A Lancashire logistics specialist has invested a six-figure sum in new trucks and trailers as it modernises and expands its fleet. Matthew Kibble Transport, which is based in Nelson, has expanded its fleet to 52 after adding its first 3.5-tonne van, a 75-plate DAF rigid vehicle, eight 25-plate tractor units and seven double-decker trailers.

Hull-based Ideal Heating has received the UK’s most prestigious business honour in recognition of its pioneering approach to industry transformation. The company has been named a recipient of The King’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category, recognising Ideal’s comprehensive, end-to-end heat pump delivery package that is reshaping how the UK adopts low carbon heating technology.

The number of Lancashire businesses experiencing ‘significant’ financial distress increased by 10.4% year-on-year to 13,151 in Q1 2026 compared to the same period last year according to BTG’s latest Red Flag Alert, which has monitored the financial health of UK companies for over two decades.

Developed in a Yorkshire Dales market town and now available around the world, award-winning equine feed Speedi-Beet is a British export success story that is celebrating 20 years of sales in Australia.

Investors in the North of England should be wary of taking financial advice solely from AI platforms, one of the county’s accountancy and advisory firms has warned. Experts from Azets, which has offices in Leeds, Bradford and York, have likened the practice to Googling health symptoms rather than going to see a doctor.

Sustainability consultancy Tunley Environmental has launched its latest guide, “A Guide to Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs)”, designed to help organisations understand, develop and apply EPDs to support compliance and gain a competitive edge. Many businesses are under increasing pressure to demonstrate the impact of their products across the full lifecycle.

Britain’s food supply chain is under growing pressure from forces both at home and overseas. The latest instability in the Middle East has again shown how quickly a regional conflict can become a global supply chain issue, with disruption to fuel, fertiliser, and shipping flows feeding into food production costs and availability.

New data has revealed a stagnation in the UK’s innovation landscape, with the financial value of collaborations between universities and businesses declining over the past year. According to the latest Higher Education Business and Community Interaction (HE-BCI) survey for the 2024–25 academic year, total knowledge exchange income reached £6.1 billion.

Half of internationally active SMEs say cross-border volatility is increasing stress levels, adding to pressure on decision-making. More than half (55%) of SME leaders say cashflow occupies their attention even when trying to focus on other responsibilities. SME leaders estimate that, with more access to working capital, they could redirect an average of five hours per week towards growth-focused activity. HSBC UK has launched TradePay to simplify access to working capital and streamline supplier payments.

A sharp decline in retail sales and persistent cost pressures are set to deepen the private sector downturn across the UK, with the North’s industrial heartlands expected to feel the impact acutely. According to the latest national CBI Growth Indicator, British private sector activity is projected to contract through July.

Quilter: Continues to capture inflows from St. James’s Place’s client departures and adviser exits. WHSmith: Arrival of Relay at Heathrow poses a challenge to WH Smith’s near-monopoly in travel essentials; margin pressure increases as airports introduce more competitive tender processes. Renault: Mix of hybrids and EV has helped stabilise performance;Potential recurring software revenue. LSEG: LSEG Everywhere could see income compression in the short term;capital allocated to share buybacks would be better spent on consolidatingthe financial infrastructure space.

For many years, the prevailing wisdom in the world of work dictated that employees should separate their personal identities from their professional personas. Emotions, values and experiences were often seen as irrelevant or even distracting in the pursuit of business objectives.

Every so often you meet someone whose story stops you in your tracks. I met Anja Drop at a recent Meet the Media event, where I was on the panel offering media and PR advice to those starting out. As it turned out, Anja was already well on her way — and her route into the creative industries is one of the most refreshing I've come across in a long time.

Walker Foster Solicitors has appointed a six-strong board of directors to lead its next phase of growth as the Yorkshire firm enters its 107th year. Based in Skipton, the independent practice has restructured its leadership following the retirement of equity directors Stuart Rowland and Keith Hardington, who depart with a combined 71 years of service.

UK food and drink inflation rose to 3.7% in the 12 months to March 2026, up from 3.3% in February, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The data reveals that rising costs for meat, fish, and confectionery were the primary drivers behind the increase, even as core inflation measures showed signs of cooling elsewhere in the economy.

Procast Group has started a £5.2 million energy efficiency programme across Westmorland and Furness, aimed at tackling fuel poverty and reducing carbon emissions in some of Cumbria’s most vulnerable households. The contract forms a primary component of a wider £11.8 million regional initiative funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) through the Warm Homes Local Grant.

Today’s data from the Office for National Statistics showed the annual rate of CPI inflation rising to 3.3% in March 2026.

Deloitte is calling on the North West’s most innovative and rapidly growing technology scale-ups to apply for the firm’s prestigious UK Technology Fast 50. Applications for this year's programme are officially open. The annual ranking celebrates the fastest-growing tech companies across the UK, based on average revenue growth over a three-year period.

As a perfect storm of surging fuel prices and restricted global mobility forces a structural shift in British industry, Yorkshire-based digital twinning and virtual tour specialist Apollo3D is advising businesses to adopt virtualised site access to insulate themselves against the escalating global energy shock.

The search is back on for the UK's most inspiring women in business as the everywoman Entrepreneur Awards opens nominations to shine a spotlight on the country’s most exceptional female founders. Female entrepreneurs have until 29 June 2026 to submit their entries to the UK’s longest-running recognition programme for women in business.