BGF has completed a £16.6 million minority investment in Workbooks, the mid-market software platform positioning itself as a practical alternative to traditional CRM systems by bringing sales, marketing, customer support and commercial operations into a single, integrated solution. Workbooks serves hundreds of customers across the UK and the US, spanning a broad range of sectors. The platform has gained traction ...

The government’s £283 million investment to train the next generation of builders, coders and engineers has been met with a sceptical response from business leaders, who have warned that the funding is “too little, too late” to address the UK’s mounting economic and housing challenges. Ministers say the funding will help more young people gain the skills needed to meet ...

Thousands of people across the UK are set to benefit from free digital training as the government launches a major new initiative aimed at helping more people shop around for cheaper deals online and fully participate in the digital economy. Unveiled today by the Minister for Digital Inclusion, Liz Lloyd, the £11.7 million Digital Inclusion Innovation Fund will back 80 ...

New job adverts fell for the second month in a row in November, adding to signs that demand for workers is cooling as businesses grapple with budget uncertainty and proposed changes to employment law. According to the latest survey from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), new job postings dropped by 14.4 per cent between October and November, while the ...

NatWest Group has opened applications for the second year of its Fintech Programme, calling on UK-based fintechs that are using artificial intelligence to reshape the future of customer experience in financial services. The 2026 programme will run for 12 weeks and is aimed at pre-Series A and Series A fintechs with proven product-market fit and commercial traction. Successful applicants will ...

Some of Britain’s most recognisable retailers and visitor attractions are bracing for dramatic swings in their business rates bills from next April, as the 2026 revaluation lands with what has already been dubbed across the sector as “Reeves’ Christmas tax”. Fresh analysis from global tax firm Ryan reveals a retail landscape increasingly defined by extremes, with destination-led and seasonal attractions ...

Expected tax revenues from the abolition of non-dom status have been dismissed as “fantasy economics” by a former government economist, amid warnings that the Chancellor is relying on deeply flawed assumptions to plug future gaps in the public finances. Fresh post-Budget analysis published today by economic consultancy ChamberlainWalker suggests that forecasts underpinning the non-dom reforms are increasingly detached from reality. ...

Northern Ireland is facing the prospect of new car shortages and higher motoring taxes as post-Brexit provisions under the Windsor Framework come into force at the start of 2026, triggering concern across the automotive sector. From January 1, all new cars sold and registered in Northern Ireland will have to comply with European Union vehicle standards rather than those applied ...

A London-based veterinary start-up aiming to bring greater price transparency to pet care has raised £15 million to accelerate its expansion across the UK. Hello Vet, which allows owners to stay with their pets as they go under and wake up from anaesthesia, plans to open at least 20 to 25 new clinics and hire around 200 vets and veterinary ...