It is great news that the Government has given its strongest indication yet that they are likely to provide funding to improve more sections of the A47 and Norfolk Chamber looks forward with interest to the Autumn Statement announcements.
The Roads Minister, Robert Goodwill, gave strong hints at a meeting with Norfolk MPs who raised the needs of the Norfolk business community for improved road infrastructure to ease congestion and access across the County.
Norfolk businesses have been working hard to compete in the current economic climate and business confidence is starting to grow. An improved A47 will make the east/west journey across our County easier and will particularly give exporters, based in West Norfolk, better access to all the ports on the East coast.
However proof is in the pudding and we need to see the hard evidence of the Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in Norfolk.
In Norfolk, the borough of Great Yarmouth lead the way again with a fall of 13.7% in the unemployment figures. Norwich also saw a modest fall of 2.4% and King’s Lynn & West Norfolk saw a fall of 9.1%.
Great Yarmouth saw the number of 16-18 year olds claiming Job Seekers Allowance fall sharply, dropping by 16% over the last month. However some of this may be as a result of the approach of summer and the start of seasonal work, but the drop is still significant. For full details of the report click here.
The A47 eastbound carriageway will be closed for at least two nights this week at the junction with the A146 at Trowse, and it will not be possible to join the A47 eastbound at Postwick.
The closure will be in place from 8pm to 6am on Tuesday night, 13 May, and Wednesday night, 14 May. If work is not complete, two further nights will be used (Thursday 15 May and Friday 16 May).
Traffic will be diverted via the A146, A143, A12 to rejoin the A47 at Vauxhall roundabout. Traffic attempting to join the eastbound A47 at Postwick will be diverted across the A47 and via the westbound A47 to join the A146 diversion route at Trowse.
The closure is to allow barriers to be installed at Postwick to protect the workforce and the travelling public during the junction improvement work that began today (Mon).
Norfolk County Council apologises for the inconvenience caused by these overnight closures.
Would you welcome advice from a world renowned expert?
Victory Television, a major UK broadcaster, is making a new high-profile television series to be transmitted later this year and they are looking to contact business owners in your area. Theyare interested in small to medium sized companies with up to 100 employees. The business owner will work with a well-known entrepreneur across a number of weeks, exploring and testing out fresh strategies to suit their business. This series would suit a company dealing with new competition, the repercussions of the recession, or a decrease in customers or revenue.
They are keen to focus on businesses in the leisure, tourism, food, retail and manufacturing sectors. Ideally, they are looking for companies that are open to explore new ways of transforming their business and making them more profitable. This is an exciting opportunity to be featured on a prime time series and to create innovative ideas with one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs.
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact [email protected] or on 0207 4063057 to find out more information about this exciting new project.
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On Friday 9 May over 80 Norfolk & Cambridgeshire Chamber Members attended our standing room only business breakfast to get the unique opportunity to network with neighbouring chamber members. Delegates heard from the two Local Enterprise Partnership’s that border West Norfolk and King’s Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council.
The breakfast took place in the Great Barn at Knights Hill Hotel with our host for the morning, Norfolk Chamber President, Ian Hacon taking the delegates through the agenda. Ian introduced our event featured charity, King’s Lynn Festival, who told us about how the festival helps King’s Lynn and how support of their events is crucial.
The breakfast was buzzing with conversation as the cross-county networking started with one or our trademark ice breaker activities, guess my CV. Networking continued over breakfast and our safari networking got the delegates to take a seat at a new table and meet new people, making even more connections.
It was then time to hear from our panel of three keynote speakers; Chris Starkie, New Anglia LEP, Graham Nix, Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP& Cllr Nick Daubney, Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk about the progress they have made locally in the past year and their aims for the next 12 months.
Chris Starkie said “New Anglia LEP are aiming to have 95,000 more jobs by 2026”
Grahame Nix highlighted GCGP’s “Growing Places fund £500k in 12 £30k grants to charity – employment that are available to West Norfolk.”
Watch out for the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk “local investment board” that will be with us soon.
A Q&A session then took place with various questions from delegates to better understand the opportunities and funding that are open to them as a business and how they can influence their LEPs plans for the coming year.
Delegates had a lot of positive things to talk about on twitter;
Chaplin Farrant
“Great morning @norfolkchamber breakfast in Kings Lynn this morning – many thanks. #wellconnected”
Independence Matters
“At kings lynn @norfolkchamber#wellconnected event – first time and getting connected with some great future contacts!”
The New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership is delighted to announce that they have grants for businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk available until March 2015. The LEP has recently been awarded an additional £1.4m from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund to expand its existing Growing Business Fund and offer smaller grants of between £5,000 and £25,000 to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Businesses wanting to grow and create new jobs are now able to apply for grants of between £5,000 and £500,000.
The fund can provide up to 20% of the total funding needed for investment, and be used to leverage funding from other sources, such as banks and other financial organisations. Each application must also create at least one job for every £10,000 worth of grant. All payments are retrospective. For example, a company’s plans for growth might include a range of activities; expansion into a neighbouring unit, updating and buying additional equipment, creating a new website and developing a marketing campaign, the total costs of which are £50,000. The application to the Small Grants Scheme would demonstrate that the company has funding of £40,000 (from perhaps a bank and/or other sources); therefore the Small Grant Scheme application would be to fund a top up of £10,000 – 20% of the costs. For our £10,000 grant you would need to provide employment for a person, full time for at least one year.
A larger project might be to purchase new equipment to create a new production line. To expand this production a company might employ 3 new staff and an apprentice. The total project costs are £200,000 which includes some staff costs, professional fees, rewiring, training of staff to use the equipment etc. The application to the Growing Business Fund would show that the company has £160,000 from the bank and/or other sources; therefore the Growing Business Fund would fund a top up of £40,000; (4 x £10,000 per employee).
The New Anglia LEP is working in partnership with Suffolk County Council and Finance East delivering the programme. The application process is simple and straightforward; it can be as quick as 5 to 8 weeks for a decision. The process consists of the following stages:
Expression of Interest form;
Financial Appraisal;
Growing Business Fund’s Approval Panel’s decision.
FACTS AND FIGURES Of the £12m GBF programme to date, the Approval Panel has agreed to support 35 projects (19 in Norfolk and 16 in Suffolk) worth of over £25.6m and to award grants in the amount of over £3.1m forecasting to create 495 new FTE jobs within the next 2 years. Click here to see a list of approved projects, have already been awarded with grants, the remainder are subject to contract.
To view the eligibility criteria for both funds click here.
CONTACTS:
Growing Business Fund £25,000 – £500,000
To register your interest in the Growing Business Fund and to receive an Expression of Interest Form, please contact Nataliya Klymko, Growing Business Fund Coordinator,[email protected] tel: 01603 510073.
Deadline for returning completed Expression of Interest forms is 31st October 2014.
Small Grant Scheme £5,000 – £25,000
To apply for a Small Grant Scheme please click here.
Deadline for returning completed Expression of Interest forms is 31st December 2014.
Want to discuss your project? Contact Nataliya Klymko, Growing Business Fund Coordinator via email: [email protected] or tel: 01603 510073.
Norfolk County Council has released the Quarter 4 data for January – March 2014. The report shows that business confidence is increasing, unemployment is falling and house prices are rising. Key sectors like energy, digital and ICT and Agritech are going from strength to strength. To read the full report, please click here.
With just over four months to go until Scotland votes, The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) on Wednesday published the results of a major survey of business opinion surrounding the Scottish Referendum debate.
This independent survey of 2,400 Chamber members in England, Wales and Northern Ireland examines the impacts, opportunities and risks perceived by businesses in the rest of the UK. The survey also explores how non-Scottish businesses would react to a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ vote on September 18th.
The majority of businesses outside of Scotland want Scotland to remain part of the UK
The majority of businesses surveyed (85%) said that Scotland should remain within the UK
Only 11% of firms said that Scotland should become an independent country
If Scotland votes to remain part of the UK, almost half of businesses (49%) believe that the current division of power should remain the same
Exactly a quarter of businesses (25%) said that the Scottish Parliament should have more power if Scotland remains part of the UK, but a fifth (21%) also said it should have less
More than half of firms outside of Scotland do not see any opportunities with independence
Two thirds of businesses (63%) say no new opportunities would arise for their businesses if Scotland votes for independence
Only 6% of companies believe that potential tax savings (due to different tax rates between Scotland and the rest of the UK in the case of independence) would be an opportunity for their business
Firms identified the highest risk as trading across borders should Scotland become independent, (26%), and identified future currency arrangements as the most important issue (47%) for their business
Businesses outside of Scotland would favour a reform of the Barnett formula if Scotland voted to remain part of the UK
63% of businesses said it was important that the current arrangements for allocating public expenditure between the UK nations were reformed, should Scotland vote ‘no’ in September
A third of firms outside of Scotland would like a formal currency union between the UK and Scotland if Scotland votes for independence
Just over one third of businesses believe a formal currency union would be in the best interests of the UK if Scotland became independent (35%)
More than a quarter (28%) said Scotland should create its own currency if it votes for independence, 18% said it should join the Euro and 8% said they it should retain Sterling but not join a formal currency union
The Scotland referendum debate hasn’t impacted the majority of firms south of the border, but more firms perceive a negative impact since the BCC’s 2013 survey
A clear majority (91%) of businesses outside Scotland said that the independence debate has had no impact on business decisions to date
However, reports of negative impacts are increasing. 11% of firms reported the debate having a negative impact on orders and sales, compared with only 5% in August last year.
The percentage of businesses reporting that the debate had a negative impact on their decisions to invest was up to 11% from 6% last year.
Comparisons between businesses outside of Scotland, and businesses based in Scotland:
The BCC’s sister organisation, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC), published a related survey last week made up of responses from businesses based in Scotland. This is how the results compared with the British Chambers of Commerce survey of businesses based in England, Wales and Northern Ireland:
In Scotland, 24% of businesses report that their decisions have already been influenced by the independence debate, whereas outside of Scotland, this number drops to 9%
Business in Scotland are more than twice as likely to expect to change their strategy (49%), than in the rest of the UK (20%) if Scotland becomes independent
In the event of a ‘no’ vote, 68% of Scottish businesses would like to see more powers given to the Scottish Parliament, compared with 25% of businesses in the rest of the UK.
Nearly three quarters of companies surveyed in Scotland (74%) said currency arrangements were an important issue. Whilst this was the most important single issue for businesses based outside of Scotland, it was identified by only 47% of them.
Commenting, John Longworth, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“Business opinion across the United Kingdom on the Scottish independence debate is far from unanimous. That’s only logical, as businesses have different interests, and different views on our complex history of economic and political union.
“Businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland remain less than captivated by the intense debate unfolding north of the border. Yet they do have views on the potential impacts of a change in Scotland’s relationship with the rest of the UK.
“In the event of a ‘yes’ vote, cross-border trading and currency arrangements loom large in businesses’ thinking. If Scotland votes ‘no’, constitutional questions remain around the devolution of power and the distribution of public funding between nations.
“Business communities across the UK have diverse views on the Scottish independence debate. Yet one thing is for certain. Regardless of how Scotland votesin September, things will never be quite the same again.”
Series 3 of The Chamber Sessions started with a high when Elliot Symonds of Jarrold training gave an energetic presentation on his top tips for closing deals. Elliot covered the top 7 closing techniques and when best to use them. The session was hugely interactive as Elliot got our delegates into small teams, gave them business scenarios and sent them off to practice using his top techniques. He said “I enjoyed it greatly and delegates were engaged.” Elliot’s top tip for his delegates would be to “use 15 minutes a day to read.”
Elliot provided practical knowledge needed for any business to thrive. All delegates walked away thoroughly enthused by what they had just learnt, and many stated they were going to start using these top tips today. Lizzy Gaskin of Right Angle Events said “Fantastic content, I can’t wait to apply what I’ve learnt this morning!”
The Highways Agency has announced a key milestone in the programme to dual the A11 between Fiveways roundabout and Thetford in Suffolk will be reached with the opening of the A11 bypass on 28 April 2014.
The new bypass will run with one lane open in each direction, and with a 40mph speed limit, between Chalk Hall Farm to near the end of the scheme, just before Thetford roundabout.
Subject to satisfactory weather conditions over the next few days, work to open the bypass is expected to commence overnight on Sunday 27 April and complete by 6am on Monday 28 April. A11 traffic will then use the new bypass as the regular route.
HGVs that normally use the C633 towards Bury St Edmunds will be directed to leave the A11 at the new B1106 junction and follow signs to continue their normal route. Advanced warning signs will be placed along local roads directing traffic. Access to businesses and properties along the B1106 and within Elveden Village will remain open as usual, via the new junction.
Once the bypass is opened, work will begin to construct the new southbound slip road less than a mile south of the Thetford roundabout. This work is expected to take approximately 12 weeks.
“Work on the A11 dualling and improvement scheme is progressing well, and with the opening of the A11 bypass we have reached a key milestone. This opening brings us one step closer to delivering smoother, faster journeys along and around the A11 in Suffolk. We have worked closely with local partners to ensure disruption to road users during the closures is kept to a minimum. Although this is just a partial opening with one lane in each direction with a 40mph speed limit for the time being, road users and local residents will see an immediate benefit of reduced congestion and smoother journeys.”
A major renewable electricity project has been unveiled in Norfolk as part of the government’s world leading electricity reforms, giving a massive boost to green growth and green jobs.
The project, along with seven others across the UK, will provide up to £12 billion of private sector investment, supporting 8,500 jobs by 2020.
Based 32km off the Norfolk Coast, near Cromer, Dudgeon offshore windfarm is expected to add a further for 402 MW of low-carbon electricity to Britain’s energy mix.
The eight projects, once built, will contribute around 15TWh or 14% of the renewable electricity we expect to come forward by 2020, helping to put the UK well on the way to meeting the UK’s renewable energy target. They will also reduce emissions by 10 MtCO2 per year compared to fossil fuel power generation.
The projects have been offered under Contracts for Difference (CfD), which form part of Government’s world leading Electricity Market Reform programme. They include offshore wind farms, coal to biomass conversions and a dedicated biomass plant with combined heat and power.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey said:
“These contracts for major renewable electricity projects mark a new stage in Britain’s green energy investment boom.
“By themselves they will bring green jobs and growth across the UK, but they are a significant part of our efforts to give Britain cleaner and more secure energy.
“These are the first investments from our reforms to build the world’s first low carbon electricity market – reforms which will see competition and markets attract tens of billions of pounds of vital energy investment whilst reducing the costs of clean energy to consumers.
“Record levels of energy investment are at the forefront of the Government’s infrastructure programme and are filling the massive gap we inherited. It’s practical reforms like these that will keep the lights on and tackle climate change, by giving investors more certainty.”
There has been significant growth in renewable electricity sector with the renewables’ share of total electricity generation more than doubling since 2010. We are supporting this growth to continue through Electricity Market Reform and expect to deliver over 30% renewable electricity in 2020.
The eight successful projects have been awarded contracts under the Final Investment Decision (FID) Enabling for Renewables process, allocating the first CfDs that are being introduced through the Electricity Market Reform programme. Under CfDs, generators and developers receive a fixed strike price for the electricity they produce for 15 years.
These contracts are vital to give investors the confidence they need to pay the up-front costs of major new infrastructure projects.
The contracts are supported by the new legislative framework introduced through the Energy Act 2013. Further CfDs will be made available in the autumn and the Government intends to publish further details of the allocation process alongside the Government Response to the January Consultation on Competitive Allocation of CfDs shortly.
Together, the successful projects will help provide a secure, affordable supply of electricity and support skilled jobs, boosting growth, supply-chains and businesses across the country.
