The Leicester Business Festival launched on Monday 7 November and will run until Friday 18 November 2022, with over 80 free events in the programme. They range across different sectors and vary in type, size and themes.

Check out the full calendar of events here and the Harborough District event below. 

Innovation Masterclass - Helping your business grow, profit and be sustainable
Is your business looking to grow through innovation and development of products and services? Don't miss this free Innovation Masterclass on Thursday 17 November, 10am - 1pm at Harborough Innovation Centre to gain insights into the following areas through a masterclass which will be utlising engaging content, case studies and ongoing one-to-one support:

• Business model dynamics
• Sustainable business
• Pricing innovation
• Utilising Earth observation data

This event will provide businesses with the opportunity to bring in resources from the expertise within the University of Leicester's School of Business and Innovation Hub teams. This will enable your business to develop new and existing products, services and processes reaching new markets, doing this profitably and sustainably. We will be showcasing funding opportunities to support projects that are developing innovative ideas, research and development including skills and knowledge that helps your business respond to the market and remain competitive.

Members of the School’s Business Team and University’s Career Development Team will be on hand to discuss additional opportunities such as Help to Grow, internships and placements.

There will be an opportunity during lunch and refreshments to network and discuss new ideas (whilst keeping information confidential where relevant).

An exciting new opportunity has arisen to operate and run a vibrant café business at Harborough Innovation Centre (HIC) with an option to open a second café at Harborough Grow-on Centre (HGC) in Market Harborough.

The café at the HIC is the heart of our bustling business centre which hosts office space for 48 businesses and additionally, provides conference facilities, events space and flexible drop in workspaces. The café is also open to the public and visitors and is also popular with workers from other industrial sites at Airfield Farm Business Park.

The HIC team proactively support the café to help promote the products and services to increase revenue for the café operator through hosting events, conferences and workshops which regularly bring a high footfall of visitors to the centre.

Harborough Grow-on Centre is a business centre with larger, established businesses based in close proximity to Market Harborough Leisure Centre. It is currently home to approximately 80 business professionals with several other business units and residential areas close by. The site offers huge potential for growth to the right applicant. The contract for the café opportunity at Harborough Grow-on Centre will be discussed by separate negotiation.

Harborough Innovation Centre and Harborough Grow-on Centre are owned and operated by Harborough District Council, as part of the Economy and Business Service, which is committed to support local businesses and the economy of Harborough District to develop and thrive.

If you’d like to find out more about this great opportunity or would like to submit an application, please click the button below where you will find a more detailed brief.

Written proposals to be sent via email to t.bradbury@harborough.gov.uk by Monday 14th November 2022.

Entries are now open for the 2023 FSB (Federation of Small Business) Celebrating Small Business Awards. The awards are open to both FSB members and non-members.

The aim of the awards is to celebrate the successes and contributions of small businesses and the self-employed. The awards are regional with winners from each category securing a spot at the prestigious UK final.

Categories include:

• Business & Product Innovation Award
• Family Business of the Year
• Micro Business of the Year
• Sustainability Award
• Young Entrepreneur of the Year
• and more!

Why enter?

• It is free to enter and open to all
• It's great exposure for your business
• Get recognition for your achievements and successes
• Network and connect with other small business owners
• Benchmark how far you have come and position yourself against your peers

The entries for the East Midland close on Thursday 26 January 2023.

Harborough District Council have teamed up with Zellar, a digital sustainability platform, to offer a limited number of businesses in the Harborough District one-year free access to Zellar to help your business save costs, use less and become sustainable. All you need to do to take advantage of this offer is to click the button below - it only takes a few minutes to sign up.

Zellar helps SMEs measure, plan, activate, report and share their sustainability journey. Zellar has been designed from the ground up to help busy businesses get to grips with sustainability. For less than ten minutes a day you can start to reduce your energy bills immediately.

Why join Zellar?

• Tackle the ‘cost of doing business’ crisis and sustainability all in one place. 
• Calculate your emissions and claim your sustainability score and profile. 
• Generate a personalised step-by-step sustainability journey and start using less and saving more today.
• Find cheap, broker-free green energy deals, the best green tech vendors and high impact offset projects in Zellar’s commission-free marketplace.
• Share your sustainability credentials with the people and organisations that really matter.

Sign up for one-year free access to Zellar today and make sustainability count.

Are you working on a new project, service or product? Maybe you need new technology to improve efficiency?

You may be eligible for a grant through the Business Gateway Grant Scheme, which supports small and medium sized business to grow and develop. Grants between £2,000 - £25,000 are available providing 35% of the total project costs for capital or revenue projects.

Examples of how you might use the grant:

• New innovative technology products or services that improve your business performance
• Premises improvement or expansion related business development
• New products or services
• Upgrading capital equipment to enable a more technical or automated approach, or to create low carbon emissions.
• Marketing or promotional activity or other revenue costs to help the business grow or create jobs.
• Software development

Please note these are suggestions, the eligibility and scope of each individual project will need to be considered.

Save the date for Small Business Saturday: Saturday 3 December 2022. 

Small Business Saturday highlights small businesses across the UK including family businesses, local shops, online businesses, wholesalers, business services and small manufacturers. The campaign encourages consumers to shop small and shop local! 

Small businesses can get involved by hosting events and offering discounts. Visit their website to find a marketing pack and register your business on their Small Business Finder for free! 

The Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the food supply chain has launched its survey into the workforce in farming, processing and manufacturing. We invite food businesses to fill in the survey and provide vital data on labour shortages in the food supply chain before 21 November 2022. The independent review is led by John Shropshire, Chairman of G's Fresh Group. He will be supported by an expert panel drawn from expertise across farming, fisheries, processing and manufacturing aspects of the food supply chain. If you have any questions regarding the review or completion of the survey, then please get in touch through the Independent Review mailbox: independent.labour.review@defra.gov.uk