Cheddar Creative co-owners Richard Wood and Cassie Bendall
- Credit: Cheddar Creative
Small companies across Suffolk and Norfolk are being given expert advice to help them through the pandemic recession.
So far, 133 firms with a turnover of £100k-plus and five or more employees have signed up to get free peer mentoring as part of a national economic recovery effort delivered through New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The LEP - which is offering help to 250 companies in total - is particularly keen to target social care providers and hospitality businesses with its £1,300 Peer Networks mentoring package. The firms must be at least one year old.
Published:
10:58 AM December 29, 2020
Businesses face huge challenges in 2021 - but support is available from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership
- Credit: DENISE BRADLEY
A pledge has been made to support firms through an extremely challenging period next year amid the Brexit transition and ongoing coronavirus restrictions.
The pandemic caused record-breaking numbers of redundancies in the East of England in 2020, albeit a relatively low number of businesses entering liquidation.
But the pandemic did not hit all sectors of the economy equally, with some sectors such as tourism and hospitality suffering more, with greater restrictions.
C-J Green, chairwoman of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, outlined the support that the LEP would put in place for firms in the east as the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic continues to unravel.
Published:
3:23 PM December 24, 2020
Updated:
4:12 PM December 24, 2020
With only two months to go until the end of the Brexit transition, a trade deal has yet to be agreed. Picture: PA Wire/PA Images
- Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Norfolk businesses and consumers will head into 2021 with more confidence after the UK successfully struck a trade deal with the European Union.
The post-Brexit deal was secured on Christmas Eve after months of frantic negotiations.
Boris Johnson said: “This deal means certainty – certainty for the aviation industry, and the hauliers, certainty for the police and border forces, security services and all those we rely on across Europe to keep us all safe.”
Published:
11:35 AM December 22, 2020
Updated:
1:23 PM December 22, 2020
Tyler Johnson, 18, with his new laptop provided by the New Anglia LEP digital inclusion scheme.
- Credit: SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL
A plumbing apprentice from West Suffolk is among those benefitting from a new digital inclusion scheme run by New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Tyler Johnson, 18, from Sudbury, is studying for a Level 3 Plumbing Apprenticeship at West Suffolk College.
Mr Johnson received a new laptop on loan from the LEP this month enabling him to take part in online meetings with his tutors.
He works four days a week helping his brother Curtis with his plumbing business and one day a week on his course at West Suffolk College.
Gordon Ellis, from the company who are also selling agents on behalf of developers Atex Developments, said: “We are very happy to have secured the letting and sales of all the units in the third phase of the development. It shows good demand for commercial space and establishes Atex Business Park as a new Trade Park location for Stowmarket.
Atex Business Park is a redevelopment of brownfield land close to junction 50 of the A14.
It was part-funded with £630,000 from New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership s (LEP) Growing Places Fund.
This provides loan-funding to help kick-start and support development projects across Suffolk and Norfolk.