West & North Yorkshire Business Q4 2021 by West & North Yorkshire Business

West & North

Yorkshire

usiness PRODUCED & PUBLISHED BY WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

Foundation for the future West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

CONNECTING, SUPPORTING & REPRESENTING BUSINESS IN THE REGION

Q4 2021

Up to 67% off † Business Breakdown Cover for Chamber members Service level

Roadside

Relay

Relay Plus

Home Start

Accident Management

Offer Price

Standard Price

Difference

Fleetwide 1

£87.49

£236.50

£149.01

Fleetwide 2

£78.69

£202.50

£123.81

Fleetwide 3

£64.74

£189.50

£124.76

Fleetwide 4

£55.94

£155.50

£99.56

Fleetwide 5

£47.27

£114.50

£67.23

Fleet Europe

£16.44

£44.50

£28.06

Minibus Rescue

£193.16

£316.50

£123.34

£174.32

£387.00

£212.68

Specialist 2

Specialist 4

£149.66

£306.50

£156.84

Specialist 5

£96.99

£202.50

£105.51

The table below gives you more details about the specific services which can be included within our Business Breakdown cover Roadside

Repair or recovery to the AA’s choice of appropriate local repairer.

Relay*

Transportation of vehicle, driver and up to 7 passengers to a UK mainland address if prompt local repair not possible.

Relay Plus*

Extended Relay service to include one of three alternative arrangements for driver and passengers; car hire, accommodation or public transport services.

Home Start

For breakdowns at or within ¼ mile of your home address.

Accident Management

Takes the hassle out of arranging repair, recovery and insurance claims after an accident or vandalism.

For more information, please contact your local Chamber of Commerce Direct Debit. To make life easier, you can now pay for your breakdown cover by Direct Debit. Based on Fleetwide 3 Standard rates for 3-6 vehicles. All the above prices are per vehicle per year, inclusive of IPT (Insurance Premium Tax). All prices are subject to change. Fleetwide cover does not apply to: specialist vehicles, ie: taxis, mini cabs, hire vehicles, ambulances, police vehicles, vehicles on tradeplates, minibuses, privately owned vehicles (unless used for business purposes), motorcycles and courier vehicles (all of which can be covered on Specialist rates as above), or any vehicles over 3.5 tonnes gvw. Terms and conditions apply. *Relay and Relay Plus services are not provided at or within ¼ mile of driver’s home address. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Offer prices are only available while your Chamber membership is current. We reserve the right to review pricing at any time. Full terms and conditions available on request by calling 0800 55 11 88. Business Breakdown cover is provided by Automobile Association Developments Limited (trading as AA Breakdown Services). Relay Plus is underwritten by Acromas Insurance Company Limited. Acromas Insurance Company Limited is authorised and regulated by the Commissioner of Insurance, Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar, and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, United Kingdom. Acromas Insurance Company Limited is a member of the Association of British Insurers. Head Office: 57-63 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar. Registered Number 88716 (Gibraltar). UK brand address: Acromas Insurance Company Limited, Enbrook Park, Folkestone, Kent, CT20 3SE. Automobile Association Insurance Services Limited is an insurance intermediary authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered Office: Fanum House, Basing View, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 4EA. Registered in England and Wales number 2414212. †

BSF_BCC_0360 (0217)

West & North Yorkshire Business

WELCOME 3

Innovation and skills

When we ask businesses of any size or sector what their key concerns are, the answer is usually skills, transport and infrastructure. This quarter’s magazine has a good deal of information from those involved in meeting the skills needs of West and North Yorkshire, so I hope there is something that will help members planning their training and development needs. It is good news that apprentices can be shared between different employers and details of that scheme are covered by Esh UK. Sandy Needham DL Chief Executive West & North Yorkshire Chamber

Sharing information is important and I’m pleased that your stories in “Members’ News” includes developments that have been made by businesses small and large from making an industrial shredder to a scanner that can analyse materials and providing new tools for marketing. Peter Bainbridge has joined the Chamber International team and is forming a panel of international traders. If you are interested in getting involved please let us know. Your case studies of issues arising from trading in the EU since Brexit are being used to inform HMRC, via the British Chambers of Commerce, of the delays and costs being incurred from countries not accepting agreed documentation.

08455 240 240 editor@yorkshire-business.com www.yorkshire-business.com @WNYChamber

West & North Yorkshire Business

4 CONTACTS 6

MEMBERS’ NEWS

ADVERTISING marketing@wnychamber.co.uk

REGIONAL NEWS

SUBSCRIPTIONS marketing@wnychamber.co.uk

14 MANUFACTURING

EDITORIAL marketing@wnychamber.co.uk

WEBSITE yorkshire-business.com TWITTER @WNYChamber

News from Bradford, Leeds, York & North Yorkshire

News from across the region

Bradford Manufacturing Weeks

16 PROFILE

University of York

18 SUPPORT

Innovate UK Edge

West & North Yorkshire Business is a quarterly business magazine produced by the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. The audience for this publication is comprised of a targeted audience of the major decision makers and senior executives across both the Yorkshire region and the wider UK business community. © 2021 West & North Yorkshire Business - No Part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form of advertising or promotion without the express permission of the editorial team. West & North Yorkshire Business has taken all reasonable care to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is accurate on the date of publication. This magazine is published by the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce. Printed by Hart & Clough www.hartandclough.co.uk The Chamber group includes Chamber International, Business Enterprise Fund and West & North Yorkshire

20 TECHNOLOGY Digital reboot

22 SUPPORT

madeby.studio case study

24 PROFILE The Grand

28 PROFILE Nexus

32 PROFILE

York St John University

34 PROFILE

Leeds Beckett University

36 FEATURE

Esh Construction

40 PROFILE

43 ENVIRONMENT

Flood risk management

44 INTERNATIONAL New recruits

INTERNATIONAL TRADE WTO declaration

47 INTERNATIONAL We want your view

48 TRANSPORT

Integrated Rail Plan

49 ECONOMY

Quarterly economic summary

50 PROFILE

Advanced Supply Chain

51 TRANSPORT

Infrastructure updates

RAISING THE BAR Recognising social impact

54 SOCIAL

What you missed online

56 EVENTS

Annual dinners

58 EVENTS

Upcoming events

59 CHARITY

Chamber charities

Royal Armouries

Chamber of Commerce.

Errata Within the Q3 2021 West and North Yorkshire Business magazine, we wrongly referred to the ‘At the front line, if not on the front line’ article as being written by Amanda Beresford with a corresponding image. The article was actually written by Nick Garthwaite, Chair of the Board, September 2020 – September 2021.

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

We apologise to Nick Garthwaite and Amanda Beresford for this confusion and have edited the online copy. On page 50 we wrongly referred to HBD as Henry Boot Developments. HBD rebranded two years ago.

West & North Yorkshire Business

CONTENTS 5

Inspiring female engineers

Mastering apprenticeships

34 University partnerships

Business support goes digital

13 Investing in skills

Flexibility is fundamental

West & North Yorkshire Business

BRADFORD NEWS

Contacts, connections and communities While you will read in this magazine about some of the good news stories that have happened recently, there will always be other information and developments that will come via other channels, such as social media and that other muchforgotten pastime, in-person networking. It’s great that most of us are now back seeing each other face-to-face and catching up the oldfashioned way – and also being able to go into the office again. Who ever thought that we’d be making such a fuss about that? Staff populating city centre offices plays its part in assisting with the post-Covid recovery, especially in a place like Bradford, where the retail and hospitality offer doesn’t match that of some of our other urban town and city centres in West & North Yorkshire. I feel it’s important to keep that in mind if we are to play our part in boosting the economy. I’m delighted to report that Bradford Manufacturing Weeks was once again a great success – as well as providing lots of events to demonstrate great career opportunities, this annual initiative connects schools to local manufacturing businesses and vice versa – there’s more about BMW in this edition. Other ‘reasons to be cheerful’ include the latest economic survey report (again, more included in this edition) that shows demand is rising – yes, that’s bringing with it its own challenges, as many of us will be experiencing; and also Bradford has made the cut onto the short list for UK City of Culture 2025 – fingers crossed on that one. As ever, being in business brings opportunities and challenges but I hope that you will agree with me that we wouldn’t have it any other way. Victoria Wainwright President Bradford Chamber

University’s high-tech NMR scanner used to help local firms Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) across Yorkshire will benefit from access to advanced scientific equipment, housed at the University of Bradford, to create new, and improve existing products, thanks to a £550,000 grant extension from the EU. Current projects include analysis of compostable plastic bags, bio-resorbable medical implants, polymers used in secure bank notes and interrogation of drug delivery technologies for the treatment of Covid. The work is funded by Project CAYMAN (Chemistry Assets for Yorkshire Manufacturing), which began in 2019 with a £1.6m grant (jointly funded by European Regional Development Fund and the University). The original project was due to end in October 2022 but has now been extended until June 2023. Dr Richard Telford, Director of the University’s Centre for Chemical and Biological Analysis, said the money would enable them to buy three new pieces of equipment to expand their current offering. “We currently use our NMR instrument to carry out detailed analysis of materials used in manufacturing a variety of products. The NMR machines are specialised pieces of equipment which are regularly used by large companies such as those in ‘Big Pharma’, but because of their cost, they would not normally be accessible to SMEs. “Project CAYMAN has established itself very successfully, delivering assistance in analytical projects to Leeds City Region SMEs in the materials and polymer sectors. These successful interactions have revealed that a broader offer of assistance using instruments to interrogate surface properties of materials would be of great benefit in addition to the original scope. We applied to ERDF to extend and expand the project in September and our request has now been approved.” He added: “This new funding means we can invest in three new high value scientific instruments to study the surface properties of materials and work with a broader set of scientific companies, particularly in engineering-focused sectors.”

Gordons appoints five solicitors Gordons has welcomed a further five new solicitors to the firm which marks a total of 16 new fee-earner appointments since the start of the year. Laura Walton has joined as a dispute resolution specialist, while Erica Jones and Melissa Cook have been hired as commercial property solicitors. Newly qualified solicitors Kate Imeson and Harvey Blake have joined as corporate and regulatory specialists respectively. These latest recruits bring the total

number of new solicitors appointed by Gordons to 16 since the start of the year The five new hires follow several senior appointments earlier in the year. These included Peter Hampson as head of regulatory, property disputes solicitor Sarah Coates-Madden and former HSBC Yorkshire and North East head of corporate banking, Martin Lunt, as a consultant. Gordons partner, Victoria Davey, said: “We are continuing to grow our business at pace due to the

outstanding work we do for our clients, the strong relationships we build with them and our highly effective business strategy. “Finding and hiring the right people who share Gordons’ distinct ethos and values is essential for us and key to our continued success. All our new starters are a great cultural fit and they will play important roles in further improving the momentum we have built up since the start of the year.” Gordons has offices in Leeds and Bradford and employs 170 people.

Expanding pet care and wildlife

Bringing science to life for school

Welcome to a new partner

The new pets, wildlife, and aquatics department at Tong Garden Centre occupies a 900m2 area in a purpose built space next to Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor play.

Airedale Chemical of Cross Hills continued its tradition of support for Sutton in Craven Community Primary School with a donation to help boost the school’s STEM activities.

Buyer, Phil Hemmings explained: “During lockdown, many more of us have become pet owners or have become more aware of the wildlife in our gardens and we wanted our range to reflect this increased interest in pets, garden birds, wildlife and aquatics. Our old pet care department wasn’t big enough to do justice to this enhanced offer, so we relocated it to an area twice the size. The extended department is home to the largest Maidenhead Aquatics concession and feed the fish pool in Yorkshire.”

From skeletons to petri dishes and solar systems to microscopes, the school has been able to stock up on fun, educational tools that it hopes will encourage a love of science and aid pupils’ understanding. Daniel Marr, Group Chief Commercial Officer said: “We haven’t been able to enjoy their visits to our laboratories for a while. We hope that the science equipment is enjoyed by many classes to come and that one day we might see some of the budding scientists working at Airedale Chemical.”

Rachael Brook has joined the Schofield Sweeney private wealth and succession team as a partner. Rachael will be bringing over 17 years of experience in helping individuals protect their family, reputation and wealth. Rachael’s expertise includes charity gifting and philanthropy, working collaboratively with other professional advisors to advise clients on tax-efficient lifetime and succession strategies. Rachel said: “Succession planning is essential, and more prevalent following COVID-19 and the proposed reforms to inheritance tax. I help individuals plan effectively to protect their legacy.”

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West & North Yorkshire Business

LEEDS NEWS

Small steps to net-zero At the time of writing, the COP26 Conference is underway. For some people across the world the effects of climate change are still not apparent, but for others they are only too real. The time for action is now and we commend Leeds City Council for having taken early action. But they do need our support. Success depends on us all doing our bit. It will be the little incremental, sometimes seemingly insignificant things we do, that will change the course of our collective futures. We know from our conversations with business that many of us struggle with how and where to start on the net-zero journey. The Chamber is developing a tool kit to signpost businesses to areas of support and guidance to help them take steps to lower their carbon footprint – many of which make really good business sense as well. More information can be found here www. wnychamber.co.uk/cop26/ Reflecting on the recent budget I wanted to touch briefly on the subject of Levelling Up. Many of the commitments to West Yorkshire are welcome, but we must not miss a key opportunity to create the infrastructure capable of underpinning opportunity for the future generation. HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail, including a Bradford city centre station, rail electrification and a mass transit network across West Yorkshire are all required to ensure we increase opportunity, raise aspirations and enable social mobility. Collectively we must continue to champion these agendas and ensure you have what you need to support and develop your business. Mike Briffett President Leeds Chamber

Springing into new markets Shire Beds are specialists in the manufacture of beds, mattresses, headboards and pillows. Established in 1997, the company grew quickly and now employs 76 people, manufacturing a number of ranges under their own branding, which are sold to internet and high-street retailers. The company has won several awards and industry recognition. Company research demonstrated that UK demand for environmentally-friendly products had increased dramatically, and they identified a gap in the market for sustainable mattresses. This, along with a company ambition to become a market-leader in sustainability, led them to develop an innovative new mattress design which uses organic materials to produce a 99.5% biodegradable mattresses, the ‘Eco Core’ range. In order to manufacture the new design, the company needed to invest in new equipment. A PAPI (Product and Process Innovation) grant helped with the purchase of a new border tacking machine, which enabled the use of natural and organic cotton and wool backings and stitching. The new machinery helped Shire Beds to create the new range of biodegradable mattresses, the ‘Eco Core’ collection. The range uses cotton, wool, latex and coconut husk in its design. This was a huge achievement for Shire Beds, and also attracted attention to the need for more eco products in the sector. The PAPI grant allowed Shire Beds to begin production of their new range and also create two new, full time jobs within the business. The company continues to innovate and develop their business and aim to become a truly international brand in the coming years. PAPI Programme Manager, Vicky Wren, said “This is a great project: an exciting new range that’s good news for the business and the environment!” PAPI encourages innovation with 40% capital grants of up to £20k to support the creation of new products and services. PAPI can support SME businesses located in the York, North Yorkshire and the Leeds City Region.

West & North Yorkshire Business

Leeds is a top city for start ups A new report from Barclays Eagle Labs and Beauhurst reveals the top cities for the number of high-growth businesses outside of London. The ‘Unlocking Growth’ report identifies the key to generating growth by exploring the importance of public and private sector partnerships in creating strong local technology ecosystems in which businesses can start and scale successfully. Universities, accelerator programmes and

business incubators, coupled with investment sources such as angel or private equity investors. Leeds comes third in the list for the number of high-growth businesses outside of London, with 505 calling the city home, 137 of which are technology companies. The Leeds Eagle Lab is just one of a growing network of business incubator spaces providing mentoring and networking opportunities and business support.

To date, the Labs have supported nearly 4,000 businesses, which combined, have secured 614 equity deals since 2011, raising on average £1.45m each equity fundraising. Jon Hope, Director of Eagle Labs, said: “Our mission is to help support entrepreneurs and high-growth start-ups by providing them the tools they need to grow their business and by bringing together a range of actors to help nurture and grow local tech ecosystems.”

Local family lawyer nominated for prestigious award

New sports barn at GSAL for school and community use

Music and arts venue opens at ex-Emmerdale mill

A prominent family lawyer and cofounder of Yorkshire-based law firm, Consilia Legal has been shortlisted for a prestigious Resolution Award, which celebrates the achievements of family justice professionals who have supported families and children during a global pandemic.

Work has started on the construction of a covered sports barn at The Grammar School at Leeds (GSAL) which also aims to fill a need in the community, particularly for netball provision.

A completely derelict mill building has been sympathetically restored to become one of the most exciting entertainment venues in the Leeds region. The Old Woollen, part of the flourishing Sunny Bank Mills complex in Farsley, now hosts an ambitious and eclectic mix of music, comedy, theatre and the spoken word.

Commenting on her nomination, Laura said: “I am delighted to be nominated for the Resilience Award and to be recognised by my peers and by Resolution. I am proud to be a member of Resolution and champion its Code of Practice in my work, which promotes a constructive and nonconfrontational approach to family issues such as divorce, separation, and child arrangements.

The £1.25 million project, which has the backing of Sport England and Netball England, is being built on existing hardsurfaced playing fields at the school. The sports barn, measuring 40 metres long by 11 metres wide, will be used primarily for indoor netball and tennis, but can also be used for other sports. It will be available to the wider community and, already, a lot of interest has been received from local sports clubs.

Upcoming acts include music journalist and DJ Mark Radcliffe, Sunderland post-punk band The Futureheads and comedian Arthur Smith. There have also been recent appearances by national treasure Gyles Brandreth, historian and television personality Lucy Worsley and 1990s hit machine Space.

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YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Rising to the challenge As we enter the final quarter of the year, I think it would be appropriate to reflect on the transformational recovery our region has experienced over the last several months. Emerging from lockdown with enthused optimism and tenacity, it was a truly great experience to see so many of you join us for the first York and North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner since the start of the pandemic. The warm and lively atmosphere on the night was a testament to our region’s resilience, and the business community’s remarkable determination to recover and rebuild. The Chamber’s own Q3 Quarterly Economic Survey highlights an improved sense of business confidence, with the number of York and North Yorkshire businesses reporting an expectation to grow their domestic sales over the coming months outpacing the regional average. This confidence in the region is mirrored by the return of visitors and tourists to our towns and cities, with the welcome news that numbers are in fact returning to their pre-pandemic levels, perhaps boosted by the ‘staycation’ trend. It must be noted, however, that whilst a good sense of enthusiasm and optimism is driving the region forward, it is not without its challenges. The dual impact of COVID and Brexit continues to irritate trade, particularly at the border with the EU, with a prevalence of skills and supply issues undermining our recovery. We know that these strains are being felt particularly by the region’s tech sector, a community we are very keen to engage with on working towards a solution. These are key difficulties that will not dissipate overnight, and may be with us for many weeks and months ahead. Despite these tribulations, I have little doubt that as a region and a wider business community, we will maintain our strides forward out of the pandemic, with each challenge being met with the full attention of the Chamber and our partner institutions. Laurence Beardmore President York & North Yorkshire Chamber

Button methodology leads to significant growth Teesside based insurance brokers, Erimus have had their best organic six months ever to the end of 2020 after adopting the button methodology for marketing strategy from My Marketing Button. The trend looks set to continue with a significant increase in both income and quote activity in Q1 2021. The story began back in 2019 when a broker with no marketing experience was offered an opportunity to grow and develop into a marketing role. Emma Brown, a bright graduate at Erimus attended a strategic marketing course with My Marketing Button founder, Margaret Bradshaw. Emma said “The course changed my mindset as the methodology presented provided the holistic view of the company which had been missing. I gained insight into where marketing fits, who the key stakeholders were and who needed to be nurtured, apart from our prospects. Shortly after undertaking the training, Emma created the Marketing Strategy for Erimus following the My Marketing Button methodology. This strategy went on to underpin the firm’s marketing efforts during the pandemic. Emma commented “Our entire strategy is built around the button methodology and it’s the core pillars that hold up what we do.” The button methodology is based on 30 years of practical marketing experience. Four button-holes represent four key areas of a business: Clients, Prospects, Products and Services and Communications. 12 threads which represent 12 strategic activities are then used to keep the button sewn firmly in place. “Once things started to pick up, we were actually surpassing pre-Covid levels, and I think it just goes to show that staying true to your methodology is so important. So even when things dipped off, we didn’t react to that, we stayed as we were, and it proved that it actually works.”

Find and keep customers Jim saw that many were struggling with marketing, resulting in them failing to achieve their potential or even going out of business. In 2020, for example, a record number of businesses were started but history tells us four in five may fail and a lack of marketing is often a reason behind that.

GrowthBox, a free online platform, has just launched to help more businesses survive and thrive by making marketing easier to do. York-based GrowthBox provides a unique and bespoke online planning service to small and medium-sized businesses to help them work out how to find and keep customers. It can also connect them with marketing experts all across the UK, helping to turn their business dreams into reality.

Jim said: “That’s why GrowthBox was born – to help small and medium-sized businesses survive and grow by making marketing easier to do. In less than 10 minutes, the free GrowthBox online planning service helps businesses work out what to do and provides simple recommendations and advice. It also connects businesses of all sizes with marketing experts around the UK to produce proposals across all aspects of marketing, taking the hard work out of finding the right expert help needed to grow and deliver their goals.”

Jim Bulmer founded GrowthBox after building several successful business ventures for Royal Mail and working with StartUp Britain for a number of years, listening to hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses talk about the problems they encountered. With a background in growth – sales, marketing and go-to-market strategy –

Ware & Kay Solicitors announces Hazardous waste specialist new Managing Director bolsters UNTHA shredding fleet

Law firm marks milestone by sharing “in camera” interviews

Leading Yorkshire Law Firm Ware & Kay Solicitors has appointed David Hyams in the role of Managing Director to drive the firm forward and deliver its growth strategy.

Industrial waste management specialist Malary has bolstered its hazardous material recycling capabilities with an investment in a second RS100 UNTHA shredder.

A law firm which is celebrating its 180th anniversary is turning to a combination of tradition and technology to share the stories of its rich history.

Ware & Kay, a full service law firm continues to go from strength to strength, providing a high quality and personal service to clients.

Capable of processing the materials many operators shy away from, Malary will use the new equipment to shred contaminated waste such as IBCs, and plastic/steel drum shredding for re-use, recycling, and energy recovery.

Rollits still has copies of the hardback book published in 1991 by the then Senior Partner Tom Farrell to celebrate 150 years of the firm. Thirty years on the practice is adding to the archive by filming interviews with members of its team from offices in Hull and York.

Currently configured to handle up to 150 tonnes per week, the new RS100 machine doubles Malary’s total capacity.

The book charts the progress of the firm’s partners and includes references to cases which show how the practice and the profession have changed.

Having considerable operational experience, David will be bringing a wealth of managerial insight to the role and will work closely with his colleagues across the firm’s other offices.

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West & North Yorkshire Business

WEST & NORTH YORKSHIRE NEWS

Recovery is welcome, but also challenging In the short amount of time that I’ve been in position as Chair of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, I’m already seeing changes within businesses and the economy. We are now seeing employees returning to offices and factories in ever greater numbers. Buses and trains are once more filling up – not yet, perhaps, to pre-Covid levels, but change is evident for all to see. Shoppers and visitors are creating more hustle-and-bustle on our town and city high streets. It’s all good to see. We can all have more and more ‘proper conversations’ without hearing someone say ‘you’re still on mute’! That novelty soon wore off, didn’t it? The upturn in the economy, though, is turning out (perhaps inevitably, when one steps back to assess things) to be somewhat of a doubleedged sword: the demand is there but many firms are struggling to meet it due to a numbers of factors. Our latest economic survey results are testimony to this – there’s a summary within this magazine, and the full report can be downloaded from our website. Amanda Beresford Chair of the Board West & North Yorkshire Chamber

Local home builder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West offers support to charities Local home builder, Barratt Developments Yorkshire West is continuing to support the communities in which it builds by inviting charities from across the Leeds region to stake a claim for its £1,000 monthly Community Fund. The Community Fund sees Barratt Developments Yorkshire West support a different charity every month with a donation of up to £1,000 to aid the incredible work being done at a local level by charities with a variety of different causes. The Barratt Foundation provides vital support to national and local charities with a focus on donating to charities that promote social inclusion; help the environment and nature; promote physical and mental health; and promote education. Registered charities across the Leeds region are encouraged to apply for a Community Fund donation. Ian Ruthven, Managing Director of Barratt Developments Yorkshire West commented: “We are delighted to once again be opening nominations for our Community Fund. The initiative is dedicated to supporting as many registered charities across West and South Yorkshire as possible and we are delighted to have already supported so many deserving organisations. We thoroughly look forward to welcoming more nominations and building relationships with more incredible charities from across the region.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

Investing in skills Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire has visited Leeds College of Building to celebrate the college receiving over £1million of grant funding from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s Adult Education Budget (AEB), allocated to support adults in learning skills needed by West Yorkshire’s construction industry. The Mayor also took a tour of the new South Bank campuses, one of which was part funded by the Combined Authority. The funding allocated to Leeds College of Building is part of the wider AEB funding to ensure skills provision in West Yorkshire supports adults to develop the skills needed to enter and stay in work, or enrol in an apprenticeship, or other learning and meets the needs of businesses.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “We’re now seeing the fantastic benefits of devolution and how we can strategically use funding to benefit our local economy and the people who live here. “As the economy re-opens, the construction industry is recovering strongly, with more than 70,000 people in West Yorkshire alone, already working in construction. However, many employers are still struggling to recruit people with the right skills. “Therefore, I’m pleased to see we are providing people with excellent education and training facilities and courses whereby they can gain the skills needed by industry.”

Helping more businesses manage cashflow

Prioritise law and order in levelling up

GenNorth launches to support levelling-up agenda

Satago has launched “Satago Lite”, an invoice chasing solution designed to help small business get paid faster. Designed to help businesses recover from the pandemic by automating their credit control process and improving their cashflow, Satago Lite is focused specifically on credit control and is suitable for sole traders and micro businesses.

DWF, the global provider of integrated legal and business services, commissioned the YouGov survey of over 1,000 adults in ‘levelling up areas’ across the North and Midlands to find out what they might want to see as a result of this Government policy.

GenNorth, a new advisory firm focusing on the property and construction industry, has launched, with a focus on helping firms respond to a post Covid world and deliver on the Government’s levelling-up agenda.

Satago Lite is a slimmed down version of Satago, the award-winning 3-in-1 cashflow management solution, which combines Automated Invoice Chasing, Risk Insights and Invoice Finance.

As part of the levelling up agenda, respondents prioritised the top three measures they felt would improve local areas and reinstate pride. More than half (52%) cited public safety and anticrime measures, followed by more job opportunities (41%) and enhancements to town centre environments (30%).

GenNorth will focus its efforts on three service areas: Growth Advisory; Programme and Project Management; and Workplace Consultancy. The business will seek to offer sound business advice, rooted in experience and insight along with effective consulting solutions to enable clients to generate a sustainable future.

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Bradford’s female manufacturing leaders inspire pupils Bradford’s female manufacturing leaders headlined a panel event to inspire school pupils as part of Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2021. The district’s female manufacturing role models from some of Bradford’s most established blue-chip manufacturers, took questions from Bradford Girls’ Grammar School pupils during the fortnight of in person and online manufacturing events. The women, who have a collective 150 years’ manufacturing experience, lead and manage Bradford and Keighley-based international businesses in the chemical, component, aerospace, textile products and metallurgical laboratory sectors. Led by West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Bradford Manufacturing Weeks introduces students to a career in manufacturing through Q&A panels, work placements, manufacturer tours, work experience and life skills events. Since 2018, the initiative has created more than 12,000 manufacturing experiences for Bradford pupils aged 14-18.

The Women in Manufacturing panel at Bradford Girls’ Grammar School on Thursday 14 October was led by Vicky Wainwright, Bradford Chamber of Commerce President and Managing Director of accountancy firm and Bradford Manufacturing Weeks sponsor, Naylor Wintersgill. Taking questions from the all-female student audience were Debbie Mellor, Managing Director of Keighley Laboratories, Diana Scholefield, Managing Director of Gesipa, Katie Owen, Supply Chain Manager from Produmax, Fran Salisbury Director of Canvasman, Lou Franklin, Managing Director of Mansfield Pollard, Kate Fisher Production Manager from Solenis, and Stacey King, Laboratory Manager at Christeyns UK. Fran Salisbury, who established Baildon-based, awardwinning bespoke fabric and outdoor upholstery manufacturer, Canvasman with her husband Chris in 1996, said: “I have worked in every aspect of our business from design and sewing through to developing our business plans and strategies. Even though women make up half of the workforce, they remain highly under-represented in the manufacturing sector, especially at managerial levels.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

MANUFACTURING 15

She added: “Women bring to the sector, not only hardworking attitudes but creativity, critical thinking, efficiency and invention. They are untapped talent, which manufacturing needs to attract in order to remain competitive. My hope is that Bradford Manufacturing Weeks, along with the schools and business taking part, can help inspire and encourage young women to look at the potential of pursuing a fulfilling and rewarding career in manufacturing.” Delivered in partnership with Bradford-based school and career specialists The Opportunity Centre and with primary sponsorship from Barclays and additional sponsorship from E3 Recruitment, Naylor Wintersgill, LCF Law and Bradford Council, more than 30 manufacturers and 45 secondary schools took part in this year’s twoweek initiative. Anita Thorpe, Curriculum Leader for Personal Development at Bradford Girls’ Grammar School, said: “An event such as this not only broadens horizons in relation to the variety of rewarding job opportunities available for our

students, it also supports our ambition to develop women leaders of the future, providing role models to aspire to and gain confidence from.” Nick Garthwaite, Chair of the Bradford Manufacturing Weeks steering group said: “Every year Bradford Manufacturing Weeks evolves to become more dynamic and more relevant to the young people it is aimed at.” He added: “Our range of activities, alongside this year’s competition to create an innovative solution for waste recycling in schools and our driver awareness event in partnership with West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and West Yorkshire Police, we believe we are delivering another educational, inspirational and invaluable careers event.”

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University of York leads the way in Artificial Intelligence safety The potential for automation and autonomous technologies is huge. Autonomous vehicles will radically change global transport systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are already being used to address challenges from healthcare to energy management. But there are many more uses - as the application of autonomous systems stretches across most economic sectors from manufacturing to services. AI technologies have great potential to address today’s most important challenges - from the transition to a net-zero economy and delivering the next generation of healthcare systems to ensuring our society and economy is resilient.

together a broad range of expertise on the safe design, development, assurance and testing of Robotic, Connected and Autonomous Systems. Work done in the Institute includes the design and verification of software and hardware systems, the development of new communications techniques and methods to assure complex systems.

For autonomous technologies to be more widely used it is critical that they are considered equitable and safe. This can mean a range of different things, from ensuring the use of AI in decision making in business and policy is fair, to ensuring robots and humans can work together in manufacturing, construction or agriculture settings. For autonomous systems to be accepted and trusted in both business and society, it is vital that the decisions and actions that they take are seen to be as equitable and safe as possible.

The Institute brings this expertise together in a single building in support of its vision to be the partner of choice for world leading, multi-disciplinary expertise on the safety of automated systems that supports impactful use by society, government and industry at a local, national and international scale. In addition to its technical capabilities, the Institute will also focus on the societal, ethical and trust issues associated with the development and deployment of autonomous systems. ISA is working with partners from industry, government and the third sector to provide the necessary training and expertise, and to enable and support the conversations needed to understand and deliver the true potential of autonomous technologies.

Without considering these issues at the start of any technological journey, it can lead to real barriers in the takeup of these technologies, significantly reducing their positive impact. This is where the University of York’s new Institute for Safe Autonomy (ISA) comes in. ISA brings

For more information on the project contact: institute-safeautonomy@york.ac.uk

Innovation can give your business an edge Innovate UK Edge What is business innovation?

Innovation in business management

Business innovation can encompass new ideas, processes, products or services to improve the core business and encourage growth.

Improving and innovating the way the business is managed. For example, re-evaluating the leadership team or business strategy.

Types of business innovation

Revenue model innovation

Innovation can take many forms, here’s an overview of some of the different types of innovation in business;

Any innovation in which the main goal is to increase profits or revenue. For example, rethinking the pricing strategy.

Process innovation

Business model innovation

Finding ways to become more efficient and productive in your business. This could include automating services or restructuring the team.

Any innovation to improve the core business strategy and processes for growth. This could include entering into new partnerships or investing in new technologies.

Product or service innovation

Industry model innovation

Making changes and improvements to an existing product or service, or creating a new one entirely. For example, this could include moving a service online or pivoting an existing product for a new industry.

Any innovation in which the goal is to adapt the industry or market for your product or to create a new market entirely.

Sales and marketing innovation

Exploiting innovation can help your business to grow and scale by attracting investment and giving you the edge in the market.

Finding new and creative ways to market and sell to your customers. This could include new branding, packaging or prices.

The importance of innovation in business

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Benefits include; • Accelerated growth • Improved efficiency and productivity • Competitive advantage in the market • Greater market share • Greater opportunities for small businesses • New opportunities for global expansion

Advice for innovating in your business In order to take advantage of innovation for your business, you could consider • Strategy - Ensure you start with a robust strategy and business plan • Competition - Undertake competitor research to understand your place in the market • Creative thinking - Invest in creative people • Customer feedback - Feedback can help you develop and innovate your offering • Expert advice - an innovation and growth specialist can provide bespoke guidance to help you manage and protect innovation in your business

Innovate UK Edge work closely with leadership teams to create the conditions for each business to succeed and bring the benefits of their innovation to national and international audiences. Our innovation and growth specialists are at the centre of our service. Each client engagement results in a bespoke strategy but common priorities include: • Exploiting business innovation: Developing a commercial strategy and building a team to deliver it; protecting & harnessing your IP; improving innovation management & accessing the innovation ecosystem globally • Sourcing funding and finance: Applying the right strategy to secure grants and capital for your business, enhancing investor appeal and getting investment ready to propel your growth • Opening new markets: Creating connections to partners & leveraging insights to expand into vertical & international markets and achieve scale Often these priorities are closely linked, especially in the case of scaling businesses which must align all business functions to achieve a step change in growth. Our Scaleup Programme prepares companies who have already benefited from our high growth service and other innovation-driven businesses with 50%+ growth potential for just such a transformation.

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Digital Leeds

Chamber gets behind City-wide initiative to support a diverse future for digital in Leeds Prominent digital, education and public sector organisations across Leeds have joined forces with social enterprise Ahead Partnership to launch an initiative to help address skills gaps and break down longstanding barriers around digital sector careers. With almost 35,000 people employed in digital in Leeds alone but many businesses still reporting difficulty recruiting candidates with the right skills, the collaborative initiative takes action to develop and diversify the city’s future pipeline of digital talent. The launch event for Growing Talent Digital Leeds took place on 30th September at BJSS’ Leeds city centre headquarters as part of Leeds Digital Festival. Throughout the next year and beyond, Infinity Works; Netcompany; BJSS; AND Digital; the NHS, Leeds Trinity University; Leeds City College; and Leeds City Council will lead a growing group of employers in sponsoring a range of exciting careers and skills activities delivered by Ahead Partnership, including masterclasses, careers panels, festivals and events designed to help young people understand the importance of digital skills for future roles.

The employer-led programme is aimed at young people aged 11-18 years old and will prioritise under-represented groups and areas in the city, helping to break down barriers of perception, prejudice and unconscious bias around the digital sector and encourage greater diversity and inclusion within the future workforce. With up to 87% of advertised jobs in the UK requiring digital skills, the initiative will also highlight the integral role that digital plays in many of today’s careers and industries, involving digital partners with expertise in fields from engineering to IT consultancy and video games development. Stephanie Burras CBE, Chief Executive at Ahead Partnership, a social enterprise that works with businesses of different sizes and sectors to design and deliver social value projects that create positive change within society, said: “The importance of digital in today’s working world is only increasing, and so we’ve been delivering a number of initiatives throughout recent years to support the future success of the industry. Now, with the pandemic only emphasising the need for skilled digital talent, Growing Talent Digital Leeds is a really timely programme that will engage a wide range of young people with the sector for the benefit of their future careers.

“Leeds has a thriving business community, and digital plays a significant role in this – from the tech companies and start-ups who operate from the city centre to the skilled digital workers that play a pivotal role in organisations in other industries. It’s fantastic to see so many of these organisations across the city signing up as partners and pledging their support to the initiative. We can’t wait to get started. “Ultimately this is an initiative which will benefit businesses from many sectors and so we have invited the Chamber to join our steering group in order that our messages can be shared across their networks. I am delighted that Leeds Chamber Vice President and CEO of Leeds-List.com has agreed to join us and we look forward to working with the Chamber over the coming months and years.” Dan Murray said “The availability and diversity of quality digital talent in Leeds is a long standing issue for the sector and the city which is why we’re firmly behind this initiative. Growing Talent Digital Leeds will help tackle social mobility, and deliver fantastic prospects for kids from ‘left behind’ districts of Leeds whilst building the future talent pipeline our industry desperately needs. It’s a win-win.”

If you are interested in supporting this initiative then go to www.aheadpartnership.org.uk/growingtalentdigitalleeds

Reboot for tech sector “Leeds has a thriving business community, and digital plays a significant role in this – from the tech companies and startups who operate from the city centre to the skilled digital workers that play a pivotal role in organisations in other industries.”

The region’s digital sector fared somewhat differently when compared to many over the last 18 months. Though certainly not without its challenges, the industry has largely weathered the storm particularly well, bolstered by an economy-wide shift towards online working and virtual meetings, a practice many in the sector had adopted long before the pandemic. Technology firms are said to number around 11,000 across Yorkshire, employing some 54,000. In relative terms, the sector makes up 6% of all Yorkshire-based businesses, generating over £9bn in value, which accounts for 2% of the regional GDP. In a recent round of consultations, the Chamber of Commerce has identified a number of key areas for development within the sector. The most pressing of these lands squarely on the issue of recruitment. Many tech businesses, particularly start-ups, report a struggle to compete for graduates with the industry giants. Though a pre-existing challenge, and not one unique to the sector, Chamber research has reported that it has been compounded by the rise of remote working, where in Londonbased firms have been snapping up regionally-based talent on salaries local start-ups simply can’t match. In order to mitigate labour shortages, many firms are turning to coding ‘bootcamp’ courses, allowing new recruits to be brought up to speed in modular format, bypassing the traditional three-to-four year university model. The implementation of bootcamp-style upskilling (and increasingly reskilling) is a notable hallmark of innovation that is no doubt driving the sector forward, and poses many questions in regards to how firms across all sectors may approach developing their workforce. Research also indicates that the region’s tech businesses have been hampered by global supply shortage, primarily impacting costs and lead times on key resources such as computer chips. The move to remote working, itself a huge opportunity for many in the sector, also exacerbated supply issues for many developers and retailers.

Analogue experience helps digital enterprise Designing a business on educational achievements

Building a business with an experienced mentor

madeby.studio was set up in 2019 by Matt Wheeler and Sam Taylor, who were both in their final year of a Graphic and Communication Design degree at the University of Leeds.

Matt and Sam approached AD:VENTURE within a few months of setting up because they wanted advice about building a business.

The creative and digital agency offers services from website design and search engine optimisation through to brand development and motion graphics.

“As soon as we graduated we were thrown in at the deep end and needed to know how do we grow a business, how do we actually make money to survive,” says Matt.

Matt and Sam hit the ground running as they had already picked up freelance clients either before or during their time at university, and had secured free office accommodation at the university’s Nexus building.

AD:VENTURE introduced them to business mentor Alan Thompson. “Alan was really helpful for the initial bit of figuring stuff out about where we should take the business. We had both worked in small design agencies in our year in industry. So, we had all the experience in design, but we weren’t knowledgeable about the business side of things, like how do you do marketing, how do you create a sales workflow, how do you gain clients and maintain clients, and how do you work on projects to a budget that is viable?”

They came third in a university business competition, and have since been shortlisted in a Santander business entrepreneur award, Leeds Digital Festival Thrive Awards and are regional finalists in the Great British Entrepreneur Awards in the Creative Industries Entrepreneur of the Year category. They were also listed in the Digital Enterprise Top 100 in early 2021. Matt and Sam are both concerned about climate change, so use renewable energy where possible and support a scheme that offsets their carbon impact, both for the business and the team’s personal emissions.

As well as being given advice by Alan, the pair went on AD:VENTURE workshops on topics such as the ‘power of the telephone’ and ‘strategic marketing’. They were also accepted onto Accelerate, which is a six-month programme of support run by Leeds Becket University, made up of masterclasses, seminars or webinars and one-to-one support, along with advice on grants and funding. Matt and Sam also received a grant from AD:VENTURE, which meant the pair could buy new iMacs, needed for a large contract they had just won.

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Expanding a business with grant funding

Developing more than just digital skills

The pair successfully completed the contract using their new iMacs. So far it is the biggest contract they have worked on, but they have two large projects in the pipeline.

“Alan is there if we need him; if we need to just chat through anything, if we are stuck with a plan or we need to bounce an idea off someone.

madeby.studio tripled turnover during Covid, with profit up a very healthy ten times. In September 2020 they moved into Dock Street Workshops in Leeds, which are run by LCVS Enterprises, a not-for-profit company set up to help small businesses.

“He acts as a neutral party. He doesn’t tell us what to do; he won’t give us directions. We’ll say here’s our problem and he’ll outline potential solutions and say you need to figure it out yourself and that is the best way,” says Matt.

Matt and Sam have a paid intern and plan to take on a developer in the near future and a designer; meaning they will have more time to bring in new clients.

“And Accelerate was great for helping us learn new skills from experts and while on the Accelerate course we met people we have gone on to collaborate with, and that’s what AD:VENTURE also does; it helps you build networks across Leeds and the city region.” Matt adds: “With AD:VENTURE it’s all the different aspects that help. Alan’s advice, the workshops, Accelerate and the funding all work together. Each one was a boost to us. It all really paid-off. I think there’s a correlation there with how much we grew the year after we got this support.”

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Adapting through technology

One of the UK’s top five-star hotels, The Grand, York offers a memorable visit for all. With a variety of services from the welcoming concierge, award-winning cookery school, food and beverage outlets, a spa and eight meeting and event spaces, you are guaranteed to experience true Yorkshire hospitality and elegance in all formats. Situated midway between Edinburgh and London, The Grand is in the heart of one of the UKs most beautiful and historic cities. With attractions such as JORVIK Viking Centre, 13th century-built York Minster, and the iconic medieval City Walls which can be viewed from hotel’s event suites, the hotel truly provides an iconic backdrop for meetings and events. The Grand has a total of seven meeting rooms, which can be expanded to eight when utilising The Cookery School meeting space. With Wi-Fi, plasma screen TVs, airconditioning, and Nespresso coffee machines, the meeting rooms are the ideal comforting space to host your team. A variety of conference packages are available to guests in order to provide a bespoke experience, such as the Day Delegate, Residential, Hybrid and Cookery School packages. Our recent offer, Meetings to Remember, is live this winter in which delegates can choose between three offers: Pick and Mix, team-building Cookery School activities, and preferential accommodation rates. Over the past 18 months, guest communication, innovation, technology, agility and understanding have all been a necessity for The Grand and therefore the team have pivoted their focusses to ensure that the guest experience is equally as five-star whether attending meetings and events in-person or digitally. The hotel understands the importance of bringing people together, whether it is to share company updates, celebrate success, or to plan for the year ahead so it was therefore necessary to adapt in the uncertain times. Hybrid and Virtual Events were introduced in 2020 to support delegates regardless of their situation. Working together with a professional AV team, The Grand can offer a seamless experience that will be memorable for all your guests, whether it be from the comfort of their own home or attending the live event itself. State-of-the-art equipment brings together physical and virtual audiences into one live collaborative experience, a single remote-controlled camera will capture your presenters and feed into the broadcast system so that remote delegates can experience the very same event as those in the room. Full technical support is provided by an experienced onsite technician who will remain on-site for the duration of your event, allowing you to connect with delegates around the globe, in a safe and cost-effective manner. For those who can still travel, hybrid meetings are a perfect alternative to fully remote events. The Grand will take care of the technology; all you need to do is focus on the content. The safety of your delegates is the number one priority, so however you choose to host your event with at York’s most loved hotel, rest assured that you will be in safe hands. With hygiene amenity packs, you can feel secure and relaxed when visiting The Grand.

Adapting through technology

It was key for The Cookery School to adapt to the coronavirus restrictions. The Cookery School offers a host of online classes allowing you to sharpen up your culinary skills in the comfort of your own home with top tips and guidance from our head chef tutor. With a full camera crew capturing all angles of Chef Andrew’s expertise, the team can replicate the hands-on experience with the guests cooking at home.

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Inspiring innovation The ideal team-building activity, The Cookery School classes offer private events for businesses. The fabulous adjoining meeting space in The Cookery School which can hold up to 50 delegates. This is an impressive space which boasts a large screen for presentations, coffee machines, a dining area and water stations. This allows the Head Chef Tutor to reach out and support corporate clients for any team building activities whilst providing space to debrief and host a meeting too. Alongside this, there is outdoor dining area which again provides a unique offering for guests. The Grand have recently implemented a pre-stay email through Oaky, an upsell tool, which allows guests to upgrade their bedroom booking or add-on multiple experiences during their stay. Where previously guests would have to call the hotel to make such actions, the

system allows for multiple choices to be selected and added to the reservation through a portal. This gives guests ultimate flexibility and encourages them to book experiences in advance so not to miss out on unforgettable opportunities. The latest innovative update from The Grand, York is the introduction of an artificial intelligence chatbot on the website. From the first visit on the homepage, guests have the choice to interact with the bot and ask questions about the hotel. The tool allows guests to book and upgrade reservations online as well as find local attractions and things to do in the city. This is helpful for both the guest and Team Grand; guests can quickly find solutions to their questions or make a booking, and Team Grand have more flexibility to enhance the hotel’s communication even more.

Whether you’re looking for an onsite meeting, a hybrid event or a fully virtual meeting, The Grand provides the perfect backdrop with its merging of history and innovation in a timeless manner. With 207 bedrooms, it is also vital to maintain the finest technology in-room to ensure all guests have a comforting, smooth experience. Each bedroom boasts a smart TV and the ability to check-out whilst in the room. The Grand has certainly maintained its ‘Palace of Business’ history whilst adapting to modern technology. As York’s finest hotel, The Grand always goes the extra mile for guests which makes it the perfect destination for celebrations, meetings, and events.

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Innovate & communicate Innovation communities are more important than ever says Dr Martin Stow, Director of University of Leeds’ innovation hub Nexus

Innovation has become ever more critical to unlocking post-pandemic growth for our region and techenabled hubs and business communities, which are specifically designed to foster innovation and connectivity, have a vital role to play. Attracting the entrepreneurs, companies and investors which will generate a beneficial economic and societal impact – locally, nationally and internationally – these communities are a powerful magnet for collaboration, bringing together the brightest minds and most inspiring business concepts. The benefits of those innovation-led communities can be measured economically – through capital investment and skilled jobs created,

for example – and on a societal level, with increased connections, collaboration and improved social mobility At Nexus we continue to be inspired by the vision and creativity of our member businesses as they develop new ideas, scale fast and generate products and services which deliver real impact. We’ve been privileged to host and support them since our launch in 2019 and our focus has always been to create a thriving community, rich in opportunity. This helped us to provide real continuity for our members and the community continued to expand through lockdown and now has 59 members.

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The many challenges posed by the pandemic often became an accelerator for innovation as the Nexus community used creative problem-solving either to pivot or rapidly grow their businesses. Itecho Health, for example, developed a dedicated healthcare platform, Ascelus, for patients with long-term health conditions, enabling them to connect with their clinicians via their smartphones and devices and freeing up vital clinician time for face-to-face appointments with patients who have more complex needs. During the pandemic they increased from an initial two to now cover numerous disease areas, supported by medical student placements, whilst continuing to grow their team. Crowded – whose core business is monitoring people movement and behaviour to inform planning decisions – obviously faced a particular problem during lockdown as people stayed at home. Their data analytics team refocused on public health and safety when using crossings and other points of public access, developing CrowdedCROSS™ which offers pedestrians using a smart device a COVID-safe, contactless experience. We know from our members that innovation ecosystems and the investment they attract are a major draw for international companies seeking to work with leading academics and optimise their innovation.

Betalin Therapeutics, biotechnology specialists based in Israel, chose Nexus as its UK base to develop revolutionary treatment for diabetes, supported by funding from the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership.

and restore organs and tissues, moved from Cambridge to join us, because of the dedicated laboratory space which is available and the benefits of being part of a smaller, but faster-growing innovation community.

We are also delighted to see the continued international expansion of Ligentia, who relocated its software development division from Asia last year, to join our business community. The global supply chain management provider, which works with leading retailers, consumer brands and healthcare providers, has tripled its space at Nexus recently and is targeting growth to reach £1 billion revenue in the next four years.

Innovation is very much a ‘contact sport’ –the more diverse the people and the experiences, perspectives and technologies they bring, the newer and more creative the thinking: allowing entrepreneurs to think beyond traditional solutions. That is where innovation communities play a fundamental role.

The strength of our region’s talent proposition was a major reason behind Snowflake’s decision to join us. The US cloud-based software multinational has a major recruitment focus on software engineers and saw great potential in our available talent pool. The connectivity of Leeds and the wider region was cited as key to Vastmindz locating to Nexus. The digital health experts who specialise in AIpowered insights for well-being, said things could be achieved at least twice as quickly here, because the support networks and contacts were in place. And Videregen, leaders in the development of personalised, regenerative products to replace, repair

We facilitate curated collaboration – our latest Innovation Cluster Challenges Workshop, for example, in partnership with KPMG, attracted over 40 entrepreneurs, businesses, funding providers and advisers. Our strategic partnership with KPMG continues to expand with the introduction of an incubation space for qualifying startups as well as a number of other initiatives around Exec Education/CPD, placement/internships and research collaborations to support their clients, We also enable spontaneous, random connections - those vital “water cooler” moments. This was one of many clear benefits to businesses from working with innovation communities such as Nexus identified in a survey we commissioned earlier this year in partnership with CBI Economics.

The resulting Revolution of Work report analysed the feedback of over 300 businesses across the UK, on the impact of the pandemic on companies’ workspace preferences, ways of working, innovation and collaboration.

this again puts innovation hubs and the wider innovation ecosystems we’re part of, at the centre of optimising opportunities, catalysing collaboration and enabling businesses to scale fast, deliver real impact and grow.

It clearly showed that whilst UK businesses are planning to embrace hybrid working in the long term, there is still a place for office space and UK businesses have a clear vision about the way offices will be used in the future: as a focus for team-building and strategy days and vital innovation planning.

Communities like Nexus are specifically designed to cater for high growth businesses, whether start-up, scale-up or larger. A culture of creativity, collaboration and community is at our core and central to the wider networks we create and nurture.

Half the companies surveyed felt that remote and hybrid working had made it harder to be innovative, with a majority observing a negative impact on creative planning sessions when ideas are shared and new relationships formed, which can be the key to network expansion and business growth. UK business owners will be even more focused on the social and networking benefits of future office space and will prioritise workplaces, which are designed to create the best environments to deliver collaborative working and shared ideas. Remote working has enabled workers to more flexibly manage their work, but it has made innovation more challenging. Commercialising that innovation is obviously a critical factor for businesses and the growth of our economy and

We’re proud to be able to say that over half of our member businesses at Nexus are currently exploring opportunities to innovate with each other, illustrating the power of a close-knit community. Developed and connected innovation ecosystems are essential in that process and to help businesses capitalise on the very best support available. That could be advice from seasoned entrepreneurs on the best way to acquire and retain customers, or working with partner organisations on research and development. It could also be about access to the right skills and talent, or tapping into a rich and abundant start-up support community. Working with universities and their innovation hubs can open up major opportunities for early-stage businesses to partner with world-leading experts. Academics are intrinsically motivated

by curiosity and a passion for new discoveries; they want to uncover hidden value, solve problems that benefit society and are driven to be the best in their field. Through effective collaboration with those brilliant minds you can enhance your technology, build new products, re-engineer a production process or get the latest insights on marketing and management science. Universities are powerhouses of innovation and academics are able to work flexibly with you, on collaborations and as consultants, building long-lasting relationships to maximise value. The complexity of the emerging needs and challenges of society today, demand cross-disciplinary thinking and the future of technology and innovation will be led by collaborative communities. Our region is incredibly well placed to take a lead in this sphere, delivering growth and increasing our competitiveness on the global stage. Innovation-led communities are a catalyst for creativity, collaboration and community. As we enter a postpandemic recovery period, their role has never been more important.

Four years into delivering degree and masters-level apprenticeships and the results are in! York St John University has seen 100% pass rate for the first two cohorts of apprentices completing the Executive MBA and the results of the third cohort are expected shortly. Apprentices will join the University’s graduation ceremonies at York Minster in November 2021 and February 2022 to receive their Masters’ degrees. Dr Brendan Paddison, Associate Dean of York Business School, commented “I am delighted that we continue to see this level of achievement and success. It is testament to the hard work of both the students and teaching team. The End Point Assessment is a significant milestone in the completion of their studies and recognition of 18 months of both academic and work-based study where learners have gained a critical understanding of management knowledge, on which effective leadership and problemsolving skills have been developed.” “The opportunity was too good to not take advantage of,” says Harry Joyce, a graduate of our 2019 Executive MBA cohort. “I’ve enjoyed meeting people I wouldn’t have met through a professional capacity and hearing different views and opinions from people in different industries has been immensely rewarding.” Re-launched this year without the MBA award as the Senior Leaders’ Apprenticeship, York St John University took the decision to continue to offer the Executive MBA as a free top-up to those completing the level 7 SLA apprenticeship at YSJ. This continues to prove a highly attractive course to employers, with intakes twice a year at both the York and London campus. The suite of management and leadership apprenticeships at YSJ is aimed at developing key staff in organisations to improve performance, motivate and drive change and deliver strategic growth

Mastering apprenticeships

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PROFILE 33 The Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship at level 6 supports the progression and development of existing and aspiring managers and can be used for recruiting new talent into trainee management schemes; with a fast-track option for those ‘accidental managers’ who have moved up through the business, sometimes over several years and without any formal management qualifications, which recognises prior learning developed in the workplace. “I feel more confident studying for a degree now than I would have done years ago,” says Tracey Davis who is soon to complete her Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship. “As I develop my academic understanding, I also develop a further understanding of my role and organisation. I have already experienced the positive effects of studying this degree and can now see the doors that may be opened for me in the future.” Introduced in October this year, the Project Manager Degree Apprenticeship compliments the York Business School’s suite of management and leadership apprenticeships by focusing on developing the specific skills required to be an effective leader of change, able to manage individuals and deliver projects in line with defined objectives. This dynamic programme covers three years (with a fasttrack option for those with prior learning) and includes all of the disciplines required by today’s Project Managers, including organisational strategy and decision making, stakeholder engagement and communication, risk management, financial and planning controls, leadership and governance to name but a few. The programme also includes the Association for Project Management Qualification (APMQ) and eligibility for full APM membership. Working closely with employers in the region – and now nationally through our campus in London – York St John University continues to develop and improve its apprenticeships to be dynamic and relevant to today’s business challenges. Designed to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours of existing staff to support their progression through the organisation, and to recruit new talent into the business, apprenticeships offer a really great opportunity for both employer and employee.

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L-R: Jo Griffiths, Knowledge Transfer Manager, Natalie Allen, Business Development Manager, Kim Yallop, SME Engagement Manager

Set your business up for growth with a Government-funded university partnership Are you and your organisation looking to increase productivity, create strategies to build resilience or improve your business processes to gear up for growth? Leeds Beckett University is leading Government-funded Management Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (mKTPs) projects which run from 12 months to three years and are customised to the needs of each business. Each project is a partnership between the company, a team of academic experts from Leeds Business School, and a skilled graduate recruited by the University to lead the project and work as a full-time member of the organisation.

The projects are open to businesses of any size and from any industry. The teams work together to identify key strategic management-based initiatives to increase business effectiveness and improve results. Jo Griffiths, Knowledge Transfer Manager at Leeds Beckett, explained: “Through our mKTPs, we are working as longterm partners with our companies – creating a robust platform to enable them to achieve their goals and drive strategic, long-lasting change. “Our team of academics have a wealth of experience of working with small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and running their own businesses; and can give you the practical tools and knowledge needed to develop and grow your business.”

For more information about mKTPs at Leeds Beckett University, please contact KTP@leedsbeckett.ac.uk

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Matthew Barton, Operations Director, Bensons Control Panels

Matthew Barton, Operations Director of Bensons Control Panels in Normanton, Wakefield, who have recently started an mKTP, said: “We first began working with the university in 2019 when we met Kim Yallop – who is now SME Engagement Manager at Leeds Beckett – through the Local Authority. Kim introduced us to the Expert Quartet productivity project for SMEs. “Through the project, I found out about the Small Business Leadership Programme – which has been hugely helpful in shaping what we are currently trying to achieve. Our Managing Director, Helen Culloden, has now enrolled on the Help to Grow management course at the University. And, through our relationship with the academics at Leeds Business School, we began working on the mKTP. “With the mKTP, the key thing for us is to get better at what we do. We want to be more effective in everything we do, to add more value to our customers and make it easier for our team to excel. We will also focus on strategic market development to take use forward into the future. It is a major investment in our business.” “It’s been so easy working with Leeds Beckett – the support we have received has been of a high quality. It has been a partnership: we want to try new things and they are invested in understanding what we need and recommending options to achieve this.”

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“With the mKTP, the key thing for us is to get better at what we do. We want to be more effective in everything we do, to add more value to our customers and make it easier for our team to excel.”

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Esh Construction partners with Efficiency North to recruit flexi-job apprentices Seven new apprentices are settling into their new roles within Esh Construction after being recruited via the award-winning Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Service provided by EN:Able Futures. Bricklayers, joiners, and a trainee site manager are among the new starters who have been welcomed across Esh’s affordable housing sites in the region. The investment in new talent will assist with both future growth plans for Esh and combatting the industry skills shortage. Employed as Flexi-Job apprentices by EN:Able Futures – managed by Efficiency North – the recruits will receive a full package of support alongside their work and education. Trainee site manager, Dan Vokes, took

the first step towards a career in site management after he secured his apprenticeship in July this year. While working across two projects for Esh Construction – an 82-home development known as Pemberton Road in Castleford and a 105-home scheme in Beech Hill, Halifax – Dan will study a Level 4 Site Supervisor apprenticeship standard at Leeds College of Building. Dan’s interest in construction came by chance while labouring on sites in the summer break. He said: “From school I’d never really had an insight into the construction industry. However, my friends who secured apprenticeships seemed to be progressing quicker and gaining more life skills, as well as earning a wage whilst doing something they enjoyed. Working

whilst learning is a great opportunity for a young person because it means you can apply in the workplace everything you learn at college – I decided this would be a better route for me.” Esh Construction is one of the largest privately-owned construction businesses operating across Yorkshire and the Humber, North East and Tees Valley. The contractor has more than £50m of affordable housing schemes spread across all corners of the Yorkshire region and is keen to invest in its workforce of the future. “It is vitally important to both the industry and the growth of Esh that we continue to invest in apprentices and trainees, enabling them to pursue longterm careers in the construction industry,” said Darush Dodds, Director

of Corporate Affairs at Esh Construction. “Working alongside Efficiency North and EN:Able Futures allows us to provide a well-rounded training experience while ensuring the recruits receive pastoral and educational support, should they need it. We are working collaboratively towards the same end goal - there is a clear skills shortage in the industry and Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Agencies will help bridge this gap by training and developing talented individuals for the future.” Employing apprentices via Efficiency North’s EN:Able Futures programme ensures the individuals remain employed for the full duration of their apprenticeship, making it easier for businesses to take on an apprentice

and reducing the risk of displacement. Julie Deeley, Director of Operations at EN:Able Futures, said: “Working with Esh Construction provides so many opportunities for developing apprenticeships across a whole spectrum of career pathways in the construction industry. “What makes our Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Service so successful is our expertise around providing each individual with tailored employment support. We go far beyond simply finding people to fill a vacancy, we pride ourselves on facilitating the right conditions that allow our apprentices to thrive in their new roles.” Speaking about the benefits of his apprenticeship, Dan added: “My Development Coach at EN:Able

Futures helped me a lot at the beginning to find the type of apprenticeship I wanted to do, and has always been there for me when I’ve needed advice. “Since joining Esh I’ve gained so much confidence, experience and knowledge doing this apprenticeship and working in an adult environment, stuff you can’t learn in a classroom. I’ve also learnt a lot about professional values in terms of things like respect and punctuality that will stay with me throughout my career.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

38 FEATURE

EN:Able Futures in action Through the EN:Able Futures Flexi-job Apprenticeship Service, 21 year old Dan started his Level 4 Site Supervision Apprenticeship with Esh Construction earlier this year. He is helping to supervise the build of 105 family homes for Efficiency North member Together Housing Group at a site in Beech Hill, Halifax, as well as the 82-home Pemberton Road scheme in Castleford. Dan has a history of working within the trade side of the industry and wished to progress into the professional/ managerial side. He said: “I first became interested in construction as a career while supporting Site Manager’s with health and safety on a labouring job I did during my holidays between college and university.” With support from managers at Esh Construction, Dan was put in contact with Hannah Norton, a Development Coach at EN:Able Futures, she said: “As a Development Coach I work with individual apprentices on a one-to-one basis to make sure any issues they may face are tackled effectively, whether it is encouragement in

the work-place, help to understand their academic requirements or support around a more personal need.” “Hannah helped me a lot at the beginning when I was deciding what type of apprenticeship would suit my career aspirations, and she has always been there for me if need any advice,” added Dan. “Since I started in June, I have completed a Face Fit test qualification and will be starting my Site Management Safety Training Scheme soon (SMSTS) which I need to manage a site. “I only wish I’d looked for an apprenticeship straight out of school, because you are learning so much more whilst working on the job. There’s lots of opportunities and a lot of experience is passed down from those I work with. “I’ve been given a lot of responsibility too, which is good, because it chucks you in the deep end as it were, and sometimes that’s the best way to learn skills quickly.”

Get involved with EN:Able Futures The team at EN:Able Futures brings together many years’ practical experience of working in the built environment, employment and education sectors to deliver real, sustainable social outcomes on the ground. We draw upon best practice from across these sectors and use the expertise of our partners to develop apprenticeships fit for purpose that provide a tailored career pathway for each apprentice. Our Flexi-Job Apprenticeship Service is the ideal solution for employers in Northern England who may not have the resources or pipeline of work to commit to taking on a long-term apprentice. We employ apprentices for the full duration of their apprenticeship, making it easy for businesses to benefit from having an apprentice, and for the apprentice to gain valuable experience that will set up them with a career for life. For more information visit: www.efficiencynorth.org/futures or email julie.deeley@efficiencynorth.org

Royal Armouries & CitySprint partnership creates animal magic at Light Night 2021 The Royal Armouries brought an illuminated menagerie of giant animal puppets to Leeds Dock, as part of the UK’s largest annual arts and lights festival, proudly sponsored by CitySprint. Thousands of visitors enjoyed two alternating shows featuring giant, moving animal puppets, inspired by the national collection of arms and armour, bringing the museum to life after dark. Giant elephant and soaring falcon puppets entertained audiences, whilst three Burrokeet-style horse puppets wowed visitors with a mock jousting tournament in front of the museum. The puppets were created by renowned West Yorkshire artists Handmade Parade. Performances were accompanied by live music , and stilt walkers across both nights of the festival. The Royal Armouries’ museum menagerie linked to Light Night’s theme ‘Back to Nature’ celebrating some of the world’s natural wonders and the spectacular biodiversity of the animal kingdom, plants, trees and weather. The Royal Armouries’ museum menagerie was sponsored by CitySprint, the UK’s largest same-day distribution company. Andy Parry, Service Centre Manager in Leeds, says; ‘We are very proud to have joined The Royal Armouries Museum as a corporate partner to sponsor and make Leeds’ Light Night 2021 a reality. Community support is at the heart of what CitySprint does, and we are always looking for ways to go the extra mile to deliver an extraordinary experience. After such a difficult year, it was fantastic to help the local community come back together and enjoy the vibrant displays put on’. CitySprint also co-ordinated the delivery of the puppets from the Handmade Parade Studio in Hebden Bridge to the Royal Armouries Museum over the two-day event. The partnership between Royal Armouries and CitySprint, both Chamber members, was facilitated through a connection made at a West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce networking event in May 2021. Rebecca Lowe, Corporate Partnerships Manager at Royal Armouries says; ‘When I heard that CitySprint were looking to support community events in the Leeds area, I knew that the museum’s special events programme was the perfect opportunity. Thank you to Chamber for arranging online networking sessions throughout lockdown to allow businesses to continue to connect and partner, and also for the Chamber’s recent focus on developing community and social impact opportunities for businesses’. The Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds has welcomed back thousands of visitors safely since reopening on 19 May. The museum is continuing to follow COVID-19 guidance for the safety for staff and visitors. Measures include limiting visitor numbers, additional cleaning procedures and wearing face coverings. The Royal Armouries Museum has an exciting programme of special events throughout 2021 & 2022. For sponsorship enquiries, please contact Rebecca Lowe, Corporate Partnerships Manager, on rebecca.lowe@armouries.org.uk. Photo Credit: Charlotte Graham

West & North Yorkshire Business

PROFILE 41

Horse puppets entertain audiences at Light Night 2021

West & North Yorkshire Business

42 SMART METERS

A straightforward solution in a world which is anything but If the last couple of years has taught us anything, it’s that businesses need to expect the unexpected. A period of massive political and economic change has meant trading has been extremely difficult, in particular for small- and medium-sized firms, who will have seen their cash flow significantly hit.

Some certainty in uncertain times

Doing your bit for the environment

Recent times have been anything but straightforward for businesses and many are looking for ways to take control of their finances. The good news is that getting a smart meter for your business is a small change that could make a big difference.

As Glasgow hosted COP26 this year it’s a good reminder of everyone’s responsibility to become more conscious of their environmental impact. Regardless of whether your business has three employees, or three thousand, we all should be aware of how much energy we’re using, and a smart meter is a step in the right direction. From the moment your smart meter is installed, you’re helping create a smart energy system which could ultimately help reduce all our carbon emissions.

A smart meter allows businesses to wave goodbye to estimated billing by securely and automatically sending meter readings to your energy supplier. That means that you receive accurate bills, rather than estimated bills, allowing you the certainly of paying for exactly what you are using. Plus you can also wave goodbye to time spent submitting regular meter readings, allowing you to focus on bigger things.

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

A smart meter is a positive step in taking control of business outgoings and if your firm has 10 employees or less your business could be eligible.

West & North Yorkshire Business

ENVIRONMENT 43

Innovation in flood risk management Mott MacDonald, working on behalf of the Environment Agency and Leeds City Council, recently developed a proof of concept for a ‘Woodland Carbon Calculator’ web tool to estimate carbon sequestration (stored carbon) for new woodland creation. The tool was developed to incentivise woodland creation on the Leeds Flood Alleviation Scheme Natural Flood Management project which aims to plant up to 2 million trees throughout the catchment of the River Aire as a nature-based solution to reduce flood risk and enhance climate resilience in Leeds. The proof of concept tool was produced to test our proposal to simplify the existing ‘Woodland Carbon Code’ spreadsheet calculator which is used to estimate carbon credits for new tree planting.

The Forestry Commission’s Woodland Carbon Code is the UK standard for woodland creation projects where claims are made about the carbon dioxide they sequester or ‘lock away’. The code provides a validation and verification scheme used to record woodland carbon units (or carbon credits). It uses a spreadsheet calculator to estimate the likely carbon units for different woodland planting, based on a variety of inputs including; the tree species, spacing and climatic factors which determine the rate of growth and yield of each tree. Mott MacDonald identified that geographic information systems (GIS) could be used to manage project information and automate repetitive processes as part of the project’s drive to upscale natural flood management measures for implementation at a catchment scale. Our team developed the web tool in ArcGIS Online, to link and automate the input and analysis of data for any proposed woodland location. A simple user interface was created using a concise questionnaire, this streamlined the user input by grouping tree species for the woodland creation into pre-agreed mixes (suitable for the catchment) based on an agreed ‘project standard’. Computer code was written to automate query and calculation functions, based on GIS maps and external data sources used in the manual spreadsheet calculator. Finally, we developed an interactive dashboard to display the outputs in a simple and engaging format. Through application of the web tool, and subsequently creating new woodland, the technology will promote financial investment in nature-based solutions. This will provide multiple benefits to society, including flood risk and climate resilience benefits for those living in Leeds.

Former British diplomat joins Chamber International A former British diplomat who has held a series of positions with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has joined Chamber International. Peter Bainbridge who was most recently a technology risk consultant with global business services company, KPMG, strengthens Chamber International’s team of export advisers to help Britain expand its global trade after leaving the EU. Peter Bainbridge’s 15-year diplomatic career included roles such as commercial counsellor at the British Embassy in Bogota; head of the South America regional climate change network at the British Embassy in Brasilia; and deputy director for the Western Balkans. His career started as an export adviser at what is now the Department for International Trade. Peter said: “The UK is at the start of an export revival that will see trade routes extend and deepen with the fastestgrowing economies in the world. This is a very exciting time to join Chamber International and I’m looking forward to using my overseas business and government networks and market experience to help companies access these high-growth trading countries.”

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CHAMBER INTERNATIONAL 45

Recent expansion of ChamberCustoms team to support UK-EU exporters

Research appointment as Chamber International relaunches intern scheme

Customs broker Jay Grant has joined overseas trade specialist, Chamber International, to strengthen its work helping UK companies export to the EU after Brexit.

A former president of international student organisation, the Erasmus Society, Gilan Heshmat Papaekonomou, has joined Chamber International as an intern.

Jay Grant, 24, who has supported international trade with East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, Nottingham, and Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, has joined ChamberCustoms which helps UK exporters complete customs declarations, now needed for UK trade with EU countries.

Gilan Heshmat Papaekonomou, who was president of the Erasmus Society in 2018-19 while studying law at East Anglia University, joins Chamber International as a researcher and first intern since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “I’ve heard a lot of great things about Chamber International and am excited to be here and able to add value to such an important service.” Jay Grant was previously a semi-professional footballer, playing as a winger, or striker, for Grantham Town FC and Harrowby United FC in the United Counties League, before joining the chamber network. Since Brexit, 202,081 UK businesses must now complete customs declarations and understand tariff classification numbers, customs valuation, and customs procedures if they previously exported only to the EU when UK membership meant the declarations were not needed. Chamber International Director, Tim Bailey, said: “Britain’s departure from the EU has created some short-term challenges, as well as global opportunities, and we are delighted to welcome Jay to our Chamber Customs team so UK businesses can continue to benefit from relatively seamless trading with the EU.”

Fluent in English, Italian, Greek and Spanish and brought up in Milan, Italy; Gilan Heshmat Papaekonomou eventually wants to become a maritime lawyer. She said: “Working at Chamber International is a perfect fit as my upbringing means I have a very international outlook. It is also important psychologically to be in a work environment and feel that there is a return to normality after the Covid-19 lockdowns.” Chamber International Director, Tim Bailey, said: “We’re very proud of our placement programme and it’s very rewarding to hear how past interns have fared in their careers. We’ve hosted almost 60 from all parts of the world and seen many go on to pursue successful careers in export, politics, law and education and we are delighted to have Gilan with us. After such a difficult 18 months.”

West & North Yorkshire Business

46 INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Helpful declaration

WTO working group finalises MC12 draft declaration to help small businesses Major moves to address challenges facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) wanting to get involved in global trade are to go before the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) winter conference. A declaration, drawn up by the Informal Working Group on Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), which has been under discussion for months, will be considered by the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference. Coordinator of the Group, Uruguayan ambassador, José Luís Cancela has called on members to build support for the initiative and invite WTO other members to endorse the ministerial declaration. The declaration recognises the harm that the COVID-19 pandemic has done to small business and the need for a global coordinated response to help MSMEs recover from the pandemic. It also takes stock of the group's work since it was established at the 11th WTO Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in December 2017, including the adoption of a package of six recommendations and declarations in December 2020.

The six declarations include: 1

That WTO members should voluntarily provide information on policies relating to MSMEs during their WTO Trade Policy Reviews.

2 That members should support the Global Trade Helpdesk, led by the International Trade Centre, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the WTO, to help MSMEs access market intelligence, including on tariffs and regulations. 3 That members implement the WTO's Trade Facilitation Agreement and identify and promote good practices that can help MSMEs, and consider adopting digital customs procedures to ease these difficulties. 4 Promoting MSME inclusion in regulatory development with members encouraged to analyse potential impacts for smaller businesses, and that they should consult with MSMEs before implementing new trade regulations. 5 That WTO members should help MSMEs access reliable and comprehensive information on tariffs and other market access data from the. WTO Integrated Database. 6 Access to finance and cross-border payments are major challenges for MSMEs getting involved in world trade and the group calls on members to share best practices with a view to identifying concrete measures.

“The group promotes the ‘think small first’ approach to developing trade policy’ and aims to put the role digital has to play in international trade at the centre of its agenda. More private sector engagement with WTO around trade reform can only be a good thing.” Tim Bailey Director Chamber International Follow Chamber International on Twitter @ChamberInt and on Facebook for the latest in international trade.

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REPRESENTATION 47

We want your view on international trade problems Inform a national policy group of your issues West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce is playing a key role in a new national policy group set up under the auspices of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).

A Trade Policy Committee has been created to both share information and good practices, and look at policy measures to overcome problems facing those businesses trading internationally. Chamber members, in particular, are asked to share (in confidence, of course) their experiences of recent issues and difficulties they have been having, whether, Brexit or Covid-related or not. While the UK Government is still negotiating with several countries (or is even yet to begin negotiations) on individual trade agreements, BCC staff are having regular meetings and updates with ministers and civil servants to keep them informed of how businesses are managing the

issues arising from Brexit and the pandemic. Initiatives such as ‘Chamber Customs’ (a national clearance agent and advisory service), the BCC ‘Global Business Network’ and the digitalisation of trade documents means there are many ongoing changes and adaptations for businesses and Chamber support staff and these look set to continue for now. The new committee is set to meet online monthly, with further information and updates being provided back to the wider Chamber network as soon as possible. Call Mike Cartwright, Policy & Representation Executive on 07827 318681 or email policyrepresentation@ wnychamber.co.uk

Businesses wanting to provide information on issues, problems, should call Mike Cartwright on 07827 318681 or email policyrepresentation@wnychamber.co.uk

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48 TRANSPORT

The Northern train robbery After 11 years of campaigning for improved rail connectivity both within and across our region, the announcements contained within the long awaited Integrated Rail Plan are extremely disappointing and will call into question just how serious this government is, on its levelling up promises.

We have long argued that it is imperative that such projects are recognised as investments that will facilitate economic growth long into the future, rather than costs for the here and now. Government must recognise we are still benefitting from the Victorian infrastructure and foresight delivered nearly two centuries ago.

At their heart, HS2 and NPR are not just transport projects, they are the game-changing backbone of the levelling-up agenda when taken in the spirit of the original vision. These projects shouldn’t be viewed as simply a faster way to get to and from London, but an essential component to rebalancing the UK’s economy by connecting people more efficiently with the jobs and education opportunities across our region. It is well established that great infrastructure is the backdrop to improved productivity and accessibility. It plays a pivotal role in allowing the incredible talent that exists around our country to reach its true potential. It must also be recognised that without effective, accessible transport for all, we will remain hamstrung in our ability to achieve our commitments to the climate change agenda, which has been widely debated in recent weeks.

HS2 offers many benefits to the region and the country as a whole. It aims to free up capacity on the existing rail network, provide more reliable and frequent commuter journeys, and really importantly take more freight off our congested highways and motorways, contributing to the nation’s net-zero ambitions. Northern Powerhouse Rail too was set to provide significant improvements to enable faster and more frequent east-west journeys, connecting the north’s major urban centres and in turn widening access and opportunity for communities across the region. The Chamber will continue to lobby the Government to reconsider, and will make the case for a full implementation of the 21st century infrastructure that West and North Yorkshire deserves.

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Sales and confidence remain strong, but Q3 21 external pressures look set to challenge many QUARTERLY ECONOMIC REPORT

Demand remains strong across the region but many firms are struggling to keep pace as supply challenges hold back order fulfilment. This is the view from Chambers of Commerce in West & North Yorkshire, as the two business organisations report the findings of their latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES). Domestic sales across services held up following the surge witnessed in quarter1, and whilst the pace of growth slowed for manufacturers, overall the data is positive. However, the availability and cost of raw material is cited by manufacturers as a problem as are haulage and shipping disruptions, largely down to Covid, Brexit and driver shortages. Wider labour shortages are also a problem for many firms with two thirds of service sector and 80% of manufacturers reporting recruitment difficulties in the last quarter. Additional bureaucracy, border delays and transportation costs continue to cause problems for 1 in 2 manufacturers exporting to the EU; although this is down from the same period in Q1 of this year as companies adjust to new and additional trade procedures.

Amanda Beresford, Chair of West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said of the results: “It’s pleasing to know that many of our business are now facing growing demand for their goods and services. Of course, it’s not so pleasing that they are now facing further challenges as they attempt to meet that demand. Rising input costs and inflationary pressures are expected to be short term, but will challenge company cash flows in the interim period as balance sheets recover from the economic crisis. On employment and recruitment, the survey findings chime with national data showing job vacancies at their highest recorded level. Recruitment, however, remains tough in the current ‘candidate-led market’ which exists right now “Despite the challenges business confidence remains strong as companies look to 2022.”

Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL, chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership and NP11, said, “It is encouraging to see that the sectors most badly affected by the pandemic are bouncing back in Quarter 3. Domestic demand has continued to grow and this is reflected in increased orders and sales in the service sector and robust performance by B2C sectors including hospitality and retail. “The re-opening of the economy has swept away remaining caution among local firms, prompting an intensification of recruitment activity and a rebound in investment to prepandemic levels. The strengthening of the labour market is reflected in recruitment intentions in the manufacturing sector which reached record levels in the lifetime of this survey, and strong growth in service sector jobs. It is therefore to be hoped that the end of the furlough scheme will not prove to be too disruptive in this improving job market. “

Further details and the Chamber’s full QES report can be found online www.wnychamber.co.uk/representation/qes/

West & North Yorkshire Business

50 PROFILE

Reconomy swoops for fast-growing intelligent supply chain business Reconomy, the leading provider of outsourced, asset-light services to the circular economy, has acquired global supply chain business, Advanced Supply Chain. This milestone transaction will allow Advanced Supply Chain’s customers to benefit from Reconomy’s sustainability credentials and expertise as its strategy delivers against social, environmental, and business objectives. Advanced Supply Chain will continue to operate under its own brand within the Reconomy Group’s Product Returns division, collaborating across the business and joining recently acquired ReBOUND and Cycleon in developing innovative ways for omni-channel retailers to make their supply chain a competitive advantage. As ecommerce continues to boom, Advanced Supply Chain and the Reconomy Group will now provide unrivalled technologyenabled global support for leading retail brands seeking to manage their environmental impact. Advanced Supply Chain chairman, Mike Danby MBE, exits the business as part of the deal, having built an impressive executive team in recent years. Claire Webb will continue to lead the business as managing director with Ben Balfour as business operations director, supported by an exceptional senior leadership team. This means Advanced Supply Chain’s employees, customers and partners can expect ongoing stability and business continuity beyond the deal. Advanced Supply Chain already employs 1800 people

globally and plans to create c.800 jobs during its peak season, including roles at sites in Bradford, Halifax, Sheffield and Corby, as well as HGV drivers across the UK. Advanced Supply Chain managing director, Claire Webb said: “We’ve experienced high growth for more than a decade and we have ambitions to accelerate this, while continuing to push boundaries for supply chain innovation. Since joining the business three years ago, I’ve been continuously impressed by our team’s ability to use intelligent supply chain solutions to solve problems and create game-changing processes for our retail customers. “Our people and culture are key to our success to date and will continue to be as our values remain. We are creating hundreds of jobs across the North and Midlands, and this means we can offer even more rewarding career opportunities to existing teams and new hires. “The deal marks a statement of intent for the future and provides huge benefits for our team and customers now we’re part of a bigger yet still entrepreneurial organisation. ESG is top of every business’ agenda and with Reconomy’s credentials and track record, we’ll be able to help our clients with their sustainability goals. We look forward to working with everyone at Reconomy to achieve our combined ambitions”

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TRANSPORT 51

Insights into infrastructure The West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce Transport Policy Group recently invited representatives from Leeds, Bradford and York City Councils, along with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, to present updates on the infrastructural developments occurring within their remits. These included insights into Leeds ambition to become a city ‘where you don’t need a car’, a transformative vision supported by funds worth £200m a year. The Group also heard how Bradford is investing in its active travel capabilities, as well as upgrading areas south of the city centre in order to maximise the benefit of the incoming Northern Powerhouse Rail station. Developments in York were similarly large in scope, with improvements being made to both York Central station and the surrounding ring road. The Combined Authority highlighted their Connectivity Plan, with the intention to see it through as part of the new Mayor’s pledge to promote inclusive growth and support local businesses. A common theme in each of the presentations was the need to address the climate emergency. Across the board, councils and authorities are promoting, and many cases already implementing, cleaner and greener infrastructural alternatives to carbon-heavy modes of transportation and production. The Chamber Transport Group, who recently hosted a roundtable on the topic of decarbonising transport, recognised and welcomed this movement.

Roads revamp reviewed

Plans to reconfigure parts of Bradford city centre including road alterations have been shared with the Chamber in recent months. A recent consultation on what is known as the ‘Transforming Cities Fund’ (TCF) has been responded to by the Chamber. The TCF involves Bradford council bidding for up to £80 million to help make changes in and around the city centre on four particular schemes: 1.

South Bradford Park & Ride and Expressway

West Bradford – Cycle Superhighway Extension

Bradford Interchange Station Access

Bradford City Centre Walking and Cycling Improvements

The Chamber’s response has welcomed the need to create a more attractive, friendly and inviting city centre, which the reforms hope to achieve, while also noting that easy access to the area remains crucial. The project includes pedestrianisation, the closure of some key roads into the city, and the promotion of cycling and walking. The recent disruption to city centre shopping caused by the pandemic has done nothing to assist Bradford’s aim of ensuring the city remains a key focal point for retail, leisure and hospitality, and the Chamber has highlighted how closing more roads further hampers that objective. The Chamber’s submission also stressed that further development of the local cycling network should include separate segregation of cycling lanes. Also, the short-term redevelopment of the city’s two train stations should not reduce commitment to the new Northern Powerhouse Rail line coming through the city, said the Chamber. Jonathan O’Connor, who chairs Bradford Chamber’s Property Forum, said: “This is an important scheme that will contribute to the changing landscape of the city. It seems well thought out and it will bring benefits to Bradford. Disruption due to construction while work is underway is inevitable, I’m afraid, and so the Council should consider rolling together city centre schemes so disruption time is limited rather than stretching out over several years.”

We are Raising the Bar talking about going green and acting on it. In mid-November, recognition was given to businesses who strive to enhance the environment and community in which we live through the Raising the Bar Make a Pledge campaign.

The evening included an overview of the Chamber’s commitment to managing social impact and an outstanding presentation from Paul Cogan, Finance & Resources Director, Bettys & Taylors Group, who shared the very impressive corporate social responsibility activity the company undertakes.

In March 2021, the West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce launched its Raising the Bar Make a Pledge Campaign, developed to encourage businesses to think about their social impact and the positive influence they could have. Businesses from across the West & North Yorkshire region were invited to make a pledge and vocalise how they aimed to make a positive impact. Pledges could relate to the community and environment or the economy and environment

Supporting the local economy is a key part of business, and many companies demonstrated how they had implemented local procurement practices and enhanced apprenticeship programmes. Many companies are also working with young people and linking to local schools. With COP26 at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it was fantastic to see companies discussing their environmental impact and sharing the steps they have taken to reduce their carbon footprint.

Andrew Edwards, BBC Radio Leeds presenter, hosted an event at Aspire, Leeds, which gave recognition to businesses across the region who had achieved or were working towards their pledge and celebrated all the hard work businesses put into supporting the wider community.

Outstanding recognition was given to Hillcrest Wealth Financial Planning, Addleshaw Goddard, Naylor Wintersgill and Intellistart.

Raising the Bar Primary sponsor, Provident Financial Group and Raising the Bar Make a Pledge Campaign sponsor, HSBC made exceptional pledges, including setting a science-based carbon reduction target to be net-zero by 2040 and offering free Financial Education lessons.

Next year (2022), the Annual Raising the Bar Awards will return. Keep an eye on the Raising the Bar website www. raising-the-bar.org.uk Twitter and LinkedIn pages for more information about the awards and how your business can get involved.

West & North Yorkshire Business

RAISING THE BAR 53

MAKE A PLEDGE CAMPAIGN SPONSOR

PRIMARY SPONSOR

West & North Yorkshire Business

54 SOCIAL

What you missed online The Chamber has seen great activity across all social media platforms in the past several months. The selected posts below are examples of some of the valuable information and discussions shared by the Chamber and our members on a daily basis. We would love to know your thoughts on this quarter’s magazine and your local Chamber. What would you like to know more about or see more of in the future? Did any articles stand out to you? Get involved with the regional business discussion on Twitter by tagging us @WNYChamber and mentioning #YorkshireBusiness.

Our profiles Twitter @WNYChamber

LinkedIn West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

Facebook West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce

West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce British Chambers of Commerce Accredited

West & North Yorkshire Business

56 YORK & NORTH YORKSHIRE CHAMBER ANNUAL DINNER

Leeds Chamber York & North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner

ANNUAL DINNER

In September we held our York and North Yorkshire Chamber Annual Dinner at the National Railway Museum which was kindly sponsored by HSBC, Saville Group, Rollits LLP and Shepherd Group. Our guests enjoyed a fantastic evening and had the chance to socialise and catch up with friends, members and contacts they hadn’t had the opportunity to meet throughout 2020/21. We were also joined by our guest speaker Rev. Richard Coles who regaled the audience with the humorous highlights of his career. The Charity Raffle at the end of the evening raised £2,229 for The Island charity in York.

2021

MAIN SPONSOR

West & North Yorkshire Business Q4 2021

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