Hello and welcome to the August edition of Warwickshire Means Business.

This month we reflect upon the success of a major Government and Warwickshire County Council-funded business support programme which was launched across the county six months ago – and is ongoing.

Six delivery strands of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) support were launched under the £4.6 million Business Growth Warwickshire umbrella late last year and have already engaged with more than 1,000 businesses. The Business Growth Warwickshire programme, developed and commissioned jointly by Warwickshire County Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, Rugby Borough Council, Stratford-on-Avon District Council and Warwick District Council, offers a wide variety of expert guidance and financial support.

The Business Growth Warwickshire Programme is making a real difference to businesses around our county and, as I say, it is very much ongoing so please do get in touch and join the 1,000+ businesses across Warwickshire to have already engaged with it.

Among the programmes in this package of support is the Warwickshire Business Energy Advice Service which, as we report here, has already awarded eight businesses a combined £300,000 in grants towards becoming more sustainable and cost effective. Sustainability is high on the agenda - also in this month’s WMB we preview Net Zero Business Webinar Week; September 23-27.

 

Our special feature is on the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre, in Baginton. The UKBIC’s very impressive offer to the business community includes a free two-day training course in battery manufacturing, organised in conjunction with Warwickshire County Council.

Turning to skills and apprenticeships have a key role to play in training and upskilling our next generation of employees. We report how one apprentice in Rugby has helped sustain and strengthen a small business which, with the support of Warwickshire Skills Hub, is now looking ahead with confidence after a testing time.

 

We also bring the customary comprehensive local news-in-brief and upcoming events and the edition is packed with links and contact details for all sorts of business support. Please do get in touch if any of the programmes are relevant to your business - and please share any of the articles with others that it might help.