Wednesday 4th October
The National Memorial Arboretum Sponsored by Marshall Mahoney
Divisional Leads for Burton & District, Cannock
Chase, Lichfield & Tamworth and Royal Sutton
Chambers
Defence Relationship Management
Defence Relationship Management
• To learn more about the Armed Forces Covenant
• To learn how businesses can show support for the Armed Forces Community
• To learn more about the benefits of working with the Armed Forces community
• The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise from the nation that those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, and their families, are treated fairly and not disadvantaged in their day to day lives.
• Key principles- Armed Forces Community should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens; and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for the injured and the bereaved.
• Veterans/ Service Leavers
• Reserves
• Families, spouses and dependents
• Cadet Force Adult Volunteers
◼ Armed Forces Community contribute real value to a business, both as employees (bringing a wealth of skills and experiences) and customers
◼ Reservist/Cadet Force Adult Volunteer training is free to an employer
◼ Free recruitment agencies to attract military personnel to your business
◼ Recognition via Employer Recognition Scheme
◼ Armed Forces Networking Events
● WM RFC Autumn Briefings
● Army Engagement Events
● Breakfast Events at Reserve Units
◼ DRM can provide you with information/signposting for Defence People issues
£25 million+ Awarded to support the Armed Forces community in 2020/21 Our programmes
116 Awarded grants for projects to help veterans gain better mental health in 2020/21 Our impact
£11.5 million+
Awarded to over 700 projects under the Local Grants programme between 20152020 Local Grants programme
All Three of the armed services have specially trained employer and youth engagement teams tasked with delivering enrichment and leadership training to support organisations and their partners
Consisting of leadership and team building activities: Executive leader & Future leader
Aimed at various levels with in the organisation and youth groups.
To look at recruitment for those that have served as officers in the Armed Forces and those that are linked to the Armed Forces, please see below the links to the free platforms that will plug you in to the military community Talent Pool. once you have registered the West Midlands contact will be in touch.
➢ Career Transition partnership: Resettlement for Ex-Service Personnel | Ex Armed Forces Recruitment from CTP
➢ Forces Families Jobs The go-to place for training and employment opportunities for family members of currently serving UK military personnel. https://www.forcesfamiliesjobs.co.uk/
➢ The Forces Employment Charity: RFEA - The Forces Employment Charity
➢ British Forces Resettlement Services (BFRS) - https://www.bfrss.org.uk/Information/About-BFRS
➢ The Poppy Factory Employment support for ex-Forces job seekers - The Poppy Factory
➢ Build Force Initiative helping former armed services personnel find careers in the construction industry. https://www.buildforce.org.uk/
➢ The REME Charity Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers (REME) engagement with employers https://remecharity.org/what-is-raja/
◼ The Defence Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) was launched by Prime Minister David Cameron in July 2014.
◼ The scheme publicly recognises employers’ efforts to support Defence personnel issues, such as employing reservists and veterans, while encouraging others to do the same.
Businesses who wish to demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces community can make pledges like the following:
◼ promoting the fact that you are an armed forces-friendly organisation;
◼ seeking to support the employment of veterans and working with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP)
◼ striving to support the employment of Service spouses and partners;
◼ offer some flexibility in granting leave for Service spouses and partners before, during and after a partner’s deployment;
◼ seeking to support employees who choose to be members of the Reserve forces, including by accommodating their training and deployment where possible;
◼ offering support to local cadet units, either in our local community or in local schools, where possible;
◼ aiming to actively participate in Armed Forces Day;
◼ offering a discount to members of the Armed Forces Community;
1. Find the Armed Forces Covenant template document online
2. Edit section 2 of the template document to outline your own commitments to the Armed Forces Community
3. Add your company name and logo to page one of the Covenant pledge.
4. A senior representative will sign page one.
5. Scan and email the complete document to the Armed Forces Covenant team (AFCovenant@rfca.mod.uk).
6. Head Office will register your Covenant, and reply with an Armed Forces Covenant logo and T&Cs for its use. Your Armed Forces Covenant pledge will be uploaded onto the website.
• Greater Birmingham Business Expo 2023
6th October - Edgbaston Stadium
• Europe’s largest business show is back for 2023, returning to the ExCeL, London on the 22nd & 23rd of November 2023.
• The 2023 edition is set to be the biggest yet with over 750 exhibitors, 200 interactive masterclasses, live panel debates, speed networking and over 200 seminars covering everything you need to know to start or grow your business!
Fully funded support
Must be based in Staffordshire excluding Stoke
No match funding required
Support to help you get your business started or grow it to the next level
• My own Boss
• Start up chamber courses- Free
• Working for yourself, East Staffordshire and Cannock
• Look to your local council
• Get started and Grow
• Must be based in Staffordshire, not stoke on trent
• Must be 0-5 years old
Digital Marketing
• Google listings and Ads
• All social media channels
• Website traffic
• CRM
• Email newsletters
• Upskilling and boosting confidence online
Marketing Websites
4-5 pages
Branding and Logos
Legal Advice on contracts, how to legally set up the business
• Cashflow
• Profits
• Tax
HR
• Employing first employee
• Changing laws
‘I Just wanted to thank you again for a really helpful, insightful and motivating meeting this morning. I can’t wait to get to work on some of the things we have spoken about and look forward to our next meeting. ‘
Submit an expression of interest online Get Started and Grow - Staffordshire County Council
• Interest free loans of £3,000 to £5,000
• No set-up fee
• No requirement for match-funding
• Unsecured
• Repaid in full after 12 months with no repayments prior to this. If the loan is not repaid in full after 12 months interest will be added
• Contact us at startuploans@staffordshire.gov.uk
Interim Enterprise Manager
East Staffordshire Borough Council
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East Staffordshire Borough Council has a key role in supporting local businesses
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We help to support and sign-post businesses to other areas of support, funding packages, refer to other council departments etc
– Attend business networking and conferencing events to ensure local businesses know we are here and can help
• The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK.
• It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition.
• The Programme themes are communities and place, supporting local businesses and people and skills
• Support for local businesses cover a range of programmes including support for High Street Businesses, Local Growth Manager and Skills Hub
• £100k available
• New businesses can apply for anything from £500-£5,000
• Existing businesses can apply for funding from £500-£10,000
• Up to 60% match up to 75%, case by case basis
• New start ups with no other access to funding: 100% of project costs up to £1000 may be awarded
• Must have undertaken an appropriate business support service
• Will enable a better quality application as it will be developed with advisor support
• Success will be measured by; strong but realistic projections of profit/ turnover; social responsibility; job creation or safeguarding (even within several years)
• Appraisal from ESBC officers submitted to panel, not always a presentation required
Existing businesses
• Must be an SME • Checks will be made by ESBC internal teams
Finance will appraise
Measure of success will not just be about job creation or safeguarding. Social responsibility, realistic projections in turnover and/or profit. • Panel meeting to assess application
• 6 month checks on all successful bids
• Retail is included
• Are some ineligible sectors Business activities that are deemed as inappropriate including the promotion of political or religious views; betting shops; illegal or immoral activities
• Some areas of ineligible spend
• Purchase of land and property
• Security improvements i.e. fencing, CCTV systems, shutters and security lighting
• Purchase of commercial vehicles (including hire purchase or lease)
• Eternal building works and ground works
• Professional fees i.e. legal, accountancy and solicitors
• Stock
Conclusion
• Launched in August 2023
• Strong appetite for this scheme
• Aimed at growing businesses
• Promotion via social media, press release, internal business database • Support from Chambers, Staffordshire County Council, growth hubs
07966
07966342046
JonGamble SeniorInnovationGrowthSpecialist
Bespoke support that grows & scales innovative businesses.
Part of the UK’s innovation agency, we enable innovation-driven businesses to grow at pace and deliver on their industry and societytransforming ambitions.
The only nationally organised innovation growth support offer in the UK.
£491m+ funding and finance raised
3212 international collaborations
a new idea or method
(Cambridge English Dictionary)
the introduction of new things, ideas or ways of doing something
(Oxford English Dictionary)
▪ Clear correlation between innovation levels (measured as R&D activity, engineers per capita, patents filed, company and VC investment…..etc) and GDP per capita.
▪ Wealthier nations innovate.
Source: Global Innovation Index
▪ Innovation has recently emerged as central to debates around how to rekindle productivity growth in both advanced and less advanced countries.
▪ Roughly, half of cross-country differences in income per capita across countries are thought to be due to innovation capability differences.
▪ Although better production emerges as important in productivity growth, a potentially larger contribution arises from improved efficiency and product quality within firms and among newly entering.
▪ These gains reflect innovation in production technique, product design, and to some extent branding, all of which are driven by the ability to create, manage, and leverage new ideas.
Source: World Bank
Low Innovation is a Critical Barrier to Economic Growth
Investing in future prosperity - The countries capable of innovating in 1900 have clear leadership in their capacity to generate income and wealth today
Countries that have been unable to innovate and apply technological advances to their present industries are unlikely to do so in new industries. Hence, innovation capacity is the more critical policy priority for economic development.
(Source: World Bank)
“The second ICT revolution will profoundly impact the organization of non-ICT sectors, in particular through the application of automation and AI, large-scale factor digitalization, 3D-printing and advanced robotics.”
“If the adoption of these technologies follows suit, this would be a productivity game-changer in every manufacturing sector and also agriculture but – importantly – also in those large service sectors trailing in productivity, including education, health, transport and utilities, and for which existing ICT, robotics and other technologies are not yet fully ripe.”
• Unlock your innovate potential - help understand how you are innovative in your processes, products, knowledge and Intellectual Property.
• Build a bespoke action plan tailored to your stage of growth and support needs.
• Offer one-to-one support at each stage of your start-up, growth and scale-up journey.
• Bring expertise to help with commercial strategy, funding and investment, IP development and internationalisation.
• Network with potential partners / co-developers and academics to bridge knowledge / capability gaps and leverage access to larger grants and funding opportunities.
• Guide you on Innovate UK services – KTPs, RTOs, Caterpults, GBIPs, EEN, IPO Audits…
• Achieve high growth funding via a network of c. 80 leading UK venture capital and loan finance providers who have been screened to work more closely with Innovate UK EDGE.
• Help you explore the potential for your solution in international markets, provide funding to conduct local market explorations and help find potential innovation partners.
Business stages
Client segments
Scaling: 3% of client base (50%+ growth)
Client-centric service
High growth: 42% of client base (20%+ growth)
Priority areas:
Exploit innovation
Source finance
Enter markets
Informational: 55% of client base
Delivered in partnership with the Scale Up Institute 10 x regional and 4 x specific scale up peer networks for Innovate UK Client CEOs to form crossindustry connections, peer coaching, workshops, and introductions to broader Innovate UK scale up communities and partners. Accessed by invitation only
The most outstanding scaling businesses with potential to achieve over 50% CAGR are invited to apply to our Scaleup Programme for enhanced support. Comprises a group of high calibre business advisers, operating collectively as a Scale Up Delivery Board, providing a matrix of skills and connectivity including Finance, M&A, International Markets, IP, Talent Management, Infrastructure Development. An assigned Scale Up Director works with a company as a single point of contact, but drawers on the collective resources, skills and connectivity of ‘the Board’ , as well as leveraging the support and international connections of the wider Innovate UK family/resources.
Accessing our extended global network: EEN, operating in over 65 countries, inc USA Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore. Our specialists provide tailored advice and connections. Helping innovative business to find new partners/collaborations, via access to our database of global partnering opportunities , brokerage events and Global Business Innovation Programmes
Working with the IPO we support selected business understand their intellectual assets and maximise their commercial potential, also acting as a gateway to funded Innovation audits delivered by IP Lawyers
Supporting clients to build their capacity to manage innovation and commercialisation better - introducing techniques to breed innovative ideas to drive growth, identifying value propositions maximising their business growth potential ,and attractiveness to investors/other funding. Includes tailored support for WII, YI and sector-specific actions
Selected early-stage businesses (seeking at least £500k) are developed through strategic funding and finance support plus training and investor critique. Our specialists guide on the best options from regional, national and international sources, often reviewing applications as a critical friend
Market access (including the single market and EU Exit), technical enquiry support, access to Standards, other parts of the Innovate UK family, cross referrals with LEP Growth Hubs and other local support
Our specialists help SMEs generate, manage and commercialise ideas more rapidly, ensuring more of the businesses we fund (and some that we don’t) have the means to grow and scale, through:
• Research Technology Organisation / Catapult grant
• Developing a strong innovation culture and introducing techniques to breed innovative ideas to drive growth
• Adapting business models to exploit intellectual assets (e.g. IPAudits) through continuous innovation
• Ensuring market readiness (validating technology, identifying value propositions, understanding market potential and building marketing strategies)
• Establishing manufacturing readiness
Our specialists help SMEs develop funding and finance strategies that support their innovation and expansion, with guidance on the best options from regional, national and international sources, both public and private, often reviewing applications as a critical friend. Per growth stage this can mean:
Seed and early stage
•Introducing financial controls, KPIs & understanding of financial management
•Developing realistic finance strategies to achieve innovation goals & growth ambitions
•Maximising the benefit of tax credits, patent box etc
•Helping to improve pitching & investment readiness through our national Invest-ability initiative
Growth stage
•Supporting 2nd round equity finance process
•Securing grant funding for collaborative projects
•Improving the management of cash/working capital Scale
•Leveraging the assets of the company
•Using debt finance
•Supporting innovation loan finance
Our specialists offer innovative SMEs several ways to build their knowledge of, and exploit opportunities in, key overseas markets:
• Accessing our extended global network: Enterprise Europe Network operates in over 65 countries, inc USA, Canada, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore. Our specialists provide access to comprehensive and tailored advice
• Innovate UK initiatives to help SMEs learn about specific international markets in person and build innovation relationships there, supported by our specialists (such as Global Business Innovation Programmes and Global Incubator Programme)
• Providing access to focused brokerage events helps clients to find new international business innovation opportunities and key markets/sector information
• Proactive use of our partnerships tool and our connections to overseas specialist advisers allow clients to forge business partnerships that cross borders.
References:
World Bank – The Innovation Paradox (2017)
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/b0b06101-6fa4-5ea8-9b5b1f4f2b170c1f/content
Global Innovation Index 2022
https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/userfiles/file/reportpdf/gii-full-report-2022.pdf
Economist Impact - Business in an era of heightened geopolitical instability
https://impact.economist.com/perspectives/sites/default/files/ei_norsk_hydro_briefing_report_business_in _an_era_of_heightened_geopolitical_instability.pdf
Wednesday 4th October
The National Memorial Arboretum Sponsored by Marshall Mahoney