Bedford Business News

On Friday 25th March 2022, Bedford Borough Council will be staging the Mayor’s Climate Action Event for businesses in the Howard Rooms, Bedford Corn Exchange, St. Paul’s Square in Bedford Town Centre.

The event will provide useful information on how businesses can become greener and access funding to make their premises more energy efficient and drive down utility bills.

The Council is ambitious about tackling climate change and supporting businesses, one of its aims is to play a positive role in enabling the wider borough to achieve net-zero emissions and is committed to being Carbon neutral by 2030.

There will be speakers from the Council, BPHA, Robinson & Hall Chartered Surveyors and the Green Business Network, as well as various information stands and stalls from experts sharing tips and offering advice on how businesses, can become more sustainable and energy efficient, while driving down utilities costs and adhering to new government guidance and standards.

Come and network with other Bedford businesses and receive useful information over refreshments and a light breakfast.

To book your place, please use: Eventbrite.co.uk/mayors-climate-action-event-tickets

We are encouraging people to use sustainable forms of transport to get to the event, such as public transport, walking or cycling, though parking will be available to those who need it, at 14 River St, Bedford, MK40 1PX.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has launched a further competition window for applications to the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) to help support businesses on the path to Net Zero.

Businesses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can now bid for a share of up to £60 million in grant funding through the IETF Phase 2: Spring 2022 competition window.  To view the applicant guidance and make an application for funding, please see the competition page.

The competition window will run until Friday 29^th April 2022

Please check the link, for the upcoming events schedule and how to apply.

IETF : Spring 2022 – how to apply – GOV.UK

Could your business be a winner? Enter the SME Luton and Bedfordshire Business Awards

Pre-launch entries are now open for 2022.  These awards celebrate the success of businesses in the local area.  Entering the awards is a credible opportunity to celebrate your success and offers exceptional marketing and PR opportunities, you could even win an award.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are businesses whose personnel numbers are 250 employees or less and are responsible for driving innovation and competition in many economic sectors.  The SME Business Awards are now a National Brand. If you are to win a starred category (*) you will automatically make it through to the SME National Business Awards Final where you will be up against the best businesses in the UK.

To find out more details about the different categories and how to enter, see the link:

SME Luton & Bedfordshire Business Awards

Looking after the health and wellbeing of people at work has never been more important. A happy, healthy workforce will reduce sickness rates and recruitment costs and will improve productivity and staff retention.

The Public Health Workplace Health Team have collaborated with local services to offer a range of free health and wellbeing services for all workplaces in Bedford.

These include stop smoking programmes and training, and advice and support with smoke free policies and procedures

– Healthy weight programmes and training, and advice and support with healthy eating policies

– Blood pressure monitoring and mini health checks

– Mental health support and training programmes for managers and employees

– Domestic abuse awareness training and support with Domestic Abuse Policy development

For further information, please contact Sarah James (sarah.james@milton-keynes.gov.uk) for a full brochure or contact the Workplace Health Team at Public.health@milton-keynes.gov.uk if you have any queries or would like to discuss any workplace health related matters.