Business News

Banks and energy company shareholders should help finance a sustained freeze on household energy prices to reduce the burden on taxpayers, according to a proposal from the analyst Michael Johnson, published by the Social Market Foundation today.

Johnson – a former investment banker who has advised several leading politicians on economic policy – suggests that both energy providers and the government should purchase collateral assets to back a funding facility to support providers that run into financial trouble.

Businesses in the West Midlands are being placed at the heart of skills provision in the region in what is being described as a “game-changing shift” to help solve the skills crisis.

Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the Black Country Chamber of Commerce have been selected by the Department for Education to lead on the region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP).

Three more applicants have successfully secured grants from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help better connect people in the region to nature.

Kingstanding Regeneration Trust, Feeding Coventry and Caldmore Community Garden in Walsall have each received funding under the WMCA’s Community Green Grants scheme to improve the access to nature in deprived communities by improving green spaces or enhancing the local environment.

EarthSense, the air quality specialist, is working with Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council which is using Zephyr air quality monitors and a public data portal to empower faith leaders and communities to learn about air pollution and how to minimise personal exposure.

A new recipient of an honorary doctorate from Birmingham City University has urged graduates to invest in the city and help remove the poverty threshold for children and young people. Speaking at a graduation ceremony, Paul Cadman - Vice President of charity Acorns Hospice and Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University - highlighted that over 40% of children in the city live below an internationally recognised level of living standards.

West Midlands law firm Shakespeare Martineau has launched a new food and drink sector group to provide a full-service legal offering to support the industry, which is valued at more than £100 billion.

Offering tailored advice and a one-stop-shop to the food and drink market, the group covers commercial, employment, corporate and real estate law, alongside intellectual property, business immigration, landlord and tenant disputes, commercial disputes, food regulatory and uninsured loss recovery advice.

One of the UK’s leading manufacturers of complex cable harnesses and wiring looms has opened a second manufacturing site in the Black Country after a surge in orders from new and existing customers. Teepee Electrical, which has secured over £500,000 of additional contracts since the turn of the year, has invested more than £200,000 in taking on and fitting out the additional 7500 sq ft unit in Aldridge.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street has been announced as a VIP keynote speaker at UK Construction Week Birmingham (UKCW Birmingham), the UK’s largest event for the built environment, which returns to Birmingham’s NEC from 4th to 6th October 2022.

UKCW Question Time with Andy Street will take place on the main stage on Thursday 6th October, and will see Mr Street answering Midanders' major construction questions on the Future Homes Strategy; the Housing and Land Board; careers and skills; infrastructure; transport; regeneration and much more.

South East's leading Independent foodservice wholesaler, Q Catering, has started its vast warehouse expansion development this month, resulting in an extra 11,600 sq. ft of storage facilities across the site. The Sittingbourne-based company is a trusted and reliable foodservice wholesaler which offers an ever-increasing range of quality grocery, chilled, and frozen food products across more than 1,700 product lines, from local and national suppliers.

Below is a readout and quote following the Chancellor’s meetings with Energy Generation companies during w/c 22^nd August.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, said: “I know that today’s energy price cap announcement will be causing stress and worry for many people.

The deadline for organisations to submit applications for a number of voluntary sector contracts being offered by the City of Wolverhampton Council has been extended.

There are eight Lots, valued at between £30,000 and £265,000 per annum. They are: Welfare, Debt, Housing and Benefits Advice; Co-ordinated City Skills System; Infrastructure Representation, Growth and Partnership Working; Infrastructure Co-design and Co-production; Infrastructure Organisational Support, Capacity Building and Training; Citywide Structured and Supported Volunteering; Volunteering Strategy and Digital Platform; and Self Employment and Entrepreneurs.

The energy crisis is driving a shift in public opinion where a majority of voters now want more generous targeted financial support for households struggling with their finances, new polling reveals today. Six in ten voters want targeted support for struggling households to help with the cost of not just energy but also with other essentials such as food and water, according to new polling by Public First.

Downtown Birmingham has announced that they will be hosting an exclusive roundtable lunch with Chief Executive of Birmingham City Council, Deborah Cadman OBE for one of our first events of the autumn.

Calling all West Midlands businesses – do you use vehicles like vans or HGVs in your daily work?  If so, then are you and your team up to speed with the latest rules and regulations which govern their use?  Make sure you book your place at Logistics UK’s popular Transport Manager conference, which is coming to the CBS Arena, Coventry, on 1 December 2022. 

Two influential figures from the Midlands business community are to be awarded honorary doctorates from Birmingham City University in recognition of their outstanding achievements to the region.

Paul Cadman and Paul Faulkner, who have supported, developed and led businesses ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to globally recognised brands, will receive one of the highest distinctions a university is able to confer, at a Symphony Hall Birmingham ceremony on Tuesday 30 August.

Businesses across Dudley are being urged to “fly the flag” for the borough and apply for a major national award. The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise recognise outstanding achievement in businesses.

The leader of Dudley Council is urging businesses to apply for the awards and highlight the “outstanding” work that goes on in the borough.