Crown Commercial Service (CCS) supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2023/24, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £4.9 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.
Frontier Software has 40 years of experience in the provision of HR & Payroll software/services and is pleased to be a named as a supplier on the framework.
The Frontier Software ichris software (International Comprehensive Human Resource Integrated Software) is a functionally rich, highly configurable, and fully integrated system for cloud or on-premise.
The company has offices across the UK, including one in Nottingham providing outsourced payroll services to a wide range of organisations across all market sectors. Frontier Software named as supplier on G-Cloud 14 Framework
Frontier Software have been named as a supplier on Crown Commercial Service’s G-Cloud 14 Framework, Lot 2: Cloud software, for applications that are accessed over the internet or private network and hosted in the cloud.
G-Cloud 14 is an online catalogue hosted on the Digital Marketplace. It offers a quick and easy way for the UK public sector to procure and organisations using the frameworks can make purchases without a lengthy procurement or tender process.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2023/24, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £4.9 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.
Frontier Software has 40 years of experience in the provision of HR & Payroll software/services and is pleased to be a named as a supplier on the framework.
The Frontier Software ichris software (International Comprehensive Human Resource Integrated Software) is a functionally rich, highly configurable, and fully integrated system for cloud or on-premise.
The company has offices across the UK, including one in Nottingham providing outsourced payroll services to a wide range of organisations across all market sectors.
Crown Commercial Service (CCS) supports the public sector to achieve maximum commercial value when procuring common goods and services. In 2023/24, CCS helped the public sector to achieve commercial benefits equal to £4.9 billion – supporting world-class public services that offer best value for taxpayers.
Frontier Software has 40 years of experience in the provision of HR & Payroll software/services and is pleased to be a named as a supplier on the framework.
The Frontier Software ichris software (International Comprehensive Human Resource Integrated Software) is a functionally rich, highly configurable, and fully integrated system for cloud or on-premise.
The company has offices across the UK, including one in Nottingham providing outsourced payroll services to a wide range of organisations across all market sectors. Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult gets new CEO from Sheffield’s AMRC
The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult has appointed Steve Foxley as Chief Exec, to replace Andrew Jamieson. He will take up the post early next year.
Steve is currently the CEO of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre in Sheffield, part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, having also led Siemens Building Technologies Division.
ORE Catapult Chair Ronnie Bonnar said: “Steve’s extensive national and international experience of driving innovation, investment and growth will be a huge asset not just to ORE Catapult but to the whole of the offshore renewable energy sector.
“His experience of working within the Innovate UK Catapult Network will also ensure ever greater collaboration across the Network, delivering massive benefits to the UK as we look to scale up offshore wind to meet our Net Zero goals and become a clean energy superpower”.
Steve Foxley said: “Offshore wind is a sector that has long held my fascination for its capacity to regenerate forgotten communities; to provide green energy to homes and businesses; to push the boundaries of innovation, and to make industrial scale impact globally.
“I am very much looking forward to joining the team at ORE Catapult to support this critical sector and to deliver on the country‘s ambitions.”
Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority takes another step forward
The Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) has taken another significant step forward, after the relevant order was laid by the Government in Parliament.
This formal, legal step will allow closer working across the region on key strategic priorities to boost the local economy.
The MCA will be led by an elected Mayor, with voters going to the polls on Thursday 1 May 2025.
Elections will then take place every four years.
The Chief Executive of Hull City Council, Matt Jukes, said: “I am delighted that we have moved another step closer to unlocking vital empowerment and investment for our region, which are two of the many benefits that devolution will bring.
“The creation of the Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority will bring with it more powers to make big decisions locally.
“Representatives from the city council are helping to form the MCA, and we are working hard with our colleagues in the East Riding to make the preparations for the Mayoral election.”
The interim Chief Executive of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Alan Menzies, said: “It’s fantastic to see this landmark step in the devolution process.
“We look forward to working with the new authority to ensure that devolution delivers real benefits and unlocks investment for our region.
“We will work closely with the new authority and Hull City Council, to manage the election and to maximise the benefits of devolution in the years ahead.”
Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council will both retain their independence, continuing their work as separate councils as normal alongside the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority.
The new MCA will take on powers relating to transport, where it will become the Local Transport Authority for the area, allowing it to develop a single strategic transport plan for the North Bank of the Humber.
A £400 million investment fund will be available to the MCA, money that is moving from central Government to decision-makers in the area.
Education solutions firm The Twinkl Group acquires Natterhub
Sheffield-based The Twinkl Group, which provides teaching and learning resources, has acquired Natterhub, an interactive, gated platform that gives schools and parents all they need to teach learners how to stay safe online and be responsible digital citizens.
By providing a ‘sandbox’ for pupils to practise navigating the digital world, Natterhub embeds crucial online safety discussions and experiences into the curriculum, rather than isolated events that limit engagement.
The platform provides interactive social media-like features, as well as impactful lessons that resonate with students – making learning, and the discussions about online safety, more meaningful and effective.
“With reports showing children are spending more time online than ever before, there is added pressure to equip them with the knowledge to explore the digital world safely,” said Caroline Allams, co-founder and Product Director, Natterhub.
“Meanwhile, new technologies such as AI are increasingly inuencing how children develop social and emotional skills. Joining the Twinkl ecosystem will allow us to help schools better address these challenges and prepare the next generation.”
Natterhub adds to The Twinkl Group’s existing B2B education offerings used by schools and multi-academy trusts around the world – including Twinkl resources, Twinkl Phonics Training, and online assessment tool Educake.
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Natterhub and look forward to helping them grow and have an even bigger impact,” said Jonathan Seaton, founder and CEO of The Twinkl Group.
“This marks a signicant step forward in Twinkl’s ongoing mission to help those that teach, allowing us to address even more challenges for schools, educators, parents, and students alike.”
New youth enterprise hub to be developed in Hull
Hull City Council is engaging with contractors to help create a new youth enterprise hub and business incubation facility in the city centre.
The council has allocated £1.5m of government funding for the refurbishment of 161 High Street.
The plans will be developed by the council’s Building and Design Services and initial works will focus on regenerating the ground and first floors of 161 High Street to be used as a hub for young entrepreneurs.
The new project aims to support start-up businesses and entrepreneurialism in the city.
It also ties into Hull’s community plan to help create an enterprise culture which is vital to establishing a vibrant, sustainable and inclusive economy for Hull.
Cllr Paul Drake-Davis, the council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “The development of a new youth enterprise hub at 161 High Street is great news for the city’s economy.
“As a council, we want to grow Hull’s economy and by investing in young people and enterprise, we’re doing just that.
“This new hub will provide a much-needed friendly and welcoming space for young people from all over Hull to grow their skill base and self-confidence by learning from local business experts and inspiring peers.
“The aim is that, for whatever length of their engagement with the hub, young people come out of it better prepared for the world of work.”
West Yorkshire Mayor pledges almost £90m to unlock new homes
A multi-million pound programme is supporting the delivery of thousands of new homes across West Yorkshire.
Speaking at the largest annual gathering of Northern social housing leaders in Leeds, regional Mayor Tracy Brabin pledged almost £90 million by March next year to help unlock over 5,400 new homes.
The funding is being distributed to housing providers working across 28 sites in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, and Wakefield. Work is already in progress or completed on 16 projects, with work on the remaining 12 due to start before March 2025.
The developments on previously developed, disused “brownfield” land include:
- Saxton Lane in Leeds, which will deliver 204 new, affordable apartments
- Newport House in Wakefield, which has delivered 37 new, affordable apartments
- Cow Green in Calderdale, which will deliver 122 new homes
- Manchester Road in Bradford, which will deliver 107 new, affordable homes
- Plane Street in Kirklees, which will deliver 30 new homes
Government makes £3bn available for housebuilders in new support package
A new £3bn support package for housebuilders has been launched by the government to help builders apply for more accessible loans, reducing the risk for lenders and encouraging them to increase the supply of credit for housebuilders.
It’s hoped that housands of new homes will be delivered across the country as a result, supporting the ambition to build 1.5 million homes over the next five years.
This includes doubling the ENABLE Build scheme to £2 billion so smaller housebuilders and firms can support the delivery of over 10,000 new homes, including more student accommodation and specialised housing for older people, in areas most in need.
Build-to-Rent developers will also see the Private Rented Sector Guarantee Scheme reopen at the end of the year, with nearly £2 billion available to ramp up housebuilding. A broader variety of projects will be eligible to access additional lending, so more housing projects can be completed without unnecessary delays.
Housing and Planning Minister, Matthew Pennycook said: “SME housebuilders and Build to Rent operators have a crucial role to play in delivering the government’s target of 1.5 million new homes in this parliament.
“The significant additional support provided by our housing guarantee schemes will enable them to access low-cost loans and support the building of thousands of new homes across the country”.
Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the Federation of Master Builders, said: “SME house builders have a crucial role to play in helping to deliver the Government’s ambitious target to build 1.5 million new homes over the next five years. In recent years, small house builders have faced a particularly difficult set of financial challenges. Diversification of the UK’s housing market is essential to deliver the number of homes needed.
“The Government’s announcement providing greater support for small housebuilders is welcome news. For the Government’s plans to succeed, it will be crucial that this lending is available for those small house builders who need it most and can build the homes this country needs.”
Two win promotions art Harrogate legal practice
Harrogate-based legal practice Raworths has promoted two associate solicitors within its growing Commercial team.
Harjeet Nangla, who has more than eight years’ experience as a specialist employment lawyer, has been promoted to Senior Associate. Harjeet, named an ‘Associate to Watch’ by Chambers UK and recommended in the Legal 500 UK, provides specialist legal advice to regional and national SMEs and large-scale organisations.
Adam Colville-Robins has also been promoted to Senior Associate. Adam has six years’ specialist litigation experience and is rapidly building his reputation in this practice area, delivering exceptional results for clients on property disputes and commercial litigation. Also recommended in the Legal 500 UK, Adam acts for a variety of commercial and private clients.
Matthew Hill, Head of Commercial Client Services and Head of Dispute Resolution said: “We congratulate Adam and Harjeet on their very well-deserved promotions. They have both excelled in their roles, building trusted, long-term relationships with their clients and establishing strong reputations for the fantastic results they achieve.
“They have contributed enormously to the growth of our Dispute Resolution and Employment teams and their commitment has been rightly rewarded. These promotions are an important part of our ongoing business development and strategy for growth. Our people are our biggest asset and to attract and retain the best talent, we continue to nurture the wellbeing and development of our team. Investing in both their technical skills and emotional intelligence is what sets us apart as a business and in turn, means we can offer an exceptional quality of service to our clients.”
The promotions conclude a year of expansion and industry recognition for the firm, which employs more than 70 staff.
New rules leave businesses feeling bruised, says BCC
The British Chambers of Commerce says businesses are feeling a post-Budget bruising, and has raised businesses’ serious concerns with MPs about the legislation and the speed and detail of consultation in the Employment Rights Bill.
The issues highlighted included a lack of detailed consultation on wide ranging changes to Trade Union powers; greater restrictions and penalties for firms who need to make workforce changes, and increased responsibilities, costs and complexity for employers.
The BCC said the Bill includes some of the most significant and wide-ranging changes to employment laws for decades. Employers are concerned that major decisions have been taken and written into the Bill without detailed consultation with business.
The Government’s own assessment suggests that the legislation will cost businesses almost £5bn per year, with SMEs impacted the most.
These costs follow a harsh budget for business, where increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and the national living wage are set to pile a further cost of over £20bn on firms.
BCC Director General Shevaun Haviland said: “Businesses welcome the overall aim of this Bill to guarantee job security, offer employees a fair reward and provide them with workplaces free from discrimination.
“But the scale and scope of the changes is huge, with many feeling they are being rushed through at breakneck speed.
“The Budget has already left many firms feeling bruised, and if this legislation is enacted as it stands, it could hamper growth, restrict recruitment and lead to job losses.
“Firms are particularly concerned about the lack of detailed consultation on the Trade Union changes, especially when the Government’s own assessment was so vague about the impact.
“Overall, there is a lot in the Employment Rights Bill that reinforces much of what good businesses already do. But the fear remains that certain elements could create huge costs for firms and damage the UK’s ambitions for growth.”
Accu celebrates with FightFest competition winner
Accu, a leading Huddersfield-based supplier of high-precision engineering components, invited the winner of this year’s FightFest Featherweight robot fighting competition to its headquarters in Huddersfield to judge its own robot combat competition, as part of its commitment to innovation in robotics and engineering.
Winner Ellis Ware, 28 and from Shropshire, was presented with his prizewinning cheque of £1,000 by Accu’s CEO Martin Ackroyd – Accu has sponsored the national FightFest event for the past three years and this latest competition was held at Magna Science Adventure Centre in Rotherham in August.
This is the first time that Ellis Ware, who heads up Team Ranglebots, has won FightFest, however he has had a very successful career at almost every weight class in robot fighting, often securing a top three place. He has competed in combat robotics from a young age, which includes battling in the official BBC Robot Wars reboot programme. Ellis uses Robot Wars as a platform to show that robotics can be self-taught, as his knowledge came from the Internet, having not taken a route into higher education.
Accu CEO Martin Ackroyd gave Ellis a tour of the factory and headquarters, followed by him being professional judge for the eight fighting robots designed by different departments within the company. All robots were ‘Antweight’ or less than 150g and this was the first robot fighting challenge ever held at Accu, with each battling it out for first, second and third places, with prizes for best designed, most destructive and most destroyed robots.
Accu CEO Martin Ackroyd, said: “We would like to congratulate Ellis on his fantastic achievement at FightFest! There was really strong competition there with 39 robots, including both Featherweights and Hobbyweight robots built by teams from across the country. With all his robot fighting experience, we’re honoured that he was able to judge our first staff Antweight robot wars competition!”
Martin adds: “We sponsor FightFest as part of celebrating innovation in robotics design and engineering. We also run a design competition alongside FightFest which encourages people of all ages, who may not have any previous design or engineering experience, to get involved. We’re hopefully inspiring the next generation of robotics engineers!”
He concludes: “Having our own internal Antweight challenge meant that employees who maybe haven’t tried their hand at designing and modelling robots before, can gain useful new skills in CAD modelling and 3D printing. It’s not just our engineers taking part but people in quality, marketing, IT, product strategy, product integration and purchasing.”
Ellis Ware said: “I really enjoyed FightFest and it was fantastic to take home the winning title! I was delighted to be invited to Accu and to judge their Antweight competition – hopefully this will be the first of many they host!”
Founded with a vision to support engineers, innovators and trailblazers, Accu has rapidly grown into a global business renowned for its award-winning customer experience. By integrating advanced technology through its dedicated team with deep engineering knowledge, Accu delivers precision components that drive innovation across multiple industries.
For more information about Accu visit www.accu.co.uk.
