Grants & Finance News - Love Business East Midlands

21st March 2023

Leicester goes all-electric with new bus depot thanks to Government funding boost

People across Leicester will enjoy greener, smoother and more reliable journeys as an extra 18 UK-made electric buses are rolled out thanks to £2.9 million in Government investment.

9th March 2023

Medigold Health acquires Health Management in bold move to become the UK’s largest independent Occupational Health Provider

Northamptonshire-based Medigold Health, a leading name in the UK occupational health sector, has today announced the successful acquisition of Health Management, in a move that will see the business become the country’s largest independent provider of wor

7th March 2023

LJCC pledges funds for new mortar mill for Leicester College construction students

Leicester College has received a £6,000 donation from the Leicestershire Joint Consultative Committee (LJCC) for the Building Industry to help fund the purchase of a new mortar mill to support a variety of students on Construction courses.

6th March 2023

Town Deal funding aims to support businesses in Staveley town centre

Businesses and charities are being invited to apply for funds to help improve their premises as part of a new scheme which will support the wider regeneration of Staveley town centre.

3rd March 2023

Baroness Karren Brady CBE enters year-long partnership with Simply Business to support the success of UK SMEs

Simply Business, one of the UK’s biggest providers of small business insurance, has announced a year-long partnership with Baroness Karren Brady CBE, as the company’s first ever Small Business Ambassador.

2nd March 2023

B-Sure Recycling’s £70k investment solves customers’ waste management problems

Leicestershire-based B-Sure Installations has invested over £70k to launch a new waste management company, B-Sure Recycling.

2nd March 2023

Data-driven marketing agency maximises Customer Lifetime Value with £26k investment from the MEIF

Silver Jet Insight, a data-driven marketing agency based in Northamptonshire, is ready to take off with a £26k loan.

16th February 2023

New investment fuels growth at Edwin James Group.

Edwin James Group has received a secondary investment from funds under management by private equity firm Aliter Capital LLP (Aliter). The significant deal will support the Group’s ambitious growth plans.

15th February 2023

100+ SME manufacturers have applied for £3m Made Smarter East Midlands

More than 150 businesses have now applied for Made Smarter East Midlands – with two-thirds already going forward to the next stage.

14th February 2023

University of Leicester to lead Midlands space cluster development

Leading experts in Leicestershire have secured a share of £6.5 million of funding from the UK Space Agency to drive forward the country’s space industry.

14th February 2023

Dozens of creative businesses apply for £1.3m Create Growth East Midlands

Fifty creative businesses have already applied for places on East Midlands Create Growth - just weeks after the £1.3 million programme went live.

9th February 2023

MACILDOWIE HOSTS ‘FUNDING FOR GROWTH’ EVENT HELPING BUSINESS LEADERS ACHIEVE GROWTH AMBITIONS IN 2023 AND BEYOND

Leading Midlands recruitment and retention agency, Macildowie is partnering with Tim Davis from the London Stock Exchange to host its ‘Funding for Growth’ event, sharing insights and expertise for businesses looking to expand.

8th February 2023

Qualitative Research Agency amplifies voices for insight with £34k investment

A Northampton-based qualitative research agency, Gobby, has successfully raised nearly £34k funding to take the business to the next stage of growth.

8th February 2023

Paediatric Occupational Therapist group Children’s Sensory Therapy receives funding from MEIF Maven Debt Finance

Children’s Sensory Therapy Ltd. (“CST”), has secured a funding package from MEIF Maven Debt Finance which is part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF”) and managed by Maven Capital Partners.

2nd February 2023

Start Up Loans celebrates 100K loans worth more than £941 million to businesses across the UK

Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank, announces that its programme has facilitated over 100,000 loans worth more than £941 million to businesses throughout the UK. The figure marks a significant milestone for the programme since its creation

2nd February 2023

Professional Cricketer secures £56k funding to grow his Sports Coaching Business to the next level

A Nottingham-based sports coaching company, Kaizen Sports Group, has successfully raised £56k funding for its business expansion.

25th January 2023

Mercia invests over £120m in 2022

Mercia Asset Management - one of the UK’s most active capital providers to SMEs - invested over £120m in 159 companies during 2022, with 79% going to businesses outside London.

20th January 2023

Nottingham spin-out raises almost £1m to commercialise Tourette’s wrist device

A new wrist device to help control Tourette’s Syndrome is a step closer to being commercialised after University of Nottingham spin-out company Neupulse raised almost £1m in additional funding.

19th January 2023

Environmental Marketing Company planning expansion secures £15k funding

A Lincoln-based environmental marketing company has secured £14,500 in funding to be used for creating two new jobs and developing a calculator tool.

18th January 2023

Environmental Marketing Company planning expansion secures £15k funding

A Lincoln-based environmental marketing company has secured £14,500 in funding to be used for creating two new jobs and developing a calculator tool.

18th January 2023

Notts biotech firm bolsters acquisitional growth

A Nottingham-based drug discovery services provider has accelerated its growth after completing its second acquisition in the space of a year.

16th January 2023

Nottingham start-up secures £325K investment for its solution to releasing seized nuts and bolts

University of Nottingham spinout, Scintam Engineering, has developed an innovative technology that uses electricity to help relieve a major problem faced within aerospace, automotive and other engineering industries.

12th January 2023

Sanitary Pad Manufacturing Plant Set to Improve the Lives of 50,000 Ugandan Girls and Women

Up to 50,000 Ugandan lives will be significantly improved after the Ugandan Red Cross Society partnered with a UK charitable foundation to build a manufacturing plant for re-usable sanitary pads.

21st December 2022

Derbyshire Wildlife trust has been named winner of TPP Recruitment’s Altogether Better Trustee Inclusive Recruitment Grant.

Applications for the third round of TPP’s Inclusive Recruitment Grants were invited from organisations interested in making their recruitment processes more inclusive. Two grants were available, one for a paid employee role and another for a Trustee role.

15th December 2022

SMEs invited to register interest in £3million Made Smarter fund

Growth Hubs have combined to win £3m of funding to help increase the skills and productivity of manufacturing businesses in the East Midlands.

13th December 2022

Leicester College secures over £5 million funding from Office for Students for three new higher education projects

Leicester College has secured Office for Students funding worth £5,395,187 from 2022-25 to deliver three major higher education capital projects across its main campuses in Leicester.

13th December 2022

Overseas investment into Midlands companies hits 22-year high - Deloitte

Between July 2022 and September 2022, the number of inbound cross-border deals for Midlands-based companies reached its highest level in 22 years, with 29 deals completed in Q3, according to the latest analysis from Deloitte’s Cross Border Deals Radar.

13th December 2022

LINCOLNSHIRE DAIRY FARM INVESTS IN NEW CARBON EFFICIENT COWSHED WITH SUPPORT FROM LLOYDS BANK

Lincolnshire-based dairy farm, White House Farm, has significantly increased its productivity after investing in a new carbon-efficient cowshed, using £1.05 million of funding from Lloyds Bank.

5th December 2022

Cawarden adds Komatsu excavator to portfolio following £600k funding from Paragon Bank

Derbyshire-based specialist contractor Cawarden has added a Komatsu high reach demolition excavator to its equipment portfolio, thanks to fresh funding from Paragon Bank.

30th November 2022

Resilience of Midlands’ mid-market businesses boosts BDO revenues by 11%

BDO has posted an 11% increase in revenues to £809m for the financial year 2021/22 with growth across all three of its service lines of audit, tax and advisory.

29th November 2022

Carbon neutral kitchen restaurant is making waves in a new era of dining

The Sustainable Kitchen has been making and selling vegan products since it first launched in 2022 with the support of the British Business Bank Start Up Loans programme.

29th November 2022

Midlands Engine Investment Fund invests £200m into region’s businesses

The Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) has now invested over £200m into Midlands businesses since its launch in 2017.

28th November 2022

Book donation gives paws for thought at Worksop infant school

Housebuilder Rippon Homes has added to the book collection at a school close to its development in Worksop, Nottinghamshire.

22nd November 2022

ERC Starting Grant funding for two Nottingham researchers

Chemistry research at the University of Nottingham has been given a significant boost with €3m funding awarded to two projects to advance the fields of synthetic organic chemistry and materials science.

9th November 2022

BRITISH BUSINESS BANK NAMES LINCOLN TOP LOCAL AUTHORITY FOR START UPS IN THE EAST MIDLANDS

New data from Start Up Loans provides a league table of the UK’s top local authorities for start ups since 2012 when the scheme began

5th November 2022

NIHR award University of Leicester £10 million for research into non communicable diseases in India and Nepal

Experts from the University of Leicester and the Public Health Foundation of India have been awarded nearly £10 million by the National Institute for Health and Care Research to help improve the care outcomes of people living with multiple long-term healt

3rd November 2022

MEIF Maven Debt Finance Funds achieve £80m funding milestone

Between the two funds, MEIF Maven Debt Finance have achieved a new milestone, loaning £80m to growing businesses across the East, South East and West Midlands. The debt funds, which are part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (“MEIF”), have been manag

2nd November 2022

Grant helps PR business, 1284 continue its success story

Loughborough-based PR and communications strategy business 1284 used a business growth grant to increase productivity - translating time saved into the launch of a new service.

1st November 2022

Cleaning pad business just scratching the surface when it comes to growth

Twelve months ago Harry Green, decided it was time to sell his cleaning pad business in Leicester. After all, he was 95, maybe it was time to close the business!

1st November 2022

ITP Aero welcomes EU funding towards sustainable aviation

EU’s Clean Aviation programme to proceed with over €700m of funding for 20 aviation research and innovation programmes

24th October 2022

Gardening business digs in with good practice

While Oliver Lockwood was on furlough in 2020 the seed of an idea began to formulate for his future.

18th October 2022

Nottingham museum receives £8k to help fund new shop front

Nottingham-based Framework Knitters Museum has received funds to upgrade its newly established café and shop – Parker’s Yard - with a discrete and secure reception area.

17th October 2022

Biotech company raises further £2.4m for ‘breakthrough’ TB blood test

A Nottingham company which has devised a blood test that could revolutionise management of tuberculosis (TB) has raised a further £2.4m to further develop the test and support clinical trials.

17th October 2022

YMCA Robin Hood Group shares annual report as new Chair of Trustees is appointed during charity’s AGM

The latest annual report by YMCA Robin Hood Group reveals how the charity has continued to provide a lifeline to thousands of young and vulnerable people, in spite of the many challenges posed by the pandemic.

17th October 2022

Town Deal confirms £2.5 million grant to Healthy and Innovative Loughborough project

Loughborough Town Deal has confirmed a £2.5 million grant to help build on the town’s reputation for sporting excellence and harness that knowledge for the good of its residents.

12th October 2022

Robinson invests in new equipment for its fast-growing Paperbox division

Robinson – the manufacturer specialising in value-added custom packaging – has invested more than half a million pounds in state-of-the-art SATE machinery for its UK Paperbox division.

11th October 2022

The countdown is on to Love Business Expo 2023

Sponsors, partners and supporters of the Love Business Expo met in Loughborough recently to start the countdown to next year’s event.

11th October 2022

Mansfield Innovation Centre boosts local economy by more than £1.2m

Mansfield Innovation Centre has helped to drive a timely economic boost of more than £1.2m for the area by helping local businesses access grant funding, create new jobs and benefit from intensive business coaching and support.

10th October 2022

BRITISH BUSINESS BANK’S START UP LOANS PROGRAMME CELEBRATES 10TH ANNIVERSARY AND REVEALS ITS EAST MIDLANDS AMBASSADOR

Lincoln-based Naturawell, a plant-based bar and restaurant serving healthy and delicious food and drinks, is among 12 small businesses to be selected as champions of UK start-ups by Start Up Loans, part of the British Business Bank.

6th October 2022

WBPS commits to Stage V generator compliance with £7 million investment

As the industry comes together at the Institute of Healthcare, Estates, Energy & Management Conference, Derbyshire’s WB Power Services (WBPS) has announced a further £2 million investment in Stage V generator compliance, on top of the £5 million it has al

4th October 2022

East Midlands businesses claim £330m for R&D

East Midlands businesses claimed £330 million in research and development (R&D) tax credits for the 20/21 financial year, according to HMRC’s latest R&D tax credit statistics, analysed by tax relief specialist Access2Funding, a Ryan company.

3rd October 2022

Nottingham-based retail software provider secures funding from MEIF Maven Debt Finance

Nottingham-based Retail Assist Ltd (“RAL”) has secured a funding package from MEIF Maven Debt Finance (“the Fund”), which is part of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund and managed by Maven Capital Partners (“Maven”).

30th September 2022

CISI Financial Planning Week

UK public are encouraged to understand their finances better in CISI’s Financial Planning Week 3 - 9 October 2022 #FPWUK

26th September 2022

British Business Bank expands Start Up Loans programme in East Midlands

Providing vital support to the UK’s start ups during a challenging economic period, the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme has been expanded.

22nd September 2022

Assetz Capital expands team with appointment of Midland's based Originator

Specialist marketplace lender Assetz Capital have added to their growing Origination team with the appointment of experienced finance professional David Hehir.

20th September 2022

East Midlands Accelerator helps 340 businesses with net zero plans

More than 340 businesses across the East Midlands have so far been supported in the development of their sustainability plans, as a result of the net zero strand of the East Midlands Accelerator project.

14th September 2022

Belvoir announces adventure playground opening date

Belvoir Castle has announced that it will be opening its children’s adventure playground in time for schools’ Halloween half term breaks, as part of a programme of special events and ghostly goings on.

12th September 2022

East Mids housing provision bolstered by £120m refinancing deal for housebuilder

Roythornes lead £120 million refinancing deal for Allison Group

6th September 2022

Key workers to benefit from deposit boost by Leicestershire homebuilder

Key workers in Leicestershire can receive a deposit contribution of up to £15,000 for their new home thanks to David Wilson Homes’ latest offer at Wigston Meadows in Wigston.

1st September 2022

British Business Investments commits up to £10m to Lincolnshire based, Haatch Ventures

British Business Investments, a wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the British Business Bank, today announces a commitment of up to £10m to Haatch Ventures (Haatch) through the Regional Angels Programme.

30th August 2022

Business Growth Grant Toolkit

Are you a Leicestershire company trading B2B and looking to grow?

24th August 2022

LDC exits investment in Littlefish

Leading mid-market private equity firm LDC has exited its minority investment in managed IT and cyber services provider Littlefish, to Bowmark Capital following a three-year partnership.

22nd August 2022

‘Levelling Up’ bid for job-creating £40m Link Road submitted

Nottinghamshire County Council has formally submitted a £40m bid to Government for the financing of the planned Toton Link Road.

19th August 2022

LLEP makes £10m of loans available to accelerate major infrastructure projects

Jobs, homes and business space will be created as £10m is made available for loans which accelerate the creation of new infrastructure in Leicester and Leicestershire.

19th August 2022

Drilling firm secures seven-figure loan to deliver green power to Ethiopia

The UK’s leading onshore deep drilling specialist, based in Chesterfield, has secured a seven-figure loan to help finance its work on the construction of two ‘green’ power stations in Ethiopia.

15th August 2022

HMRC interest on late paid tax soars, and there could be more bad news ahead for late taxpayers

A further increase on interest paid to HM Revenue & Customs (‘HMRC’) for late payment of taxes will hit taxpayers who are not up-to-date, and their bills could grow very quickly, say leading tax and advisory firm Blick Rothenberg.

15th August 2022

Derbyshire-based boutique jewellery retailer secures £1.5m to grow business

Family business CW Sellors has secured £1.5m in investment to expand its design and manufacturing centre

11th August 2022

English Premier League clubs bounce back from COVID-19 but financial challenges remain in lower leagues

English Premier League (EPL) clubs appear to have bounced back from COVID-19, but lower league clubs continue to face financial challenges, according to a new report published today by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.

10th August 2022

Midlands Engine Investment Fund and Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund support over 30% of regional spinouts

A new joint research report titled ‘Backing Innovation-led Businesses: the role of public investment’ reveals how the programmes delivered by the British Business Bank, UK Research & Innovation and Innovate UK play a fundamental role in supporting the suc

9th August 2022

Call out to small firms to help drive innovation in construction

Some of the best ideas in construction come from the small companies that are directly responsible for site production.

5th August 2022

Amber Valley Borough Council shares exciting proposals for £2.9 million of new Government funding

Amber Valley Borough Council has been allocated £2,978,000 in Government funding to spend on projects to benefit the community and businesses over the next three years.

5th August 2022

Advisers revealed behind The Fleet Auction Group transaction

Tax specialists from Leicester based WestBridge Group have advised on the sale of a 22-acre facility on Stephenson Industrial Estate in Coalville to one of the UK’s largest wholesale used vehicle suppliers.

5th August 2022

Househam Sprayers secures £450,000 funding package via MEIF

Maven Capital Partners continues to back ambitious businesses across the East and South East Midlands via the Midlands Engine Investment Fund.

4th August 2022

Cheesecake Energy secures £3.5m to develop its unique green energy storage technology

Cheesecake Energy Ltd (CEL), a Nottingham, UK- based energy storage startup has raised £3.5 million (US$4.2 million) in pre-series A funding.

4th August 2022

M-EC, one of the UK’s leading technical consultants, has invested in new equipment for two disciplines after securing a grant from ERDF to part-fund new software.

Departments, Acoustic Air, and Lighting are the latest to receive investment to bolster and enhance their capabilities and offering to clients.

4th August 2022

Pall-Ex Group Deal in Record Time Thanks To Metro Bank’s Rapid Support

Pall-Ex Group Limited, the owner of two UK based palletised freight distribution networks, headquartered in Coalville, Leicestershire, has just capitalised on an opportunity to purchase 66 trucks that were previously being leased thanks to rapid support f

3rd August 2022

University of Nottingham’s aerospace programme commits £3.8 million to SMEs

The University of Nottingham has awarded more than £3.8m in funding as part of its Aerospace Unlocking Potential (UP) programme, after announcing another round of funding for four Midlands-based businesses.

2nd August 2022

Nottinghamshire entrepreneur beat the odds and secures £15,000 to bring vibrant performances to corporate events

Nottinghamshire entrepreneur Thomas Wyman has secured a £15,000 Start-Up Loan from First Enterprise - Enterprise Loans through the Start-Up Loans Scheme backed by British Business Bank to offer vibrant performances to premium events.

26th July 2022

OVER 10,000 SME OWNERS APPLY FOR £25,000 GRANT AS COST OF LIVING RISES

Over 10,000 SME owners have applied for a single £25,000 Business Boost grant from one of the UK’s largest small business insurance providers Simply Business.

20th July 2022

VegVan Farm will support the community from the ground up

There’s been a lot of talk about pivoting to survive for businesses during and after Covid19, but what about when you’re ready to start a new business and have to divert the idea before you’ve even begun?

18th July 2022

Northern Gateway Enterprise Centre is officially open

Chesterfield’s new flagship enterprise centre, which will support new and expanding businesses to respectively start and grow in the town, is now officially open.

18th July 2022

Medilink Midlands helps life sciences companies secure nearly £80 million in investment

New analysis by the life sciences industry association Medilink Midlands reveals it has helped the region’s life sciences companies to secure investment of £77 million, which has contributed to the creation of high level jobs for the Midlands.

13th July 2022

Ron Brooks Funds Local Primary School Wellbeing Space

Ron Brooks Toyota has donated to Scargill Primary School in response to the pressures children have faced in the last few years that have affected their routines.

11th July 2022

£2m Investment to Futureproof Manufacturing

Burton headquartered pitched roof tile manufacturer, Russell Roof Tiles (RRT) has completed a £2m upgrade at its Scottish plant.

6th July 2022

£5m Low Carbon Innovation Hub to transform green charging and testing at MIRA Technology Park

Plans have been approved for a £5m green infrastructure project linked to aLow Carbon Innovation Hub that will support tech companies as they focus ondeveloping low carbon technologies.

6th July 2022

Leicestershire firms trading b2b should take advantage of growth grant before it's too late

Business owners in Leicestershire are being urged to check if they are eligible for a growth grant from the Business Gateway Growth Hub before funds run out. Currently around £400,000 remains in the pot for the Business Growth Grant aimed at Leicester and

5th July 2022

Kesseler secures £30,000 D2N2 grant thanks to support from Mansfield Innovation Centre

Luxury British kitchen manufacturer Kesseler is set to expand into new markets after securing grant funding to buy specialist machinery for its Nottinghamshire factory.

29th June 2022

Local businesses helped by Business Gateway during 12-month period topped £2billion combined turnover

The LLEP’s Business Gateway Growth Hub supported more than 1,500 businesses - with a combined turnover topping £2billion - during just 12 months.

24th June 2022

Nottinghamshire County Council: Bid for £40m ‘Levelling Up’ Link Road confirmed

Nottinghamshire County Council is preparing a bid worth approximately £40m to fund the planned Toton Link Road as part of the government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda.

22nd June 2022

New current account to improve financial inclusion for East Midlands communities

One of the UK’s fastest-growing financial co-operatives has partnered with Engage, the community banking-as-a-service division of Contis-Solaris, to launch its own branded credit union debit card and current account.

22nd June 2022

Smaller businesses in the East Midlands see major rise in equity investment in 2021, securing £154m in 2021

Equity investment in UK smaller businesses reached record levels of £18.1bn in 2021, as revealed by The British Business Bank’s Small Business Equity Tracker 2022, published today.

21st June 2022

OakNorth Bank lends £3.8M to acquire and refurbish the third hotel from The Signet Collection, Barnsdale Lodge Hotel, in Oakham, Rutland

OakNorth Bank – the UK bank for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs – has provided a £3.8M loan to The Signet Collection, to acquire Barnsdale Lodge Hotel in Oakham, Rutland, and refurbish and upgrade it to a 4-star Signet-branded spa resort.

20th June 2022

£100,000 funding awarded to supercharge sustainable travel around Derbyshire

An online platform that will encourage EV usage and car sharing in Derbyshire has been awarded £100,000 funding from Sub-national Transport Body Midlands Connect, it has been announced.

18th June 2022

Pomegranate Theatre set to close for multi-million-pound refurbishment of Stephenson Memorial Hall

The Pomegranate Theatre is set to temporarily close its doors later this month in preparation for a multi-million-pound renovation project that will create an enhanced and improved customer experience.

16th June 2022

Walesby Forest's 'Thank You' as it bounces back to pre-Covid levels

Leaders at internationally acclaimed North Nottinghamshire outdoor activity centre Walesby Forest have praised the widespread support it received to ensure it survived the pandemic.

16th June 2022

Grant is driving force to increased productivity for T&N Tyres

With the Government’s net-zero target for greenhouse gas emissions set for 2050, many businesses are making changes toward more sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices.

16th June 2022

University’s largest ever funding award for UK’s most powerful MRI scanner

£29 million national scanning facility will help the UK lead the world in ultra-high field imaging to transform understanding of the brain and treatment of disease

13th June 2022

MEIF Maven invests £250,000 in Nottingham-based sportstech business BatFast