east midlands chamber

Have your say on current business confidence in latest regional survey

Chesterfield firms are encouraged to get involved in a survey which provides key data on current economic conditions in our area.

Performance in sales and orders, challenges in hiring staff and anticipated profit are among insights to be reported by the region’s businesses as East Midlands Chamber opens its first Quarterly Economic Survey of 2025.

Business leaders from multiple sectors are being urged to share experience and expectations for the months ahead across areas ranging from investment intention to future pricing.

Corporate taxation, inflation and business rates were the greatest concerns of businesses in the most recent survey, conducted after the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget.

Compiled from a combination of measurable data and sentiment, the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey is a key indicator of challenges and opportunities identified by East Midlands businesses. The findings are recognised by economists, the Bank of England and the government.

East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “The last Quarterly Economic Survey painted an alarming picture – an almost total turnaround in all measures, with nearly all the data tracking business performance and projected growth pointing in a negative direction. Businesses reported significant drops in sales and orders, both within the UK and overseas; the number of businesses saying they plan to pull back on recruitment doubled and there was a huge fall of 38% in businesses expecting to make a profit.

“When businesses are in a good place, they tend to cite competition as one of their primary concerns and will often have plans to spend on things like machinery or increased headcount. Those are signs of healthy, confident operation. In the last survey, we saw protective measures taking shape, with investment plans stalling and corporate taxation, inflation and business rates soaring to the top of reported worries. Reeling from the tough announcements made in the Autumn Budget, requiring firms to prepare for higher costs from April this year, the picture seemed to be a general tightening of the belt.

“Tracking the changing experience of East Midlands businesses is vital and having a wide range of respondents provides the most useful results. This is the first Quarterly Economic Survey of 2025 and I’d urge businesses of all sizes to take a few moments to share their experiences and expectations for the months ahead.”

East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey Q1 2025 closes on 10th March. To participate click here.

 

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Entry opens for awards showcasing young professionals in our region

Future leaders, creatives and apprentices are among East Midlands 18-35s set to be recognised for outstanding ability, potential or achievement in 2025’s Generation Next Awards, now open for applications.

Powered by East Midlands Chamber, Generation Next provides learning and development resources, skills workshops and mentoring for professionals and entrepreneurs in the 18-35 age group. The Generation Next Awards are one of the most important events in the network’s calendar.

Three new award categories have been introduced for 2025: Excellence in Professional Services, Excellence in Sales and Marketing and Communicator of the Year, while entry requirements for established categories have been refined. Following a judging process winners will receive awards at a celebratory event in summer.

Entry for all 12 categories closes on 7th March and submissions can be made by people within the qualifying age group or by a colleague.

Generation Next Lead and East Midlands Chamber Director of Resources Lucy Robinson said: “The day we hit ‘go’ on the Generation Next Awards is the start of an exciting rollercoaster each year! There’s so much young business talent in the East Midlands that deserve to be recognised for hard work, skill or innovative thinking. 18-35’s can enter themselves, or a business or colleague can nominate on their behalf.

“We’re all used to hearing of people awarded after making millions for a company. Generation Next is that same star quality in people – just much earlier in their journey! Whether you or a colleague excel in customer service, are a promising apprentice or have led a project brilliantly, we want to know.

“I’m really excited we have three new awards for 2025 and we’ve revamped the requirements for our longstanding awards too. Winning a Generation Next award isn’t just 5 minutes in the spotlight – you get excellent exposure, and nothing highlights brilliance like an award judged by industry leaders.

“I’m often asked for tips on what makes a winning entry. I’d just say don’t hesitate or overthink as people have often achieved far more than they realise or see in themselves. That’s why businesses can nominate an employee or colleague on their behalf. If you or a colleague stand out in some way, our judges will see that too so don’t hold back. We’d love to see you at the ceremony in summer, which is always great fun, and join in celebrating a Generation Next award win!”

Categories for the 2025 Generation Next Awards

• Apprentice of the Year Award
• Creators and Makers Award
• Excellence in Customer Experience Award
• Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Future Leader Award
• Innovator of the Year Award
• Talent Development Award
• Community Impact Champion Award
• Excellence in Sales or Marketing Award
• Emerging Talent Award
• Communicator of the Year Award
• Excellence in Professional Services Award

Applications close at 17.00 on 7th March 2025.

To see full entry requirements or submit an entry click here.

Posted in About Chesterfield, Apprentice Town, Business, Celebrate Chesterfield, Destination Chesterfield, Development, Home, Manufacturing, Skills, UncategorisedTagged in , , , ,

Regional Green Growth triples in 9 years, says new study

Green Growth activity – environmentally sustainable economic growth – from businesses in the East Midlands is three times higher than it was in 2015.

That is according to joint research published by East Midlands Chamber and the University of Derby.

Green Growth Trends research published this week by the two organisations tracks and analyses awareness and engagement with green growth, decarbonisation, and the uptake of nature-based solutions (NBS), based on responses from businesses in the Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey.

Findings for 2024 reveal a 7% increase from 2023 in East Midlands businesses achieving turnover from the supply of green goods and services, while more than 45% businesses in the region invested in decarbonisation initiatives over the past 12 months, an increase of 6% since 2023.

The research highlights significant difference in Green Growth activity based on the size of a business. Three quarters of large businesses in the East Midlands pursue Green Growth activities but only half of small businesses do, while for micro businesses the figure drops to four out of ten.

Key findings from Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands 2024

  • 7% more businesses derive turnover from the supply of Green Growth goods and services than in 2023
  • 43% of businesses trade in environmentally friendly goods and services
  • Three quarters of large businesses pursue Green Growth, half of small and four out of ten (39%) micro businesses
  • More than 45% businesses invested in decarbonisation initiatives over the past 12 months, up 6% since 2023
  • Seven out of ten large companies invest in decarbonisation
  • Just over 30% of businesses have never engaged in nature-based solutions over the last 12 months
  • Three in ten businesses have no turnover for green goods and services, 10% lower than in 2023

East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said:

“With COP29 just behind us, the publishing of this report is timely and gives assurance, on one hand that East Midlands businesses are prioritising playing their part in the journey toward Net Zero, while also highlighting how much further they still need to go.

“Smaller businesses tend to be behind larger businesses, according to the findings of this research, where fewer staff and more limited resources may create a greater challenge, but it’s important that firms keep going with that mission toward becoming more sustainable and reducing their carbon footprint.”

Derby Business School Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability Dr Polina Baranova said:

“Seeing a 7% lift in East Midlands businesses benefiting financially by actively pursuing Green Growth is really encouraging, especially as there’s limited support nationally for businesses on their Green Growth journey.

“Larger businesses are well on their way, but micro businesses are lagging behind with just four out of ten embracing Green Growth. It’s important that businesses resist ‘climate fatigue’ and don’t pull back from their effort to embrace and gain from Green Growth.

“With 10% fewer businesses engaged in Green Growth than in 2023, the need to keep Green Growth high up the list of priorities is clearly underlined.”

To view the full Green Growth Trends in the East Midlands report for 2024 click here.

Want support to make your business grow sustainably? Find out more at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

East Midlands Chamber and University of Derby support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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Chesterfield Champions shine at Derbyshire Business Awards

Several Chesterfield businesses have been announced as winners at East Midlands Chamber’s annual Derbyshire Business Awards ceremony.

The wins showcase the importance of companies across our town, and the vital role they play in supporting the local economy.

Hosted by ITV presenter Emma Jesson, the Chamber’s Derbyshire Business Awards took place on 25th October in Derby. Awards were presented across 13 categories, in a ceremony accompanied by a three-course dinner and followed by live entertainment.

Kranlee Logistics, based at Markham Vale was a big winner on the night, taking two prestigious awards, including Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year.

Business of the Year is a special award, selected from any one of the category winners during the ceremony. The recipient then goes through to the regional and national British Chambers of Commerce Awards taking place in 2025.

Lee Wells (pictured), Co-Owner of Kranlee commented: “Winning this will elevate us so much within the industry and within the community. We’ve got loyal customers that support us so much, but this might expose us to a lot more customers.

“We’re all about service, all about personality. There’s the staff we’ve got working for us that that work so hard day-to-day, providing the personal feel that we give to people.”

The success for Chesterfield Champions didn’t end there… Chesterfield’s Global Brands were winners of the Business Improvement Through Technology award.

In addition, Laura Holland, founder and Managing Director of Dunston-based Ecotech Engineers, was crowned Entrepreneur of the Year.

East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles added: “Derbyshire is fortunate to boast a wealth of businesses of all sizes that continually excel, further underlining the East Midlands as a Centre of Trading Excellence. Whether through innovation, approach to sustainability or superb customer service, the finalists and award winners this year were simply exceptional.

“The Chamber’s Derbyshire Business Awards bring together organisations from all over the county, across a wide range of sectors. To be able to network and build valuable connections over a three-course dinner, and at the iconic location of Pride Park Stadium made for an unmissable evening.

“I’d like to extend my congratulations to all the award recipients whose resilience, creativity and sheer hard work gave them this well-deserved recognition. I thank all those who entered, sponsored or supported the Derbyshire Business Awards and played a part in creating such a memorable evening.”

Do you want to find out more about entering your business into local and regional awards? Find out more at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/promote-your-business/

East Midlands Chamber, Kranlee Logistics, Global Brands and Ecotech Engineers support the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

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East Midlands businesses address the challenges of Climate Change preparation at summit

The region’s businesses joined academics and industry specialists to tackle barriers in achieving Net Zero at the East Midlands Sustainability Summit on 12th September.

Workshops, seminars and presentations unpicked hurdles faced by firms in their journey toward become more sustainable at the event hosted by East Midlands Chamber, in partnership with the University of Derby, where the summit was held.

East Midlands Chamber President Stuart Dawkins opened the summit. He said afterwards: “To see so many businesses, of different types and sizes gathered at this summit was a welcome sight and really underlines just how seriously the East Midlands is taking its approach to sustainability. I get the feeling no one is under any pretence about the obstacles that can make mitigating against Climate Change daunting. How does a business prepare? Are they doing it the right way?

“Today’s summit shared best practice, saw research the Chamber has carried out with the University of Derby and workshops to help break down difficulties and find solutions. The East Midlands must, as I reiterated today, think hard about what it leaves for Generation Next-But-One – what we do now directly impacts the life they inherit. Businesses in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire really can be on the right side of history and get this right, but how we all get to that destination, when each business is structured differently, is a conversation that must never stop.”

East Midlands Chamber Director of Policy and Insight Richard Blackmore said: “Getting East Midlands businesses together to overcome the challenges around becoming more sustainable is an important step toward achieving Net Zero, but we should remember that the summit was also an excellent opportunity to focus on the economic growth potential for businesses that get the strategy right.

“Keeping the momentum of the sustainability journey front and centre of all business operation is essential, as putting it on the back burner to just worry about another day isn’t an option.

“We heard from some fantastic speakers today and I extend my thanks to all of them – to our summit sponsors Auditel, Geo Green Power and our partner for this summit, the University of Derby.”

Research carried out by the Chamber and the University of Derby into Green Growth Trends – achieving economic growth without negatively impacting the environment – was shared by the university’s Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability Dr Polina Baralova. Findings included three quarters of large businesses reporting that they pursue Green Growth, while half of small businesses did.

Following the presentation, Dr Polina Baralova said: “My advice to businesses would be to think a little bit about how to grow sustainably, which we refer to as Green Growth. So, if you have a number of products and services that you trade on the market and they are having green credentials – as in they allow the general public, your customers or suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint and support an environmentally friendly agenda.

“At the same time, you also need to start thinking about your decarbonization initiatives and reducing carbon so those two elements go hand to hand. You can’t really have one without another.”

Businesses in Chesterfield can receive support to reduce their carbon footprint. Find out more by visiting our business support page.

East Midlands Chamber and University of Derby supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Lecture theatre at university with summit being delivered

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Several Chesterfield Champions named as finalists for Derbyshire Business Awards

A number of Chesterfield Champion businesses have been listed amongst the finalists for the prestigious Derbyshire Business Awards, hosted by East Midlands Chamber.

The Champions included in the list of nominations include Global Brands Ltd, SDE Group, Shed Grounds Maintenance, Dalton Roofing, KranLee Logistics, DBC Training, EcoTech Engineers and Geeks Headquarters.

Finalists were revealed at the President’s Summer Celebration on 21st August. Finalists were selected by a panel of judges made of sponsors and senior management at East Midlands Chamber.

East Midlands Chamber President Stuart Dawkins said: “When I look at the people and organisations that have entered or been fortunate enough to become finalists for this year’s East Midlands Business Awards I’m blown away by the calibre and talent. The quality of entries was exceptionally high and I’m sure the judging panels had some tough decisions to make as the shortlist was compiled.

“To host today’s Summer Celebration was a proud moment; it’s been wonderful to see so many influential and inspirational people in one place. The East Midlands business community is strong and when I see so many leaders, rising talent, apprentices, and innovative people all in one place, I’m reminded why the region is a Centre of Trading Excellence. While announcing the finalists is exciting, it’s the sharing of ideas that means everyone at an event like this gains.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the finalists that were revealed today at the Business Awards which are not too far away now. Even if not a finalist, the opportunity to be among so many businesses and to converse with them is really worthwhile so for anyone that hasn’t yet booked to attend, I’d urge them to do so.”

Nick Catt, Destination Chesterfield Board Member commented: “It is fantastic to see so many of our Chesterfield Champions nominated as finalists in these prestigious awards.

“The East Midlands Chamber business awards showcase the best companies across our region, and to see so many fantastic companies growing and thriving in our town is very pleasing.

“Congratulations to all businesses nominated, and we wish you the best of luck at the Awards on the 25th October.”

chamber business awards 2023 rose cottage

Business Improvement Through Technology

  • DevTank
  • Defib4Life
  • Global Brands Ltd

Community Impact Award

  • SPATIAL Careers Service
  • Royal School for the Deaf
  • E Safety Training
  • Derby Theatre
  • AtkinsRéalis

Outstanding Growth Award

  • Longbow Venues
  • Alphageek
  • Enicor
  • SDE Group
  • Valve & Process Solutions

Excellence in Collaboration

  • TecInteractive | Blueprint Interiors
  • Derby Theatre | Derby City Council Volute |
  • Tomato Energy | Cleeve School & Sixth Form
  • Railston & Company | GEV Wind Power

Environmental Impact Award

  • Shed Grounds Maintenance
  • DevTank Ltd
  • Cosy Direct
  • Purpose Media
  • Tomato Energy

Commitment to People Development Award

  • Dalton Roofing
  • KranLee Logistics
  • Pennine Healthcare
  • Sky Recruitment Solutions
  • Longbow Venues

Education and Business Partnership Award

  • DBC Training
  • University of Derby | Rolls Royce Submarines
  • Royal School for the Deaf
  • Hardy Signs
  • Derby Theatre | Saint Ralph Sherwin Trust

Apprentice of the Year

  • Jessica Mitchell, EMA Training
  • Amber Whitby, Pentaxia
  • Sarah Illsley, Pentaxia
  • Amie-Jayne Knight, Sky Recruitment Solutions

Entrepreneur of the Year

  • Rob Hattersley, Longbow Venues
  • Elaine Penhaul, Lemon & Lime Interiors
  • Laura Holland, EcoTech Engineers
  • Katy Upton, Fortitude Nicsa

Excellence in Customer Service

  • Anoki
  • Longbow Venues
  • Radisson Blu East Midlands Airport
  • KJB Toolhire
  • Ascentant Accountancy

Excellence in International Trade

  • Global Brands
  • Valve & Process Solutions
  • KranLee Logistics
  • Altek Europe

Small Business of the Year

  • Thompson Tree Services
  • Geeks Headquarters
  • Bluebell Dairy
  • KranLee Logistics
  • Astute Recruitment

Excellence in Innovation

  • Gordon Ellis & Co
  • Brilliant Ideas
  • Tomato Energy

Business of the Year

  • To be announced at the award ceremonies
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Chamber teams up with University of Derby to deliver upcoming Sustainability Summit

The transition to net zero and getting over ‘climate fatigue’ are among issues taking centre stage at the East Midlands Sustainability Summit at the University of Derby on 12th September.

Presented by East Midlands Chamber in partnership with the University of Derby, the summit will bring together industry specialists, academics and the region’s business community to explore how to overcome challenges in changing working practices to tackle climate change.

East Midlands Chamber President Stuart Dawkins said: “The East Midlands, like all regions, has a responsibility to think carefully what it leaves behind for what I call Generation Next-But-One, those who will inherit the world we leave behind. All businesses should play their part in adopting measures that mitigate against and significantly reduce the catastrophic impact of climate change.

“The good news is that most businesses have already taken steps toward cutting their carbon usage, cutting out working methods that are not energy efficient, but this isn’t an easy challenge with a simple out of the box solution. The East Midlands Sustainability Summit is a place to hear and share best practice from a wide range of industries and to take an informed look at how we navigate the hurdles to achieve net zero.”

University of Derby Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability Dr Polina Baranova, who will speak on research into Green Growth trends in the East Midlands said: “The study we carry out into Green Growth in the East Midlands is now in its 9th year and I look forward to sharing the latest findings at the Sustainability Summit. From last year’s position we’ve seen encouraging signs of green growth recovery in the region. Within the context of political uncertainty around green business support at national and local level, businesses in the East Midlands continue to commit resources and develop strategic capabilities to compete in the green market niches at home and internationally.

“The research that we’ll present at the summit also reports an increase in the number of regional businesses investing in decarbonisation and biodiversity net gain. This signals an intensifying role of regional business in tackling climate challenges. Despite these developments, more needs to be done to excel and expand on the green growth progress that’s been made thus far, and at the summit I look forward to outlining how policy and local government can put forward measures to achieve that.”

Speakers at 2024’s East Midlands Sustainability Summit:

• Professor Chris Sansom – Professor of Concentrated Solar Power and Head of Zero Carbon Theme, University of Derby
• Dr Polina Baranova – Associate Professor of Strategy and Sustainability, University of Derby
• Julie Adams – Carbon, Cost and Procurement Consultant, Auditel.
• Becky Valentine – Co-owner, Sustainability & Building Health Consultant, Spenbeck
• Andy Wright – Responsible Business Director, Samworth Brothers
• Becky Clayton – Partner, PwC
• Stuart Dawkins – President, East Midlands Chamber

Building photographed from above with solar panels on the roof

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Positive outlook for East Midlands businesses as new research shows boost in sales and orders

Increased sales and orders, a growing confidence in future profitability, and reduced pressure to increase prices are among a series of findings from a new East Midlands survey of over 300 businesses.

Six in 10 respondents to East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey (Q2, 2024) said they anticipated their turnover to improve this year, with half expecting gains in profitability to follow. An increasing number of businesses were planning to boost their investment in new equipment and training and there was a drop in those reporting difficulties with cashflow.

East Midlands Chamber Head of Special Projects Richard Blackmore said: “It’s fantastic to see so many measures in our Quarterly Economic Survey pointing to growth for East Midlands businesses, with the data suggesting this will continue over the remainder of the year. What everyone in business wants to see is their turnover and profit going up and price pressures falling and that’s exactly the picture being painted by this data.

“For fewer respondents than in the last quarter to say they feel a compulsion to raise prices and for that data to coincide with a drop in inflation this week to 2% is a good combination. Orders are up, both in the UK and overseas, and businesses are increasingly talking up their intentions to invest, especially in plant and machinery. These are all signs that businesses are moving away from the drawn-out days of just ‘getting by’ in the face of tough times and are now looking to push ahead.

“It’s worthy of note that just as many East Midlands businesses are saying ‘competition’ is up there with inflation in their list of growing concerns. A healthy economy requires healthy competition between businesses, so this finding again suggests brighter times lie ahead for the rest of 2024.”

Highlights from East Midlands Chamber’s Quarterly Economic Survey Q2, 2024:

• Six out of ten respondents expected turnover to increase

• Nearly half of respondents expected profitability to increase

• One third of respondents expected to raise prices (down from Q4 2023 when the figure was two out of five)

• Three out of ten respondents reported an increase in overseas sales over the last three months (up from two out ten in Q3, 2023)

• Just under a quarter of respondents expected overseas orders to increase over the next three months

In Chesterfield, businesses in the town’s network of Chesterfield Champions have noticed a positive trend.

David Beckford, Managing Director of Pronto Paints commented: “Regarding the general business environment, I’d agree things are looking more positive in 2024. People are starting to make decisions again and move forward with plans. Pronto has seen an increase in volume over the last quarter and signs are it will continue in the coming months, across many of the sectors we work with.”

Peter Botham, Managing Director at Shed Grounds Maintenance said: “We have had an exceptional start to the new financial year, having secured nearly as many new contracts in the first 3 months as we did in the entirety of last year. This remarkable achievement is, however, tempered by the challenge of managing our margins with escalating costs, particularly in labour and fuel. Additionally, we are facing a shortage of skilled personnel to support our growth, making recruitment a significant challenge. Despite these hurdles, we remain optimistic about the future and our ability to continue our successful trajectory.”

Mark Niblett, Managing Director at MTM Products added: “Our sector continues to see increases in the cost of materials, and we are optimistic that the economy will improve over the coming year.

Guy Wall, Head of Marketing at GCL Products said: “At GCL Products, we’ve experienced firsthand the positive momentum reflected in the East Midlands Chamber’s latest survey. A sustained upturn in sales has given us the confidence to grow our staff numbers by 40% since the start of 2024, as well as pursuing futher development of our product range and improvement of production and dispatch processes. This growth reinforces our positive outlook for the future and we’re excited to continue investing in our people and infrastructure to maintain this upward trajectory.”

View the full Economic Survey for Q2, 2024 here.

Find out more about locating your business in Chesterfield, where you will benefit from the town’s superb central location and access to a skilled talent pool: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/invest-in-chesterfield/

Nibe business

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Educators and employers address regional skills challenges

Challenges in recruitment and skills across our region’s businesses have been recently highlighted at East Midlands Chamber’s annual People and Skills summit.

The event brought together 200 delegates from the business community and education sector, and hosted a series of talks, keynote speakers and workshops.

The summit was centred around the Chamber’s Manifesto for Growth 2024 – which outlines a set of policy asks for the next government to consider.

Speakers at the summit included: Professor Baback Yazdani, Executive Dean of Nottingham Business School; Kate Lee, Talent & Resourcing Manager, Samworth Brothers; Emma Kwiatkowski, Director, Hays; Craig Brothers, Vice President, East Midlands Chamber; Laura Shepherd, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Loughborough College and Dr Gareth Thomas, Managing Director, Skills and Employment Support Ltd.

East Midlands Chamber Head of Special Projects Richard Blackmore said: “Reforming skills is an essential ingredient to economic growth and all the research we conduct with businesses in the East Midlands – like our latest Quarterly Economic Survey where 66% of respondents in the region reported difficulties recruiting staff – has underlined the need to address the issue. The East Midlands People and Skills summit is one of the ways the Chamber can get right into the heart of the issues faced by businesses, breaking them down and finding solutions to overcome each hurdle.

“Candidate needs are evolving, while factors like technology advance just as quickly. Businesses need to ready themselves for emerging technology like AI and what that might mean for the skills candidates might need in the future. Workplaces need to be attractive to new recruits and be open minded to finding ways to match their needs with those of prospective employees. That can mean consideration of things like having a strong Corporate and Social Responsibility policy, offering employees the opportunity to engage with communities and charities, for example.

“If we can pinpoint the sticking blocks in skills, recruitment and retention, we can fix them and that’s why it’s so important that businesses and educators engage with each other, to solve staffing issues both now and in the future.”

Chesterfield businesses are encouraged to find out more about upskilling their workforce by contacting Chesterfield Borough Council’s Skills Brokerage Service.

More information about the service can be found at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/skills/

Delegates stood on stage at the Chamber people and skills summit 2024

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More than 1,100 businesses engaged so far with Accelerator business support

A growing number of businesses in the East Midlands are benefitting from tailored business support, thanks to the Accelerator project.

Evaluation of the project’s performance at its halfway point has identified over 1,100 businesses that have been engaged and are working with a business adviser to boost their growth.

The project, which is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), was established in the autumn and is being delivered by East Midlands Chamber in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicester.
Alongside one-to-one support from a business adviser, the project has so far also delivered the following:

• 102 growth vouchers up to the value of £2,000 to help businesses access tailored, 1-2-1 consultancy support to introduce digital technology and green measures.
• 300 workshops and webinars successfully attracting over 7,000 delegates.
• 50 energy saving and improvement audit approvals to help businesses create an action plan to save money.

Businesses signing up to the project have also been introduced to the wealth of additional support available from other regional and national sources. For innovative SMEs, this includes growth and scale-up support from Innovate UK Business Growth. Manufacturing micro and small businesses can also benefit from Made Smarter support on how to switch to advanced and automated technologies.

East Midlands Chamber Deputy Chief Executive Diane Beresford said:

“From our launch events onwards, we’ve listened to what businesses want in terms of what, where, when and how they would like to access Accelerator support.

“Chamber and D2N2 Growth Hub support is undoubtedly at its best when businesses are given a helping hand to apply for support from other sources, including grant funding and pitching for investor support.

“The Accelerator project has some challenging targets including the creation and safeguarding of jobs, creating new enterprises, accessing new technologies or processes and engagement in knowledge transfer activity. We’re certainly on the right trajectory to achieve that and for any business yet to sign up, I would urge them to seize the opportunity before the project ends in March of next year.”

Learn more about the Chesterfield accelerator scheme and other initiatives available to support businesses in the town: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

Chesterfield Accelerator

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Chamber reacts to general election announcement

East Midlands Chamber has reacted to the news that a general election will be held on 4th July 2024, reflecting on what it means for our region.

Yesterday, Prime Minister announced the news that Britain will be going to the polls this summer.

Scott Knowles, Chief Executive of East Midlands Chamber commented: “Confirmation that the General Election will be held on 4th July is something we welcome as a politically uncertain environment can hinder planning and decision-making for businesses. Regardless of who is in power, we’re clear in the East Midlands of the policy reform that we need to see to enable business growth.

“For too long our region has been overlooked when it comes to investment, despite the fantastic businesses we have here and our status as a Centre of Trading Excellence – making, moving and innovating the goods and services that make our country tick.  Earlier this year we went to Westminster to present our asks directly to the government in our Manifesto for Growth 2024.

“The Manifesto is the direct result of what businesses have been telling us they need from the next UK Government and provides a clear blueprint for the things that would support our growth and success.  The document details specific policy asks across four key areas – People and Skills, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Planning, Taxation and Regulation.

“We look forward to continuing our conversations with all of those standing to represent communities in the East Midlands over the coming weeks and ensuring they understand the ways that, if successful, they can support our local businesses to deliver the growth and success that the whole country wants to see.”

East Midlands Chamber is currently working alongside Chesterfield Borough Council to deliver support for organisations in Chesterfield through the Chesterfield Accelerator programme. Find out more about the support available at: https://www.chesterfield.co.uk/business/business-support/

East Midlands Chamber supports the marketing and economic growth of the town through Chesterfield Champions, a network of over 200 organisations across Chesterfield and North Derbyshire.

Man wearing suit speaking on a stage at a lectern

Scott Knowles, East Midlands Chamber

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