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RBKC News

Online webinar about using GRANTfinder. 

Wednesday 26 August, 11am to 12 noon.  GRANTfinder is Europe’s leading grants database which brings together funding opportunities and related policies across the UK.  GRANTfinder is available from Westminster Reference Library. RBKC library members can join Westminster Libraries and gain access to the database. Book here

The next Rocket Launch Your Business Project starts on Tuesday 15th September 2020 at 9:30am.

If you live in RBKC and have recently started or are yet to start up your own business or Community Interest Company (CIC) contact us to register for our fantastic online course. Each participant will also be able to access one to one online appointments with a qualified Business Advisor to further develop their idea. Check the full programme here.  Call Marianna to register: 020 7460 5056 or send an email: marianna@pbc.co.uk  The first Rocket Launch Your Business Project of 2020, part of Community Leadership Programme funded by RBKC, completed last week with 17 people who upgraded their business skills and felt more confident to take control of their next business steps/decisions.

Notting Hill Carnival – Bank Holiday Weekend 28-31 August 2020

The Voice (attached – click below) took a look at the “jam-packed” plans for this year’s digital Notting Hill Carnival, which is being delivered online due to Coronavirus.  Police have provided advice about events see attached.

Outdoor seating

The Council has introduced new, fast-tracked pavement licences for pubs, restaurants and cafes so they can add outdoor tables and chairs to serve more customers safely, as the borough bounces back from the Coronavirus pandemic. Read more.

Street Ambassadors

The Council’s team of Street Ambassadors is made up of existing enforcement officers and community wardens. They have been speaking with businesses since 4 July, supporting them with social distancing, licensing and planning questions.Businesses bounce back with safe reopening

From Pop Up Business School

Pop Up Business School ran a week long school for entrepreneurs in the Museum of Brands in North Kensington in 2019, they have recently launched a podcast called the “Rebel Entrepreneur’, which covers all the topics taught at the PopUp Business School. Here is the link to Spotify and the episode “5 ways to start a business with no money”

Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) – Community Priorities Call for Projects.  Deadline 19 August

Planning has confirmed that Business Forums can apply.  The Council engaged with residents between 11 February and 24 March 2020 and established the following community priorities for spending NCIL:

  • Air quality
  • Policing resources and emergency Services
  • Parks and open spaces
  • Streetscape
  • Community safety

The consultation responses also provided an indication of priorities for each ward. Whilst the community priorities will guide the allocation of NCIL funds, there is flexibility for projects that fall within other priorities to receive funding.  See here

Review of Licensing Policy.  Deadline 25 September

The Licensing Act 2003 requires every Licensing Authority to have a Statement of Licensing Policy (SLP).  This policy must be reviewed every 5 years and, once reviewed, must be the subject of a public consultation exercise.  RBKC’s current Statement of Licensing Policy was published in January 2016 and is due to expire in January 2021. We have recently reviewed our SLP and this version of the policy, once adopted by the Council, will run from January 2021 until January 2026.  A copy of the draft policy is available on our website here.  The public consultation period will run from the 3 August 2020 until the 25 September 2020 and we would welcome any comments you wish to make. Your comments may be sent by letter to the address shown below or by email to slpconsultation@rbkc.gov.uk

Government and Partner News

Build your Peer Network today.

Peer Networks is designed for business leaders who want to grow and develop their organisation for future success. Peer Networks is a peer-to-peer networking programme for SMEs delivered locally through the London Growth Hub (business forums might want to investigate this, to see if it can work alongside other forum activities).  Creating diverse cohort groups of individuals to collaboratively work through common business issues. The Peer Networks Programme will focus on helping business owners improve their problem-solving skills, through a series of guided exercises. Members of the programme will be given skills in areas such as leadership and management, sales and marketing that they need to tackle these challenges head-on while growing their business. Find out more and apply here.  The programme is available to any SME business that has:

  • Operated for at least one year
  • At least five employees
  • A turnover of at least £100,000
  • An aspiration to improve

Small Business Leadership Programme

The Small Business Leadership Programme will equip business leaders with the confidence and leadership skills to plan for the future of their business, and ensure that they are in a great position to recover from the impacts of coronavirus. Places are fully funded by the Government to support the resilience, recovery and growth of SMEs during and after COVID-19. The programme is free to attend, and places are limited. All participants will be required to complete the course.  Find out more and apply here. The programme has been designed by leading small business and enterprise experts from a consortium of 20 business schools to aid business survival and future growth.  The participating business schools have been accredited by the Small Business Charter, an acknowledgement of the high quality, tailored guidance they provide to support small businesses and their local economy to achieve more. 

Please help TfL by giving feedback on their new travel app – TfL Go.

TfL Go is now available to download for Apple devices. The app is not the final version, but it will have useful features to help you plan your journeys. An Android version of TfL Go will be released in the coming months, and we’ll continue sharing data with other travel apps that you might already use.  You can download the app here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1419541638 or from www.tfl.gov.uk/go

TfL Go can help you to plan your journeys and follow the safer travel guidance.

  • For every station we’re sharing real-time train times, plus peak travel times for the busiest stations, to help you travel during quieter times
  • As well as the fastest public transport routes, we’re offering alternative routes to give you more travel options
  • We’re providing walking and cycling routes to consider for all or part of your journey
  • You can also see the latest service status for all Tube, Tram, London Overground and TfL Rail lines. Real time bus arrivals will be added later
  • With step free mode you can customise the map to show step free access to train and platform, and plan journeys accordingly. We’ll soon introduce new information on toilet availability, platform access and lift status

If you have an Apple device and download the app we would very much welcome your feedback. Please send your comments to tflappfeedback@tfl.gov.uk  If you need larger type, use your phone in landscape mode, or make use of iOS’s VoiceOver capability.

Arts Council England reopens its National Lottery Project Grants.

£59.8 million for work between now and April 2021, prioritising independent organisations, creative practitioners and freelancers. The supplementary guidance outlines what has changed to make the fund more responsive to the needs of smaller independent organisations and individual practitioners during Covid-19. Find out more about the changes, and how to apply, here

Capital Enterprise – Support Black Business Founders

Capital Enterprise is committing £50,000 towards a Black led organisation or group to establish and run a professional business angel syndicate dedicated to investing in the Black founders of UK registered tech startups. They are calling for proposals now. To read more please click here

Startup Resilience Programme

Providing support, help and hope to the startups. To date, there are 360+ startups signed up to the programme; Capital Enterprise have delivered 30+ webinar, and 30+ mastermind & accountability circles. To learn more about the programme please click here.

FSB webinars. 

Mindset, Motivation and Mindfulness: Strategies, tips and techniques to feel empowered during changing times.  Thursday 27 August, 12-1pm. Register here.

How to improve productivity and focus: Time management for busy business owners.  Wednesday 2 September, 12-1pm.  Register here.

GLA’s Growth Hub:

Attached is London Growth Hub’s calendar of events for August and September. Next webinar on Thursday, 6th of August.  Attached (click below), flyer and the social media pack.  Download imagery here you’re your newsletters.  SMEs can benefit from a free call with one of the Growth Hub’s advisers, book here.  Register for webinars here. Website updates on latest support available to businesses see here.  Follow Growth Hub on Twitter @LDNgrowthhub and on LinkedIn

Mayor’s Back to Business Fund

August 10th is the opening date for applications for the Mayor’s Back to Business Fund. The Back to Business Fund will offer up to £5,000 in match funding to small and independent businesses through the Pay It Forward London crowdfunding platform. Details attached(click below).

The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme

Guidance has been updated to include information on hospitality and golf packages, and hotel and restaurant services.

Reopening postponed

The Prime Minister has announced that until 15 August at the earliest, casinos, bowling alleys, skating rinks and remaining close contact services must remain closed, and that indoor performances will not resume. Pilots of larger crowds in sports venues and conference centres will not take place and wedding receptions of up to 30 people will also not be permitted. 

Job Retention Bonus

The government is introducing a new Job Retention Bonus to provide additional support to employers who keep on their furloughed employees in meaningful employment, after the government’s Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends on 31 October 2020. The Job Retention Bonus is a one-off payment to employers of £1,000 for every employee who they previously claimed for under the scheme, and who remains continuously employed through to 31 January 2021. Eligible employees must earn at least £520 a month on average between the 1 November 2020 and 31 January 2021. Employers will be able to claim the Job Retention Bonus after they have filed PAYE for January and payments will be made to employers from February 2021.  Find out more information about the Job Retention Bonus here. Full guidance will be published by the end of September.

Government Announces £500m Film and TV Production Restart Scheme

The Film and TV Production Restart Scheme aims to help to get TV and film productions that were halted or delayed by a lack of insurance back up and running. Please bookmark this as the scheme is yet to open to applications

Financial support is being provided to help employers in England hire new apprentices

Open from 1 September through employers’ apprenticeship service account.  The scheme provides employers that hire a new apprentice between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021 with a payment of: £2,000 for each new apprentice aged 16 to 24, or, £1,500 for each new apprentice over the age of 25.

Webinar: Helping small businesses recover with Facebook.

Resilience First in partnership with Facebook. Keynote will be given by Gil Grein, Head of Global Resiliency, Facebook, who will then join the panellists: Stephen King, Head of Business and Enterprise, London Councils; Matthew Jaffa, Senior External Affairs Manager, Federation of Small Businesses; and Jacqui Baker, Audit Director at RSM UK Audit LLP. Thursday 3 September 2020. Login from: 3.55pm. Please register your interest in attending via contact@resiliencefirst.co.uk by Friday 28 August 2020.

The BT Small Business Support Scheme

Designed to help SMEs across the UK that have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It is intended to enable firms to build their recovery and growth following COVID-19 and features a series of measures aimed at boosting connectivity, cash flow and confidence. The scheme offers: Subsided ultrafast broadband, bursaries and mentoring for small businesses

Apply for the Queen’s Award for Enterprise

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious awards for UK businesses recognising and rewarding their outstanding achievements in the fields of: Innovation, Sustainable Development, International Trade and Promoting Opportunity (through social mobility). 90% of the 2020 winners were SMEs. Winners are invited to a reception in Buckingham Palace.  Find out more here.

Apply for grants if your business completes customs declarations

Find out what grants you can apply for to get funding for recruitment, training and IT improvements if your business completes customs declarations.  Go here

Spike in new eBay businesses

eBay is claiming a huge increase in business using its services during June, with a large number registered in central London.  There results show large numbers in central London, which may be current businesses moving more of their services on-line and directly to customers.  Read more here.

IPO events calendar Events which have an intellectual property or business focus. New events added.

And finally

Mentor Network Programme are looking for mentors.

With the aim of connecting promising pre-seed to series A stage founders with industry experts, or well-connected investors. Capital Enterprise are currently looking for mentors, please apply through the link below or share it with your community. To learn more and apply please click here