The Government has announced that its plug-in van and truck grants will be extended until at least 2027, giving UK businesses more certainty when planning the switch to electric vehicles (EVs). The scheme offers up to £2,500 off small vans, £5,000 off large vans, and between £16,000 and £25,000 off electric trucks, helping to reduce … Read more
Introduction The UK Government has recently released its Technology Adoption Review for 2025 that assesses the barriers for UK businesses in their ability to adopt transformative technologies that can enhance innovation and growth activities across key British sectors. Some of the key barriers to adopting technology for businesses cited in the report as part of … Read more
Introduction According to the July 2025 Trade Confidence Outlook by the British Chambers of Commerce Insights Unit, 24% of UK SME exporters reported an increase in export sales in Q2 of 2025, 26% experienced a decrease and 50% reported no change to trading conditions. This signifies significantly worse export trading sentiment for SMEs when compared with … Read more
Introduction According to a June 2025 Business Trends report from BDO, it has been revealed that the UK employment market is currently stagnating at a 13-year low. The Employment Index fell again in June 2025 to 94.22 from 94.32 the previous month. What this means in real terms is that hiring activity remains subdued across … Read more
The UK government has announced a new £500 million Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, and it marks a significant shift in how innovation is supported across the country. Instead of a blanket approach, this fund is designed to put power directly into the hands of local leaders, empowering them to invest in their region’s unique strengths … Read more
The UK government’s newly launched Electric Car Grant (ECG) on July 16, 2025, injects £650 million into incentivising the uptake of new electric vehicles (EVs), offering discounts of up to £3,750 on eligible models priced under £37,000. While ostensibly a boon for businesses looking to electrify their fleets, a deeper dive into the scheme reveals … Read more
Introduction A new report from Natwest called Future Fit 2025 has identified the top areas in which SMEs are encouraged to invest in to unlock growth and resilience in an increasingly competitive and complex UK business landscape. The report carried out in-depth research with 1,000 senior business executives to help identify the behaviours and strategies … Read more
Introduction According to an insights report from Howard and Over Solicitors there are a number of trends taking place in the UK in 2025 for the commercial property sector that businesses, landlords and developers can take advantage of to get the best use from their premises. i) Repurposing and Redeveloping Office SpaceDemand for traditional office … Read more
Introduction According to a new survey from the Federation of Small Business, around 50% of UK SMEs regard environmental sustainability to be a high priority for their operations. However, only 25% believe it is feasible for them to be able to transition to net zero emissions by 2050, which is the date in which the … Read more
Innovate UK is undergoing a significant transformation in its approach to funding, directly impacting UK SMEs seeking innovation grants. From January 2025, the popular Smart Grants programme has been paused to allow for the development of more tailored support mechanisms. A new pilot programme is anticipated to launch in Spring 2025, specifically designed to assist … Read more