The bizbritain newsroom
News & Press
Announcements, releases and the stories of the British founders we’ve helped fund — updates from across the bizbritain newsroom.
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News
British Business Bank opens a £210m South East Investment Fund
The British Business Bank has opened a £210m South East Investment Fund, with loans from £25,000 to £2m and equity to £5m. Which counties it covers, and what it funds.
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£10m Hospitality Grant Scheme opens for applications this month
The £10m Hospitality Grant Scheme takes applications from independent pubs, restaurants and cafés from the end of September. What it funds, and what is missing.
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UK business insolvencies fell 19% in August
Creditsafe reports 2,074 UK and Northern Irish business insolvencies in August 2026, down 19% on July. Construction still leads at 17% of failures.
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Whitbread closes its restaurant brands this week as 261 sites wind down
Whitbread closes Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and three more brands this week. What is confirmed about the 261 sites, and what is not.
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JLR opens voluntary redundancy scheme with £1.7bn savings target
Jaguar Land Rover has opened a voluntary redundancy scheme as part of a £1.7bn savings programme. What it means for suppliers in the West Midlands.
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Battery-electric cars reach 29.8% of the UK new car market
New car registrations rose 13.7% in August 2026 and battery-electric cars took 29.8% of the market. Most of the work that creates goes to small businesses.
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Fair Work Agency names 658 employers over minimum wage underpayment
The Fair Work Agency has named 658 employers for paying below the minimum wage, ordering £4m in arrears back to more than 27,000 workers.
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UK factory orders grew in August, but not for small manufacturers
S&P Global's August survey put UK manufacturing at a five-month low, with the gains in new orders concentrated among medium and large firms.
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Shop price inflation hits a two-year high
Shop prices rose 1.5% in the year to August, the highest reading in over two years, with food inflation at 2.8%. What it means for independent shops and cafes.
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UK asking prices post their biggest August fall since 2018
Rightmove says the average UK asking price fell 2% in August, the largest August drop since 2018, with more homes for sale than at any August in 12 years.
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Apprentice training is now fully funded for employers hiring under-25s
From 1 August 2026 the government covers the whole training cost of an apprentice aged 16 to 24 at employers outside the apprenticeship levy. A hiring payment of up to 2,000 pounds follows in October.
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Petrol hits its highest level since 2022 as bank holiday traffic peaks
Petrol averaged 161.6p a litre on 28 August 2026, the highest since November 2022. What it means for UK businesses running vans, and why the September fuel duty story is wrong.