Latest News

International Fund now open for business in England​

The Department for International Trade has launched its new Internationalisation Fund for eligible businesses in England Click here

Match-funded grants of between £1,000 and £9,000 will be available for future activity (subject to eligibility and availability).

To secure a grant, you will need to fund a proportion of your costs yourself. This varies according to where your business is based and will be either 40 or 50% of the total cost.

The fund can be used to support areas including (but not exclusively limited to):

• Market research

• IP advice

• Translation services

• International social media/SEO

• Trade fairs (where no TAP funding is available)

• Independent market visits

• Consultancy and other international commercial services

​

Is your business eligible?

• The company must be based in England

• The company must be a small or medium sized enterprise (SME) with up to 250 employees

• No more than 25% of the business is owned by an enterprise which is not a SME

• Annual turnover does not exceed €50 million or annual balance sheet does not exceed €43 million

• The fund is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

If you are looking for support from DIT’s Internationalisation Fund, please contact your local DIT office: Click Here

​

For more details or to discuss any grant funding opportunities please contact

Alastair Beacon

Director

Westley Consulting Ltd.

Yew Tree House

Lower Road

Ashley

Market Drayton

TF9 4NG

Tel: 01630 673733

Mob: 07968 585101

Email: adb@westleyconsulting.co.uk

www.westleyconsulting.co.uk

​

Consumer Insights: Understand consumer needs behind in-home meals

​

AHDB have published a new report looking at consumer needs behind in-home meals - Click here

Knowing as many details as possible about how products are consumed and what consumer needs they are meeting allows businesses to understand the changing eating landscape. 

The report is accompanied by a short video: Click Here

​

We Eat Balanced drives positive rethink of red meat and dairy for consumers

​

Consumers are rethinking their attitudes towards red meat and dairy produced in Britain as the result of AHDB’s ground-breaking We Eat Balanced campaign launched earlier this year.

The £1.5M campaign which ran across TV, social media and print in January and February was a first for British farming.  Aimed at a target audience of meat and dairy ‘waverers’, it aimed to remind and reassure consumers of the role red meat and dairy can play in a balanced diet, and the sustainability of livestock production in Britain.

It focused on three key messages – red meat and dairy as a source of Vitamin B12, Britain’s world class production standards and that red meat and dairy from Britain is amongst the most sustainable in the world.

Results showed that post campaign:

• Seven per cent more consumers in the target audience felt red meat could form part of a healthy, balanced diet

• Seven per cent more consumers also revealed they feel the same about dairy

• The target audience recorded an eight per cent increase in seeing dairy as produced in both a natural and a sustainable way

• There is also a four per cent increase in seeing red meat as providing a range of vitamins and minerals

“We know that food and farming from Britain has a unique story to tell , so to achieve these results is a great outcome for all concerned. Many thanks to the farmers, processors, retailers, butchers and chefs who got behind the campaign. No one, to our knowledge, has ever delivered a campaign featuring these messages at this scale,” said Christine Watts, AHDB’ Chief Officer for Marketing and Exports.

“At a time when people are thinking about new year diets and considering cutting out or cutting back on certain foods, it shows the impact of addressing the misinformation which is regularly served up to consumers about the role of red meat and dairy can play in the diet, and the environmental sustainability of our livestock production.

“Consumers want reassurance about their food choices and are looking for permission to continue eating the foods they enjoy as part of a healthy, balanced diet.

“Our campaign results also supports other AHDB findings that consumers want to hear more from farmers and how they produce our food. We’ll be taking this forward in the next stage of our industry reputation campaign which will be launched later this year.”

The campaign also showed a shift in consumer attitudes around the sustainability of red meat produced in Britain versus imported product.  When prompted, there was a 9% positive shift in target audience consumers believing that home-produced red meat was produced in a more sustainable way compared to red meat from overseas.

Over the course of seven weeks, We Eat Balanced generated 80 million impressions on social media, reaching ten million consumers.  It also reached six million people in print and 2.5 million through video on demand.

The advertising was rolled out against a background of continuing strong sales of meat and dairy during January.  Retail volumes for total red meat were up 15.1 per cent in the 4 w/e 24 January 2021 according to Kantar and dairy also showed a strong performance, up 11.8 per cent in volume compared with last January.

​

Click here to see the results of the campaign

​

Grant Opportunities in Wales

Please circulate this update to all relevant staff within your business.

​

‘Non-agricultural products’ - Rural Business Investment Scheme (RBIS)

The latest round of RBIS has just opened and closes on 21st April and it is aimed at food processing projects that involve products that are not deemed to be agricultural (i.e. live animals, and less than 90% raw meat) and are therefore not eligible for the Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS). So, for example, these might be sausages or burgers with less than 90% meat or manufactured products (such as ready meals) that contain a range of ingredients. If a project involves slaughtering or cutting/processing of raw meat then it won’t be eligible.

The scheme is open to applications from micro and small businesses, i.e. those with a maximum of 50 employees, and can fund at a maximum grant of 40% up to £150,000.

Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS)

There is just a possibility of a further round of this scheme that may open with a brief window (of a few weeks) for the submission of Expressions of Interest. Previous rounds of the scheme have been for capital projects from food processors who process agricultural products and this includes livestock and meat. It is likely that any new round will prioritise applications that create business growth, jobs, sustainable approaches and new products and processes. Previous rounds have been open to businesses of all sizes and have had a rate of grant of up to 40% with a high ceiling of £5m.

How to Proceed

If any member has a project idea that might fit with either scheme then, given that the application windows are very brief, please get in touch at the earliest opportunity to discuss it with us. 

We will happily advise on potential projects, eligibility, fit with the scheme and the application process. We are also able to provide a full construction management service to help in working up projects and delivering them.

Alastair Beacon or Rick Patterson

Westley Consulting

T: 01630 673733

E: info@westleyconsulting.co.uk

​

Fact Sheets on Animal By-products

Please circulate this update to all relevant staff within your business.

​

The Foodchain and Biomass Renewables Association UK (FABRA UK) have prepared a series of Factsheets covering various aspects related to Animal By-products which are available on their website Click Here and via the links below. 

These factsheets are educational and easy to read and they will be useful for our stakeholders in the animal-based food supply chain. 

FABRA UK represents the majority of the UK Animal By-products processing industry operating across around 20 sites in the UK, processing over 2 million tonnes of UK derived animal by-products per year. 

FABRA UK is the UK’s leading authority on the use, value and biosecurity of edible animal fats and meat industry by-products and we work closely with regulators, livestock producers, meat processors and retailers across the UK.

The animal by-products processing sector has an established and essential role in enhancing the sustainability of the animal-based food supply chain, bringing benefits such as optimal use of resources, waste minimisation, reducing GHG emissions, minimising nutrient leakage and avoiding deforestation. These circular bio-economy benefits are very important to us but will never be detrimental to our core responsibility of ensuring biosecurity and protecting human, animal and environmental health.

FABRA UK members recover edible animal fats, valuable proteins and renewable energy from these materials and the derived products have a wide variety of low carbon applications in human food production, animal feeds, fuels, fertilisers and raw materials for the chemical industry.

​

If you have any comments or questions on any of the Factsheets please contact FABRA UK: Click Here

​

FSA launches new tool to help businesses assess food crime risks

Click here

The Food Fraud Resilience Self-Assessment Tool guides food business owners and employees through a series of questions designed to help them identify the risk to their business from food crime, and outlines steps that they can take to mitigate this. Businesses can complete this anonymously or choose to share their details with the FSA to receive tailored advice and support.

Food fraud resilience in your business 

Click Here

The self-assessment tool covers different areas that businesses will need to be aware of so that they can better identify and address process issues.

The tool is made up of 7 sections and provides advice for countering food fraud. These questions will help you to evaluate your business and identify areas for improvement. The tool will not provide you with a final score.

​

New assets for UK businesses recruiting internationally

25th February 2021

Please circulate this update to all relevant staff within your business.

Freedom of movement with the EU has ended and the UK has introduced a points-based immigration system. 

You now need to register as a licensed sponsor to hire most people living outside the UK and must check that they meet certain job, salary and language requirements. 

This does not apply when hiring Irish citizens, or EU citizens already living in the UK by 31st December 2020. They and their family members are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme and have until 30th June 2021 to make an application.

As a transition measure for the period up to 30th June 2021, employers should continue to accept the valid passports and national identity cards of all EU citizens as evidence of their right to work.

​

Association of Labour Providers (ALP)

The ALP have published a new guide (click here) - Workforce Recruitment and Labour Supply from 2021

The guide, a copy of which is attached has been produced together by the Association of Labour Providers and the Home Office.

The new UK immigration system from January 2021 has changed the way that employers and labour providers recruit into the UK food supply chain.  

The guide supports recruiters, HR professionals and employers to adapt to this change and to: 

• Understand the new immigration routes to work  

• Ensure compliance with right to work legislation

• Determine what actions to take to help secure continuity of labour supply 

UK Visas and Immigration 

UK Vias and Immigration have published The Right to Work leaflet Click Here which employers can share to clarify requirements to EU employees. 

The leaflet provides information for individuals on their rights and obligations depending on when they arrived in the UK.

Become a licensed visa sponsor

If you’re not already a licensed sponsor and you think you’ll want to sponsor workers, for instance, through the Skilled Worker route, you should apply now: Click Here 

Fees apply and you should allow around 8 weeks for your licence to be processed, however for an additional fee, businesses can be fast-tracked to receive a decision within 10 days. 

Some immigration routes, such as Global Talent, are ‘unsponsored’. You don’t need a licence to hire employees with an unsponsored visa.

Further information on the points-based immigration system and the available routes is available in the employer immigration guide at GOV.UK: Click Here

​

Everyone at AIMS is here to support any members, please email if you have any questions.

MORE THAN EVER PLEASE STAY SAFE – STAY WELL

​

Rules of Origin

The team at DEFRA have asked us to circulate the following update and attachments to members

Please circulate this update to all relevant staff within your business.

​

Rules of Origins Materials

DEFRA are getting in touch to share updated Rules of Origin Guidance. These updated guidance documents supersede previous versions. 

DEFRA are particularly grateful for the feedback that was provided during their and after their recent on-line sessions and hope that this round of guidance will answer most of the outstanding questions or queries. 

Click here for documents and we have included:

• Updated central Defra guidance products. The slides provide more of an overview and introduction to Rules of Origin and the more detailed Defra guidance has some further examples, explanations and an annotated Product Specific Rules table. Both of these products are general to all sectors. 

• Sector specific summary guidance documents. These have also been updated from earlier versions in response to feedback received. These only cover some of the most relevant articles in Rules of Origin and are there to provide a summary as well as relatable industry specific examples. 

• HMRC slide deck. This includes details of the interaction between Rules of Origin (requirements for claiming preferential tariffs) and wider customs procedures, such as RGR (Returned Goods Relief), rules for transit, and inward/outward processing relief. 

• Tariff implications for the movement of Goods from GB to NI. This covers interaction between Rules of Origin and 'at risk' register. 

DEFRA have also produced a recorded webinar and FAQ document. We hope that the FAQ will answer most of the outstanding questions from earlier sessions. 

These are also on the Dropbox Paper page here: https://paper.dropbox.com/doc/Food-and-drink-businesses-working-with-the-EU-okwtTBZi3i836jcXnIrE0

The webinar is also on gov.uk here:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/webinars-for-exporters-of-animals-and-products-of-animal-origin-to-the-eu

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/webinars-for-importers-of-food-and-drink-products-from-the-eu-to-great-britain#webinars-for-eu-exporters

or via https://youtu.be/NNfFjtBvn1o

These updated guidance documents supersede previous versions. 

The text of the agreement can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/948119/EU-UK_Trade_and_Cooperation_Agreement_24.12.2020.pdf (Rules of Origin General Provisions pg.27-41 and Product Specific Rules pg.423-429)

Details on claiming preferential treatment here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claiming-preferential-rates-of-duty-between-the-uk-and-eu

​

FSA Guidance on CI Botulinum & Vac Packed Meat Click here

Reporting deadweight cattle prices: Guidance for Abattoirs click here

​