Be Central Bedfordshire - Business Newsletter August 2021

Date Added: 23/08/2021

Central Bedfordshire Council to launch further Additional Restrictions Grant scheme
A further round of Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is due this September, enabling more business to access grant funding.

The scheme will be open to:
- Businesses who have not previously received an additional restrictions grant
- Taxi drivers licenced by Central Bedfordshire Council
- Businesses in the Travel, Tourism and Events sector who previously received a Restart Grant
- Businesses that would have qualified for a Restart Grant but didn’t apply during the application window (6 April 2021 – 30 June 2021)

For more information, including when applications open will be posted on the Council’s website.

How to Apply for Grant Funding in Your Area
Funding is a challenge for businesses of all sizes, there are still plenty of business grant schemes open to applications.
Sponsored by the Innovation Bridges project the event is being hosted by Bedfordshire’s Research & Innovation Service.

Venue: Putteridge Bury, Hitchin Road, Luton, LU2 8LE
Date: Wednesday 8 September
Time: 09:00-11:00am

Find out about the type of financial support available in your area with topics including:
• What support is available in your region. e.g. the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), business support grants
• Business success stories and what other businesses have used their grant for
• Examples of funded business support programmes in your region
• How to write a successful grant application

Find out how to access and apply for grants to help your business.

Food and drink funding webinar
The FEAST2 project has been continued and funding is now available until 2023 to support Food and Drink Manufacturers in the Central Bedfordshire.

If you need help with purchasing food and drink manufacturing equipment, then secure your ticket.

Date: Monday, 23 August, 4-5pm

Read more about how FEAST2 can help you.

Webinars for importers of food and drink products
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published new pre-recorded webinars for importers of food and drink products from the EU to Great Britain. These free webinars explain what you need to do to import from 1 October 2021:
- Importing products of animal origin for human consumption
- Importing animal by-products
- Importing composite products
- Importing groupage loads
- Register for IPAFFS
- Submit an import notification in IPAFFS
- Rules of origin

Visit the website to find out more.

Leading Business School and Council unite to boost Central Bedfordshire’s SMEs

We are working together with Cranfield School of Management to create an innovative scholarship programme to support the growth of Central Bedfordshire businesses.

Funding has been provided by Central Bedfordshire Council for up to 90 businesses who will be able to apply for scholarship places on Cranfield’s leading business growth courses.

Check your eligibility and express an interest for Ready for Scale and the highly regarded Business Growth Programme.

COVID-19: jobs that qualify for travel exemptions

The Department for Transport has updated the guidance about jobs which qualify for exemptions from some or all COVID-19 travel and entry requirements because of their job.

The update includes information on quarantine, passenger locator forms or COVID-19 testing, and added exemption rules for isolated transport workers requirements.

This guidance lists the jobs that qualify for an exemption and tells you:
• what you need to do, or not do
• any conditions you will need to meet or evidence you will need to show

Aerospace: Unlocking Potential with support and grants

If you are a Small Medium-sized Enterprise with an innovative project idea which is relevant to the aerospace sector, find out how your Innovation Grant can support you:
• Free access to expert support, events and workshops
• Student and graduate support opportunities, including internships and industrial placements.
• Fully-funded support packages provided through the Nottingham University’s Precision Manufacturing Centre
• Grants between £1,000 and £100,000 over 18 months for research projects to develop innovative technologies or products and services

To find out more about the programme and eligibility, please email the team.

Website: www.becentralbedfordshire.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @BeCentralBeds