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BGF Surpasses £5bn Invested As It Marks 15 Years Backing More Than 650 Growth Businesses
Image by ktphotography from Pixabay
Fifteen years after it was established to address a structural funding gap in the UK mid-market, BGF has surpassed £5bn in investments, marking a significant milestone in its mission to support the regional growth economy across the UK and Ireland. Founded in 2011, BGF provides long-term, flexible capital to small and mid-sized businesses.
P.ublished 7th July 2026
Connective3 Secures Growth Investment From Foresight Group
Tim Grice and Tavia Sparks
Leeds-based marketing agency Connective3, trading as C3X, has secured a growth investment from private equity firm Foresight Group to fund international expansion and artificial intelligence development. The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Founded by Tim Grice, the independent agency employs more than 140 specialists across its offices in Leeds, Manchester, and London.
P.ublished 7th July 2026
New Golf And Entertainment Venue Tees Up For Flemingate Opening
Professional golfer Sam Robinson and his wife Natalie are launching indoor golf and entertainment venue FORE! at Beverley’s Flemingate centre. The couple are pictured at Flemingate with Finance Director Chris Crookham and Head of Retail and Leisure Jason Platten, of Wykeland Group, owner and operator of the centre. Pictures: R&R Studio.
A new indoor golf and entertainment venue is set to open at the Flemingate centre in Beverley, East Yorkshire. The new venue will give golfers a year-round place to play and practice, while also bringing immersive sports gaming, crazy golf and a vibrant social space to the town.
P.ublished 7th July 2026
Property & construction
DAC Beachcroft Takes Two Floors At Flagship Leeds Offices
31 Wellington Street
International law firm DAC Beachcroft has agreed to lease the top two floors at 31 Wellington Street, an 80,000 sq ft Grade A office development in central Leeds. The £60 million speculative project by Prescient Capital is currently under construction at the junction of Wellington Street and Northern Street, close to Leeds railway station.
P.ublished 7th July 2026
Rachel Reeves Visits Pudsey-Based G&H And Building Futures Together
Pudsey-based G&H and Building Futures Together (BFT), welcomed Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves on Friday 3 July. The MP for Leeds West and Pudsey spent time with staff, apprentices and students to see first-hand how mechanical, electrical and public health service provider G&H and alternative vocational provision BFT are creating career pathways for young people.
P.ublished 7th July 2026
Reusable Containers Cut Food Sector Packaging Waste
A long-standing partnership between industrial packaging manufacturer WERIT UK and food ingredient supplier Ellsey’s Vinegar is reducing packaging waste and material consumption across the food manufacturing sector.
P.ublished 6th July 2026
Property & construction
Steelworks Site Transformed In £6m Rotherham Business Park Development
Rotherham Council and the Magna Science Adventure Centre have appointed HBC Construction Limited to deliver a £6 million business zone development in Templeborough. Work began in June 2026 on the project, named Steelos Business Park in a nod to the 19th-century steelmaker Steel, Peech and Tozer, whose former Templeborough steelworks now houses the adventure centre.
P.ublished 6th July 2026
Quickline Reaches Major North Yorkshire Project Gigabit Milestone Ahead Of Schedule
Rural broadband provider Quickline has successfully connected almost 11,000 publicly funded premises across North Yorkshire as part of the Government’s Project Gigabit programme – reaching the contractual milestone two months ahead of schedule.
P.ublished 6th July 2026
Financial Services Activity Slumped In Q2
Image by Pexels from Pixabay
Business volumes in the financial services sector dropped at a rapid pace in the three months to June, following a temporary recovery in Q1, according to the latest CBI Financial Services Survey.    The quarterly survey, conducted between 1 and 17 June 2026, also found that sentiment among FS firms fell in the quarter to June, as profitability contracted at a steep rate over the same period.
P.ublished 6th July 2026
Yorkshire Fabricator Marks 30 Years With £1m Investment Plan And Ambition To Reach £5m Turnover
Chris Wallage, managing director
C&C Fabrications, a metal fabrication and engineering company based in Ferrybridge, West Yorkshire, is marking its 30th anniversary with plans to invest £1 million in its operations as it targets £5 million in annual turnover.
P.ublished 6th July 2026
All Assets Of Leeds-Based Furniture Manufacturer To Be Sold Via Online Auction
All the assets of Leeds-based furniture manufacturer Poplar Products are to be sold via online auction after the business ceased trading, with bidding closing from 12pm on Thursday, July 9. Founded in 1949, Poplar Products provided design, manufacturing and installation services for retail, hospitality, educational and commercial projects across the UK.
P.ublished 4th July 2026
Meetings Vs Momentum: How Smart Organisations Get Work Done
Ian Garner
Business Writer
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Meetings are an integral part of how organisations operate today. Schedules are often packed weeks ahead, leaving employees with little choice but to spend significant time in discussions, reviewing strategies, monitoring progress and tackling challenges.
P.ublished 4th July 2026
Leeds Tech Firm On The Ball With Expansion Plans As Padel Craze Sweeps The UK
With the world’s finest players on court at Wimbledon, an entirely different racket sport is driving a major growth spurt for an Otley-based immersive technology specialist. Apollo3D, headquartered at Wharfebank Mills, has capitalised on the UK’s explosive padel tennis boom to accelerate its own corporate expansion.
P.ublished 4th July 2026
From A Yorkshire Shed To Launching Global Consumer Brands: The EPE International Story
From humble beginnings in Yorkshire to becoming one of the UK's leading distributors of consumer brands, EPE International has built its success on entrepreneurial spirit, long-term vision and a relentless focus on bringing great products to British consumers.
P.ublished 4th July 2026
Yorkshire And The Humber Sees Rise In Smaller Business Equity Deal Activity
Yorkshire and The Humber businesses saw equity deal activity increase in 2025 despite a decline in overall investment value, according to the British Business Bank’s annual Small Business Equity Tracker.
P.ublished 3rd July 2026
Northern Talent Tracker: This Week's Key Appointments
Property consultancy BTG Eddisons has strengthened its Sheffield valuations team with the appointment of senior surveyor James Parkin. He joins from Cushman & Wakefield, where he worked across industrial, logistics, retail, and office assets. A chartered surveyor and RICS registered valuer, Parkin graduated from Sheffield Hallam University and began his career in the city.
P.ublished 3rd July 2026
CareLoop Scales Clinical Deployment And Team Growth Following Investment
Founders (L-R) Pauline Whelan COO, Sandra Bucci, Zoë Blake CEO, John Ainsworth and Shôn Lewis.
Manchester-based CareLoop Health is reporting strong early traction following a £1.8m funding round from NPIF II – PXN Equity Finance, the GMC Life Sciences Fund by PXN Ventures, Verge HealthTech Fund and SFC Capital, supporting the business to scale its technology and expand clinical adoption across the UK and internationally.
P.ublished 3rd July 2026
Strong Northern Showing On National Awards Shortlist
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Last year's winners
More than a quarter of the finalists for the UK’s Private Business Awards 2026 are based across the North of England, according to shortlists released this week. Firms from Yorkshire, the North West, and the North East secured 28 of the 98 places across 11 categories in the national awards programme, which is sponsored by accountancy and business advisory firm BDO.
P.ublished 3rd July 2026
Castings Technology Marks Double Induction At Company Of Cutlers
(L-R) Dave Leary, Kevin Parkin, Master Cutler Keith Jackson and Curtis Oxborough.
Castings Technology has celebrated a double induction at the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire, with two employees welcomed into the 400-year-old Sheffield trade guild. Dave Leary, commercial lead, was inducted as a Freeman, while Curtis Oxborough, training and development manager, was welcomed as an Associate Freeman.
P.ublished 3rd July 2026
Yorkshire Firms Buck National Trend As Industrial Businesses Lead Growth Rankings
Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay
Manufacturing and engineering champions top regional table despite decline of industrial sectors nationally. Yorkshire's fastest-growing companies are proving that manufacturing and industrial innovation can still be powerful drivers of growth, despite industrial businesses becoming less prominent nationally.
P.ublished 2nd July 2026
Small Business Commissioner Emma Jones CBE Marks First Year With Eye On Landmark Late Payments Reform
On her first anniversary in the role Emma Jones reflects on 12 months championing the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses. This landmark comes as momentum builds to introduce the G7’s toughest payment regime, including new enforcement and fining powers for the Commissioner. The Commissioner's work combined with the new legislation aims to eliminate the £11 billion annual drag caused by late payments.
P.ublished 2nd July 2026
Steel Tariffs Threaten Northern Manufacturing Supply Chains
A sweeping overhaul of the UK’s steel import rules takes effect today, halving tariff-free quotas and doubling duties on excess imports to 50 per cent.
P.ublished 1st July 2026
IoD: Confidence Declines As Operating Conditions Worsen
The IoD Directors’ Economic Confidence Index, which measures business leader optimism over prospects for the UK economy, dropped to -61 in June 2026 from -53 in May, signalling a deterioration in economic sentiment. This was matched by a marked fall in confidence in respondents’ own organisations, down to +7 from +23 in May.
P.ublished 1st July 2026
Small Businesses Say Cost Of Living Threatens Growth
New figures from Novuna Business Finance reveal that nine in ten small businesses (90%) say that aspects of the increase in cost of living are threatening their growth plans for 2026.
P.ublished 1st July 2026
Magtec Brings London’s Most Famous Bus Into The Electric Age
MST Electric Routemaster
Magtec, a UK designer and manufacturer of electric vehicle drive systems, has completed the world's first electric repower of an iconic London Routemaster bus for sightseeing operator Golden Tours.
P.ublished 30th June 2026
Yorkshire Business Confidence Rises As Firms Eye New Markets And Sustainability
Business confidence in Yorkshire rose five points to 47% in June. Firms’ optimism in their own trading outlook fell 11 points to 45% while optimism in the economy climbed 21 points to 49%. Overall UK business confidence fell three points in June to 44%.
P.ublished 30th June 2026
UK Businesses Fear Economic Uncertainty Most
Peter Gallanagh
UK businesses have been hit hard by economic issues and remain worried and pessimistic about the future of UK plc, according to new research from international accountancy and business advisory group Azets. The findings of the Q2 2026 Azets Barometer showed that economic uncertainty was the biggest concern over the next year for nearly 70% (69%) of respondents.
P.ublished 30th June 2026
Private Sector Growth Expectations Weaken
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Firms across the private sector expect activity to fall in the three months to September (weighted balance of -28%), according to the CBI’s latest Growth Indicator.   Expectations are marginally weaker than May and extend a period of negative predictions for growth that began in late 2024.
P.ublished 29th June 2026
New 1,000-Place Sixth Form College Planned For Thorpe Park Leeds
Plans are being drawn up for a new purpose-built sixth form college at Thorpe Park Leeds, providing up to 1,000 post-16 places to help meet the demand across East Leeds.
P.ublished 29th June 2026
Property & construction
High-Quality Nano Units At Skipton Now Complete
The Nano Park Company, which specialises in creating the highest quality combined workshop and office space across Yorkshire, has announced its pioneering development in Skipton is now complete. The Bradford-based company’s latest Nano Park is located within the Snaygill Industrial Estate on the southern outskirts of the town.
P.ublished 29th June 2026
Ilkley Law Firm Helps Charity Ensure Deprived Local Children Enjoy A Good Night’s Sleep
Ilkley law firm, LCF Law, has raised £425 for children’s charity Zarach, continuing its long-standing commitment to supporting families in need across Yorkshire. The donation was made through team fundraising activities at LCF Law’s town centre office, which has served the Ilkley community for more than 70 years.
P.ublished 29th June 2026
Can A Northern Prime Minister Deliver Growth Beyond London?
Andy Burnham's landslide victory in Makerfield, followed by Keir Starmer's resignation, has accelerated speculation about his path to Number 10. If he gets there, Britain will have something it has not seen for a generation: a Prime Minister whose political identity has been shaped by the North of England rather than Westminster. For entrepreneurs, that matters.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Opinion
Why Climate Risk Is Rising In 2026
Source: Tunley Environmental, Envato Elements
The evidence is difficult to ignore. 2023, 2024, and 2025 were the three hottest years on record, and the UK's Met Office expects 2026 to rank among the warmest years ever observed, with global temperatures projected to remain around 1.46°C above pre-industrial levels. The cause: increased pressure on our natural systems which result in aggravated changes in climate regulation.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Market Analysis: H&M
Market Analysis text across a b&w screen of economic data
H&M: More meaningful recovery possible in 2027; Bringing production closer to key markets should improve flexibility.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Leeds Property Professional Crowned Crypt Factor 2026 Winner
Richard Bamford performing at Crypt Factor 2026
This year’s Crypt Factor singing competition was won by Richard Bamford, who performed Dakota by Stereophonics in front of almost 1,000 members of the North of England’s property community at Elland Road. The event is expected to raise around £100,000 for Leeds charities St George's Crypt and Yorkshire Property Charitable Trust.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Yorkshire Dales Charity Launches Eight Green Apprenticeships For Young People
The Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) has opened applications for eight paid apprenticeships in countryside management to help young people enter the environmental sector. The 18-month programme combines practical training with academic study.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Croda Unveils Integrated Guangzhou Facility To Anchor Asian Consumer Care Growth
Croda International Plc has announced the official commissioning of its new integrated facility in Guangzhou, China. The strategic investment brings together the dual capabilities of Croda Beauty Actives and Iberchem Fragrances, establishing a powerful regional hub designed to accelerate growth in one of the world’s most dynamic beauty and consumer markets.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
York Firm Pitches To Indian Buyers At Downing Street Event
A Yorkshire-based manufacturer of water-saving valves has joined a delegation of small British businesses in London to pitch directly to international buyers and attend a reception at 11 Downing Street. SealStop, based in Pocklington, was among 40 small firms selected for the Great British Pitch India initiative.
P.ublished 27th June 2026
Retail Sales Slump Deepens In June
Retail sales volumes were judged to be below seasonal norms in June, to the greatest extent in over two years, according to the latest CBI Distributive Trades Survey. Furthermore, retail sales volumes fell at a sharper rate in the year to June.
P.ublished 26th June 2026
Northern Talent Tracker: This Week's Key Appointments
Professional services group Gateley has announced seven promotions within its Leeds office, forming part of a wider round of 69 promotions across its UK and international offices. Construction lawyer Samantha Fozzard has been promoted to legal director, specialising in high-value building safety disputes for housebuilders, developers, and contractors.
P.ublished 26th June 2026
Haribo UK Officially Opens £35m Castleford Expansion
Yvette Cooper, MP for Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley cuts the ribbon at the official opening
HARIBO UK has officially opened a new purpose-built warehouse in West Yorkshire, marking a significant milestone in the business’s continued investment in the region.
P.ublished 26th June 2026
Conveyancing Index Relaunched With New Focus On AI Adoption
Helen Kitchen
Deputy Business Editor
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
A biennial benchmarking tool has been relaunched to measure the digital capabilities of conveyancing firms across England and Wales, with a new focus on artificial intelligence (AI). The 2026 Digital Conveyancing Maturity Index (DCMI), developed by legal technology specialist InfoTrack UK, has been updated to track how legal practices adopt and govern AI technologies.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
Yorkshire University Students Crowned Winners At Women In Property Yorkshire & North East Student Awards
L-R: Emma McCutcheon, Architect from sponsor Ryder Architecture, Student Award winner Leoni Francis, Pip Hunsworth, Vice Chair of Women in Property Yorkshire & North East and Associate Director at Buro Happold, and Dr Isabel Williams, Associate Learning and Development Lead at Ryder Architecture.
Students from two of the region’s top universities have been named winners in the 2026 Women in Property Yorkshire & North East Student Awards, recognising emerging talent in the property and construction sector.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
Portakabin Awarded Contract For State-Of-The-Art International HQ
The new headquarters for The Workdry Group in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire.
Portakabin has been awarded a major multi-million pound contract to design and deliver a new headquarters for The Workdry Group in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire. The new project will see the delivery of a flagship, three-storey office building at The Workdry Group’s Headquarters site, constructed using sixty-six bespoke modules.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
Hull Youngsters Gain Insight Into One Of City’s Biggest Industries
School children in Hull have gained insight into one of the city’s biggest industries after spending a day at holiday home manufacturer, Willerby.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
Historic Hexham Property Sold To Local Business For Restoration
A new owner has been found for the premises formerly owned by Hexham and District Ex-Service Club at 1 Hallstile Bank, Hexham, almost a year after the chimney stack collapsed onto neighbouring Bob’s Barbers, closing Hallstile Bank. Gillian Sayburn and Andrew Little, partners at BTG in Newcastle, were appointed joint liquidators of the club in September 2025 following its insolvency.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
Yorkshire Businessman Swaps Boardroom For Recording Studio
A Yorkshire businessman more used to board meetings and property deals has stepped into the recording studio to create a song celebrating the life of his baby daughter.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
UK Foreign Direct Investment Falls To Lowest In A Decade
Foreign direct investment (FDI) projects landing in the UK fell by 26 per cent year-on-year to 1,020 in the 2025/26 financial year, according to new figures from the Department for Business and Trade. The total represents the lowest volume of inward investment in over a decade and a 54 per cent contraction compared with 10 years ago.
P.ublished 25th June 2026
Property & construction
Keepmoat Starts Regeneration Work At North Halifax Housing Scheme
Brow Bottom Lane
Housebuilder Keepmoat has started delivery across two new sites in North Halifax set to create almost 250 new homes. The developments, both forming part of Calderdale Council’s North Halifax Transformation Programme, will provide a combined investment of more than £50 million from the housebuilder.
P.ublished 24th June 2026
Yorkshire Manufacturers Invest £900,000 In Digital Tech Backed By Made Smarter
Made Smarter Yorkshire grant recipients
From pizza dough and textiles to furniture and machinery, makers are investing in growth and jobs
P.ublished 24th June 2026
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