Have your say on Cumberland Council’s budget proposals for next year

Cumberland Council are inviting residents, businesses, and organisations to share their views on proposals for their 2026/27 budget.

Like all councils, Cumberland Council face significant financial challenges, including rising demand for services, rising prices, and changes to government funding. By law, the council must set a balanced budget, which means making sometimes difficult decisions about services and council tax.

Since April 2023, the Council have made some £55m in savings, whilst also continuing to improve services – including achieving a “Good” Ofsted rating for children’s services, repairing nearly 9,000 potholes in 2024/25 and introducing new bus routes.

To maintain essential services such as adult social care, children’s services, and waste management, the Council are proposing a 2.99% increase in council tax and a 2% rise in adult social care levy which goes specifically towards things like residential care, supporting those recovering from illness, and services for those with learning and physical disabilities. Parish and Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner precepts are set separately.

Most people in Cumberland live in properties in council tax bands A to C. If the proposals to increase council tax go ahead, then those in a band A property would see an increase of £1.22 a week for Cumberland Council services, with Band C bills rising by £1.63 a week. For band D properties the proposed increases equate to a rise of £95.18 a year or £1.83 a week.

The deadline for responses is 30 January 2026.

Read more at: Have your say on the budget proposals for next year | Cumberland Council

Understanding & Tackling Digital Exclusion

Digital access is now essential for everyday life — from managing money and healthcare to staying connected. But for many people, the digital world still feels out of reach.

Join Sarah Jewell from Let’s Get Digital, West Cumbria for an engaging, free workshop on Wednesday 28th January for Staff, Trustees and Volunteers of Community & Voluntary organisations (i.e. Not for beneficiaries themselves, but for organisations who are supporting community members)

The session will explore:

• What digital exclusion looks like
• Who is most affected and why
• The real-world impact on health, wellbeing and finances
• Practical steps your organisation can take to support digitally excluded people
• Local tools, resources and Digital Champion training available to help

This session blends discussion, real examples, and hands-on activities to help you better recognise digital barriers and respond confidently to the needs of your beneficiaries.

Together you’ll explore how community organisations can play a key role in ensuring no one gets left behind in an increasingly digital society.

You can view further details and register here 

Applications for The Small Awards 2026 are open!

Entries are now open for The Small Awards 2026.

Categories for this year’s awards are:

• High Street Hero – Best high street business
  This award is looking for a strong high street business that has a proven record of contributing towards the success of their street. The business will be an active member of their community and work to drive footfall to their business and neighbouring businesses. The award will recognise both long-standing businesses and younger businesses that are doing something exceptional with their premises.
• Bricks and Clicks Award – Best multi-channel small business
  This award celebrates small businesses that use multiple channels with innovation and skill to develop their business. Channels can include office or store, website, social media, mobile or trading platforms. The award is looking for businesses that demonstrate a flair for getting the most out of these channels. The judges will recognise in particular businesses that use their channels to work with and promote other small businesses.
• Legacy Award – Best family business 
  This award recognises the unique characteristics, challenges and strengths of family run small businesses. The business will demonstrate involvement and contribution from family members as well as demonstrating business success over a period of time. The award is looking to celebrate unique stories from businesses that have worked as a team to achieve great things.
• Supply Chain Champion – Best B2B business
  This award recognises small businesses that are working within the business supply chain. Businesses will work with other businesses large and small, with particular credit to those businesses that include other small businesses in their supply chain. The award will recognise financial success in these businesses, as well as a strong history of customer engagement, relationship development and contribution to local small business eco-system.
• New Kid On The Block – Best business start-up (less than 18 months)
  This award is for businesses that have started less than 18 months ago (from December 2024) and have demonstrated in that time considerable progress to grow and develop. The business will show progress in one or more of the following areas: product or service development, customer engagement or acquisition, marketing and sales process, cost or process management, team development. The award is looking for inspiring new businesses that will be seen as role models for other new businesses.
• Digital Star – Best digital only business
  This award recognises small businesses that operate only through digital channels. The business will not have a storefront, but use the internet to market, sell, and promote their product or service. The award will celebrate strong use of digital channels to engage customers, innovation in web design and functionality, and growth in audience over time. The business will demonstrate strong understanding of digital engagement and show how they have used this understanding to deliver for their customers.
• Heart Of Gold – The business that contributes most to their community
  This award recognises the small businesses that contribute a bit extra to their local community. The business will work with their community, other small businesses, local charities, schools, local councils or their local residents to achieve great things. The community can be defined geographically or by sector across the UK. This award is up for interpretation by the small businesses – the award will look for evidence of a heart of gold.
• At Your Service – Best small service business
  This award will celebrate the best small service businesses in the UK. The business will demonstrate a strong record of serving their target customer set. This can include B2B, such as communications or media, and direct to consumer businesses, such as restaurants, bars and hairdressers. The award will look for exceptional levels of service demonstrated with evidence of strong customer engagement.
• Sole to Sole
  This award is specifically for sole traders and celebrates the tenacity and drive it takes to go it alone. The winning sole trader will demonstrate considerable progression, a sense of contributing to their community and a sense of purpose for their future. They will demonstrate excellence in all areas of the business, being excellent multi-taskers as all sole traders are.
• Mission Possible
  This award will be given to the business that is driven by its mission over and above financial performance. This mission will benefit a group, a community or society more widely. This award is ideally suited to CICs, not for profits and charities, but is open to all businesses that set out and deliver on a demonstrable mission. The winning business will articulate its mission both internally and externally, and will show evidence of progress towards delivering on that mission.
• Net Hero Award
  For the third year running, our 'Net Hero' award recognises small companies that demonstrate exceptional commitment to environmental sustainability. Launched in the run-up to the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), this award celebrates innovative, trailblazing and eco-friendly small businesses that have climate action, commitment to "Net Zero", sustainable development and supply chains, and environmentally-friendly products and processes at the heart of their business.
• Small Business Of The Year Award
  This overall award will recognise the best of the best. The winner will be selected from the shortlisted entries from the other categories. This business will show evidence of excellence in many areas of the business, to include: revenue growth, sales and marketing, product or service innovation, organisational behaviour and structure, staff management and development, cost management, stock and supply chain management, use of digital channels, social responsibility and supporting other small businesses.

You can enter here – entries close at midnight on 28th February 2026.

Webinar: Handling Subject Access Requests (SARs) 

Wednesday 28 January 2026 – 10am to 11am - online

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is hosting a free webinar for small businesses, A beginner’s Guide To Subject Access Requests (SARs), delivered in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses.

ICO experts will explain the practical steps businesses should take when responding to a subject access request, share tips on addressing common challenges, and outline how organisations can plan ahead.

There will also be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions directly to the regulator.

Subject access requests are one of the most common issues raised by small businesses with the ICO, and this session is designed to provide clear, practical guidance to help businesses handle them with confidence.

Register here

New Game Changers Challenge Opportunity - Alternative skip handler for nuclear storage ponds

Sellafield Ltd is seeking innovative alternatives to the Skip Handling Machine (SHM) used in the First Generation Magnox Storage Pond (FGMSP) to improve resilience and throughput in this ageing, high-hazard facility.

The challenge is to identify solutions capable of safely operating underwater to move, position and recover skips, working alongside or independently of the existing SHM, and with potential to deploy sludge retrieval tools. Solutions should enhance operational continuity during outages and ideally be applicable to the Pile Fuel Storage Pond (PFSP) and other sites.

Deadline for applications: Tuesday 27th January 2026 at 3pm.

Find out more and access the challenge statement here.

Funding to help small businesses cut operating costs

The Government has announced £2 million of funding to help small businesses across the UK invest in sustainability and cut their operating costs. The funding will be made available via the 'Made Smarter Adoption Programme'. The programme will help small businesses invest in technology in areas such as heating, insulation and solar power to lower their bills and become more energy-efficient.

Read more about the funding here

Cumbria Business Growth Hub is running a webinar on 28th January to introduce Made Smarter and the support, programmes and funding they can offer. You can find out more and book here  

BCC's Flagship Trade Conference 2026

British Chamber of Commerce are inviting Cumbria Chamber of Commerce members to their Driving International Trade Conference on the 26th March 2026!

DITC is a marketplace for trade and investment - a high-impact, purpose-driven event where deals are made, partnerships forged, and insights shared.  From practical workshops and market clinics to investor showcases, every session is designed to deliver actionable intelligence and real-world results.

What to expect:

• Gain game-changing insights from global trade leaders, senior politicians, and industry pioneers on the trends shaping Britain’s international future.
• Connect with the exporters, investors, and policymakers driving global growth.
• Explore new markets through clinics, showcases and practical workshops designed to unlock new markets.
• Leave with a roadmap for international success.

Your business should meet two or more of the following criteria: 

• They have been exporting for 24+months
• Their export volume is £500k+ pa
• Company size over 100 employees
• In high growth sectors
• Seeking opportunities in the EU, US, APAC, UAE and / or Africa

📅 Thursday 26th March 2026
📍 QEII Centre, Central London
💰FREE

Book here  

Help the Homeless – Small Capital Grants

Help the Homeless is a UK grant-giving trust founded in 1975 that aims to support charitable organisations helping people to move off the streets and into stable, independent lives. It favours small, grassroot charities working directly to assist people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The fund provides small capital grants for projects that help homeless people rebuild their lives and return to the community. Rather than funding immediate shelter or sustenance, the emphasis is on practical capital needs – such as improving accommodation, facilities or resources that directly support people to progress towards independence and longer-term stability.

Grants are open to UK-registered charities with an annual turnover typically under £500,000. Funding is not available for individuals, organisations without charity status.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available, and funds can only be used towards capital costs e.g. building improvements, fixtures, furniture or equipment directly related to project infrastructure. Running costs, salaries, IT equipment and multi-year requests are not eligible.

Applications must be submitted online using the official application form – email or post submissions are not accepted. Deadlines fall quarterly at 5pm on 15th March, 15th June, 15th September and 15th December each year, with decisions usually communicated within about 8 weeks of each deadline.

You can download an application here 

Carlisle College Apprenticeship Awards 2026

Nominations are now open for the "Employer Choice" Apprentice of the Year 2026

Carlisle College Apprenticeship Awards.

You can view further details and make a nomination here  

Free occupational health training for small businesses

Occupational health training will be funded by Government for small businesses across England between January and March 2026. The free training, provided by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, will provide employers with the practical skills needed to recognise the early signs that an employee needs additional help and support to avoid sickness absence.

Read more about the training here

Inheritance tax reliefs threshold to rise

The Government has announced that from April 2026, the level of the Agricultural and Business Property Reliefs threshold will be increased from £1 million to £2.5 million. This will allow spouses or civil partners to pass on up to £5 million in qualifying agricultural or business assets between them before paying inheritance tax.

Read more about the change here

Delay to Making Tax Digital for Income Tax for farmers

Farmers operating as sole traders will have an extra year before they need to start using Making Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax. The delay has been announced after the NFU successfully argued that the system had not been tested sufficiently for those who wish to use their entitlement for profit averaging. From April 2026, self-employed individuals and landlords with an income of more than £50,000 will be required to use MTD for Income Tax.

Read more about the delay here

North West Young Professionals Awards

Insider is delighted to announce the return of the annual North West Young Professionals Awards, which celebrates young business talent across the region.

This event is always one of the most anticipated business networking events of the year for young professionals in the region.

Companies are invited to put forward inspiring individuals aged 35 or under for the awards categories, which include sectors such as law, property, finance, marketing and more.

This year they have introduced a number of new categories to celebrate the stand out young professionals across a wider range of sectors, including IT/Tech Professional of the Year, Recruitment/HR Professional of the Year, Engineer of the Year and Retail/Hospitality Professional of the Year.

Read more here

Co-Research Collective and creating a Cumberland Youth Strategy 

Do you work with young people aged 12-17?  Would they be interested in joining a new youth co-research team? The co-research collective will work alongside adults from the Council, youth projects, health services, the university, and others to co-create a new Cumberland Youth Strategy.  We are looking for 12 young people from across Cumberland to join colleagues at a residential at Brathay from 30th Jan – 1st Feb.

Read more below

• Information letter
• Kit list
• Consent form