HLAS

Innovate UK has announced a new collaborative research and development (CR&D) competition. UK-registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £10 million for net zero propulsion innovative projects. Projects must demonstrate significant improvements in net zero propulsion technologies which may apply across multiple transport modes. The programme aims to build on previous sector-specific mobility programmes by creating a cross-sector platform. You are encouraged to apply your knowledge and capability to adjacent transport sectors including automotive, aerospace, maritime and rail. Your project must focus on one or more of the following transport sectors: Maritime - Clean maritime technologies for all sizes [...]

Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition Round 3 Innovate UK is working with the Department for Transport (DfT) to invest up to £60 million in innovation projects. These will be to develop and deploy real-world operational demonstrations of clean maritime solutions in an operational setting. The Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC) Round 3 is part of a suite of interventions to be launched by the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK SHORE). UK SHORE aims to transform the UK into a global leader in the design and manufacturing of clean maritime technology. Your proposal must develop, test and deploy novel clean [...]

Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability. The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for: A grant to help pay for practical support with your work. Support with managing your mental health at work. Money to pay for communication support at job interviews. See: Access to Work: get support if you have a disability or health condition: What Access to Work is - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Launched in 2022, ProtectUK is a new central hub for counterterrorism and security advice. Whether you’re a business owner, work in security, or are a member of the public, register with ProtectUK to become part of the community and receive the latest news and online courses that will enable you to be better protected. By signing up you can: Access the latest security guidance and conduct your own risk assessments. Stay informed about different threat types and how to avoid them. Read the latest news and participate in the community. Take part in online learning. See: Welcome to ProtectUK | [...]

In the Autumn Budget 2021, the UK Government published a consultation which ran from 27 October 2021 to 30 January 2022, inviting stakeholders to submit their views on the proposed reforms to the alcohol duty system. The Alcohol Duty Review aims to improve the current system by making it simpler, more economically rational and less administratively burdensome on businesses and HMRC. The document in the link below summarises the responses to the consultation and provides the government’s response. The government carefully considered the issues raised by respondents and stated that they were grateful for all of the input received. The [...]

The new form of the Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS) is designed to support access to finance for UK businesses as they look to invest and grow. Businesses can use the finance for any legitimate business purpose – including managing cash flow, investment, and growth. However, businesses must be able to afford to take out additional debt finance for these purposes. The British Business Bank will administer the scheme on behalf of the Secretary of State for the department for business, energy & industrial strategy (BEIS). Key features include: Up to £2 million per business group: The maximum amount of a facility [...]

HMRC is encouraging business owners, employers and the self-employed to check online to make sure they are not missing out on a range of tax reliefs and allowances. One page summary of all tax reliefs and allowances HMRC’s new page on GOV.UK summarises items that people running their own businesses should explore that could help them keep more of what they earn. With just one click, businesses, employers and the self-employed can find out their eligibility for tax reliefs and financial allowances, as well as how to claim them. These include: Tax-deductible business expenses If you’re self-employed, you can deduct some [...]

Innovation has generally been recognised as essential for value creation, both for individual companies and for the UK economy as a whole. The development of new ideas, processes and technologies and their flow across different sectors is a significant driver of economic growth and productivity. Recently, innovation has also been identified as crucial to the transition of the economy away from fossil fuels and carbon-intensive business activities. Many factors affect whether and how businesses innovate, for example, the availability of skills and capital and government policy measures such as tax incentives. However, none are more important than the company’s own [...]

The UK Government will end the special status of all retained EU law by 31 December 2023. Under the Brexit Freedoms Bill, all EU legislation will be either amended, repealed or replaced. Many EU laws kept on after Brexit were agreed as part of a compromise between 28 different EU member states and were duplicated into the UK’s statute books. All EU legislation will be amended, repealed, or replaced under the new Brexit Freedoms Bill introduced to Parliament last month, which will end the special legal status of all retained EU law by 2023 and give the UK the opportunity [...]

The Energy Bill Relief Scheme (EBRS) will provide energy bill relief for non-domestic customers in Great Britain (Scotland, England and Wales). Discounts will be applied to energy usage initially between 1 October 2022 and 31 March 2023. This support will be applied automatically to all eligible bills by suppliers. You do not need to take action or apply to the scheme. The level of support for each organisation will vary depending on the type and date of the contract. You will find details of how you will get the reduction based on the type of contract you are on and several examples [...]