The Sheffield City Region has recently been renamed to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and is made up of the four Councils of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
There is a range of business growth, skills and economic development support available for the private sector through the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) and Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Receive expert, tailored support to upskill and grow your business through digitalisation
If you’re a manufacturing business that is looking to increase technology usage and expand your business capabilities, the Made Smarter programme could help you access advice, support and even grant funding.
Whether you are completely brand new to digital technology, or you have already started your digitalisation journey, you will be able to receive bespoke advice on anything from skills and leadership to innovation strategies.
Made Smarter is encouraging the UK’s next industrial revolution by giving businesses like yours the competitive edge in a rapidly-growing industry. The programme aims to bring the best out of the UK manufacturing industry by upskilling and encouraging collaboration and innovation – keeping us ahead of the competition in the global manufacturing stage.
The Ownership Hub is a joint project between Co-operatives UK and the Employee Ownership Association, supporting the #1MillionOwners campaign which aims to grow employee and worker ownership in the UK.
SYMCA are delighted to become the first regional partner, encouraging and supporting employee and worker ownership in your region. They will be working with Co-operatives UK and the Employee Ownership Association to raise awareness, develop training, deliver advice and expertise to create resilient and inclusive businesses that give employees a stake and a say.
Helping small and medium businesses realise their potential
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund is an initiative launched by the government-owned British Business Bank providing commercially focussed finance through micro finance, debt and equity finance funds.
If your business has a funding gap, the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund may be able to help you start up, scale up or stay ahead.
It is a key part of the Government’s ‘Northern Powerhouse’ vision, which aims to help reduce the North/South divide and create economic prosperity in the North of England on a par with London and the South East.
The Government firmly believes that smaller businesses (SMEs) form the foundation of the region’s future growth. NPIF, therefore, aims to nurture regional entrepreneurship by providing investment and support for SMEs. The funding will support new and growing SMEs, create jobs and encourage and attract additional private-sector investment.
Delivered by the British Business Bank, NPIF aims to drive sustainable growth and prosperity across the North and to enable the transition to a net-zero economy, by supporting access to finance for smaller businesses.
There are three types of commercial finance: microfinance, debt finance and equity finance. These funds provide funding options designed to plug common gaps in the provision of finance, giving your business access to the funding it needs to help it grow.
The funding options are:
Microfinance - small business loan - £25,000 - £100,000
Debt Finance - business loans - £100,000 - £750,000
Equity Finance - early stage or late stage equity funding - £50k - £2m
If you are a business looking for finance support please call: 03330 00 00 39 or email: growthhub@southyorkshire-ca.gov.uk
It is a single access point for information, support, guidance and funding for skills.
A dedicated and specialist team of Skills Advisors can connect businesses to high-quality training providers to meet needs. Training accessed could be in the form of an existing qualification or industry recognised training programme or designed to meet your specific requirements.
Employers can choose from a comprehensive list of Training Providers available or source their own.
Employers can view the Skills Bank Training Directory for a list of available training or look at the useful ‘key word’ search facility. It can also help you devise training to meet your business needs.
In light of the Coronavirus pandemic, there are two new strands of the programme, one for businesses working in new ways, and a rapid response programme for those responding directly to the government’s Coronavirus strategy.
Skills Bank funding contributes to the overall cost of training and the amount each employer receives will depend on the business case for growth outlined in your application and contribution to the South Yorkshire economy.
If you are not sure whether training can help your business to grow or would like advice on the type of training you need, you can request a call from the Growth Hub Gateway here.
The intervention rate is calculated and directly linked to the employer’s growth/development, therefore it is important that the growth/development case is clear and fully outlines how the learning is linked to growth or in lessening the impact of the Coronavirus.
Maximum intervention rates are:
Maximum intervention rates will be awarded where:
Working Win supports people who have a health condition to find and stay in employment. If you’re looking for a new role, or struggling at work, sign up for our free support.
You’ll receive one-to-one support from your dedicated Employment Specialist. This includes:
You can receive support from a qualified team of Health & Wellbeing Coaches to:
You will be given access to a free Westfield Health and Wellbeing package, which includes:
You can also access debt, benefit and employment law support from Citizens Advice, including:
Sign up to take part for free at www.workingwinreferrals.co.uk or call us on 0114 2900 218.
The total number of residents supported by Working Win has now reached more than 4,000. This has helped the region’s fightback against the Coronavirus pandemic. The scheme has supported people in South Yorkshire and Bassetlaw with physical and mental health issues to find or stay in training and work.
This support programme is delivered by the Key Fund and aims to increase the number of social enterprises in the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority area that are ready for growth, and can access the finance that they need to do so.
Part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), via the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), this is a £3.3m project which will close on 30 June 2023.
Funds can be between £5k - £25k and is focused on existing organisations based and/or substantially operating in Doncaster, Barnsley, Bassetlaw, Rotherham and Sheffield, who are looking to grow their trading activity.
In terms of support, eligible organisations can access some or all of the following:
Contact Investment Manager, Rachel Veitch-Straw, who can walk you through the criteria, and provide you with the necessary business support you need both pre and post investment to ensure you are set up properly.
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