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Service Sector Conditions Deteriorate In The Quarter To November
Business sentiment and activity dropped further across the services sector in the quarter to November, according to the CBI’s latest Service Sector Survey. Business volumes dropped sharply across both sub-sectors, marking over a year of declines. Meanwhile, average selling prices were unchanged despite cost growth remaining elevated.
Image by Pexels from Pixabay
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Training Organisation Pledges To Ensure All Interested Are Given Every Opportunity To Shine
HETA process App: A successful apprenticeship offers a world of opportunity, and HETA is ensuring budding engineers don’t gall through the gaps.
Pioneering collaborations to ensure budding engineers aren’t lost before they get the chance to enter industry are now being established. Pan-Humber training provider HETA is working with further education providers to keep routes into key trades open for those not quite ready to make the next step - but where a desire to move in that direction has been shown.
1:03 AM 1st December 2025
Christmas Spotlight: Sarah Beaumont, Widd Partnerships and Marketing Director
Yet again for 2025, we’re bringing back our popular festive spotlight — featuring regional businesspeople from across the north. We’ll be quizzing a notable name with 12 quickfire questions.
1:00 AM 1st December 2025
North West’s DJH Helps S&S Steelstock Complete Manufacturing Acquisition
(l-r) Lewis Pearson (DJH), Luke Pritchard (Knights), Chris Downs, Barry Collins, Jon Elwell (all S&S Steelstock), Melissa Orpe (HSBC UK) and David Wright (DJH)
A North West professional services group has used its multi-disciplinary expertise to help complete a major Midlands manufacturing deal. DJH, which has eight offices across, Manchester, Altrincham, Bury, Chester, Nantwich, Liverpool and the Wirral, supported full buy-side advisory on S&S Steelstock’s acquisition of Trident Sections in Kingswinford in the West Midlands.
4:00 AM 1st December 2025
Culture And Heritage Centre Wins National Award
A County Durham culture, heritage and registration venue, praised for its innovative design and contribution, has scooped a top national planning award.
1:00 AM 1st December 2025
AI: The New Internet Moment For Business
For nearly thirty years, the internet has been a force shaping global commerce, communication, and competition. Businesses that embraced websites in the 90s and early 2000s unlocked new markets, efficiencies, and ways of operating. Those that hesitated often found themselves scrambling to catch up or left behind altogether. Today, a similar turning point has arrived.
1:01 AM 29th November 2025
The Cumberland Makes Top 10 Best Large Employers
The Cumberland Building Society is officially one of the best places to work in the UK, having again improved its ranking in Best Companies’ annual survey.
1:00 AM 29th November 2025
UK Business R&D Rebounds In 2024, But Recovery Remains Fragile, Warns NCUB
New figures released today show that business expenditure on research and development (R&D) in the UK is recovering after several years of decline. In real terms, spending increased by 2.3% to £55.6 billion in 2024 compared to 2023. The rebound follows two consecutive years of falling private R&D spending.
11:48 AM 28th November 2025
Accu Fasteners Anchor World’s First Seagrass Harvester
A North of England precision engineering firm, Accu, has provided crucial components for the development of the world’s first underwater seagrass harvester, a groundbreaking marine conservation innovation. Based in Yorkshire, Accu collaborated with Tandem Ventures, a science and conservation technology specialist, and marine organisation Project Seagrass, on the project.
1:34 AM 28th November 2025
Northern Talent Tracker: This Week's Key Appointments
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Directors Andrew Wilkinson and Keian Sanchez. Foreground, finance officer, Lauren Jones.
Greener Solutions Group, an expanding national firm specialising in energy efficiency and sustainable solutions for the retrofit sector, has announced eight new appointments across its North of England operations.
1:10 AM 28th November 2025
North East Construction Excellence Shines At National Awards
North East winners at the Constructing Excellence National Awards
The North East celebrated a significant victory at the Constructing Excellence National Awards 2025, securing five prestigious accolades for regional firms and projects. Space Architects enjoyed a hat-trick of wins.
1:01 AM 28th November 2025
Vp Shakes Up UK Business As Profit Falls 18%
Vp's TPA Division
Equipment rental group Vp plc has reported an 18% drop in adjusted profit for the first half of the year, falling to £17.3 million (2024: £21.0 million), citing a "challenging" UK market. Revenues for the six months to 30 September 2025 dipped 2% to £188.4 million. The fall in profit has led Vp to announce a major strategic overhaul of its UK division, Brandon Hire Station.
1:01 AM 28th November 2025
West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services Launches Young Manufacturers Network
Freya Taylor, WYMS marketing and communication manager, and Alex Tate, WYMS business development executive
Building on a drive to bridge the manufacturing skills gap, West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services (WYMS) has announced the launch of a Young Manufacturers Network. The network is designed to connect, develop, and inspire the next generation of engineering and manufacturing professionals in the region.
1:00 AM 28th November 2025
Wakefield-Based Roann On Track For Record Year
Fabricator and installer of high-volume, low-silica worktops, Roann, is on track for a record year after it reached £9.5 million worth of total sales in the first nine months of 2025. New contract wins continue to fuel the Wakefield-based worktop specialist’s growth including a new project with award-winning private house builder, Allison Homes.
1:00 AM 28th November 2025
QSHE Firm Carney Targets 40% Growth After Investment Surge
Following a year of strong investment, Carney Consultancy, a quality, safety, health and environmental (QSHE) training and consultancy firm, has announced a 25% growth in turnover.
1:00 AM 28th November 2025
Yorkshire Law Firm Highly Commended At UK's Employee-Owned Business Of The Year 2025
Yorkshire law firm, Ison Harrison, has been recognised nationally at the UK Employee-Owned Business of the Year Awards 2025. The firm was highly commended at the UK Employee Ownership Awards, held last night at the Telford International Centre.
1:00 AM 28th November 2025
Employment Rights Amendment Welcomed
The British Chambers of Commerce, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, Recruitment and Employment Confederation and Small Business Britain welcomed the news that the Government has agreed to a six-month qualifying period for unfair dismissal in the Employment Rights Bill, the six business groups involved in t…
6:05 PM 27th November 2025
Day One Rights Climbdown Will Increase Confidence In Hiring
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Responding to the announcement that the government has agreed to a six-month qualifying period for additional protections against unfair dismissal, Alex Hall-Chen, Principal Policy Advisor for Employment at the Institute of Directors, said: “This is great news for businesses.
6:02 PM 27th November 2025
What The Budget Means For Yorkshire Businesses And Taxpayers
Chris Luckett
Chartered accounting and business advisory firm, Saffery, has revealed what the Chancellor’s Budget announcements mean for Yorkshire businesses and taxpayers. Labour’s Autumn Budget, delivered on 26 November 2025, introduced a series of tax changes that will have far reaching consequences for households and businesses across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region.
4:22 PM 27th November 2025
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce’s Response to the 2025 Autumn Budget
Louisa Harrison-Walker
Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has welcomed the Chancellor’s move to introduce a number of measures to support small businesses, whilst acknowledging an improved and staggered approach to implementing some of the changes.
4:14 PM 27th November 2025
Radcliffe Firm Secures Role In Canada’s Nuclear Safety Future
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Andrew McClusky with the factory team at BEP Surface Technologies
A small engineering firm based in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, has achieved significant international recognition for its work in long-term nuclear waste storage, a sector of critical global importance.
7:49 AM 27th November 2025
Boards Must Take The Lead On AI Governance To Ensure Human Oversight
With the rise of AI in governance, boards must govern AI responsibly, embedding human oversight and structured processes at every stage. There’s no denying that AI is reshaping boardroom decision-making as it becomes increasingly integrated into board operations.
1:10 AM 27th November 2025
University’s Textile Heritage Honoured
One of the UK’s most prestigious educational honours has been awarded to the University of Leeds for 150 years of textile research. Leeds has received the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Higher and Further Education, an honour at the highest level of state that celebrates outstanding contributions to education and society.
1:09 AM 27th November 2025
Trio Of Award Wins For Howarths
Howarths, the people consultancy specialising in legal, safety and growth services, has received a trio of accolades at the Yorkshire & Humberside Family Business Awards. The Cleckheaton based business, which has been supporting organisations from across the UK for over 20 years, received the Purpose Driven, Employee Excellence and the ultimate Family Business of the Year 2025 awards.
1:03 AM 27th November 2025
Property & construction
Heritage Award For Ilkley Apartment Development
A new apartment development in Ilkley town centre which has seen the upper floors of a landmark building on The Grove converted into 10 apartments, has been presented with a conservation award in recognition of its high quality and sympathetic transformation.
1:00 AM 27th November 2025
Budget 2025: The Cost Of Not Raising Income Tax Rates On Younger Workers
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Chris Etherington, tax partner at RSM UK: “It would be easy to categorise this Budget, and the last, as having a focus on wealth redistribution, rather than wealth creation. Those feeling the most pain, however, may be younger workers hoping to get ahead.
1:00 AM 27th November 2025
Opinion
2005 Budget Reaction
David Harris, CEO at offsite manufacturer, Premier Modular Today’s budget may not have hit the right notes with everyone, but for the property and construction sector, the chancellor has backed crucial development and infrastructure across wide range of sectors.
1:00 AM 27th November 2025
2025 Budget Response
Mixed-bag Budget for self employed people Mike Parkes, technical director at GoSimpleTax, said: “With resounding backing for businesses, the four-million-plus self-employed people may be feeling like there wasn’t much good news or support.
2:38 PM 26th November 2025
Government Budget Delivers Bitter Blow To UK‘s Energy Workers And Industry
Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) has condemned the government’s decision in today’s Budget to reject replacement of the Energy Profits Levy (EPL) in 2026 - a move that will cost tens of thousands of jobs, cripple investment, and undermine Scotland and the UK’s energy security.
2:24 PM 26th November 2025
Thousands Of UK Jobs At Risk Without Windfall Tax Reform
Ahead of today's Autumn Statement, Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) warns that urgent reform of the Energy Profits Levy is now critical to protect jobs, investment, and national security.
1:01 AM 26th November 2025
IntelliAM Expands Into Building Products Manufacturing Sector
South Yorkshire-based IntelliAM AI plc, the software company transforming productivity in the manufacturing industry through artificial intelligence and machine learning, has officially expanded into the building products sector, securing new contracts with two other Yorkshire companies – Elland-based Marshalls and Castleford-based H+H.
1:00 AM 26th November 2025
Leeds Mental Health Enterprise Wins Innovation Challenge Prize From Amazon
A mental health training company has been awarded the Charity Innovation Award and £10,000 at Amazon's Innovation Challenge Prize (ICP) awards ceremony to develop its pioneering work in suicide prevention. HelloHope is a Community Interest Company founded by Ellie MacDonald, who found inspiration through tragedy after the loss of her father to suicide when she was just four years old.
1:00 AM 26th November 2025
Pensions Top Budget Concern In The North, With North West Most Nervous About Tax Changes
Pensions emerged as the leading concern for people in the north of England, according to new analysis by Rathbones, a UK wealth and asset management group. However, there are striking regional differences: people in the North West are more concerned about key Budget tax issues than those in the North East.
1:00 AM 26th November 2025
Leeds Companies Join Charity's New Business Alliance
Holbeck Together has officially launched the Holbeck Together Business Alliance, a new partnership initiative bringing together a wide range of well-known Leeds businesses to support the charity’s mission to reduce inequality, strengthen community resilience and expand opportunity for residents in Holbeck.
1:00 AM 26th November 2025
Electric Tricycle Specialist Jorvik Tricycles Celebrates Success Of Home-Demo Service
Karl Walker, Home Demonstration Manager, with a customer
Yorkshire-based Jorvik Tricycles is celebrating the sustained success of its bespoke home demonstration service as the business marks 5,000 miles travelled across the country to take trikes directly to its customers to truly champion inclusivity and accessibility.
1:00 AM 26th November 2025
Logistics Veteran Takes Top Honour At Hull Business Awards
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
A logistics veteran who has steered his family firm through six decades was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award as the Hull and East Yorkshire business community celebrated its 25th anniversary. Peter Brown, the third-generation head of global logistics provider Neill & Brown, received a standing ovation from an audience of 500 peers.
1:06 AM 25th November 2025
Henry Boot Construction Delivers First Phase Of SEND School Transformation In Rotherham
Phase one unveiling at Hilltop School in Rotherham. Photo Yorkshire Children’s Charity.
Henry Boot Construction has completed the first phase of a major £3 million pro bono Yorkshire Children’s Charity and Nexus Multi Academy Trust project to transform Hilltop School in Rotherham – a special educational needs school supporting 180 children with complex needs.
1:01 AM 25th November 2025
Beal Calls On Landowners To Join Forces With Housebuilder To Meet New Homes Challenge
The Chief Executive of Yorkshire-based Beal Homes has urged landowners to come forward and work with the regional housebuilder to meet the challenge of developing many more much-needed new homes. Richard Beal issued the open call to highlight the opportunity for landowners to join with his team in playing their full part in meeting rising targets for new homes.
1:00 AM 25th November 2025
Property & construction
York Architects Win Prestigious Edinburgh Coastal Design
York-based architecture firm brown + company has secured first place in a national design competition to create a new community facility on the Portobello Promenade in Edinburgh.
1:00 AM 25th November 2025
Small Businesses Most At Risk From Tax Rises In The Autumn Budget
UK small businesses would be most at risk if various taxes were to go up in the Autumn Budget, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance, conducted a week before the Autumn Budget.
1:00 AM 25th November 2025
New Culinary Opportunities With State-Of-The-Art Facilities At Bradford College
Regal Foods has taken its partnership with Bradford College to the next level, funding upgraded kitchen facilities that will transform the learning experience for aspiring chefs.
1:00 AM 25th November 2025
Ipsum Wins Sheffield High-Voltage Project
L-R Graham Henry-Whittle - Sheffield Forgemasters Construction Manager, Ian Needham - Ipsum Technical Director, Lee Jordan - Sheffield Forgemasters Project Manager, Barry Grier - Ipsum Managing Director.
Engineering services specialist, Ipsum Group, has won a four-year contract to replace Sheffield Forgemasters’ entire High Voltage (HV) network assets across its 85-acre site.
7:07 PM 24th November 2025
The Government Signals Where It Wants To Lead
Image by andreas_baetz from Pixabay
In a recorded speech at UKRI’s Innovation for Growth summit, Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall MP set out headline allocations for UKRI’s budget, offering the strongest indication yet of a more focused national research agenda. Of the £38.6 billion allocated to UKRI over the next five years, £14 billion will support curiosity-driven research.
7:02 PM 24th November 2025
Your First PE Meeting: Why Chemistry Matters As Much As Numbers
Jamie Roberts, Managing Partner, YFM
The most successful initial PE meetings share a counterintuitive trait: they feel less like presentations and more like a conversation over coffee. Yet founders repeatedly make the same missteps, mistaking polish for preparation and performance for partnership potential. It’s not Dragon’s Den. It’s not a bank meeting.
5:28 AM 24th November 2025
10 In 10: Laura Evans-Hill
Laura Evans-Hill, Founder and Director of Nifty Fox Creative, is the latest regional business professional in the hot seat as we give her just 10 minutes to answer our 10 burning questions. 1.
1:10 AM 24th November 2025
Analysis Shows Energy Profits Levy Reform Will Give A £15 Billion Government Revenue Boost ​
Industry proposals to reform the 78% Energy Profits Levy (EPL) would yield an extra £15.7 billion in taxes within ten years, according to a statistical analysis by Offshore Energies UK (OEUK).
1:02 AM 24th November 2025
Grimsby Construction And Manufacturing Group Becomes Employee-Owned Business
A Grimsby-based construction and manufacturing group has transitioned to employee ownership as part of its growth strategy to safeguard its future and ensure long-term job stability for its employees. Established in 1986, Central Insulations Limited specialises in designing and building temperature-controlled environments for the food industry.
1:00 AM 24th November 2025
Budget Build-Up: How The Chancellor Can Unlock Opportunities For The Security Sector
The past five years have been incredibly difficult for small businesses in the UK. With Brexit, COVID-19, American tariffs, and the cost-of-living crisis creating an environment that many SMEs across the country have struggled to navigate.
1:00 AM 24th November 2025
Lancashire Students Among Some Of The First In The Country To Receive AI Super Curriculum
Lancashire is the first county in the UK to introduce an artificial intelligence (AI) super curriculum to every secondary school in the area, giving thousands of young people the skills and confidence they need for the future world of work. There are 10 MEGA (Motivated, Educated Generation with Ambition) Hubs across the Lancashire local authorities.
1:00 AM 24th November 2025
West Yorkshire SMEs Call For Certainty In Autumn Budget
Martin Coats, Chief Operating Officer at Exemplas
Martin Coats, Chief Operating Officer at Exemplas, which delivers the West Yorkshire Business Boost (WYBB) and Business Productivity Services with Leeds Beckett University and West Yorkshire Combined Authority, says SMEs across the region are calling for certainty and clarity from the Autumn Budget announcement.
1:00 AM 24th November 2025
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