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Members News

Hillier Hopkins’ Ruth Corkin appointed to the Board of the International VAT Association

Ruth Corkin, VAT and Indirect Tax Principal at accountants Hillier Hopkins has been appointed to a steering committee of the International VAT Association (IVA) in her capacity as the representative for the UK VAT Practitioners Group to represent the views and concerns of small and medium sized businesses in the UK. Her appointment will also serve to ensure that these businesses are kept up to date with developments in the EU that may affect them.

The IVA is the world’s leading expert body on VAT and turnover taxes representing businesses of all sizes and their advisers. The body has members from across 40 countries and provides a forum for discussion and the sharing of ideas between business, government and national tax administrations including HMRC. Ruth Corkin is one the UK’s foremost VAT and duties specialists. She has been an adviser to the government sitting on its Alternative Arrangements for Northern Ireland Committee and acts a champion for SMEs in accessing HMRC’s systems in order for them to be able to prepare customs declarations. In January 2021, Hillier Hopkins was named as just one of four English accountancy firms listed by HMRC as accredited customs agents – the others being global giants PwC, Deloitte and EY. Ruth Corkin, VAT and Indirect Tax Principal, Hillier Hopkins said: “Hillier Hopkins has a large client base of entrepreneurs leading successful small and medium sized businesses. VAT is a complex tax made more so by Brexit. It is important that the voice of UK business is heard on the international stage, and I am delighted to be appointed to IVA Board.” The appointment was made on 28 June 2021 and follows joining HMRC’s Land and Property Liaison Group earlier that month as one of two representatives of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.

SMEs are core foundation of Hertfordshire’s strategy to build back from COVID-19

The ‘Hertfordshire Enterprise and Innovation Strategy 2021-2025’ sets out ambitions for economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the county’s strengths and focusing on small businesses which overwhelmingly make up the economy, the strategy proposes initiatives under five key pillars with sustainability at its core.

Small businesses are at the heart of a sharpened vision to drive enterprise, innovation and economic growth in Hertfordshire post-COVID-19 and beyond.

Led by Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), the ‘Hertfordshire Enterprise and Innovation Strategy 2021-2025’ launches a roadmap for recovery from the pandemic and features practical measures to support businesses. Hertfordshire is a dynamic knowledge economy with an impressive range of global companies attracted by the area’s skills, location and quality of life. Yet the economy consists primarily of micro businesses and SMEs, with 61 active businesses for every 1,000 working-age residents – above the England average of 47. It is these businesses that will be supported to scale up and increase productivity through the strategy’s initiatives.

KEY THEMES

With societal, economic and environmental concerns influencing the pace of change, the key delivery themes of strategy include: u Enhancing the gateway to business support u Supporting entrepreneurs u Ensuring space is available for enterprise u Driving catalytic sectors u Skills availability Nitin Dahad, Chair of Hertfordshire LEP’s Enterprise & Innovation Board and LEP SME Champion, said: “This strategy reflects and addresses the emerging challenges from COVID-19 and the need to help Hertfordshire ‘Build Back Better’. We want to strengthen and simplify the business support offer, and the importance of digitisation and technology in driving growth is reflected in our strategy. “The development of local innovation ecosystems is a key policy objective and to make up for lost economic capacity over the past 12 months we need to intensify start-up provision and continue to focus on the scale-up of our innovative, high-growth SMEs. “As an entrepreneur and business leader, I know inspirational leadership goes hand in hand with business success. If SME owner-managers are to become effective leaders of transformational change we need to invest in skills development. By building in future resilience into the very DNA of our SMEs through targeted resources, we can achieve our goal of higher levels of commercial success and prosperity.”

PRACTICAL MEASURES

The LEP will look to improve the coordination and delivery of business support in the county and help SMEs secure access to markets, finance and skills more easily. Entrepreneurs from all sections of society will be helped to exploit opportunities through the adoption and take up of digital technologies and through best practice management programmes focused on businesses with scale-up potential. Selling abroad will be promoted through the Department for International Trade’s Export Academy and the LEP aims to establish a pilot “angel network” of private investors. More flexible co-working space will be created, potentially through short-term use of vacant units in high streets. To address skills gaps, young people will be educated on enterprise concepts, with entrepreneurial opportunities highlighted on the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal. The county’s most productive and innovative sectors will be supported to expand. These include: u Advanced Manufacturing, drawing on the

success of companies including Airbus and Smiths Detection.

u Cultural and creative, particularly film,

with Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden and the BBC based in Elstree.

u Life Sciences: a Government-designated

Opportunity Zone taking in Stevenage

Bioscience Catalyst, GlaxoSmithKline, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult

Manufacturing Centre.

u Construction including BRE research,

Willmott Dixon, Vinci, Skanska, and

VolkerFitzpatrick.

The Enterprise and Innovation Strategy has been published following stakeholder consultation and is one in a suite of strategic statements being developed by the LEP to guide Hertfordshire beyond Brexit and the pandemic into the 2030s.

Find out more about our investments to date at www.hertfordshirelep.com

Rothamsted Businesswoman Nicole Sadd wins National Business Leader Award

On July 22nd 2021, the National Business Women’s Awards 2020/21 event was held at the Hilton Hotel in Wembley, and saw business women from across the UK come together to support and celebrate each other’s achievements in this annual awards ceremony.

There are 20 categories in total in these national awards and Hertfordshire-based Rothamsted Enterprises CEO, Nicole Sadd, was named as a finalist in two: ‘Corporate Leader of the Year’ and ‘Business Woman of the Year (Small Business - £1m-10m turnover)’.

Nicole faced some serious competition from a number of women business leaders and was delighted to be named as the winner in the Corporate Leader of the Year category. This category is open to women in business who demonstrate being a proven leader in their organisation and brand category. Nominees demonstrate outstanding leadership, and a track record of building sales and profitability whilst energising and inspiring the people who report to them. Nicole commented: “It’s taken a while to sink in. It was totally unexpected! I was up against some serious competition and I am absolutely delighted to have been named as winner in the Corporate Leader of the Year category. This achievement is great news, both for myself and my great team and I am proud to represent Rothamsted and women in business generally. The pandemic has been a hugely challenging time for us all and leading Rothamsted Enterprises - a hospitality business and innovation campus - during this time required huge focus, resilience and determination. It is a real honour to receive this award.”

Congratulations for Stevenage

Briege Leahy, CEO of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce and Stevenage Development Board Member said: “We are delighted with the recent news that GSK has announced plans to invest up to £400 million and create up to 5,000 new highly-skilled jobs over the next ten years, growing one of Europe’s largest life science campuses based in Stevenage. Herts Chamber has been supporting GSK for over a decade as a Chamber member and are proud to have such a dynamic, successful pharmaceutical leader in the county who will be supporting the growth of one of Europe’s largest clusters for biotech and other life science companies. The partnership that will realise the vision for the new campus along with GSK includes fellow long-standing Chamber members Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst and Stevenage Borough Council; as well as the UK Government. We look forward to continuing to support GSK together with the local community.” The vision for the new campus has been developed in partnership with Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst (SBC), the UK Government, Stevenage Borough Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), and would build on the existing presence of GSK, the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and the SBC on the site.

Tony Wood, Senior Vice President, Medicinal Science & Technology, GSK said: “The past 18 months has shown the UK life sciences sector at its best and the UK has recently unveiled an ambitious 10-year vision for the UK life sciences sector. Our goal is for Stevenage to emerge as a top destination for medical and scientific research by the end of the decade. We are excited to find a development partner to realise our vision to foster the next generation of world-class scientists and biotechnology firms in Britain.”

Dr Sally Ann

Forsyth OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst said: “Stevenage is already a leading location for life science companies to develop and commercialise cutting edge therapeutics. Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst is home to over 40 companies, and GSK’s proposal presents exciting opportunities to build on this by supporting their growth, attracting new organisations to the ecosystem and facilitating further collaboration with world-class organisations. We look forward to working with GSK and other partners to further develop the thriving life sciences campus in Stevenage.” Initial estimates suggest the plan could ultimately deliver: • up to £400 million of investment in Stevenage from a private sector developer to build out the campus, over 5 to 10 years; and • depending on finalisation of proposals and planning consent, space for up to 5,000 full time, high-skilled jobs.

Councillor Sharon

Taylor OBE, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council said: “I am deeply proud that Stevenage is home to a world-leading life science cluster and welcome plans for a new life sciences campus… We look forward to continuing our work with the life sciences sector to make Stevenage a leading light in the discovery and development of the medicines of the future.”

Mark Bretton, Chair, Hertfordshire LEP and Chair, LEP Network, said: “Our investment in the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and Stevenage Bioscience Catalyst has consolidated Stevenage’s position as a globally recognised hub for cell and gene therapy, attracting international companies with the potential to create thousands of high-level jobs. Hertfordshire LEP played a pivotal role in securing Stevenage’s Life Sciences Opportunity Zone and High Potential Opportunities recognition. This exciting new development will be a key component of our Cell & Gene Cluster Plan, ensuring continued growth and investment for the area.”

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