The Diamond Resilience programme has been created to help 100 small and medium-sized businesses move from survival mode, through recovery towards becoming more resilient. This can be done in preparation for changing circumstances or other future crises that may come along the way.
The Diamond Resilience Programme is designed to help entrepreneurs succeed. With mentoring and coaching services, as well £500 vouchers for legal marketing IT support across the board
Who can take part
To be eligible to take part in the Diamond Resilience programme, your company must be based in the Milton Keyenes area and:
Have been operational for more longer than a year
Have an annual turnover below £1,000,000
Must be employing 25 people at most
Must aim to ensure a mix of sectors
Must be a new member of the FSB/recent new memeber from the MKC Economic recovery plan
Businesses on MK High streets that want to improve their business model will receive additional prioritization.
Business owner commitment
Those participating in th Diamond Resilience programme must commit to:
Completing the Toolkit assessment at the start of your programme and reviewing it with SEMLEP every three months.
Completing at least four of the virtually ‘taught’ sessions
Providing evidence of commitment and passion to business transformation journey and to Milton Keynes
How to apply
To apply for the Diamond Resilience programme, please complete this form.
Submitting an application
In order to apply for the Diamond Resilience Program, you must give your name, company name, role in the business, and contact information (either personal or business).
The applicant must also provide the company’s registered and trading addresses, Business Identification number, number of employees, and whether the firm has been in operation for at least a year.
What’s next?
If your application is accepted, you’ll be expected to complete the diagnostic evaluation and plan at the start of the programme to assess current performance in your company.
An action plan will be devised based on the findings of this evaluation. SEMLEP Growth Hub advisors will schedule a session with the participants once a quarter to review progress and provide mentoring through the programme.
Need more support?
It all begins with the registration process. You will be asked if you would like to meet with an advisor, this is your opportunity to get a free needs assessment to find out more information as well as get insight into more government support that can help you grow your business.
Follow our socials to stay up-to-date with future government business support developments or explore some of the recent blogs we’ve published for in-depth government support information.
If you are an employer, it’s your responsibility to make sure that your company is constantly growing and evolving.
To do this, sometimes employers need to offer traineeships or work experience placement as a way of expanding their workforce. Since the government announced the traineeship employer incentive we have seen an increase in interest for traineeships.
What are the benefits for businesses that offer traineeships?
In this blog post, we will explore the traineeship employer incentive and ten different reasons why offering a traineeship or a work experience placement can benefit both the business and the individual!
What is a traineeship?
A traineeship is a fully-funded work placement provided by the Skills Funding Agency and is an opportunity for an employer to offer a trainee the chance to learn more about that specific company while they work and get ready for an apprenticeship or a job.
Traineeships for employers
Considering a traineeship, here’s what you need to know
Traineeships have been designed to help young people aged 16-24, or those who are 25 with an Education Health and Care Plan get ready for an Apprenticeship or a job.
Traineeships are actually a full funded skills development programme that includes a work placement, they usually last from 6 weeks up to a year.
With Traineeships, the participants are currently not in employment so they are usually on benefits. The idea is to help them prepare for a job or an apprenticeship
Because of this Traineeships are unpaid, our advice would be that business owners or employers can offer reimbursements towards expenses such as travel.
So in short a Traineeship supports under 24s, or those who are 25 with an Education and Health Care Plan who are currently not in employment.
How to get the best out of Traineeships for your business
When offering a Traineeship employers need to provide:
A real career opportunity for up to 10 young people
Safe meaningful and a high-quality work experience
in partnership with the training, provider supply current employees from your business to provide coaching skills supporting and mentoring
Constructive feedback and advice to the trainee
At the end of the traineeship, if one is available an interview for an apprenticeship or a job
At the end of the traineeship, an exit interview with meaningful written feedback if no job or apprenticeship is available
Although traineeships are funded to your business, to get the most from them we recommend that where possible you help trainees with expenses, such as for travel and meals.
Now that you know what a Traineeship is and how to get the most from them for your business let’s look at our top 10 benefits of traineeships for employers.
Our top 10 benefits of traineeships for employers
As well as the traineeship employer incentive the benefits from a traineeship can include:
The main benefit to employers is that there is funding offering an employer incentive and that is £1,000 for each traineeship that you can provide.
In fact, if you have the employment capacity you can take on up to ten trainees and get up to £10,000 as an employer incentive.
A pool of skilled labour or new talent to draw on when long term staff are absent or unavailable, without incurring the costs associated with hiring and training new employees.
Reduced recruitment time through employing people who have already been assessed as suitable for work in your organisation.
Increased commitment levels amongst apprenticeships and trainee workers because they feel valued by their employer due to being given training that may not be available elsewhere.
The chance to trial someone before making them a full employee or offering them an apprenticeship – which can also cut down on recruiting expenses! This is especially helpful if you’re looking for someone very specific (e.g., all engineers) but don’t want to commit.
The option to train someone in a field that you don’t have the expertise for and put them back into the job market with increased skills for a route into a job or an apprenticeship.
Tax incentives – some companies are eligible for an allowance from HMRC worth up to £15,000 (depending on their size). This could be used as incentive pay or offered as monthly payments over two years.
Increased motivation levels amongst employees or trainees who are given these opportunities because they can see themselves progressing within your company.
Reduced staff turnover rates among employees who get trained through this programme; which means less time spent recruiting/training new people!
This is particularly useful if you’re looking for very specific skillsets such as engineers where it’s difficult to fill vacancies quickly enough due to skill shortages
This is your chance to help a young person get ready for an apprenticeship or job and to help increase our region’s talented workforce.
Traineeship benefits for young people
People who train through a Traineeship programme or work experience placement are referred to as trainees and since they are gaining new skills from a funded training provider they are much more likely to stay in the region or get back on track thanks in part to the pre employment training
It’s not just about job security for the next generation or young person, it’s also about making sure that people are gaining new skills and training for their future employment.
Another benefit of employers offering these opportunities because they can see themselves progressing within your company.
Reduced staff turnover rates among employees who get trained through this programme or a work experience placement gain guidance and help; which means less time spent recruiting/training new people and more time focusing on the business needs!
This is particularly useful if you’re looking for very specific skillsets such as engineers where it’s difficult to fill vacancies quickly enough due to skill shortages
How to find out more about traineeships and Government support
Digital Future First is here to help small to medium businesses access support, incentives and guidance.
Funded support for SME businesses within the SEMLEP region
Register your business with us so that we can keep you in the loop with all the latest government incentives as and when they are announced.
Get started with traineeships other government incentives and support
Our team of advisors are funded, which means there is absolutely no cost to use our service.
Book your needs assessment today to find out more about the traineeship employer incentive, when you do our advisors will want to find out all about your business, they’ll ask you about your business goals and when they do we recommend that you include as much details as possible. Crucially they will also ask you about your challenges for now and for the future.
Once they have a good picture they can take you through the available programmes and help you draw up an action plan with the next steps to get you started.
Help us get the word out
Help us get the word out by sharing our content and posts, stay up-to-date with future business support developments or explore some of the recent blogs we’ve published for in-depth government support information by following our socials.
The Government asked Helena Baxter, apprenticeship lead at Walsall Council, and Matt Clay, Group Qualifications Manager at Lookers, why now is the right time to be taking on apprentices.
A skilled talent pipeline supports your business
Helena Baxter: “Apprenticeships are good for business, as apprentices can be moulded and shaped in their area of expertise, to deliver the exact skills your business needs.
Apprentices are the future decision makers, managers and leaders of Walsall Council are continuing to bring apprentices into the business, even in such difficult times.
This important to protect our future, whilst ensuring we continue to deliver the vital services our communities depend upon.”
Return on investment from apprenticeships enables growth
Matt Clay: “Our continued investment into apprenticeships is a result of the recognised value they generate for the business; for every £1 invested we realise a return of £20.”
£3000 for each new apprentice you take on
Matt Clay: “The current Government support package will build upon the commercial impact of our apprentices, enabling us to secure the financial future of the Program.”
Helena Baxter: “I would urge all employers to continue to recruit, and to benefit from government incentives to ease financial burden.
Whilst offering exciting and rewarding careers opportunities to apprentices.”
You can now apply to claim £3000 for each apprentice hired as a new employee from 1 April until 30 September 2021.
Apprenticeships provide opportunities
Matt Clay: “The current climate has the potential to leave a damaging impact on the future of young people. We’re delighted to have offered 185 Apprenticeship roles across the Group during this time, enabling opportunities for these young people to build their confidence, skills and experience.”
Advertise on ‘Find an apprenticeship’
Over the coming months, school and college leavers will be looking for their next step, so it’s a key time to be advertising your apprenticeship opportunities.
Find an apprenticeship is the official Government website for apprenticeship opportunities in England and is used by thousands of registered candidates.
To advertise an opportunity, you need to sign in to your apprenticeship service account and select ‘Your apprenticeship adverts’ under the ‘Apprenticeships’ section. You can also give your training provider permission to create an advert on your behalf. Our support video guides you through the process step-by-step.
Where you can access help articles, webchat with an adviser, call (08000 150 600) or text (07588 690018) our helpline, or email our helpdesk.
Need more support?
It all begins with the registration process. You will be asked if you would like to meet with an advisor, this is your opportunity to get a free needs assessment to find out more information as well as get insight into more government support that can help you grow your business.
Follow our socials to stay up-to-date with future government business support developments or explore some of the recent blogs we’ve published for in-depth government support information.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme has been a UK-wide programme which for the past 40 years has been helping businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity by better using knowledge, technology, and skills that reside in the UK’s knowledge base.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) bring together businesses and universities to help solve real-world commercial challenges. Each project recruits a graduate who acts as the conduit allowing the knowledge from the university that delivers the project for the business and can help solve specific problems within the business.
Who can take part
Each KTP is a 3-way partnership between:
a UK-based business of any size or a not-for-profit organisation (including social enterprises and charities)
a knowledge base. This could be a university, college, research and technology organisation or Catapult in the UK
a suitably-qualified graduate, with the capability to lead a strategic business project.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership Scheme focuses on making businesses adopt new ways of thinking and innovation that improves competitiveness and productivity for the future.
The Knowledge Base will help you develop the project, provide academic input and recruit a suitable graduate for the business. They will act as the employer of the associate, who then works at the business for the majority of the project.
The scheme can last between 12 and 36 months, depending on what the project is and the needs of the business.
Knowledge Transfer Partnership success story
Business owner commitment
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme is partially funded by a grant, which means that businesses are expected to contribute funds as well.
The level of contribution that a business should make will depend on the scale of the project and also on the size of your business.
small medium sized enterprises (SMEs) tend to contribute around £35,000 per year – or about a third of the project cost
large businesses contribute around £55,000 per year – or about half of the project cost
How to apply
All applications must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business.
If you already have a partnership with an academic institution or researcher, contact that partner’s KTP office.
If you’re interested in taking part in a KTP but don’t already have a knowledge base partner, you should contact KTN. They will:
check the feasibility of your idea and tell you if it is suitable
help you contact knowledge bases that can assist you in developing a KTP application
Submitting an application
KTP applications must come from registered knowledge bases.
In order to be approved for a KTP, a partnership proposal must be submitted jointly by the prospective business and the knowledge base.
Each proposal is assessed by Knowledge Transfer Advisers appointed by Innovate UK.
It should include information about each of the participants, their objectives, the proposed tasks and deliverables for the associate.
What’s next?
Applications are assessed by an expert group of assessors. You will normally be notified within 12 weeks or less of the competition closing. If your partnership is successful, you will then receive a formal grant offer letter.
After the offer is accepted, you must recruit a partner. Recruitment should be undertaken by both the knowledge base and business partner. The associate’s contract of employment will be with the knowledge base.
Dates and deadlines
The KTP programme runs continuously throughout the year. This table contains the list of current open and close dates for all KTP competitions.
Please check these dates regularly as they may change.
Round
Open date
Close date
KTP R3 21-22
5 July 2021
29 September 2021
KTP R4 21-22
4 October 2021
1 December 2021
KTP R5 21-22
6 December 2021
2 February 2022
Need more support?
It all begins with the registration process. You will be asked if you would like to meet with an advisor, this is your opportunity to get a free needs assessment to find out more information as well as get insight into more government support that can help you grow your business.
Follow our socials to stay up-to-date with future government business support developments or explore some of the recent blogs we’ve published for in-depth government support information.
The South East Midlands Start-up Programme (SEMSUP) is a programme that provides funded support for new business owners in the south east midlands region. The programme, funded by the European Regional Development Fund, gives residents of Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire access to 12 hours of support for free.
The programme is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, and it is being delivered in partnership by Wenta and The University of Northampton and The University of Bedfordshire.
SEMSUP provides advice and support for entrepreneurs and self-employment, with a focus on increasing the number of startups, including social enterprises.
What’s on offer?
This programme gives you access to 12 hours of funded business support to help you start your own business.
The support on offer is as listed below:
one-to-one business advice
webinars and workshops
access to business start-up services
business incubation workspace
specialist social enterprise support
The support is provided by a business start-up advisor and covers areas such as searching for information, marketing your product, managing finances, developing business plans and accessing funding.
Wenta is working in partnership with the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, to bring our South East Midlands Start-up Programme (SEMSUP) clients an exclusive offer of 12 months FREE membership to the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce!*
Webinars & workshops
You can attend their interactive workshops and webinars, focused on some of the key elements needed to help support and grow any new business, learn new skills for you and your business.
The University’s topics range from cash flow management tips to social media tricks. There’s a variety of webinars and workshops to help you start, run or grow your business.
One to one business advice
Whether you have a business idea you’d like to explore or you’re already running a business, Wentas in-house team of advisors are here to help with funded, impartial business advice. All advice services are funded no matter what kind of business you have.
Incubation workspace
Shared workspace, hot-desking, co-working and business incubation available at our centres in Watford, Stevenage, Enfield and Potters Bar. All locations offer a flexible environment to work from, whether you just need a day away from home or you’re looking to stick around a little longer.
What region does this programme cover?
The South East Midlands Start-up Programme is for residents of Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes and Northamptonshire. All regions within the SEMLEP area.
What if I am outside the SEMLEP region?
SEMSUP is funded by the European Social Fund to provide access to Government support for businesses located in the SEMLEP region.
If your SME business is located outside of the SEMLEP region you can find out more about the available support in your area by visiting the LEP network website.
Once on the LEP site simply select your region’s Growth Hub from the menu and follow the link to your local Growth Hub website.
Here, you can register your interest to talk to a growth advisor who will help you access Government support.
How do I get started?
It all begins with the registration process. You will be asked if you would like to meet with an advisor, this is your opportunity to get a free needs assessment to find out how government support can help you grow your business.
Follow our socials to stay up-to-date with future government business support developments or explore some of the recent blogs we’ve published for in-depth government support information.
One of the most important aspects of a successful business is their ability to grow. Helping SMEs in the SEMLEP region realise their ambitions, Growth Hub offers access to funded business support. With experienced advisers and a vast network of experts, we are able to provide tailored information and guidance.
One of the most fundamental parts to running an SME business is finding places and people who can help you grow.
Growth Hub specializes in providing resources, such as industry experts, events, and other useful materials that not only support your growth but will also make it more efficient with their experience at all stages of development for businesses.
Their expert staff are experienced in helping small-businesses find success through networking opportunities with successful companies or giving advice on how to approach specific problems based on years worth of knowledge working within various industries.
What is Growth Hub?
Established in 2014, the Growth Hub is a division of SEMLEP that supports entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The Growth Hub is all about providing funded business support, they help local businesses to identify and connect with the right guidance and funding to maximise potential. They work hard on identifying challenges that can be overcome by connecting people in your community who have found success.
What is SEMLEP?
SEMLEP is the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership. It was set up to drive growth across the south east and midlands region, by making active connections with businesses and communities in these regions.
What support is on offer?
At the Growth Hub, we have business advisers who are experienced in helping businesses at all stages of development as well as specific support programmes, a network of industry experts, useful resources and events to help your business grow and thrive.
Growth Curve is a highly intensive programme for business owners that teaches you how to strengthen your leadership skills.
University masterclasses
Run in partnership with the University of Bedfordshire, Cranfield University and the University of Northampton.
Your Growth Curve Business Advisor will work with you to identify the course that is right for you.
The Resource Hub
An online tool that provides detailed information about local, regional and national support options available.
The Business Resilience Talkbook
The tool provides insightful information for business owners about how to be more stable and confident in the face of change.
Webinars and workshops
A schedule of workshops is being offered to help small businesses fulfill their potential by gaining information on the key topics.
Inward investment
Support for businesses looking to expand or locate in the South East Midlands this is achieved by connecting businesses to a network of local and national investment and business support services.
Sector specialism
Dedicated business development managers, employer and skills and investment teams all work alongside the business advisor team to assist businesses in key sectors that are prominent or growing in our area.
Am I eligible?
Growth hub is a collective of services that offer varying advice and criteria.
As a starting point, you will need to meet the following criteria:
An SME business (more than 30 employees but less than 250 employees)
All of the funded training courses for businesses are available nationally, so it’s not all bad news.
To find out more about the available support in your region visit your local Growth Hub once on the site simply, select your region’s Growth Hub from the menu and follow the link to your local Growth Hub website where you can register your interest to talk to a Growth Advisor, who will help you access the funded courses.
How do I get started?
It all begins with the registration process. You will be asked if you would like to meet with an advisor, this is your opportunity to get a free needs assessment to find out how government support can help you grow your business.
Follow our socials to stay up-to-date with future government business support developments or explore some of the recent blogs we’ve published for in-depth government support information.
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