Tomorrow will be my last day at work as I'm retiring after looking after this site since we set it up.  I hope you have found it useful.  It is the Council's intention to keep it going, but it is important that you tell us what you have found helpful and what was not, and also what new features / information you would like to see on it.  You can give this feedback on business.info@charnwood.gov.uk

A recent survey by DCLG shows that Charnwood is among the five lowest spending Councils in the country (325th out of 329).  Its spending per head is about half that of most London Boroughs at about £743.  Leicestershire Districts occupy 6 of the lowest ten places in the table.

Today the Government launched the Business Growth Fund (BGF), a £2.5 billion government sponsored equity investment programme created to meet growth finance needs of UK medium sized companies.  The Fund will begin making investments in smaller and medium-sized UK businesses, offering a collaborative approach to financing growth and working closely with the companies in which it invests.

New research  by the Centre for Economics and Business Research says that  new graduates have been among the worst hit by the economic downturn.  Six months after leaving university, about 40% of last year's graduates were "underemployed" in lower-skilled jobs, up from about 30% four years before.  It warns that 55% of the next wave of university leavers will either be working in non-graduate jobs, or will be unemployed, six months after they finish at university.  The report says this raises doubts about the financial value of degrees when students are being asked to invest £9,000 a year on tuition fees (more details from BBC website).

Loughborough University is to host a major one-day conference in July on the great corporate sustainability challenges facing large companies today.  Profit from Sustainability, which takes place on Friday July 15, will feature a series of presentations followed by a discussion covering the themes of sustainable workforce, sustainable design, organisational resilience, transport policy, built environment and renewable energy technologies. 

Business should be aware that Belton Road  Loughborough was due to be closed for carriageway resufacing from 03/05/2011 until 06/05/2011.  THIS WORKS HAS HAD TO BE POSTPONED DUE TO A MAJOR FIRE.  It is hoped that the roads in the area will reopen later today.  If this is the case the works will start tomorrow; otherwise a new date will be set for the work.  During this time a signed diversion will be set up via Belton Road West Extension, Belton Road West, Bishop Meadow Lane, A6 Derby Road & vice versa

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Entrepreneurs across the UK now have the opportunity to trade for free on local retail markets, with assistance through the First Pitch Competition, provided by the National Market Traders' Federation (NMTF).  First time traders are invited to enter the new competition, which offers successful participants the chance to win £2,000. First Pitch is designed to help new businesspeople create their own market stall, with guidance from a team of experienced market traders.

The East Midlands has missed out compared to most other Regions in the awards for the Regional Growth Fund announced yesterday by the Government.  Just three projects were awarded funding in the East Midlands compared to 14 in the North East, 9 in the North West, 5 in the West Midlands and 7 in Yorkshire and Humberside.  It is claimed that these projects will create between 5200 and 7600 direct jobs per region, whereas the ones approved in the East Midlands will only create 1730.  The successful projects in the East Midlands were General Motors UK Limited (although this appears to be to help them to build the next-generation Vivaro van in Luton), Molecular Profiles Ltd. (to facilitate growth of their biotechnology business in Ruddington) and Thales Properties Ltd (an electronics company that works in the  defence sector).  Thales was the only one of 9 bids from Leicestershire to be successful. 

The Leadership and Management development grant scheme is a great opportunity for senior leaders of locally based small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop their leadership skills.

Kevin Peachey of the BBC analyses how tax changes for 2011-12 will affect individuals

China is now spending more on low carbon technology than any other country.  Germany has pushed the US into third place and the UK has fallen out of the top ten altogether as UK investment in the sector fell by 70% in 2010.   The table, published by the US Pew Environment Group, showed that the Chinese invested $54.4bn (£34.1bn) in 2010, up from $39.1bn in 2009.  Globally, the sector - which does not include nuclear power - attracted $243bn of investment, a 30% increase from 2009 and a whopping 630% rise since 2004. 

The "Plan for Growth", published by HM Treasury this month, sets out eight sectors where it wants to see growth:-

Business leaders has called for Leicester and Leicestershire to apply for Enterprise Zone status.  In the budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced the creation of 10 Enterprise Zones including Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, Derby and Derbyshire.  However there is another opportunity for Leicestershire as there will be a competition for ten remaining Enterprise Zones in England outside London.   

The Leicester Mercury reports that a Quorn-based high tech company, White Label SaaS, which makes GPS vehicle tracking systems, has found an alternative to high street banks to fund business expansion.   The company secured the money through Funding Circle, which brings investors together with growing businesses.

StartUp Britain (http://www.startupbritain.org) is a response from the private sector to the Government's call for an 'enterprise-led' recovery. It will be led by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs and aims to deliver support and advice for startup companies.  The scheme has so far gathered the backing of significant international brands including Barclays, BlackBerry, Experian, Intel, Microsoft, McKinsey & Co. and Virgin Media.

Communities in Leicestershire will no longer benefit from the Aggregates Levy, a tax on companies involved in mineral extraction.  In recent years, quarry operations in the county have generated about £25.75 million per year for the Treasury and parts of this (over £300,000 per year) was given back to local communities affcted by quarrying for projects to improve the local environment.  As a result of Government cutbacks, the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund will be scrapped on 31st March but the tax on the companies will remain and increase.  Proejects currently underway will be completed.

Budget headlines from

Whilst Nottingham and Nottinghamshire and Derby and Derbyshire are among ten areas, mainly in the Midlands and North,  that have been granted Enterprise Zone status in the budget, Leicester and Leicestershire have not been included.   They will have to apply in competition with other areas to be one of 21 areas across the country to benefit from this special status.  Further details on the advantages to be enjoyed by these areas can be found on pages 31 and 32 of the Treasury Budget document

The Technology Strategy Board has announced that it is about to launch a new scheme offering funding to small companies, enabling them to research and develop new products, processes and services that could stimulate economic growth.