West Yorkshire Business & Skills Support

Social Value for providers 20/10/26 at 09:30am – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/social-value-for-public-sector-providers-tickets-2002195809564 “Join Go4Growth for this interactive session on Social Value for Public Sector Providers, designed to help you understand what Social Value really means, why it matters, and how to demonstrate it effectively in bids and day-to-day delivery.”
Carbon Net Zero for Providers 05/11/26 at 09:30am – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/carbon-net-zero-for-public-sector-providers-tickets-2002208384175 “Join Go4Growth for this practical session on Carbon Net Zero for Providers, designed to help suppliers understand the public sector’s sustainability expectations and take meaningful, achievable steps towards reducing emissions”
Bid Skills Workshop – ½ Day 26/11/26 at 09:30am – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/bid-skills-workshop-12-day-tickets-2002209013056 “A deeper dive into public sector procurement processes for general goods and services, with practical examples of a typical public sector procurement. We’ll look at how to work through the stages of a public procurement, including the standard selection questionnaire and draft responses on quality questions, social value, carbon reduction and maximise chances of success.”

eBay Grants Support Business Growth and Young Talent

eBay UK has opened applications for its Up and Running Grants competition, which is intended to support emerging businesses and young entrepreneurs.

Up to 20 winners will each receive a £10,000 cash grant. The money can be used to invest in business development, support planned growth or create employment opportunities for young people. Applicants must explain how the award would be used and provide a clear roadmap showing how it would contribute to their plans.

The competition has two categories with different eligibility requirements:

Category A is open to business sellers aged 18 to 30, inclusive. Applicants must be registered on ebay.co.uk and have maintained active listings on the platform for at least three months before entering.
Category B is open to UK-registered companies with a business seller account on ebay.co.uk. These applicants must have maintained active listings for at least six months before entry. They must also intend to use the grant to employ someone aged 18 to 24 in a UK-based role.

Businesses applying under Category B must explain how the proposed appointment would contribute to growth. Applicants in both categories must be aged 18 or over where applicable and meet the relevant seller account requirements.

In addition to the cash award, successful applicants will receive up to six months of dedicated account management and premium customer support tailored to their business needs. Recipients will also gain access to a Young Entrepreneur community and selected events during 2027.

The deadline for applications is 30 October 2026 https://www.ebay.co.uk/sellercentre/grow-your-sales/up-and-running-grants

£10,000 Grants Available for UK Entrepreneurs Aged 40 and Over

Simply Business has opened applications for its Second Act Entrepreneur Fund, delivered with Hatch Enterprise. It is intended for people aged 40 and over who have started a business or are planning to start one.

Five selected business owners will each receive £10,000 in cash, with £50,000 available in total. The grant is provided alongside business coaching and mentoring to help recipients address business challenges, pursue their goals and plan future development.

Each recipient will take part in a personalised support programme delivered by Hatch Enterprise. This includes one-to-one coaching, an in-person kick-off session in late January and online mentoring until the programme concludes in April. Winners will also have access to Hatch Enterprise’s alumni network, which includes events, peer support and skills development activities.

Applicants are asked to explain why they started their business, or why they want to start one, and how they would use the money. Applications will be assessed on the viability of the business, evidence of demand and plans for future growth.

The scheme is open to UK residents, including those in Northern Ireland, who are aged 40 or over at the time of entry. There is no upper age limit. Both viable business ideas and existing businesses that are up and trading are eligible.

The deadline for applications is 12 November 2026 https://www.simplybusiness.co.uk/campaign/second-act-entrepreneur-fund/

Innovation Hub Competition Targets Digital Manufacturing Challenges

Innovate UK, alongside related activity from the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade, has opened a competition to establish an Innovation and Scale-Up Hub.

The Hub will improve the targeting, quality and commercial impact of grant-supported activity delivered through the MDI programme. It will identify and prioritise shared industrial challenges across five manufacturing sectors: advanced materials, aerospace, automotive, batteries and space. It will work with manufacturers’ representatives and high-potential technology providers. These providers must have the capability and commercial ambition to develop widely adoptable industrial digital technology stack solutions.

Projects must engage with Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs). Eligible areas include data analytics, artificial intelligence and machine learning, additive manufacturing, robotics and automation, the Internet of Things and connectivity, augmented and virtual reality, digital twins and distributed ledger technology.

The Hub is intended to support the development and adoption of digital technologies that address common industrial challenges across the sectors. Up to £4 million is available for industrial research projects. Each project must request total eligible grant support of between £3.8 million and £4 million.

Applications can be submitted by single organisations or collaborations. The lead applicant must be a UK-registered research and technology organisation or academic institution. A lead organisation may apply independently or work with other eligible bodies.

Collaborating organisations may include UK-registered businesses of any size, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector organisations and research and technology organisations. The available grant support can be used for eligible industrial research carried out under the Hub competition.

The deadline for applications is 18 November 2026 https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2588/overview/acbd9666-c1df-4635-b86f-fa426100c876

Darwin Initiative Plus Local Opens for Applications

Darwin Plus Local funds projects that protect the unique biodiversity and improve resilience to climate change within the UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs).

The funding supports small scale environmental projects exclusively in the UKOTs, with the aim of improving outcomes for biodiversity, building capacity in-territory and contributing to local economies.

Round 8 offers grants of up to £50,000 for organisations and up to £20,000 for individuals for projects that last for up to 12 months (from 1 April 2027 to 31 March 2028).

This round of Darwin Plus Local will be available for:

Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects that implement tried and tested methods and environmental solutions to contribute towards biodiversity and conservation.
Non-ODA research and development, capital expenditure projects, or projects that implement tried and tested methods and environmental solutions to contribute towards biodiversity and conservation.

A pre-application webinar will be held on 22 October 2026 (15:00 to 16:30). Registration is via the Darwin Plus website. It is recommended that applicants read the guidance notes for this round before attending the webinar.

The deadline for applications is 23 November 2026 https://darwinplus.org.uk/how-to-apply/local-applications/

Grants to Support Innovation in UK Medicines Manufacturing Processes

Innovate UK and the Department of Health and Social Care are jointly operating a competition for collaborative research and development projects in medicines manufacturing. It will provide grants for the technical development and commercial readiness of sustainable technologies and processes. Projects must address at least one of three areas: green chemistry, circularity or productivity and resource efficiency.

Up to £7 million is available for industrial research and experimental development projects. Each application must request between £500,000 and £1 million in eligible grant funding.

Proposals should show how the work will advance both Technology Readiness Levels and Commercial Readiness Levels towards commercialisation. Projects are also expected to demonstrate measurable improvements in productivity, waste reduction, emissions reduction, energy use or resource efficiency.

The competition is intended to support new or disruptive manufacturing technologies and processes. It also aims to strengthen the UK’s medicines manufacturing sector by encouraging investment, improving resilience and developing links between academia, industry and government.

Applications must be submitted by collaborations. The lead organisation must be registered in the UK and can be a business of any size, research and technology organisation, Catapult centre, not-for-profit organisation, public sector organisation or charity.

Each consortium must include at least one UK-registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprise claiming grant support through the application. Other collaborating organisations must also be UK registered. Eligible partners include businesses, academic institutions, charities, not-for-profit organisations, public sector organisations, research and technology organisations and Catapult centres.

The deadline for applications is 2 December 2026 https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2560/overview/45acacd5-746b-46ee-8051-d764f929cca3

Great British Energy Expands Offshore Wind Supply Chain Fund

Great British Energy has expanded its £300 million Supply Chain Fund: Offshore Wind and Networks to cover 29 critical components, up from 12 previously. The additional components include jackets, generators, gearboxes and power converters for offshore wind turbines, as well as components used in electricity networks.

The expansion is intended to address supply constraints deeper within the supply chain and increase UK manufacturing capacity to support the development of clean energy infrastructure.

The fund provides capital grants to expand UK manufacturing capacity for constrained components used in offshore wind and enabling electricity networks. Funding can support capital expenditure on new manufacturing facilities or extensions to existing UK sites, including buildings, production equipment, machinery and associated infrastructure.

There is no minimum or maximum grant size, although applicants must demonstrate that the amount requested is the minimum required for the project to proceed. Projects can be based anywhere in the UK, subject to Windsor Framework considerations.

The programme is open to companies registered under the Companies Act 2006 at the point of submitting a full application. Eligible applicants include businesses operating within the offshore wind and electricity networks supply chain, particularly manufacturers of components facing supply constraints.

Round 4 is now open with a deadline for applications of 10 December 2026 https://www.gbe.gov.uk/funding-opportunities/supply-chain-fund-offshore-wind-networks

The Kirkwood

The best opportunities don’t just benefit your business.

They inspire your people. They create connections. They bring teams closer together. They leave a lasting impact on a cause that matters.

That’s exactly what Mission Possible is designed to do.

Launching soon. One mission. Endless possibilities.

Register your interest with The Kirkwood via missionpossible@thekirkwood.org.uk

Kirklees and Calderdale Connect: Business Development

Join fellow AD:VENTURE clients from across Kirklees and Calderdale for a peer-to-peer networking event designed to help you grow your business, expand your network and learn from other local entrepreneurs. This free event provides the opportunity to share experiences, discuss challenges, explore collaboration opportunities and gain practical advice from like-minded business owners in a supportive environment.

This session’s theme is Business Development and will be led by Lynda Merryweather of Two Crows. Focusing on the simple process of Plan → Protect → Do → Review → Repeat, the workshop will help you turn business goals into practical actions that drive growth across your people, revenue and operations. Expect interactive discussions, peer learning and actionable takeaways that you can implement straight away.

Date: 11 November 2026
Time: 9:30am to 1:00pm
Location: Media Centre, 7 Northumberland Street, Huddersfield HD1 1RL
Cost: Free

Tea, coffee, networking lunch and peer discussions are included.

LCC Portal – Events – Details · Ad:Venture Business Support

Re-registration onto the New AD:VENTURE Programme

If you registered with the AD:VENTURE programme prior to July 2026 and would like to continue benefiting from the support available, we will need you to re-register using the link below. Re-registering will ensure you continue to receive access to workshops, webinars, events, networking opportunities, one-to-one support from your Business Manager, these newsletters, and potential access to grant funding for eligible businesses in the future.

Please note that your existing portal access will no longer allow you to book onto workshops, webinars, events, or other support activities. Until you have completed the re-registration process, booking functionality will not be available. Once your re-registration has been processed, you will receive access to the new portal, where you’ll be able to book onto all available support, events and networking opportunities.

To get started, simply complete the registration form using the link below. Once submitted, we’ll process your re-registration and send an electronic agreement for signature. After that’s completed, you’ll be set up on the new programme and ready to access everything available. We’d encourage you to register as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on any upcoming opportunities. As always, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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AD:VENTURE – Business Support

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