HLAS

Digital Security by Design (DSbD) challenge and Digital Catapult have launched a new programme for developers and organisations to experiment with DSbD technologies. The Technology Access Programme has been developed to build a pipeline and community of developers and technology companies to trial and experiment with the new DSbD technologies, to address the cyber security challenges faced by embedded product and software companies. What is available? To support a six-month experimentation period with the DSbD technologies within their own organisations, programme participants will have access to: the Morello Board and CHERI prototype architecture and hardware technical guidance £15,000 in funding [...]

Innovate UK’s ‘Driving the Electric Revolution’ challenge, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £4.5 million in projects building talent for the future. The aim of this competition is to create and deliver course content and materials that will support skills, talent and training across Power Electronics, Machines and Drives (PEMD) manufacturing and supply chains; building awareness of PEMD and filling key gaps in the UK's workforce talent and training capabilities. Opportunities could include but are not limited to: schools’ engagement apprenticeships and internships upskilling and reskilling of existing workforce technical courses and vocational training undergraduate, postgraduate [...]

‘Help to Grow: Digital’ is a UK-wide scheme to help small and medium-sized businesses adopt digital technologies that are proven to increase productivity. The scheme offers: free, impartial advice and guidance about what digital technology is best suited to your business and how it can boost your business' performance targeted financial support, if your business is eligible, worth up to £5,000 towards the costs of buying approved digital technologies The website offers advice, guidance and tools to help businesses explore the huge potential of digital technology to help your business to grow. It aims to help you: identify the digital technology needs of your business make [...]

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched the new ‘Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) Phase 2: Spring 2022’ competition window. Businesses can bid for a share of up to £60 million in grant funding through this new phase. The competition will provide grant funding for the following project types: studies - feasibility and engineering studies to enable companies to investigate identified energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects prior to making an investment decision energy efficiency - deployment of technologies to reduce industrial energy consumption deep decarbonisation - deployment of technologies to achieve industrial emissions savings Your business must [...]

Following an extended pilot programme, the government has launched a new series of innovation loans worth £150 million. Innovate UK will deliver the loans through a series of competitions over the next three years to support small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) and level up the UK. The first competition has now opened for applications. Innovation loans: Future Economy competition - round 1 As part of the first competition, Innovate UK is offering up to £25 million in loans to micro businesses and SMEs. The funding will be allocated across a series of four consecutive rounds with the next round opening [...]

In the UK there are a wide range of different religions that both employers and employees may need to have some understanding of and how they may occasionally affect the workplace. Many workplaces have employees from different religious and non-religious backgrounds. Encouraging greater awareness and understanding of these backgrounds can be rewarding, particularly in terms of team building. It can also help to reduce the chance of misunderstanding resulting in complaints or disciplinary action. ACAS have produced guidance for employers and employees on how to reduce the chance of religion or belief discrimination happening at work, how it might happen and how [...]

The Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) is part of the Global Britain Investment Fund, of which £354 million will support life sciences manufacturing. The LSIMF will provide £60 million in capital grants for investment in the manufacture of: human medicines (drug substance and drug product) medical diagnostics MedTech products The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) encourage applications from companies ready to deploy their emerging technologies at scale in commercial manufacturing. See: Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund (LSIMF) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The UK has climbed to second in the international rankings for women’s representation on boards at FTSE 100 level, with new data released recently, showing nearly 40% of UK FTSE 100 board positions are now held by women, compared with 12.5% just 10 years ago. The data has been published in a report by the government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review, which monitors women’s representation in 24,000 positions on FTSE 350 Boards and in leadership teams of the UK’s biggest companies, building on the success of the previous Hampton-Alexander and Davies Reviews. The findings demonstrate a major sea-change in attitudes to getting women leaders to the top table of [...]

Our property finance experts specialise in arranging finance for new build, conversion and refurbishment projects for property developers and investors. Our property finance experts also arrange competitive bridging loans to ‘bridge’ a timing gap between a debt coming due, or the main line of credit becoming available. Our experts can also help you to purchase your business freehold with a Commercial Mortgage tailored for you. The benefits of arranging Property Finance are: Access to highly competitive rates, arranged by a team of experts who will walk with you to completion and beyond, advising you every step of the way Access [...]

The government have announced the rise in the National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage from April 2022. Please talk to us if you have any questions about your payroll. In full, the increases are: National Living Wage (23+) to increase from £8.91 to £9.50 National Minimum Wage (21-22) to increase from £8.36 to £9.18 National Minimum Wage (18-20) to increase £6.56 to £6.83 National Minimum Wage (16-17) to increase £4.62 to £4.81 Apprenticeship Wage to increase from £4.30 to £4.81 See: National Minimum Wage and National Living Wage rates - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)