HLAS

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched The Net Zero Hydrogen Fund (NZHF), worth up to £240 million. The NZHF will provide capital and development expenditure to support the commercial deployment of new low carbon hydrogen production projects. The aim is to ensure the UK has a diverse and secure decarbonised energy system to meet the Government's ambitions of reaching net zero by 2050 and 10 gigawatts of low carbon hydrogen production by 2030. Strand 1 - Development Expenditure (DEVEX) This competition will support DEVEX costs for front end engineering design (FEED) and post-FEED studies, aiming [...]

Organisations can apply for a share of up to £7.6 million (inclusive of VAT) to develop demonstrators that enable lower emissions and a greener railway, innovations in rail freight, and cost efficiencies and performance priorities for a reliable railway. This competition aims to demonstrate innovations to stakeholders and railway customers in a representative railway environment. This is a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition funded by the Department for Transport (DfT). This competition is part of a wider ‘First of a Kind’ demonstrator initiative, on behalf of the DfT, to accelerate innovation in the UK rail sector and enable technologies to be [...]

Now in their fifth year, the awards have recognised and celebrated the innovative and outstanding achievements of small and medium size British businesses across all industries. The British Business Awards offers you and your colleagues the opportunity to gain the industry and country-wide recognition you deserve. These awards are open to any businesses in the UK which fall within the traditional definition of an SME – namely up to 250 employees. Ideally the business should have been trading at least since January 2020, but the judges will consider younger businesses formed after this date. The awards are also open to [...]

The remaining import controls on EU goods will no longer be introduced this year, instead, traders will continue to move their goods from the European Union to Great Britain as they do now. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the recent rise in global energy costs, have had a significant effect on supply chains that are still recovering from the pandemic. The government has concluded that it would be wrong to impose new administrative requirements on businesses who may pass-on the associated costs to consumers already facing pressures on their finances. There will now be a review how to implement the [...]

Then ask us about our comprehensive guide to the financial, tax and accounting considerations of starting a business, “The New Business Kit,” which we offer free to start ups or those who have recently made the jump into business ownership. The guide helps start-ups think about: Selecting a legal entity; Registering with the tax authorities; Accounting and bookkeeping; Value Added Tax; Payroll taxes and pensions; Income and corporation tax; Cash planning and forecasting; Insurance; Selecting professional advisers; and Digital accounting systems. In addition there is a section of useful names, addresses and telephone numbers. Just ask – it is free! [...]

It has been over one year since the off payroll working rules (IR35) changed in the private and voluntary sectors. Some organisations who engage contractors in those sectors who didn’t need to apply the rules for 2021-22 as they did not meet the size conditions — may now need to apply the rules. Ensure you check the Employment Status Manual for whether the rules apply to your business every year. This is particularly true if you have: become a newly formed business been bought by another organisation grown in size over the last few years If you are new to the rules, you should [...]

This is a question many of our clients want answering! The truth is it depends on a range of factors and any valuation is only useful as a guide for planning forward. The ultimate value of a business is the price a willing buyer is prepared to pay for it. The prevailing economic climate and state of the business’ sector can affect company valuation for better or worse, as can your reasons for selling. If you need a fast sale due to ill health, for instance, the value may be lower than if a sale was taking place under more [...]

RPA recognises that this is a really challenging time for many rural businesses and they share some updates and reflect on what has been achieved in the website link below. The updates include: the Sustainable Farming Incentive in 2022 Landscape Recovery and Local Nature Recovery the Lump Sum Exit scheme RPA have published their 5 Year Strategy which sets out their main objectives in delivering agricultural transition, meeting both customer expectations and policy needs, delivering environmental outcomes through a quality service and being an exemplar of the Civil Service’s Operational Delivery Profession working in practice. RPA continued to deliver a [...]

Watch a webinar and sign up for email alerts to learn more about the support available if your business is affected by COVID-19. Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) Rebate Scheme Register for the next live webinar about COVID-19 Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme 2. You will learn about: making payments to employees who are off sick or self-isolating because of COVID-19 on or after December 2021 what employees you can claim for under the scheme Watch a video about COVID-19 Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme 2. COVID-19 Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme 2. How to report COVID-19 taxable grants and payments Watch [...]

Future homebuyers will see their prospective property bills reduce in just over two months, when the government’s ban on charging ground rent on new leases in England and Wales comes into force. The government is taking action to rid future homeowners of annual costs – known as ground rent. Sometimes worth hundreds of pounds a year, these charges provide no clear service in return and can be set to escalate regularly, with a significant financial burden for leaseholders. From 30 June 2022, anyone buying a home on a long new lease will now be freed from these annual costs, helping [...]