On Friday January 8th it is Micro Business Matters Day organised by Enterprise Rockers ( founded by Tony Robinson OBE and Tina Boden), the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank via Kit Hargreaves of Apple Pear, Johnny and Ross of Engaging Education and Louise Upfold of Weasie Wears and Tom Arran our official photographer will be taking part in Enterprising Young People Hour thanks to our great supporters at KC.

As supporters of  #MicroBizMattersDay website our young entrepreneurs feature as in the

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Innovate UK is to invest up to £2 million in technical feasibility studies to stimulate innovative new concepts and applications in surface engineering and coatings, positioning the sector to identify potential areas for further innovation, and address the challenge areas for future growth.

The aim of this competition is to stimulate innovation in areas of the UK’s surface engineering and coating (SEAC) industry. These include:

the creation and evaluation of innovative and accessible real-time process control technology
process informatics
improved characterisation
techniques
the measurement of critical coating and surface

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Innovate UK is offering businesses up to £35,000 (excluding VAT) each to encourage innovation around ‘future retail’, across the themes of food waste reduction, virtual fitting, seamless shopping and enhancing in-store and market experiences.

The contest

Innovate UK are looking for proposals from companies with innovative digital ideas to enhance experiences, services and processes across the retail landscape – namely optimising virtual fitting, improving accessibility of digital services in-store and at markets, empowering customers to reduce food waste, and streamlining the process

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The latest South & East Yorkshire FSB Newsletter is now available. The array of issues addressed in this week’s edition includes:

What can your MP do for you?
Join FSB at Yorkshire’s primary networking event
Free information sessions for Sheffield businesses
An opportunity to link your business with education
RiDO’s Martyn Benson recognised with national award
John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank application deadline
Hull’s £4m Centre for Digital Innovation officially opens
Minister unveils UK’s first hybrid ‘tram train’ in South Yorkshire
Tour de Yorkshire 2016 route announced
Civil engineers work on

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In business competing is the name of the game, but a new UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) report highlights why effective cooperation rather than competition can improve companies’ productivity.

The report draws lessons from the UKCES UK Futures Programme, which, through a series of ‘productivity challenges’, helps employers to pilot innovative solutions to address specific workforce development problems.

It demonstrates, across sectors such as construction, manufacturing and legal services, that with good project management and communication, businesses who would otherwise be competing

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The South & East Yorkshire FSB’s latest newsletter is out now, the issues addressed in this week’s edition include:

Business event offers chance to inspire next generation of apprentices
Event to boost Hull tourism
Sheffield councillors competition …and the winner is…
International speedway star seeks business sponsorship
Rotherham’s High Street is the best in Britain…. official!
South Yorkshire’s Community Foundation seeks new Chair
Made in Hull club kicks off at KC Stadium
Business Sheffield supporting start-ups and business growth in the city
Offshore wind trade mission to USA
Revealed: one

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Round 4 of the Smart Scheme is now open.The scheme tackles the funding gap often experienced by many small and early-stage companies with innovative ideas and high growth ambition and potential. 

It offers co-funding to UK-based pre-start-ups, start-ups, micro businesses and SMEs, to carry out science, engineering and technology R&D projects which could lead to successful new products, processes and services.

Smart helps companies assess potential markets, prove concepts and develop prototypes. By reducing financial risk, it aims to encourage SME investment,

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Mid-sized business specialists are the principal UK Export Finance contacts for businesses with turnovers in excess of £25 million.

UK Export Finance mid-sized business (MSB) advisers are available to assist all sizes of company above £25 million turnover. We cover all of the UK and work with companies to help them access the export finance or insurance they need, either from UK Export Finance or by helping them to access other support from other organisations. This might be from finance providers,

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The South & East Yorkshire FSB’s latest newsletter is out now, the issues addressed in this week’s edition include:

Sheffield councillors pitch in to promote Small Business Saturday
Rotherham offers start-up advice on Small Business Saturday
Energy Works secures funding for £200m green energy power plant in Hull
MP to officially switch on Pocklington’s new radio station
Independent review into Police’s handling of child sexual exploitation
Firms believe school leavers are not job ready
Family firms face barriers to trading overseas
HMRC customer service under fire
Cyber security research

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Small businesses can apply for feasibility study funding in advanced materials; biosciences; electronics, sensors and photoncs; or ICT.

Small and micro businesses can apply for a share of up to £2 million to help them to carry out feasibility studies into technology projects in 4 key areas that underpin the future development of high-value products and services in the UK.

Innovate UK is seeking studies for innovative projects in the fields of:

advanced materials
biosciences
electronics, sensors and photonics
information and communication technology

The funding competition aims

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