HLAS

Millions of businesses and households are struggling with their energy costs, alongside increases in general taxation, the cost of council tax, water bills and other utilities. Is it all doom and gloom or can you plan forward and make adjustments in, and to, your business to factor in these changes? Our experience tells us that business owners are a resilient bunch and those that are the most successful are also flexible in their planning. Here are some of our recommended actions, based on what we have seen other clients doing recently to firm up their resilience to these tough times: [...]

Applications are now open for the Forestry Commission’s Tree Production Capital Grant. The funding will drive the production of tree seed and saplings through developments in machinery, automation and the expansion of facilities. In line with the aims of the England Trees Action Plan and Government ambitions to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament, the Tree Production Capital Grant will support efforts to build nursery capacity and grow long-term tree seed and sapling supply. The grant will enable suppliers to boost production rates at pace and has been designed to complement the Tree Production Innovation Fund, which provides support for [...]

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has guidance on how to manage the risks to volunteers. The guidance explains how health and safety law applies to volunteering. There is also information on: when to report incidents involving volunteers, and including volunteers in your risk assessments. The pages provide some specific advice for volunteers who manage non-domestic premises such as village and community halls, as well as guidance on charity retail and fundraising. See: Volunteering: How to manage the risks - HSE

There is £50k-£70k funding available for inspirational, life-enhancing ideas, prototypes, or plans to reimagine how personal mobility options in the UK can better support a rapidly ageing population to stay connected, active, and independent for longer. Funded by the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge, part of Innovate UK, the UK’s innovation agency, Design Age Institute’s Mobility Pathfinder Innovation Programme invites innovators, businesses and entrepreneurs from across the UK to propose personal mobility solutions at ideation stage or beyond that are commercially viable, demonstrate creativity and innovation, and can be supported towards market by investment in good design. See: Mobility Pathfinder 2023 - Innovate UK [...]

UK Research and Innovation has opened for applications round 8 of their Future Leaders Fellowships programme. The programme aims to develop, retain, attract, and sustain research and innovation talent in the UK, and facilitate movement between disciplines and sectors. To be considered for a fellowship, you must be an early career researcher or innovator who is either: looking to establish or transition to independence, or developing their own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting. You must be based at, and have the support of, an eligible academic or non-academic institution. This includes commercial organisations of any size and [...]

The United Kingdom Government, in collaboration with the Scottish and Welsh Governments, has published its draft Border Target Operating Model (TOM), setting out a new model for importing goods from all countries into Great Britain, including the EU, in line with their 2025 Border Strategy. The draft TOM proposes a new approach to security controls (applying to all imports), and sanitary and phytosanitary controls (applying to imports of live animals, animal products, plants and plants products) at the border. It sets out how controls will be simplified, digitised and, over time, delivered through the UK’s new Single Trade Window. The Cabinet Office will [...]

Following the success of Phases 1 and 2 and strong feedback from stakeholders, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has announced plans to launch Phase 3 of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF). IETF Phase 3 will be worth £185 million in grant funding to UK businesses for energy efficiency and deep decarbonisation studies and deployment projects. The department will hold a full consultation with UK industry later this year to finalise the design of Phase 3 of the fund before launching the first IETF Phase 3 competition window early next year. DESNZ is currently in the [...]

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is repeating its data protection and marketing webinar for small businesses, due to the popular demand it received last time it ran. This free event will take place on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 23 May from 10am to 11am. The ICO's experts will share tips and advice to help small businesses handle people's information confidently and unlock the value of the personal information they hold. The webinar will also offer an opportunity for people to get involved and bring along questions. The ICO will cover a range of topics, including: electronic marketing, privacy notices, and [...]

Greenwashing is the practice by which companies claim they are doing more for the environment than they actually are. Greenwashing has increased as: companies’ climate commitments are on the rise; consumers increasingly seek to buy more sustainable products; companies are incentivised to make products more attractive to consumers; and employees are attracted to work for companies with strong sustainability credentials. Making false environmental claims hampers decarbonisation progress and impact. If greenwashing is not addressed, it will undermine the efforts of genuine leaders, creating confusion, cynicism, and a failure to deliver urgent climate action. It is a collective problem which requires [...]

The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has launched a new service for UK organisations looking to use personal data in new and innovative ways As part of their commitment to helping organisations innovate and grow, the ICO is trialling a new Innovation Advice Service, designed to answer specific data protection questions. The service is aimed at organisations planning to use the personal data of people living in the UK, to drive a new or innovative product, service, or business model that is not currently live. The service is open to organisations of any size and in any sector. You can ask [...]