We have much to celebrate with achievements in boosting local businesses and residents. 

We continue to focus on nurturing the growth of existing and new businesses in the area, ranging from aiding in recruitment, facilitating commercial property searches, accessing funding opportunities whilst engaging in partnership to enhance business support initiatives.

A summary of Central Bedfordshire Council's Business, Investment and Skills Team's successes and highlights for 2023/24.

Supporting our businesses
The Council’s Business and Investment Team provides access to a range of dedicated services for businesses that are investing, growing or moving into the area:

• Supported 139 businesses with enquires
• 197 commercial property enquiries
• 90 strategic account enquires
• 330 expressions of interest and applications for UK Shared Prosperity funded programme
• 208 rural businesses were supported under UK Shared Prosperity funded programme
• Announcement of Marshalls Aerospace locating from Cambridge and outline planning permission secured
• Allocation of £2.06m UK Shared Prosperity and Rural England Prosperity Funds until 2025
• Supported new businesses with relocation support including Noatum Logistics, Bidfood, Ocado and Lidl Regional Distribution Centre

Skills for the future
The Council’s Bedfordshire Employment and Skills Academy (BESA) continues to support adults develop their skills and find employment:

• Overall learner achievement rate - 92.5%
• Number of course enrolments - 1,969
• Number of learner starts - 4,617
• Residents who gained employment or learning support - 1,035
• Overall learner satisfaction rate – 9.3/10
• 30% of learners who were unemployed and took one of our employability programmes have subsequently found employment
• 119 Apprentices supported

Follow us on #BeCentralBeds on X and Linkedin, sign up to our business newsletter or email the team.