Chamber News

The Great Eastern Rail Campaign aims to deliver better, faster trains for Norfolk, Suffolk & Essex, with the goal of achieving Norwich in 90 minutes, Ipswich in 60, Colchester in 40 minutes and Chelmsford in 25 minutes.

As well as a faster and more reliable service the campaign is also aiming for a greater capacity to reduce over-crowding, significant investment in track infrastructure and a better travelling experience.

The Great Eastern Rail Taskforce is due to report back to the Government in November 2014, therefore the Norfolk Chamber has a four-month window of opportunity to champion the case for greater investment in our region’s main railway line and a real chance to influence Government and get results. We are surveying Norfolk businesses in advance of this report submission so that Chamber member’s views are included.

This survey will take no longer than two minutes to complete and your views are important! Click HERE to complete the survey.

With a vibrant PowerPoint, Rachael Shakespeare of Jungle PR gave delegates an enthusiastic presentation on public relations. She taught the delegates what PR is, along with what it isn’t: giving them information such as how any PR, whether good or bad, is better than none, as well as how to utilise bad PR. Rachael also spoke on press releases, coverage and most importantly; what PR can do for a business. Emma Raines of Example Marketing said: “it was good to have the opportunity to ask questions of an expert. I was able to get practical tips by asking questions throughout and at the end of the session.” Rachael’s 3 top tips for great PR would be to “be organised and strategic with a PR plan”, to “not be afraid of bad PR and use it as an opportunity”, and also to “give journalists everything on a plate”.

For more information on the work Jungle PR do, visit www.junglepr.com Series 4 of the Chamber Sessions is available to book with new and returning speakers ready to share their knowledge with you. For more information, please click here.

• BCC’s Quarterly Economic Survey is the first major economic survey of the quarter, and is closely watched by the Bank of England and the Treasury
• The results from 7,000 UK businesses are positive overall and point to continued economic growth
• Most Norfolk key balances showed increases in Q2 2014
• For manufacturing and services, all the key Q2 balances are stronger than their long-term averages, and most are still higher than their 2007 pre-recession levels

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Tuesday) published its Quarterly Economic Survey for Q2 2014. The results, made up of responses from 7,000 UK businesses, show that the economy is still strong and moving in the right direction, with many key balances higher than they were before the recession.

Many of the Norfolk balances for manufacturing and services continued to strengthen from the last quarter. Whilst that national balances were slightly down this quarter, in comparison to the unexpected surge shown last quarter.

BCC Director General, John Longworth, says moderate declines of the pace of growth are ‘unsurprising’ given that the economy ‘jolted forward’ in the first quarter of the year. He applauds UK businesses for their continued ‘dedication, confidence and resilience’ but urges the Bank of England not to act prematurely on raising interest rates as this could ‘limit the growth ambitions among the very firms we are counting on to drive the recovery’.

Norfolk Key findings in the Q2 2014 Quarterly Economic Survey:

• In manufacturing, both home sales (40%) and orders (42%) as well as export sales (45%) and orders (48%) continued to remain at very positive levels. Confidence in profitability rose to 80%, however the number of manufacturers operating at full capacity dropped considerably from 31% to 17%. This shows that whilst the manufacturing sector continues to strengthen, there is still work to be done.
• In the service sector, again home orders (55%) and sales (48%) and export orders (72%) and sales (70%) continued their upwards trend. Service sector profitability confidence rose from 53% to 58%, but, similar to the manufacturing sector, those operating at full capacity dipped slightly from 43% to 39%.
• Both sectors reported increased concern regarding interest rates, this was reflected across the East of England and Nationally.
• Cashflow balances strengthened across both sectors. However the manufacturing balances are still lower than the national figures.
• Both sectors advised increased intention to recruit in the next 3 months.

Commenting on the results, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber said:

“Business confidence in Norfolk and across the East of England continues to grow. Many businesses are reporting strengthening order books for both UK and overseas sales. With increased certainty surrounding the local economy, businesses feel able to invest in staff, plant and machinery. However there is still room to grow, as the number of organisations operating at full capacity remains low. Inflation remains a concern for all sectors, as is does the difficulties in recruiting staff.

However, the vitality of the Norwich retail sector continues; with John Lewis Norwich holding 2nd place in the UK John Lewis store rankings for sales; and Castle Mall Norwich Shopping Centre reporting increased footfall of 3%. Unemployment figures across the Eastern region fell with, Great Yarmouth reporting JSA Claimants at their lowest levels since 2005. With an upward trending local economy and continued business confidence, the future looks positive for Norfolk and the East of England.”

Commenting on the results, John Longworth, Director General of the BCC, said:

“These are strong results that show the recovery is moving forward. Our members continue to do themselves proud by showing dedication, confidence and resilience. While we never like to report even modest declines in our investment and export balances, these are unsurprising, as the economy jolted forward last quarter and has now settled into a period of more stable growth. But we must still aim higher – great, long-term sustainable growth must be our ambition, and we should not settle for second best.

“Repairing our broken business finance system, which constrains access to credit for businesses with the potential to grow, must be a top priority. This will help to provide the building blocks for companies who can then look to take on additional staff, invest and grow.

“These results reinforce the case against the Bank of England making any hasty decisions on raising interest rates in the very short-term. By driving up the cost of credit for fast-growing firms, many of whom do not sit on the same healthy cash piles as their more established counterparts, early rate rises may mean more limited growth ambitions among the very firms we are counting on to drive the recovery. We must nurture the business confidence we are seeing at present by giving firms the security of working in a low interest rate environment for the foreseeable future – with eventual rises both moderate and predictable.

“As we enter a period of heightened political uncertainty, it is even more important to maintain a healthy and sustainable economic recovery. At this crucial stage of the economic cycle, the UK cannot afford populist decision-making that undermines strategic long-term decisions as this could jeopardise our national success in the years to come.”

David Kern, Chief Economist at the BCC, said:

“Although most key balances for Q2 are lower than the very strong figures seen in the first quarter, they remain high by historical standards. In our recent economic forecast, we predicted that quarterly GDP growth for Q2 would be 0.8%, with full-year growth of 3.1%. However, these results mean that risks of a downgrade have increased.

“The Q2 falls in all the export and investment balances act as a timely warning that although growth is stable, challenges facing our economic recovery still remain. Rises in sterling are making UK exports more expensive. Uncertainties around early interest rate increases are adding to the difficulties, and our excessively large current account deficit poses potential risks. UK growth cannot permanently rely on rising consumer spending, which is driven by a buoyant housing market, and on excessive household debt. Unless investment and net exports make bigger contributions to growth, the recovery could stall.

“Both the government and the MPC must make every effort to stimulate enterprise and wealth creation. On its part, the MPC must restore clarity to its forward guidance and reassure business that from next year they will face only gradual rather than sudden change. With inflation well below target and earnings still rising by less than one per cent per year, the risks to the recovery from raising rates prematurely are much greater than the risks of waiting a little longer.”

Norfolk Chamber of Commerce have been co-operating fully with an investigation by the Norfolk Constabulary, which resulted directly from a request made by the Chamber, for their assistance into the financial misconduct of a single employee. The individual in question has not been employed by the Norfolk Chamber of Commerce since the end of March.

Prior to and during court proceedings we are unable to discuss the case as it would be sub judice.

“I can assure you that this situation has not and will not impact on the day-to-day running of the Chamber now or in the future. For us, it is business as usual, as we continue to provide first-class help and support for our members and the wider business community.” Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber of Commerce

Evalu8 Transport Innovations Ltd – Background Innovation Vouchers are designed to enable small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to access knowledge and expertise to develop innovative solutions to key business issues (KBIs).

With the backing of the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund, EValu8 operate an Innovation Voucher scheme that supports SMEs in the East of England wishing to innovate in the field of low carbon transport, including areas related to electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative fuels. Further guidance on this is given in “What types of project are eligible for voucher funding?” below.

The programme provides a voucher of £1,000 to enable SMEs to engage with experts including from Universities, other publicly funded research organisations, and the private sector to progress innovation within their business. The voucher scheme is based on the previous Innovation Voucher rounds which have been run by EEDA and the Low Carbon Vouchers run by i10. The EValu8 voucher scheme will be open to applications until 30th September 2014 or until all 100 vouchers have been issued.

Evalu8 has a limited number of Innovation Vouchers. Apply now to avoid disappointment.

Why do I need to innovate? It is vital for all businesses to innovate and develop new ideas to stay ahead in a competitive market. With greater emphasis increasingly placed on reducing carbon in transport related areas, there are significant opportunities for new products and services in this field.

Innovation Voucher grant support Evalu8’s innovation voucher scheme in the East of England is to encourage the region’s companies to develop new products, services and ideas across the broad area of low carbon transport. The vouchers provide easy-to-access funding, supported by the European Union, to encourage innovation and business growth. The vouchers allow businesses to access specialist consultancy up to the value of £1,000; this consultancy can be provided by universities, research institutes, consultancies, or one of your own suppliers, to support innovation by your business. To apply, complete the application form.

How do I apply?

Step 1 – Complete application form below and send this to [email protected] Step 2 – EValu8 will determine which applications are eligible; successful companies will be informed. If support to find a delivery partner is required, EValu8 will suggest companies to consider. Step 3 – Once a delivery partner has been identified, terms have been agreed and before any work starts the company and delivery partner must complete the Work Agreement Form and return this to EValu8. EValu8 will send the delivery partner a purchase order thereby establishing a contract for the work. Any work undertaken before the purchase order is received will be at the delivery partner’s own risk.

Innovation Voucher Application Form

What happens after the work is completed? When the agreed work has been completed, the delivery partner must send a completed Project Completion Form to EValu8, signed by both themselves and the voucher winner. The delivery partner can then invoice EValu8.

For more information on the scheme or to have an informal conversation to see whether you idea is eligible, please contact Evalu8.

The Norfolk Chamber welcomes the recent visit of Robert Goodwill, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport. He was invited by the A47 Alliance to see the shortcomings of the A47 for himself.

The A47 Alliance – the campaigning organisation representing local authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships, Chambers, businesses and road users along the A47and A12 from Peterborough to Lowestoft – has provided the Minister with an updated A47 prospectus. It sets out the economic, road safety, travel and transport benefits of improving the road, and the Alliance’s improvement priorities.

The prospectus calls for £416m of targeted improvements over the next six years, and a commitment to fully dual A47 – estimated to cost £1.4bn – in the longer term.

Dualling the whole route would cut nearly an hour (55 mins) off journey times, but a selected improvements on the A47 and A12 between Peterborough and Lowestoft, would, within 20 years, lead to:

• 16,890 more jobs in the area,
• 10,585 new homes
• An annual £706m boost in economic output (GVA).

The improvements would support the Enterprise Zone at Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (set to deliver 10,000 jobs in 25 years) and the Greater Norwich City Deal (set to deliver 40,000 jobs by 2031)..

The Minister is due to travel the entire length of the A47 trunk road, including the A12 from Lowestoft to Great Yarmouth, through to the A1 in Peterborough. Mr Goodwill will be meeting local MPs all along the route, with the visit having been arranged by George Freeman MP.

This visit is one of a small number that the Minister will make to trunk roads that are in the vanguard of improvement feasibility studies ordered by the Government to inform spending decisions in time for the Autumn Statement.*

The A47 Alliance, led by Norfolk County Council, has refreshed its Business Case prospectus in time for the visit. Freshly commissioned analysis shows that a fully dualled A47 offers high value for money with certain schemes categorised as ‘very high’. Current government guidance suggests that high value for money is a prerequisite for funding.

Comments from Norfolk members of the A47 Alliance:

Norfolk County Council Toby Coke, Chairman of Norfolk County Council’s Environment, Development and Transport Committee, said: “What we need is a firm commitment to fund the upgrading of the entire A47. The Government talks about infrastructure improvement, and it is needed here in Norfolk and our neighbouring counties now.

“Dualling the last section of the A11 is a welcome start, but only a start. Self evidently the money is there to upgrade the whole of the A47 and A12 from the A1 to Lowestoft – it simply depends on what the Government’s priorities are. If the Government is really prepared to make road infrastructure investment in this country its first priority, it has the chance to prove it by committing to £416m of key A47 improvements over the next six years, and a fully dualled A47 in the longer term.

“Our new A47 prospectus shows that this would be a good use of taxpayers’ money, bringing real improvements for people who have put up with a sub-standard road for far too long, and a major economic boost for the whole area.”

Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Alliance Vice-Chairman Vivienne Spikings, Portfolio holder for Development on the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, said: “A high quality, dualled A47 would be an asset to King’s Lynn and west Norfolk. At the moment it is a liability.

“Anyone who lives and works around King’s Lynn knows that the A47 is simply not fit for purpose in the 21st century. Not only do villages such as Middleton and East Winch desperately need to be bypassed, but the overloaded junctions around King’s Lynn and poor quality of much of the route must be tackled to stimulate investment and economic growth”

Norfolk Chamber has joined the New Anglia LEP and other members of the business community in writing to the Secretary of State for Transport, Patrick McLoughlin, urging him to drop the current proposal to remove the direct Norwich to Liverpool rail service.

The Norwich to Liverpool rail service provides a vital direct link between Norfolk and East Anglia to the North and North West. The route enables passengers from Norwich and Thetford to travel directly to Sheffield, Manchester and Liverpool.

Norfolk Chamber, together with New Anglia LEP, believe the proposed cessation of the direct Norwich to Liverpool service could seriously damage the Norfolk and East Anglian economies, as it will risk isolating Norfolk businesses from the growth potential to be brought by the Government’s planned investment in high speed rail, to better connect cities in the North of England

The Northern Trains/Trans Pennine Express franchise consultation document proposes transferring the Nottingham to Liverpool section of the service from the current franchise holder, East Midlands Trains, to the new Trans Pennine Express franchise. This would mean the service dividing in two and being run by different train operators. Thus making is far less convenient for travellers, who would have to change at Nottingham and suffer broken and longer journeys.

However we are not convinced that running two services will save money or improve operational efficiency, as this would require more rolling stock. Norfolk Chamber sincerely believe that retaining the direct service from Norwich to Liverpool and looking at further investment in the route will deliver significant economic benefits.

Caroline Williams,Chief Executive, Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: “Norfolk Chamber of Commerce has long identified that one of the key barriers to growth in Norfolk is lack of infrastructure, which is fit for purpose in terms of both road and rail. The Chamber is therefore very concerned with the proposal to withdraw the direct rail link between Norwich and Liverpool and has written to Patrick McLoughlin, Secretary of State for Transport. This route provides a vital link between Norfolk and East Anglia to the North and Northwest. The proposed withdrawal of the direct rail service can only be detrimental to the ability of the Norfolk business community to generate economic growth for our region.”

On a beautifully sunny July morning, over 90 delegates enjoyed our sold out business breakfast at Sprowston Manor, where they learnt how Norwich International Airport and KLM are helping to drive Norwich’s economic development.

We heard from our featured charity RNLI and as well as our sponsors Low Carbon KEEP and Ashton KCJ. Delegates tried out a new networking icebreaker, First Letter Last Letter, to get them thinking and finding creative ways to describe their business in just a few words. Delegates also got to meet a new table of people with our Safari Network.

It was then time to hear from out 2 keynote speakers; Andrew Bell, Chief Executive at Norwich International Airport and Melissa Hartal, Field Sales Manager at Air France KLM.

Andrew explained how Norwich airport impacts the local economy by saying ‘it facilitates, it connects, it connects your businesses.’ He discussed future plans for the 100 acre Norwich Aeropark which is to be built by 2016 and will create 1,500 skilled jobs worth £90m. He said ‘Our role is to look at what the business community wants’ with two core objectives ‘Maximise the productivity of the Airfield’ and ‘Support the region’s businesses and therefore economic growth’

Melissa Hartal started her presentation with a short video showing the journey of Air France KLM and how technology has developed to help them give great customer service. She then talked about how they consider Norwich their home port and the huge network of destination that fly from Norwich Airport, she said ‘A flight leaves the UK every 5 minutes, we are well connected’

Here’s what delegates thought of the event;

Matthew Downing from Ashton KCJ tweeted “Excellent breakfast this morning @norfolkchamber which we @AshtonKCJ sponsored great speakers @KLM and @NorwichAirport”

Peter Treglow from Four tweeted “Fascinating to hear about how @NorwichAirport supports Norfolk economy @norfolkchamber Exciting growth plans.”

To view more photos of the event, visit ourFacebookpage orGoogle+page

The next Norwich Breakfast is on 10 October at Dunston Hall. For more details or to book your placeclick here

As part of the Norfolk Chamber’s theme for 2014, ‘Look at Norfolk, See Success’, we are assisting the EDP in West Norfolk to collate positive news stories about thriving businesses in West Norfolk and need West Norfolk Chamber members’ help to provide the best news stories.

The EDP will shortly be commencing a weekly business supplement for West Norfolk based businesses and will be looking to launch the first edition of the supplement within the next few weeks.

They are looking for news stories involving local West Norfolk businesses, particularly positive ones highlighting businesses who are looking to expand and grow; who have new orders or new contracts; who are recruiting new staff; or are launching new products. They will also be looking to feature business events, such as networking breakfasts, lunches or dinners, and any community based projects, with business involvement etc.

The business supplement will be issued each Wednesday and articles must be submitted no later than the Friday beforehand to be included.

How do I submit my article?

• The article should be no more than 300 to 400 words (the editor may contact you if he needs more detail).
• Where possible, a photo should accompany your article. It should be submitted as a high resolution JPEG (of at least 1MB in file size).
• Any articles should be sent to the following email address: [email protected], with a copy to [email protected].

Not sure your story is newsworthy?

If you are not sure whether your news story would be considered, you could email an outline to the above email addresses, and should it be of interest, the EDP will call you back to follow it up (don’t forget to include your contact details).

Want maximum coverage?

For maximum coverage, as well as sending your news article for inclusion in the EDP business supplement, you can also upload news articles and events to the Chamber website. We will then use our social media channels to highlight your news and raise your profile still further.

In an effort to improve SME access to public procurement contracts, the Government has now launched a new Mystery Shopper Scheme.

The Mystery Shopper Scheme has 2 roles:

1. It provides a clear, structured and direct route for suppliers to raise concerns about public procurement practice even when attempts at resolving issues with a contracting authority or a first-tier supplier have failed and provides feedback to enquirers on their concerns. 2. It also takes a proactive approach through spot checks on procurement documents.

This enables the Government to:

• identify areas of poor procurement practice so we can work with the contracting authority to put them right, and help ensure similar cases do not arise in future
• take action to reduce the likelihood of similar issues arising in other authorities
• identify examples of good practice that we can share with other authorities

You can use the service by sending an email to [email protected] or by telephoning their Service Desk on 01603 704999.

What bodies are covered?

• central government departments (e.g. Defra, MOD) – they will address feedback about the central departments or any of the bodies for which they are responsible (list of government departments)
• the wider public sector (e.g. local authorities, NHS trusts or education establishments) in England (They do not investigate procurement carried out by devolved bodies in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales)
• prime contractors working on government contracts – we will work with contract managers in departments and prime contractors to address feedback about unfair practices and other issues in the supply chain of government contracts

Before contacting the Mystery Shopper team If you want to submit feedback to us read the terms set out in our scope and remit. This explains what we may be able to achieve in relation to your concerns. By submitting feedback to the Mystery Shopper Scheme you are accepting the scope and remit of the service.

Results We publish the results of the investigations into the cases we examine. The documents on the Mystery Shopper results page set out the issues and the resolution of the cases investigated so far. We also use social media to share the results of our investigations, only the contracting authority is named when we share and publish our results.

Taking a proactive approach The Mystery Shopper Scheme now carries out spot checks on procurement processes as well as continuing to deal with referrals raised by SMEs and other concerned suppliers. This extension of the Mystery Shopper scheme was announced in the report Small Business GREAT Ambition.

The Mystery Shopper team examines procurement documents, typically from online portals, and discusses their findings with the contracting authority responsible for the procurement. Cases are selected at random from a spread of organisations, either looking at general procurement issues or focusing on particular aspects of the procurement. The team will publish the results of cases in line with the government’s commitment to transparency.

The Norfolk Chamber of Commerce is looking to recruit a Business Manager.

The Business Manager will be field based and responsible for being proactive in generating and recruiting new members within Norfolk, with specific emphasis on the 11-50 employee range, but has the business knowledge to empathise and communicate effectively with all sized businesses.

There will be an element of retention activity that is reactive to the Membership Advisor’s activity

Full details can be found here

If interested please send your CV with a covering letter to [email protected]

Norwich International Airport and Flybe are currently surveying the route between Norwich and Manchester with the aim of delivering improved air services to better meet your business travel needs from your local airport.

They would also like to hear from you as to what else they could do to further improve the service from Norwich, your local airport. This online questionnaire will take less than 60 seconds to fill in.

Click here to complete the online survey.

In addition, Norwich International Airport would also welcome any views on the Flybe services from Norwich to Edinburgh, Guernsey, or Jersey, or indeed any other aspect of air travel which is relevant to your organisation.