Business & growth

Regional Growth Fund: The first round of the Regional Growth Fund sees £450 million invested in businesses across Britain.

LEP tour: Business Minister Mark Prisk has had his first meeting with local enterprise partnerships in the West Country and South West of England. As part of his tour, he also met with Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough local enterprise partnership and the New Anglia local enterprise partnership in Ipswich.

Space industry growth: The Space Leadership Council has set out actions to boost the UK space industry and achieve outcomes of the Government’s Plan for Growth.

BCC speech: Read Business Secretary Vince Cable's speech to the British Chambers of Commerce.

Minimum wage: The Government has accepted the independent Low Pay Commission’s recommendations for this year’s National Minimum Wage rates, including a new £6.08 per hour minimum wage for adults. 

Higher Education & Skills

Reforming HE: Vince Cable addressed the HEFCE conference on the need for universities to provide students with value for money.

£20m management training fund to help SMEs grow: Skills Minister John Hayes has called on senior leaders in SMEs to take advantage of funding that will support leadership and management training to help them grow their businesses.

Postal services

Bill amendments: The Government has published a number of amendments to strengthen the Postal Services Bill.

Automotive industry

Low carbon HGVs: A long-term strategy aimed at helping manufacturers of commercial vehicles and construction equipment move to low carbon solutions has been published by the joint industry/government Automotive Council co-chaired by Vince Cable.

Get involved

BIS currently has two consultations open. They are:

• A Competition Regime for Growth: A Consultation on Options for Reform
• Resolving workplace disputes - public consultation