NW business briefs: Start-Up Loans; SAS Daniels; digitaltravel.io; Skills Network; LSH Auto; HMG Paints; M&Y Construction

The Start Up Loans programme, part of the British Business Bank, has revealed it has provided 544 loans, worth £6m, to businesses in Cheshire West and Chester.

Of all the loans provided in the North West, 39% went to female-founded businesses, totalling more than £2m. In addition, 62 loans in the region went to entrepreneurs aged between 18-24 years old, amounting to more than £455,000, demonstrating the Bank’s commitment to supporting underrepresented founders.  

Since the Start Up Loans programme began in 2012, businesses across the North West have received nearly £140m of financing. This means the region has received more than the South East of England, and is second nationally only to London in terms of the value of loans provided to businesses under three years old.   Delyth Edwards, Senior Network Manager for the North West at the British Business Bank, said: “The entrepreneurial talent in this region is evident through its flourishing small business community and I’m sure we will see a lot more success from these businesses over the next few years.”

Layers Treats is a Chester-based Start Up Loan recipient. Tom Newey, 22, founded the dessert business in 2020, after deferring a place at university. He said: “Navigating growing a business and accessing finance as a young entrepreneur can be challenging, but the British Business Bank made the process simple, helping myself and the business achieve what it has so far.

“Without the personalised support I received during the application process, I probably wouldn’t have completed the application. I am proud of what Layers Treats has achieved so far and look forward to growing the business further and achieving even more success as a young entrepreneur.”

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North West law firm, SAS Daniels, has renewed its long standing partnership with Macclesfield FC for a further two years.

In addition to having its branding around the Leasing.com Stadium and enjoying matchday hospitality in the Westwood Group VIP Lounge, the deal will also see the local law firm retain its back-of-shirt sponsorship for the Women’s First Team.

Justine Clowes, business owner, partner and joint head of the Macclesfield office, aid: “As a majority female firm, we understand the importance of investing in female talent and are particularly pleased to continue the back-of-shirt sponsorship for the Women’s First Team. After witnessing the team winning the league and cup double last season, we wish them even more success for the coming months.”

Macclesfied Head of Commercial and Sponsorships, Bob Trafford, said: “To attract a prestigious company such as SAS Daniels to the club is wonderful in itself, but I am so thankful that they have committed to us for the next two years.

“SAS Daniels have been an incredibly loyal sponsor since our inception and I am delighted that they will be staying with us. Their brand has become synonymous with our Women’s First Team, and I have no doubt that they will continue on their upward trajectory over the course of this deal.”

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digitaltravel.io team

Liverpool-based technology start-up based in the heart of Liverpool, digitaltravel.io, has quadrupled in size, financially, since its inception three years ago.

The company, which provides digital travel solutions to travel and tourism businesses, with a particular focus on cruise, hit more than £1m annual revenue in its third year, up from £250,000 in its first 12 months of operation.

The company’s increase in annual sales is one of several milestones it is marking in 2024. Founded by Peter Whittle and Peter Aland during the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, the company has bootstrapped its growth from a team of five to employing 14 people with 67 clients, 59% of which are overseas.

The firm was established through the merger of Peter Whittle’s CruiseAppy, a mobile app platform for the cruise industry, and Peter Aland’s iprogress, a web design and development agency.

CEO, Peter Whittle, said: “Three years on, because of a talented team, loyal clients and strong partnerships, we have exceeded our expectations. As a start-up we have reached ‘base camp’ and are now investing in people and processes to help grow the business still further along with the scalability of our platform.”

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The Skills Network, one of the largest online education providers in the UK, has opened enrolment for its Skills Bootcamp in Leadership and Management, a Government-funded course available to those in the Lancashire area.

The 12-week bootcamp looks to tackle local skills gaps by furthering the professional development of employees, and aspiring employees, across all sectors in Lancashire.

Local employers looking to upskill their current staff can take advantage of the course, with small/medium employers only required to contribute 10% of the associated training fees, and large employers 30%.

Wendy Dodson, Projects Director Bootcamps at The Skills Network, said: “This is an invaluable opportunity for those living in Lancashire to receive a very high standard of training at absolutely no cost. With a considerable amount of input from

industry experts, the skills woven into this course are the kind that can lead to long, successful careers.”

Dr Michele Lawty-Jones, director of the Lancashire Skills and Employment Hub, said: “Employers have fed back through the Local Skills Improvement Plan in Lancashire that leadership and management skills are needed in their businesses. We are delighted to welcome the Skills Network to the provider network across Lancashire who are delivering a plethora of Skills Bootcamps.”

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Class of 24 apprentices

LSH Auto has welcomed 20 new apprentices to join its teams in Stockport, Whitefield, Birmingham, Solihull and Tamworth.

One of the new Light Vehicle Technician Apprentices, Danielle Reynolds, was working as a dog walker before she heard about the Mercedes-Benz Apprenticeship and decided to apply. She said: “I love tinkering with cars and always wanted to learn more about them. I’d also really like to be a successful female in a male dominated industry.”

Jack Davis, from Stockport, also a Light Vehicle Technician Apprentice, said: “Originally, I was going to study mechanics at college but then I saw the Mercedes-Benz apprenticeship. I’ve always been a fan of Mercedes-Benz and wanted to work here in some way or another. I thought an apprenticeship would be the perfect way in.”

Many of the apprenticeships are run in partnership with the Mercedes-Benz Academy in Milton Keynes, which receives more than 10,000 applications each year from across the UK. It whittles those down to around 250 applicants and LSH Auto has committed to supporting 27 of those places this year, which means there are still some places available in this year’s cohort.

Becky Pitt, Talent Acquisition Specialist at LSH Auto, said: “Becoming an apprentice is a great way to earn money and a qualification whilst gaining valuable real-life experience in your chosen career.”

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HMG Paints has scored a new partnership with FC United of Manchester which sees HMG become ‘Official Paint Partner’ of the club.

As part of the partnership Cheetham Hill-based HMG Paints will provide its paints and protective coatings for use at Broadhurst Park in Moston which is home to FC United and Moston Juniors FC, with additional support provided for numerous community projects being run by the club.  

FC United is a supporter-owned, not-for-profit, semi-professional, community football club and exists to provide affordable football for all. In 2025, the club will celebrate 20 years since it was formed in 2005 by Manchester United supporters.

HMG Marketing Manager, Paddy Dyson, said: “We’re proud to have partnered with the club as they celebrate a landmark season. FC United’s commitment to the local community and fans perfectly aligns with our values as a business.”

FC United’s Commercial Manager, Paul Haworth, said: “As you could imagine, our purpose-built 4,400 capacity home has quite a lot of paintwork, and we would have really struggled without the support of HMG Paints. They’ve been amazing.”

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M&Y Construction, part of Liverpool-based Regenda Group, has been appointed to the Procurement for Housing’s (PfH) framework for Planned Works, which has a £25m value.  

Procurement for Housing is a national procurement consortium dedicated to the social housing sector and supported by the National Housing Federation (NHF), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and HouseMark. Collectively, members manage more than 75% of the UK’s social housing stock.

As part of a competitive pool of applicants, M&Y Construction has secured a place on Lot 9 Kitchen and Bathroom Supply and Install across the North West region. M&Y stood out due to its Health & Safety, Added Value Solutions, Contract Management, and its commitment to social value, it said.

Director of Operations, Kevin Moses, said: “It is great to see M&Y being recognised as one of the leading repairs and maintenance contractors in the North-West. We scored highly in areas such as Health & Safety, Added Value Solutions and Contract Management; testament to the quality of services we are already delivering.”

James Lines, Senior Category Manager at PfH, said: “Our Planned Works Team are excited to see what opportunities come our way via the framework as we continue to expand our services and clientele. The framework aims to deliver high quality, planned works that meet the current and future needs of residents, encouraging efficiencies and consistent training opportunities within the communities served.”