News Call for digital adoption fund to boost small business productivity (Growth Business covers new Coadec report) Bounce Back Loan Scheme top-ups open for eligible businesses (British Business Bank) Rishi Sunak extends furlough scheme till end of March and increases support to self-employed (Elite Business) Some 19,000 jobs for 16-24s created under government Kickstart scheme (CityAM) Y Combinat...
Read More »News Business secretary urges businesses to prepare for the end of the transition period (gov.uk promoting gov.uk/transition) More than half of UK business angels continued to invest post Covid-19 (British Business Bank launches latest report with UK Business Angels Association) SMEs cut off from bounce back loans as banks close to new customers (CityAM) Majority of UK businesses to scrap working ...
Read More »Company formations sustain growth Company formations in the first nine months of the year are 9.5% higher than January to September 2019. To date, 572,882 companies have launched in 2020. Every English region and devolved nation saw year-on-year growth in company formations in September, averaging 29% across the UK and creating a four-month run of growth. Scotland saw 29% year-on-year growth in S...
Read More »News Reforms to Companies House to clamp down on fraud and give businesses greater confidence in transactions (gov.uk announces identity verification for directors, in line with CFE’s recommendations) Support for entrepreneurs critical for post-Covid recovery (Enterprise Research Centre features Global Entrepreneurship Monitor research) Business groups urge chancellor to unveil autumn Budget...
Read More »News Half a million UK job losses forecast this autumn (FT features Institute of Employment Studies) Coronavirus insolvency measured must be extended, says IoD (CityAM) Local lockdown business grants ‘not enough’, warn lobby groups (BBC covers BCC) Lloyds rapped for forcing Bounce Bank Loans borrowers to open accounts (SmallBusiness) New diversity ‘standard’ for VC firms la...
Read More »News New productivity institute part of £37m investment to boost UK wage growth and living standards (gov.uk) Future Fund publishes diversity data of companies receiving convertible loan agreements (British Business Bank) UK businesses grow at fastest rate in seven years as economy reopens (CityAM) Government being urged to change rules on business support grants before schemes are closed at the e...
Read More »News Changes to working time requirements for Enterprise Management Incentives (gov.uk publishes guidance confirming furloughed employees will retain EMI tax advantages) Small businesses cut jobs as furlough scheme winds down (FT covers FSB survey) New report shows fintech usage increased by 50% during lockdown (UK Tech News covers Yobota survey) British fintech investment slows as venture backers...
Read More »News More SMEs eligible for coronavirus loans under rule change (CityAM covers announcement allowing many unsuccessful applicants to reapply, as loans now total £46.7bn) No new support for workers excluded from government support, says chancellor (Independent) One-fifth of startups not planning to be back in the office this year (Evening Standard covers Beringea and Connect Ventures research) Over...
Read More »News While business groups welcomed the ‘jobs first approach‘ (CityAM) of the Chancellor’s economic recovery plan, the Resolution Foundation was one of many calling the Job Retention Bonus a “deadweight loss” and “too small and temporary to have a major impact” Thousands of business advisors to offer free services to small firms (gov.uk announces the Recov...
Read More »News Scooter startups take to UK streets from early July (Sifted) Future Fund opens to British startups headquartered overseas (Growth Business) ‘Codecademy for VCs’ launches (Sifted covers Merit) Female Ventures Fund to invest £10m in women-only startups in first year (Growth Business) SETsquared Bristol bags ‘hottest accelerator in Europe’ award (Government Computing) Opi...
Read More »