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Local Opportunities to support SMEs

When we are informed about an opportunity for businesses in Ashfield, we will let you know by posting the information on this page - check regularly for updates.

Free places at Nottingham University Business School 

"Help to Grow: Management" is a 12-week management course that's delivered nationally by accredited business schools to leaders and managers. It has one simple focus to help leaders to be equipped with the 'right tool' so they can not only develop themselves but also their businesses. Normally its costs £7500 of which 90% of this is government subsidised, meaning participants will only have to pay £750. However right now we are told that they have a limited number of fully-funded places to cover the £750 fee, these will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis to participants who meet certain criteria.

Free App development opportunity

Businesses have an exciting opportunity to get support with developing a first phase working mobile app. Students from Nottingham Trent University (NTU) will work on your concept as part of their studies to create a workable app that you can then test and take forward. If your are interested in having your idea developed then please contact Beverley Cook, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science, directly to express an interest.

The Armed Forces Covenant

Did you know that Ashfield District Council are proud Gold members of the Armed Forces Covenant?

The Covenant is simply a pledge by the nation to ensure that Armed Forces personnel are not disadvantaged by their service - they sacrifice some civilian freedoms, and face danger on our behalf. The nature of service life means they may also relocate frequently, and this can impact Armed Forces families in many ways. They may have to find new schools, a new doctor; their partner may need to find a new job. By signing the Armed Forces Covenant, your business can acknowledge that those who serve or have served, and their families, should be treated with fairness and respect in the communities, economy and society they serve.

If you would like to make your pledge and support Armed Forces then contact East Midlands Reserve Forces and Cadets Association.

Ashfield District Council Events Team

If you are looking for new ways to promote your business across the District, then our events team may be able to help. We regularly plan community events which attract hundreds of local people, and we usually have opportunities for local businesses to be sponsors. Please get in touch; your business will seen by hundreds of potential customers and you'll also be supporting our local towns to bounce back from that last 2 years of difficulties coping with Covid-19 and the cost of living crisis.

Mentor City, USA

The US is the UK’s largest export market for goods and services, and accounts for 20.4% of all exports from UK which is worth £140.9 billion. Mentor City in Ohio have opportunities for local companies across a broad range of industries. They can help UK businesses ‘do business’ in the US, by connecting them with the right people such as lawyers, distributors, partners, manufacturers and identify investment opportunities and commercial sites, should you wish to expand your operations and establish a base over there.

If you’re serious about wanting to access new markets in the US, then the city of Mentor could be an excellent first step. Similarly, Mentor City have businesses looking to establish trade links over here, so this offers an excellent opportunity for Ashfield businesses to explore mutually beneficial relationships and trade with the US.

Construction Sector

Over a quarter of a million extra construction workers may be needed by 2026, according to the latest Construction Skills Network (CSN) report from the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB). The report provides insights into the UK construction economy and its future labour needs.

The report suggests the largest increases in annual demand will be for occupations such as carpenters/joiners and construction managers, along with a range of technical roles. These include electronics technicians, civil engineering technicians, estimators and valuer's, as well as office based support staff.

  • 266,000 additional workers will be required to meet UK construction demand by 2026 (53,200 workers per year, up from 2021 figure of 43,000)
  • UK wide growth: All 9 English regions plus Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are set to experience growth resulting in increased demand for workers
  • Recruitment: As demand soars most affected sectors will be private housing, infrastructure, and repair and maintenance (R&M)
  • In the East Midlands, the volume of work will grow by an annual average rate of 3.2%, which is the same as the UK rate. All sectors will see growth over the forecast, with new work being stronger than repair and maintenance (R&M), and most follow a pattern of higher growth in the earlier years, which dips to be closer to the longer term growth trends, towards the latter years. The industrial sector has the highest annual average growth rate of 6.7%.

Page last updated: 17/03/2023