No images? Click here Hertfordshire LEP: March 2021 newsletterGeneral news Tony Medhurst joins the Hertfordshire LEP BoardPrincipal of Hertford Regional College, Tony Medhurst, has joined the LEP Board as Further Education representative. Tony takes over from Kit Davies, Principal of North Herts College, who stepped down on 25 March, having completed a full two year term. Business New high spec business centre at Maxwell's FarmFunded by the LEP and Broxbourne Borough Council, a new business and technology centre encompassing 3,209m² of office space, studios and training facilities is being developed in Broxbourne. The centre will be a hub for tech firms and SMEs and create local employment opportunities. Support for Herts SMEsThe LEP's Volunteer Business Support Scheme, delivered by Hertfordshire Growth Hub and the University of Hertfordshire, has been extended to November 2021. Part of our £3.28m COVID-19 support package, the scheme has helped over 190 businesses and provided over 600 hours of support since launch. New Brexit Ready podcast series for local businessesThis new series is produced by the South East cluster of LEPs and their Growth Hubs, to support businesses across Hertfordshire, London and Essex looking to navigate their way through new post-Brexit rules. In the first episode, Hertfordshire business Evolve Organic Beauty is joined by experts to discuss the impact of new VAT rules. Hertfordshire commits to offsite manufacturingNearly 20 housing providers, led by Watford Community Housing and supported by the LEP, Hertfordshire IQ and Hertfordshire Growth Board, have committed to scaling up the use of offsite manufacturing methods to accelerate the delivery of sustainable homes and enable the county to meet its net zero carbon targets. Visit Herts tourism and hospitality sector insightsExplore the Research & Insights page on the Visit Herts Business website to access the latest local, regional and international research and trend reports. The information has been collated by Visit Herts to enable local tourism and hospitality businesses to develop better informed strategies. Places New River Bridge opens in HoddesdonWith an £8.9m investment from the LEP and funding from Hertfordshire County Council and Broxbourne Borough Council, the New River Bridge was completed on time and on budget to provide a modern and resilient road link to the 118 acre Hoddesdon Business Park, a key employment area. Flexible workspaces to be launched in StevenageFunding from the LEP and Stevenage Borough Council is helping transform underutilised space across 21-29 Town Square into 15,000 sq.ft. of workspace, as well as a roof terrace, event area and break out rooms, to support growing businesses and encourage footfall to the town centre. Hatfield car park unlocks new sites for regenerationWith over a third of land in Hatfield town centre currently being used for surface-level parking, the LEP and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council have jointly funded The Common multi-storey car park, opened 20 March, to consolidate parking and release sites across town for further regeneration. People Hertfordshire Supports ApprenticeshipsThere has never been a better time to hire an apprentice in Hertfordshire. Hear from our Administration Assistant Mara Hubbard to learn how an apprenticeship with Hertfordshire LEP enabled her to change careers. Want to learn more about how an apprentice can support your business? Visit our Hertfordshire Supports Apprenticeships page on HOP (Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal) for more information and guidance. Hertfordshire Skills & Employment StrategyOver 170 stakeholders from across business, local government and education came together to re-shape the Hertfordshire Skills & Employment Strategy in light of COVID-19, which will provide a route-map for recovery and growth up to 2024. The refreshed strategy will be published in June. Partner news New rewards portal for health and care workersThe Health & Care Local Rewards portal enables independent businesses to advertise exclusive offers and rewards to 57,000 key workers from the Hertfordshire and West Essex NHS Trusts. The portal aims to support both key workers and SMEs affected by COVID-19. BITC National Business Response NetworkBusiness in the Community's National Business Response Network has connected 4,000 charities and communities with businesses that have been able to support their most urgent needs. Visit the website to offer or request support, and learn how others have contributed. Catalyst South harnesses AI to support female firmsAt the ‘Innovate Local - Southern Pioneers’ conference, business leaders across the South East heard how the Catalyst South alliance of six LEPs are piloting a new AI platform which will use transformative data-gathering to identify, approach and engage with female-led businesses. Events The Queen's Awards for Enterprise Launch11 May 2021, 11:00am – 12:00pm We have partnered with Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce to launch the prestigious award, which recognises the outstanding achievements of UK businesses. Hear from past winners. ICAEW East of England Economic Summit25 May 2021, 8:30am – 10:00am Insights from ICAEW's latest Business Confidence Monitor report and the Bank of England's regional summary. Hertfordshire LEP Chief Executive Neil Hayes joins the panel. |