’re incredibly grateful, as we’ve been to everyone who’s supported our fundraising efforts.
“The enrichment trips we take our pupils on make a massive difference to them and we’re now well on our way to reaching our target.”
Hull firm wins maintenance contract on historically-significant bridge
Hull-based bridge works specialist Spencer Group has won a series of contracts for major refurbishment works on the Menai Suspension Bridge, which will be 200 years old in 2026.
The Grade I listed structure is the second oldest operational vehicle suspension bridge in the world. Opened in 1826, it crosses the Menai Strait between the island of Anglesey and mainland North Wales.
The primary focus of the work includes a £1.5m restoration project to repaint the entire main span underdeck of the 417m-long bridge.
Working on behalf of client UK Highways A55 Ltd, Spencer Group has designed bespoke moving gantry platforms so its team can reach the currently unreachable main span underdeck in to shotblast, inspect and repaint it.
Work will begin once designs are complete and environmental approvals have been granted, as the Menai Strait is protected as a Special Site of Scientific Interest and a wetland area of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.
Spencer Group will also strengthen the handrails of the pedestrian walkways on the approach spans to both sides of the bridge.A further project will see Spencer Group replace the majority of the vertical road deck hangers, which suspend the deck from the main chains of the bridge.
Luke Fisher, Sector Lead for Bridges and Structures at Spencer Group, said: “UK Highways A55 Ltd identified that the bridge is suffering from corrosion and needs repainting. For the underdeck painting scheme we designed the moving gantry platforms, which are unique to this project, and our industry-leading capabilities in this sector formed a significant part of the bid.
“We’re proud to have been awarded these contracts and to be given the opportunity to further demonstrate our ability to find innovative solutions to complex challenges of this nature.
“We’re also supporting the Menai Heritage Museum in Anglesey to raise awareness of both bridges over the Menai Strait, as well as the importance of civil engineering among local school pupils and college students. We’re giving talks and leading bridge walks to inspire the next generation.”
BT Group announces flagship new Sheffield office
BT Group has unveiled plans to open a multi-million-pound new building in the heart of Sheffield.
The technology and telecoms firm has put pen to paper on a deal to take up residence at the landmark Endeavour building, based at Sheffield Digital Campus, which will be able to house around 1,000 colleagues.
Developed by property regeneration and placemaking specialist, Scarborough Group International (SGI), Endeavour is a seven storey office building, providing highly-efficient and flexible floorplates.
The building will be kitted out with the latest technologies and collaborative workspaces, has club-class changing and shower facilities to promote active-travel, and features a rooftop terrace offering panoramic views of the Steel City’s skyline.
The announcement forms part of BT Group’s Better Workplace Programme, the largest workplace improvement and consolidation scheme of its type ever undertaken in the UK.
Sheffield joins other key locations including Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, and Glasgow in undergoing a workplace transformation under the Programme. It also follows the multi-million-pound refurbishments of BT Group’s contact centres in Doncaster, Plymouth, Newcastle and Warrington which completed recently.
Brent Matthews, BT Group property director, said: “Our new base in Sheffield will provide colleagues with a state-of-the-art new base equipped with the spaces and technology which will make an office fit for the future.
“Despite the economic challenges and changes to working patterns caused by the pandemic, we think this is an important investment and it secures our presence in Sheffield and Yorkshire. This investment follows the refurbishment of our Doncaster Contact Centre.
“Endeavour provides us with the perfect location in the heart of the city and surrounded by the renowned Digital Campus, which reflects the growth, creativity and ingenuity which are core to BT’s work.
“Our new offices reflect a move to more hybrid and flexible ways of working, with colleagues able to come together, using the latest technologies, to collaborate in inspiring workspaces. It will help us attract and retain brilliant people.”
BT Group will take up all floors in the 65,000 sq ft BREEAM Excellent building, which is currently under construction, and will open its doors to colleagues by the end of 2023.
Adam Varley, development director at SGI, said: “The way we work has evolved significantly in recent years and the leasing success we’ve achieved at Sheffield Digital Campus, despite the challenges impacting both the construction sector and the evolution around the use and future of ‘the office’, is testament to the quality of the workspace and the environments we continue to create as a Group.
“In order for organisations to attract and retain the best talent, they need to provide workplaces that go above and beyond in terms of flexibility, accessibility, sustainability, wellness, technology and amenity provision, and that’s precisely what we have done with Endeavour.
“BT Group’s letting is not only significant because it represents the largest single office letting in Sheffield for six years, it is also a long-term commitment to the city and a major vote of confidence for the regional economy, sending a strong message to any other businesses looking to locate in Sheffield that the city has strong credentials as a place to invest, recruit and grow.”
York Minster’s Centre of Excellence plans receive council approval
York Minster’s plans to establish world class campus facilities for research, education and training in ancient craft skills have been approved by City of York Council.
The Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management will be a first-of-its-kind project encouraging learning and knowledge sharing on an international scale.
Comprising a Heritage Quad and a Works and Technology Hub, the Centre of Excellence will allow current and prospective apprentices to learn cutting-edge digital techniques such as modern saw technology, data scanning and computer aided design. It will also enable the Minster to offer international exchange programmes with cathedrals and universities as far afield as Milan, Washington and Singapore, to enable the further development of these skills.
Existing buildings within the Precinct will be sustainably reordered, repurposed and renewed to provide new workspace and associated facilities, enable greater engagement and interaction with the public around key crafts and trades and allow improved links with education. Through this, the Minster will also be able to offer dedicated residential accommodation for its first and second-year apprentices, as well as for its international exchange visitors and trainees.
Alex McCallion, director of Works and Precinct at York Minster, said: “We are delighted that our pioneering plans for preserving the ancient craft skills necessary to secure the future of the Minster have received approval from City of York Council. These skills have long been the lifeblood to the fabric of York Minster and the creation of the Centre of Excellence will enable us to continue to develop and pass down these skills with the help of modern digital technology.
“We thank City of York Council for recognising the importance of the Centre of Excellence, the establishment of which will be crucial in allowing us to safeguard the Minster’s long-term environmental, financial and heritage sustainability for future generations to enjoy as we do today. This is also a major project for the city and will continue to raise our profile not only as a leading international city for heritage and education, but also a city that is forward looking.”
The £5m fully funded project is being co-ordinated by the York Minster Fund, and is expected to be delivered in early 2024.
The plans form the next stage of the implementation of the York Minster Neighbourhood Plan, an ambitious masterplan to secure a sustainable future for York Minster, which was recently ratified by City of York Council. Delivery of the Neighbourhood Plan will herald the largest planned programme of works at the Minster and its surrounding Precinct since the Victorian era. The York Minster Refectory, Minster Garden and the conversion of Church House to residential accommodation are all underway, having received planning permission earlier in the year.
Richard Shaw, chairman of York Minster Fund (YMF), said: “The Centre of Excellence is the culmination of a three year research and development project, which benchmarked the Minster against other heritage sites around the world. With sustainability at its heart, the Centre of Excellence vision will allow us to maintain and enhance the cultural significance of the Minster.
“Not only will the Centre of Excellence create opportunities for education and knowledge exchange on a local, national and international level, but it will also act as a shining example of best practice in managing and preserving complex heritage estates.
“We are delighted that the City of York Council is supporting this project and we are pleased to announce that purchase orders worth over £600,000 have now been placed for key machinery to be housed in the Technology Hub.”
Rapidly expanding Smart Repairs moves into top gear with record-breaking year
Smart Repairs, the independent cosmetic vehicle repairer, has announced a record-breaking year.
The Leeds-based company, which recently bought 18,000 sq ft freehold premises in Weaver Street, has seen its turnover grow by 34 per cent.
This year turnover will soar to £7m, with net profit set to exceed seven figures.
Darryl Short, Managing Director, explained: “This has been a game-changing year for us. We had previously concentrated on looking after customers and clients in the north of England, but this year we have expanded our operations to service the whole of the UK.
“One of the keys to our rapid – and sustainable – expansion has been our flourishing new relationship with Insurance Underwriters Fortegra, which has come about because of a number of factors.
“Fortegra were looking for a working relationship with a company that had a proven track record for outstanding levels of service, a company which wanted to grow with their own client base and showed a genuine desire to go above and beyond.
“This contract is gaining momentum by the day, with repairs of more than 300 cars per week for this one client alone. Significantly, Fortegra is one of the many new clients added to our portfolio this year.”
Smart Repairs, which has most of Yorkshire’s major car dealerships among its clients, is co-owned by its founder Dan Besau and major investor Phil Newstead. The company carries out 180,000 vehicle repairs a year. The company currently employs 92 staff across the UK with that number expected to rise to 110 by the end of this year.
Phil Newstead added: “Clearly the global pandemic had its challenges last year, but one of its consequences was a boom in the second-hand car market, which naturally led to a great deal more work for us. We managed to stay open and working most of the time, despite the difficulties of the various lockdowns.
“We are expanding across the UK this year, with a special focus on the M25, Essex, the North West, the North East and Scotland. We are now hiring experienced mobile technicians to help with this expansion drive, which will see full UK coverage by the end of the year.
“We can both see that our future is in providing a quality repair offering across all of the UK, to warranty companies, insurers, dealer groups and vehicle remarketing companies.”
NatWest ‘should have known better’ as it’s forced to give money back to more than 700 SMEs
NatWest is being forced to refund a share in more than £600,000 to more than 700 SMEs after it wrongfully forced them to open current accounts to secure a loan, which cost money.
The Competition and Markets Authority has found that NatWest breached banking rules by forcing business customers to open a business current account, which incurs fees, in order to secure a loan – a practice known as ‘bundling’.
As such, hundreds of businesses have been charged monthly for a business account that they may not have wanted or needed. It also limited businesses’ choice as they were unable to hold an account with a separate provider, which may have better met their requirements.
The breach lasted for more than three years, with NatWest failing to alert the CMA until January last year. Having scrutinised the error more closely, the CMA became aware the bank had signed certain customers up to a business account, when they had specifically requested to have a fee-free account.
Adam Land, CMA Senior Director of Remedies, said: “Forcing businesses to open costly current accounts to secure essential loans is unacceptable – and a direct breach of our rules, which have been in place for 20 years. NatWest should have known better. These rules are there for a reason: to make sure small businesses are treated fairly, and to make sure the market is competitive.
“The CMA has now issued legal directions to NatWest, and the bank is in the process of refunding affected customers. NatWest will now write to all affected SME customers with a business account to offer them the option of switching to a fee-free loan servicing account.”
The move comes as part of the CMA’s crackdown on breaches of its banking rules. Over the past four years, it has put a stop to bundling by HSBC, Dankse Bank, Clydesdale and Lloyds, as well as securing millions in refunds in relation to overdraft charges: £17 million for Santander customers, £11 million for Metro Bank customers, £8 million for HSBC customers, and £7 million for Nationwide customers.
