Please see below AD:Venture events, updates and support available
Available AD:VENTURE workshops and webinars
Ready to book!
17th June – Learn to Love Your Numbers
18th June – Pricing your services and products for the profit you need (and more!)
23rd June – Wakefield Connect: Your Peer-to-Peer Networking Hub
25th June – Become a Thought Leader: How to Develop a Personal Brand (*see below)
1st July – Bradford Connect: Your Peer-to-Peer Networking Hub
2nd July – So What? Tools to Enhance your Strategic Thinking
7th July – Developing Your Business Plan
9th July – From Zero Pipeline to Predictable Growth: A Practical Outbound Workshop for Founders
15th July – Kirklees and Calderdale Connect: Your Peer-to-Peer Networking Hub
16th July – Strategic Website Content for Improved Visibility
24th July – The Business Growth Clinic: Diagnose. Unblock. Move Forward
Please note these are the last workshops available before September, and we’ll be starting the next Peer to Peer sessions from November.
Make the most of these opportunities to connect over summer and we’ll update you when the new events calendar is available.
Help name Huddersfield’s new public square
As part of the Our Cultural Heart regeneration scheme, a new public square is being created in Huddersfield town centre. We’d love your help choosing its name.
Central Digital Platform
You are invited to the Central Digital Platform Webinar on 25th June 2026 from 10:30 to 11:30 GMT.
What is the Central Digital Platform?
The Central Digital Platform is an enhancement of Find a Tender, designed to help suppliers discover upcoming bidding opportunities and access details on contracts that have been awarded, changes to contracts, and other valuable information. Suppliers can also register, input, and share their commonly used information as part of the procurement process.
The Department for Transport and other government departments will host this webinar to provide guidance and training for all suppliers on how to register and navigate the Central Digital Platform. The last time we had over 1000 attendees.
To register your interest in joining https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/IT3HFP/ Any queries, please contact GCDSMELead@dft.gov.uk.
https://supplierregistration.cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Graduates West Yorkshire
Last chance to recruit a graduate via the pilot programme https://www.westyorks-ca.gov.uk/business-support/graduates-west-yorkshire/
Until 30 June 2026, businesses can access a graduate employment grant of over £1,800 to support hiring a talented graduate. The graduate would need to start in post ideally by the end of July 2026.
Graduates West Yorkshire is a programme of free support that provides skills-based matching from a large pool of pre-assessed graduates, masterclasses and onboarding support once you’ve appointed a graduate, all at no cost to you.
Simply tell us the skills you need and we’ll shortlist ideal graduates for you.
If you like to find out more, please get in touch via the form link or email graduates@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
Please see our FAQs Graduates West Yorkshire and FAQ’s for further information about the programme and I’ve attached an updated pdf.
You may like to consider the upcoming Breakfast and Connect event in June where you can meet a group of pre-filtered and skills matched graduates in an informal setting.
Graduates West Yorkshire: Breakfast & Connect
Date: 25 June 2026
Time: 9:00 – 10:30am
Venue: The Knowledge Exchange, Leeds Beckett University
Exclusively for West Yorkshire SMEs, this event is the perfect opportunity to meet ambitious graduates eager to make a real impact in your business. Our community of West Yorkshire graduates have had their key skills assessed through our in-person development centres and are actively seeking opportunities in:
- Emerging Tech & Digital
- Finance & Professional Services
- Cultural, Creative & Communications
- Manufacturing & Engineering
Breakfast & Connect is your opportunity to meet brilliant graduates ready to bring fresh ideas, energy, and skills to your business. Connect face-to-face and quickly discover the perfect-fit hire. Personal, effective, and results-driven recruitment starts here.
Don’t miss out – register your interest before Monday 15 June 2026.
Sam Melton is happy to have a chat about the programme and if you’d like to consider it to support your own recruitment methods. You can contact Sam on Samantha.melton@westyorks-ca.gov.uk or graduates@westyorks-ca.gov.uk
Kirklees and Calderdale Peer to Peer Event
Calderdale College – Upcoming Courses and Events – June and July 2026
Please see attached list of free events and courses
Inclusive Employment Network – Final remaining places
We’re excited to welcome employers back for the next Inclusive Employment Network. Expect real conversations, practical insights, and support from organisations championing inclusion across Kirklees. Whether you are already active in this space as an employer or just getting started, we encourage you to join us, make connections, and help shape future sessions.
Agenda Highlights:
- Welcome & refreshments
- Real Employment – Connect to Work
- Huddersfield Town – Inclusion in practice
- Bnode – Embedding Digital Inclusion
- NHS – Managing long-term health conditions in the workplace
- Table Discussion & Networking
18 June, 9 – 11am Cedar Court, Huddersfield, HD3 3RH
Book your place: inclusive.employment@kirklees.gov.uk 01484 225016
Ireland Trade Visit 2026 – Expression of Interest Webinar
Ireland is one of the UK’s closest trading partners and continues to offer opportunities across a wide range of sectors, including technology, manufacturing, life sciences, food and drink, financial services and renewable energy.
Following growing business interest and building on the success of recent trade missions to destinations including the USA, UAE, China and Hong Kong, West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Chamber International are exploring a trade visit to Ireland in September 2026.
To assess demand and help shape the programme, businesses are invited to join this free Expression of Interest Webinar on 17 June 2026 at 10:00am. Register your place on the webinar here.
Innovate UK Opens Expression of Interest for Innovation Loans
Innovate UK has opened an Expression of Interest (EOI) competition for its Innovation Loans, offering repayable finance to support late-stage research and development projects with a clear route to commercialisation.
The finance is described as patient and flexible, aimed at supporting innovation where applicants may struggle to secure suitable lending from commercial providers or need additional support alongside other sources, including those backed by the British Business Bank.
Successful EOI applicants will be invited to submit a full application for an Innovation Loan. At full stage, eligible businesses can apply for between £100,000 and £5 million to support experimental development projects only.
Projects must focus on developing innovative new products, processes, services or business models that are significantly ahead of current offerings, or apply existing solutions in novel ways. Supported activities can include prototyping, demonstrating, piloting, testing and validation.
Applicants must be single organisations and be UK registered micro, small or medium-sized enterprises. To qualify, they must carry out the project from or within the UK and intend to exploit the project results from or in the UK. Applicants are also required to show they are suitable to take on a loan, including being able to manage repayable finance.
Projects must align with at least one Industrial Strategy Sector: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defence, digital and technologies or life sciences.
This is open-ended competition and applications can be submitted at any time. https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2505/overview/8ef63f10-ea07-4ffd-9812-e944542751b6
Business of the Year Awards 2026
Join Eaton Smith Solicitors for their 30th anniversary of their Business of the Year Awards!
This year marks a major milestone, the 30th Anniversary of the Eaton Smith Business of the Year Awards. We are delighted to celebrate three decades of championing the hard work, brilliance, and innovation of businesses across Kirklees, Calderdale and Wakefield.
As we reach this significant anniversary, the 2025/2026 Business of the Month winners once again showcase the diversity, talent and resilience that define our region. With such an impressive line‑up, the Business of the Year judging panel face an especially challenging task in selecting this year’s overall winner.
Please contact Danny Martin at dannymartin@eatonsmith.co.uk if you would like any additional tickets.
June Deadline for BFI Immersive Documentaries Fund
Doc Society, the British Film Institute’s (BFI) delegate partner for documentary backing, is accepting applications to its Expanded Screen Fund.
The fund offers grants of between £25,000 and £150,000 for projects that align with at least three core aims of the BFI National Lottery strategy. These aims include advancing equity, diversity and inclusion, broadening audience access and impact and supporting talent development alongside creative risk and innovation. The fund also seeks to promote UK-wide access to screen culture and encourages environmentally sustainable practices across the sector.
Awards can support projects at any stage, including development, prototyping, production and completion. Applicants are encouraged to focus on no more than two stages where possible, either through a single application or through a combination of applications that cover sequential stages.
The support is available to experienced UK producers and creative leads with a track record in immersive or related screen-based practice.
Eligible projects include work produced and experienced using technologies such as VR, AR, XR and 360° media, as well as other extended-reality formats. The fund also supports emergent and hybrid experiences that broaden approaches to cinematic story worlds. Projects may include multi-platform exhibition, for example touring location-based experiences or standalone headset formats.
The deadline for applications is 22 June 2026 https://bfi.docsociety.org/funds/expanded-screen/
Samsung Galaxy Launchpad Offers XR Pilot Support
Rock Paper Reality, Inc. (RPR), an augmented reality studio, is inviting applications for the Samsung Galaxy XR Launchpad, delivered in partnership with Samsung Electronics.
The programme is designed to help an organisation develop a professionally scoped XR pilot experience for the Samsung Galaxy XR headset platform. It is structured as an eight-week sprint intended to move a spatial computing concept from an early idea to a working proof of concept. The output is expected to be an executive-ready prototype that can support internal decision-making and be suitable for demonstration to industry stakeholders including Samsung, Google and Qualcomm.
Support is provided as in-kind services rather than a cash award. The selected organisation will receive $100,000 worth of studio time, described as around 500 hours of professional services from RPR’s production team. This includes input from producers, designers, 3D artists and developers. The winner will also receive one Samsung Galaxy XR headset to retain and use for internal demonstrations.
Applications are open to registered organisations in the United Kingdom, United States and United Arab Emirates. Eligible applicants include for-profit companies and a range of non-profit entities such as charities, museums, cultural institutions and educational organisations. For-profit applicants are typically expected to have annual revenue of $5 million or more, at least 50 employees and more than two years of operation.
The deadline for applications is 28 June 2026 https://launchpad.rpr.to/
VocTech Together Support Programme Aims to Boost Workforce Skills
Ufi VocTech Trust has announced details of the Together Support Programme, part of the charity’s £2.85 million VocTech Together programme focused on using technology to improve vocational skills and employment outcomes in the UK.
The Support Programme is designed to provide practical mentoring, peer learning and hands-on guidance for organisations that want to take initial steps in adopting vocational technology. Up to 40 organisations are expected to take part in a 10-week schedule of expert-led sessions, structured peer learning and one-to-one mentoring.
The programme aims to address systemic barriers in adult education and skills development through digital technology, with an emphasis on challenges faced by underserved learners. It also seeks to improve access to skills and employment pathways, strengthen workforce development, support sustainable change in the UK skills system and enable collaboration to test and scale VocTech solutions.
On successful completion of the programme, participating organisations can access a grant of up to £10,000. The grant can be used to cover staff time and other costs linked to taking part, and may also support licences, hardware, customisation or specialist support, depending on needs identified through participation.
The Support Programme is open to organisations that help adults gain work-related skills, have a clear vocational learning problem and want to explore how technology could address it. It is particularly aimed at small, resource-constrained organisations, with applications accepted from charities, trade bodies, learning providers, employers, private companies, community interest companies and other not-for-profit organisations.
Applications open on 6 July 2026 and close on 20 July 2026, with the first Support Programme webinar scheduled for 28 September 2026 https://ufi.co.uk/how-we-work/challenge-programmes/voctech-together/support-programme/
UK Science Engagement Projects Invited to Apply for STFC Spark Awards Funding
UK-based organisations can apply for grants through the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Public Engagement Spark Awards 2026A, which support projects designed to engage the public with science, technology and research connected to STFC-funded work.
The awards are intended to back public engagement activities that highlight the achievements and value of STFC-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics research in the UK. Applicants are expected to address at least four objectives, including delivering engagement activity linked to STFC-funded research, reaching new audiences, working with STFC’s target Wonder audience and co-producing activities or resources with participants.
STFC says projects should also contribute to the aims of the STFC Public Engagement Strategy and may involve collaboration with STFC public engagement, communications or national facilities teams. A range of activity types is eligible, including proposals that test new approaches to engagement and audience development as well as those using established methods.
Grants of between £5,000 and £20,000 are available, with projects expected to run for 12 to 36 months.
Applicants must work for a UK organisation that produces annual financial reports and accounts certified by an accountant. Examples of eligible applicants include STFC grant funded researchers, STFC-employed scientists, technicians and engineers, STFC facility users in remit areas, museums, science communicators, universities and colleges, community interest companies, libraries, community groups and amateur astronomy groups.
Each application must include an SME in an STFC funded remit area, included as the project lead, a UK project co-lead or a specialist, to support the accuracy and relevance of scientific content.
The deadline for applications is 25 August 2026 https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/public-engagement-spark-awards-2025a/
Green Heat Network Fund – Round 12 Opens for England and Wales
The UK Government has opened Round 12 of the Green Heat Network Fund (GHNF), a £288 million capital grant programme supporting the transition to low-carbon heat networks. The scheme funds technologies such as heat pumps, geothermal energy, and waste heat recovery to help reduce carbon emissions from heating systems.
Heat networks supply heat from a central source to multiple buildings, lowering reliance on individual gas boilers. The GHNF provides funding to public, private and third-sector organisations in England and Wales involved in developing heating and cooling networks.
Grants can cover up to, but not including, 50% of eligible commercialisation and construction costs, with a maximum of £1 million available for commercialisation support. Individual funding requests may be spread over multiple years.
The GHNF is expected to achieve carbon savings of 10.3Mt by 2050 – equivalent to taking 4.5 million cars off England’s roads for a year. The fund supports the UK’s broader climate commitments while encouraging growth in the low-carbon heat network sector.
Round 12 is now open for applications and will close on 25 September 2026 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/green-heat-network-fund-ghnf-guidance-on-how-to-apply
The Kirkwood
Kirkwood provide care and support to patients and families across Kirklees, following a life limiting illness diagnosis.
Working with businesses in the local area, they can offer free practical support to your mental health first aiders and HR teams.
Kirkwood will be celebrating 40 years in March 27, and as a well-recognized brand in the area, they work collaboratively with Business’s offering a variety of volunteering days for individuals and teams and sponsorship opportunities. If you would like to learn more, get in touch with Beverley.Shaw@thekirkwood.org.uk
Yorkshire & Humber Tender Opportunities
https://yortender.eu-supply.com/ctm/supplier/publictenders?B=YORTENDER