Events
Innovation festival
Access to finance roadshow
Showcase market and sell
Nottingham Evening Post business awards
Free public procurement course for businesses
Innovation festival
The 4th region-wide Innovation Festival (i-Festival) will take place across the East Midlands between 12 March and 23 April 2010.
The i-Festival will feature an inspiring programme of events, designed to celebrate and nurture a culture of innovation in the region, with activity targeted around young people, businesses, communities and research organisations supporting, or involved within, an innovation environment. Supported by the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) and East Midlands Innovation, the regional Science and Industry Council, the 2010 i-Festival will build on the success of the 2009 event which saw 177 events with over 20,000 attendees, and continue the drive to develop an innovation community working together to bring bright ideas to life, creating a great future for the East Midlands.
Nottinghamshire County Council will be supporting the festival via a Single Programme funding contribution of £20,000.
For further information visit: www.eminnovation.org.uk/ifestival
Access to finance roadshow - Nottinghamshire
How your business can access finance
Wednesday 14 April 2010, The Turbine Business Innovation Centre, Worksop 9.00am to 1.30pm
East Midlands Development Agency and Nottinghamshire County Council supported by Connect Midlands invite you to explore the funding options for your business plans and innovative ideas.
Experts from banks, business angels and publicly funded initiatives that support businesses at all stages of development will lead surgeries for small groups of delegates from all sectors.
All your questions will be answered and the key issues around finance and individual initiatives explored in depth.
Don't miss this free opportunity to discover how your promising business initiatives could be funded.
Read more information about the roadshow [PDF 336KB] 
Showcase market and sell
Nottinghamshire County Council, via Single Programme funding, is sponsoring a series of Showcase Market and Sell events to be held across Nottinghamshire in March 2010.
These events organised by the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce, are free and offer local businesses an excellent opportunity to:
- showcase, market and sell their products and services (exhibition space / brochure and business card exchanges)
- network and make new contacts and get new customers
- participate in a range of sessions providing practical advice on how to grow a business. Topics include Sales and Marketing, Generating and Retaining New Customers and Business Planning and Finance
- learn about local business support and advice provided by Business Link.
The events schedule is:
| Friday 5 March 2010 | Mansfield Civic Centre |
| Thursday 11 March 2010 | Clumber Park Hotel |
| Thursday 16 March 2010 | Nottingham Forest Football Club |
| Thursday 18 March 2010 | Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society |
| Thursday 25 March 2010 | Colwick Hall Hotel |
| Thursday 30 March 2010 | Eastwood Hall Hotel |
View a flyer for the Showcase Market and Sell events [PDF 492KB]
For further information contact e-mail: showcase@dncc.co.uk or call the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce on tel: 01332 851280.
Nottingham Evening Post business awards
Celebrating Success
As part of the Nottingham Evening Post Business Awards 2010, Nottinghamshire County Council is jointly sponsoring, with KPMG, the 2010 Nottinghamshire Company of the Year Award.
We recognise that local businesses play a vital role in creating wealth and prosperity across the county, helping make Nottinghamshire a great place to live and work.
To enter the Company of the Year award, a company must be based in Nottinghamshire; have a turnover of more than £2m and have been established for a minimum of two years. Businesses will be required to demonstrate measurable success and the winner will receive £5,000 worth of advisory support from KPMG.
This award is one of a number of awards which showcase the very best of the best in Nottinghamshire. The award categories are:
- Nottinghamshire Company of the Year
- Nottinghamshire Small Business of the Year
- Nottinghamshire Young Businessperson of the Year
- New Enterprise of the Year
- Business Innovation Award
- Best Use of IT and Communications Award.
To receive further information, or register interest, in any of the awards, please call the organisers, British Business Awards on tel: 01604 505480 or email info@bbaa.co.uk. Interest must be registered by 20 March 2010.
Download a form to register your interest in the awards [PDF 370KB]
Free public procurement course for businesses
The Government has launched an online procurement course called 'Winning the Contract'. This is a free resource to help businesses (and in particular SMEs) learn about public procurement and how to bid for public sector contracts.
The course introduces businesses to the key procurement processes, including:
- identifying the advantages and disadvantages of dealing with public bodies
- understanding how different types of contracts are defined, advertised and dealt with
- understanding approved supplier lists and framework agreements
- searching for and finding public sector opportunities
- identifying the key stages in the tendering process.
It also has a useful resource section, case studies, and a hints and tips download.
The course can be accessed via the Business Link website at: www.businesslink.gov.uk/procurement
