Planning System Putting The Brakes On Growth
Economic growth is still being constrained by a planning system in England that is ‘too slow, under resourced and unpredictable’, according to a new BCC report.
The report, Planning for Business and Growth, says that while recent government reforms signal the right intent, further urgent action is needed.
The BCC says there needs to be a ‘fundamental reimagining of how planning authorities operate and interact with the business community’.
The report is calling on ministers to:
Management Policies.
Government Announces Overhaul Of The Disability Confident Scheme
The government has announced reforms to the Disability Confident scheme, aimed at strengthening support for employers to recruit, retain and support people with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
Launched in 2016, the scheme has helped many employers, but a recent review by Sir Charlie Mayfield found that while it has positive aspects, it has not gone far enough and has often failed to reflect local needs.
In response, the government will trial a series of reforms with employers, including reducing the time organisations can remain at the entry level of the scheme, removing the option to renew at that level, and encouraging progression.
The changes also promise to tailor support more closely to SMEs, improve peer-to-peer learning between employers, and ensure the voices and experiences of disabled people are better reflected throughout the scheme.
These reforms form part of wider action to support people to stay in work and help employers build healthier, more resilient workplaces.
Find out more here
Unlock Funding And Support Through The UK’s Public Investment Landscape
The government has produced a UK investment landscape prospectus for British businesses looking to access funding and support.
The guide brings together the full ecosystem of public financial institutions. It includes: Innovate UK - accelerating frontier innovation, the British Business Bank - helping SMEs access vital capital, National Wealth Fund - a major national investor, and Great British Energy - powering large scale clean energy and infrastructure projects.
You can download the report here
Cumbria Tourism Awards 2026 now open for entries
Entries are now open for the Cumbria Tourism Awards 2026, celebrating excellence across the county’s tourism and hospitality sector.
The awards are free to enter and open to all tourism businesses operating in Cumbria. Businesses do not need to be members of Cumbria Tourism to apply. As well as the chance to gain recognition, entrants receive independent feedback through the judging process.
Entries close at 5 pm on Friday 20 February.
Find out more and get started here
Electronic Travel Authorisation
The Home Office has confirmed the enforcement date for Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) will be Wednesday 25 February 2026.
From this date, carriers will deny boarding to passengers coming to the UK without an ETA, marking a shift from the current practice of allowing travel while encouraging applications.
The government recommends allowing three working days for an ETA application to be processed though most applications can be processed within minutes.
Citizens of the 85 countries that can currently travel visa free to the UK will need one.
Second round of Creative Industries Clusters programme opens
Applications are now open for the second cohort of the Creative Industries Clusters programme. The programme is managed by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and will provide £27 million worth of funding, which will be split across successful applicants, with the maximum award per project being nearly £7 million. The programme connects universities with businesses to drive innovation, skills, job creation and economic growth.
Read more about the programme here
Plans to support smaller farms
The Government has announced plans to provide more support for smaller farms to drive growth, secure a thriving future for the sector and deliver high-quality, affordable food. The plans include reforms to the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and a £30 million Farmer Collaboration Fund to support farmer groups to grow their businesses.
Read more about the plans here
North West Family Business Awards 2026 now open
The awards champion and represent family businesses from all sectors, shapes, sizes and ages and are organised by The Family Business Community. We encourage all family businesses to apply and help us to share and celebrate their success stories.
This year’s categories are:
You can view full details of each category here
You can nominate and enter here
IP Basics YouTube series
Understanding intellectual property rights can help protect your business innovations. The Intellectual Property Office IP Basics YouTube series covers patents, trade marks, copyright, and design rights.
Explore the full play list here
Innovate UK Innovation Loans Round 25
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation is offering loans to micro, small and medium sized enterprises (SME). Innovate UK innovation loans are for highly innovative late-stage research and development (R&D) projects with the best potential for the future. There must be a clear route to commercialisation and economic impact.
Note: read all the instructions carefully as changes have been introduced to the Innovation Loans programme. This is to give businesses more flexibility to deliver both R&D and pre-commercial activities as well as increasing the maximum amount of the innovation loan and these are described further down in this section.
Your project must lead to innovative new products, processes or services that are significantly ahead of others currently available, or propose an innovative use of existing products, processes or services. It can also involve a new or innovative business model.
Your project must focus on one or more of the future economy areas included in the Innovate UK plan for action.
You must be able to show that you:
The funding available will be allocated across a series of competitions with the next round opening on the day the previous round closes:
You can find out more and apply here
