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District of Harborough - Invest in Harborough District
 
Harborough Business Update
Harborough District Council
 
District of Harborough
January 2020| Issue 90
 
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Welcome to the Harborough Business Update. We provide a fortnightly overview of the latest business related news, initiatives and support packages.
For more information on COVID-19 support, visit the Harborough District Council here.
Grants - Tier 4 Restrictions Grant live
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Grant applications are now open for businesses that were required to close due to tier 4 restrictions (31 December to 4 January).
The tier 4 grants are only for businesses are registered & pay business rates


Find more details on the Harborough District Council Website, about the application process, via the link below.
As well as this find out more about other lockdown grants that are available as well as the criteria for acquiring each grant.
Please note, businesses can only receive one grant in relation to any one time period, i.e. you can only receive one grant for the national lockdown (5 November – 2 December).

As grants are made available, they will be updates on this COVID-19 Grants page by Harborough District Council, so please do check this webpage for updates.
EU Exit Support for Businesses - Continue trading with the EU & Employing EU nationals
The Business Gateway Growth Hub has launched a free telephone support line for businesses, to answer questions and help them navigate what they need to do to meet the changes, following the end of the EU transition period on 1 January 2021.

The Growth Hub has a range of services available to help you to continue to trade in the EU as well as employ EU nationals. 

You can find their range of offerings here.
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The Invest in Harborough website has a webpage dedicated to all the information you need to help take the actions needed to continue trade with the EU. 

You can access this page via the link below.

One useful resource you can use to assess where you are in terms of restructuring your business after the EU Exit, is with the gov.uk "Brexit Checker."

This will give you a personalised list of actions for you and your business. Click HERE to get started.

If you have successfully used the Brexit Checker to prepare for EU exit, we would love to hear from you.

If you would like to share your experience of navigating the EU exit process for businesses, please do email us at business@harborough.gov.uk


A reminder that there are a number of tools that are available to help support your business
  • Sign up here for business readiness bulletins to receive important updates for your business.
  • If you move goods into, out of, or through Northern Ireland, check the latest Northern Ireland Protocol guidance here.
  • For guidance on Rules of Origin see here
  • For details of the new  arrangements for hiring workers from the EU see here.
  • For travelling to Europe check here and for passports here.
  • For Data Protection and Data Flows check here
 
The Road to Recovery - Free Expert Support Programme for Tourism & Hospitality businesses
A new programme of support has been announced for visitor economy businesses in Leicester and Leicestershire to combat the economic impact of Covid-19.

The Business Gateway Growth Hub has joined forces with industry experts to create a dedicated support programme aimed at tourism, hospitality, sport and leisure businesses to aid recovery and help these businesses reach new consumer markets to help generate sales.
 
This free support package offers a series of webinars and smaller group clinics hosted by a range of industry experts. To find out more and to book your place, visit
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Dates for the Diary
Event details
 
Tuesday 26 January 2021 - 23 February 2021,
1pm -4pm 
5 week Programme
Online Webinars
Event details
 
Wednesday, 27 January 2021, 10am - 12:30pm
Online Webinar
Event details
 
Thursday, 28 January 2021, 10am - 1pm
Online Webinar
Event details
 
Wednesday 10 February 2021, 2pm - 4pm
Online Webinar
Have your say on Council budget proposals
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Ambitious budget proposals have been put forward as Harborough District Council looks to tackle significant financial challenges over the year ahead.

Harborough District Council has set out its budget priorities for 2021/22 as it looks to address an annual budget gap of around £4 million.

The £4 million gap has resulted from the ever-increasing demand for services, reductions in Government grant, and unavoidable cost increases.

To address these challenges, in 2020 the Council launched Budget Challenge 2025 (BC25) which aims to 'transform' services, and ensuring that sufficient financial resources are allocated to key priority areas.

Savings have been, and are continuing to be, identified in all Council service areas. The Council will also look at opportunities to provide long-term income to boost financial sustainability and resilience.

Proposals have also been put forward to increase Harborough District Council's share of the Council tax by £5 a year, per Band D household, in the Harborough district. This is currently the maximum amount permitted by Government.

On 19 January 2021 Harborough District Council's Cabinet recommended the proposals to go to Council for consideration in February.

In the meantime, residents and businesses can have their say on the proposals until Monday 1 February 2021.

Find out more about how you can have your say via the link below.

 
Kickstart initiative supporting businesses & young people
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More than 30 unemployed young people across Harborough district are set to gain valuable experience in the workplace thanks to the Kickstart scheme.

In November 2020, Harborough District Council invited businesses to apply for the national Kickstart scheme which provides funding to employers to create job placements for 16 - 24yr olds on universal credit.

The government funded scheme will offer 30 six-month paid work experience placements which will be provided by a range of local businesses, and co-ordinated by Harborough District Council's Economic Development team and Harborough Innovation Centre.

You can read more about this exciting initiative on the Harborough District website via the link below as well as how you can still be able to apply and be involved in the scheme at a later date.
 
Use Google to make your business more visible online
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Although your shop doors may be closed, people could still be searching for you and your services online! Ensure customers can find you easily on Google

Make the most of the world's biggest search engine and engage with your customers on google for FREE.
You can create & manage your business profile via the link below
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Business Volunteers needed!
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The Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) is calling for business volunteers, who can help to rewrite the story of careers education in Leicestershire Schools.

The LLEP is embarking on an ambitious campaign alongside the Careers and Enterprise Company to recruit over twenty new volunteer Enterprise Advisers (EAs).

Enterprise Advisers help open the eyes of students to the wealth of career possibilities available to them. Their real-world business insights are invaluable, and help to shape not just careers education, but entire lives.

The LLEP is looking for business professionals from all working backgrounds and industry sectors to volunteer as EAs.

Enterprise Advisers are matched with a local secondary school or college's leadership team, and work strategically to bridge the gap between the world of work and careers education.

If you are interested or know someone who would be a great fit for this opportunity, click the link below to find out more.
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1-2-1 Business Meetings
Get in touch to arrange a 1-2-1 meeting with a member of our team.

We offer support on a wide range of topics from funding opportunities to digital marketing and more.
 
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Harborough Business Update
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