China-Britain Business Council and UK Trade & Investment have identified the latest business opportunities for UK companies across various sectors.
This is a fairly long list so make sure you don’t miss out and see if there are any of interest to you and your specific sector.
Please click here for the full listing.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Saul Humphrey is current Managing Director at one of the Norfolk Chamber’s longest standing members: RG Carter Ltd.
Saul’s question to the Chancellor was:
“The industry I work in is construction and as you know construction makes up 8% of GDP and accounts for about 10% of all employment. The benefit of investment in construction is however not only immediate, but also much long-term with economic and social benefits for all.
In truth my industry’s embryonic economic recovery is largely quite London centric and dominated by the house building sector following the Governments introduction of the “Help to Buy” mortgage guarantee Scheme.
Unfortunately proposal infrastructure investment in High Speed 2 is also not expected to have any benefit to the Norfolk population. It also appears the Green Deal has also not yet really caught the public imagination and even proposed capital investment for Sizewell ‘C’ will be controversial to say the least.
I am delighted that we are seeing improvements to the A11 and hopefully future investment in the NDR. Proposed improvements to the train line from Norwich to London and support for the growing science and research community at NRP is also very welcome.
What more can we all do together for the benefit of Norfolk and indeed the East of England to help accelerate the economic recovery, help achieve our carbon reduction commitment and, in doing so, help our country to grow its economy in a sustainable manner?”
Find on the attached document the written response from George Osborne.
Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP West Norfolk Skills Survey
As we head into 2014, the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP (GCGP) is busy making plans for the future and they need your help. Looking ahead, the Government has determined that the GCGP LEP will have strategic influence over public funded training, as well as the ability to direct European Funds to where they are needed most for the West Norfolk local area and for our local businesses. This is where they need your help.
With increased influence and the ability to help shape the training available to local people the GCGP want to find out what you, as a local business in West Norfolk, need to help your company succeed in the future. Your views are also vital to help secure future funding for the GCGP LEP area. They have launched an online survey to find out more about your current and future skills and training needs to help them ensure that what is delivered locally meets your requirements.
The survey should take no more than ten minutes to complete and they would really appreciate your input. Complete the online survey here.
The GCGP would appreciate your support by completing the Skills Survey and also letting your contacts know about both of these projects where appropriate.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Ian Hetherington is Fuel Terminal Manager of Asco UK Ltd in Great Yarmouth. Asco have been members of the Chamber for 10 months having joined in March of 2013
Ian’s question to the Chancellor was:
“According to reports this month the big six energy firms received almost £900 million last year through consumer subsidies. This was worth £200 million more than the electricity produced by on and off shore wind farms. Onshore farms receive approximately 50% of their income through subsidies and with offshore wind farms; it’s about twice the value of electricity produced. With this in mind, can the Chancellor say with any certainty that electricity generated by wind farms will at some stage become self-sufficient and affordable, thereby removing the need for consumer subsidies (and also government subsidies) and if so, how will this affect investment in future wind farm construction projects? i.e. will we see it decline?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department of Energy & Climate Change.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Andrew Sherwood is Human Resources Director at Bernard Matthews who are not only one of the Norfolk Chamber’s Gold Patrons but is one of Norfolk’s biggest known brands.
Andrew’s question to the Chancellor was:
“The Prime Minister has recently announced a review of ‘Green Energy Taxes’ following the recent increases in energy prices by the major energy companies. This will bring a significant level of uncertainty to investors and developers alike, supporting the green energy agenda. Green Energy taxes make up a 9% of the average dual fuel bill and support the government’s commitment to carbon reduction and renewable energy.
Can the government give the commitment to provide certainty with green energy taxes moving forward to provide the confidence to allow investments to continue to be made in this sector?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the HM Treasury.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Sally-Ann Forsyth is the Chief Executive at Norwich Research Partners who have been members only a short time having joined the Chamber in June of 2013.
Sally Ann’s question to the Chancellor was:
“Norwich Research Park is a concentrated science cluster comprising the complete innovation supply chain from fundamental research to clinical trials all within a 1km radius. The aim is to encourage the translation of this world class UK research in to world class innovations for the Global Market.
On site we are building a thriving science and innovation community that supports the establishment of new companies, nurtures SMEs and aims to attract inward investment to drive economic growth in the region. What role does the Chancellor see for Norwich Research Park in supporting the commercialisation of UK leading science to generate growing companies and how will the Government help it to achieve this?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Business Innovation & Skills.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
TaxAssist Direct Ltd are based in Norwich and have been members of the Chamber for just under a year now. Karl Sandall is the Chief Executive at TaxAssist Direct Ltd.
Karl’s question to the Chancellor was:
“We have heard that the British bankers Association are working with the banks to set up a team of Business Mentors who will help small business owners raise finance. Are Government aware of and in support of this initiative and what else are they doing to support small businesses in obtaining lending from the banks?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Education.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
Gerard Mulqueen is Business Unit Director at the King’s Lynn based agricultural company Germains Seed Technology.
Gerard’s question to the Chancellor was:
“It is predicted, from various government papers and scientific journals, that a 60% increase in food supply will be required by 2050 to meet the needs of the nine billion global population, putting increasing pressure on the current global agricultural supply chain. This will also be experienced in the UK, where although we export in the region of £12billion of food and drink (2007), we are reliant on 40% of imports to supplement our internal food needs; an increasing trend.
As referenced in ‘A UK Strategy for Agricultural Technologies’, funding is ear-marked to support the commercialisation of research into sustainable intensification of agriculture. What proportion, and in what form, will this funding be available for the Agri-tech cluster in Norfolk?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs.
As a follow up to the Norfolk Chamber’s ‘Audience with George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer’ event on the 7 November, we submitted a number of questions from our members to the Chancellor. Responses to those questions are now starting to be received from the relevant Ministers within Westminster.
John Last, Vice Chancellor at the Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), asked two questions to the Chancellor, we have now received his second response.
John’s question to the Chancellor was:
“One if the enduring strengths of UK HE plc has been the influence we have had through overseas students coming to the UK to study, in terms of their contribution to our economy and then such students taking a UK-friendly way of thinking and openness to working with and buying from the UK back to their country of origin. At Norwich University of the Arts we appreciate the concerns about appropriate monitoring of entrants to the UK but nonetheless wonder if the Government might be able to do anything further to support Universities such as NUA in giving access to UK HE to suitably qualified students?”
Find on the attached document the written response from the Department for Business innovation & Skills.
Commenting ahead of the latest GDP results, Caroline Williams, Chief Executive of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce said: At present Norfolk business confidence is high and the Norfolk and East of England business communities are resolute in their determination to take the recovery from being good to being truly great.
The recent British Chambers of Commerce Quarterly Economic Survey (released 7 January), showed that firms from all sectors across Norfolk believe they can create jobs, invest, and export. It is especially pleasing that the spurt in manufacturing has proven not to be a fluke, which demonstrates the dynamism of our small, high value, manufacturing sector. But Norfolk businesses have major ambitions, and to be able to meet them, more support must be provided. Cashflow continues to be an ongoing concern, and may hold businesses back from expanding to meet the growing levels of demand. We must give companies the opportunity to get the finance they need to go out and trade in the world if we are to succeed in rebalancing the economy.
In the manufacturing sector, key balances are at all time highs, and domestic balances in the services sector continue to break new ground. The strong export and investment balances confirm that business in the East of England is set to play a key role in rebalancing the economy.
One such example is Great Yarmouth based, Dabbrook Services Ltd who has had great success in exporting. Their first successful large export was to Kuwait in 2010, where they supplied and commissioned remote solar power systems.
Anna Smith, Finance Manager for Dabbrook said “Being one of the few companies worldwide able to offer the expertise to the design, manufacture and installation of Remote Power Systems, we are very active in exporting worldwide and to the Middle East in particular, having just successfully completed a $1.2m project, we are in the final bidding stages for a further $3m contract. With the help of Norfolk Chamber of Commerce and UKTI we are exploring further afield for new opportunities.”
Prior Diesel Ltd, operates in oil, gas, marine, power and construction industries and is also based in Great Yarmouth. They too have accomplished export success. Chris Conroy, Managing Director said:”In the last twelve months we’ve exported to over sixty different companies across the globe and we expect that number to increase this year.”
As part of their commitment to developing their partnerships with stakeholders, Abellio Greater Anglia have commissioned the independent research organisation – Jungle Green Ltd – to conduct an online Stakeholder Research Survey. This research involved a short questionnaire that will help Abellio Greater Anglia understand the areas in which they are doing well and where they need improvement.
Abellio Greater Anglia to shape how they work with stakeholders in the future by completing the online survey.
The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) has today (Thursday) published its Skills and Employment Manifesto, setting out ways to radically transform the systems that educate our young people, and recommendations for training our adult workforce.
Employers consistently tell us that there is a mismatch between what they are looking for in their staff, and the skills, experience and attitude offered by too many prospective candidates. The Prime Minister regularly refers to a global race, yet the BCC believes that in the 21st century, it is the countries with the most skilled workforces – both young and old – that will be the ultimate winners.
The Manifesto calls for:
Commenting, Nora Senior, President of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), said:
“Skills will decide who wins and who loses in a 21st century economy – yet employers across the UK constantly say they struggle to find prospective employees, particularly those leaving education, who have the right skills to succeed in the workplace.
“Although we believe that successive governments have failed our young people by not properly equipping them for their future careers, it is time to break away from the blame game. Various organisations and sectors continue to blame each other for a lack of ‘work readiness’ among young people, but it is time for everyone to accept some responsibility, and find ways to move forward.
Commenting Caroline Williams CEO Norfolk Chamber said:
“The world has changed at a rapid pace. If Norfolk doesn’t keep up, employers who are unable to access the skills they need or those unwilling to invest in training will lose business to other firms at home and abroad, putting us at a disadvantage. Simple measures, such as investing in quality careers education, making employability a key measure for schools, and supporting interaction between pupils and local employers, will deliver more jobs and growth in the long-term.
“Government, schools, colleges and employers must all work together in the coming months and years to ensure that the UK including Norfolk has a workforce that is ‘fit for purpose’. Failure to do so risks consigning generation after generation to a less prosperous future. Norfolk Chamber has made this a key priority for a number of years and it is great that we have our national network assisting us orchestrate change”