The council's free lunchtime event in Nuneaton includes a briefing on becoming a council supplier, and we think that briefing is the main reason to go.
Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council has announced the next Hinckley & Bosworth Business Network lunchtime event, to be held on 10 November 2026. It runs from 12:00 to 14:00 at MIRA Technology Institute and is free to attend, according to the Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council event page. The speakers are covered further down this page, along with the part of the programme we think is most worth your lunchtime.
What the lunchtime event covers
The council describes the event as a way to connect with key organisations and find out how they can support your business and your employees. It takes place at MIRA Technology Institute, MIRA Technology Park, 1 Eastern Ave, Nuneaton CV10 0UX.
A light buffet lunch is provided on arrival. Bill Cullen, Chief Executive of Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, is listed among the speakers, though the page does not say what he will talk about. The rest of the programme falls into two clear themes: selling to the council, and recruiting young people. One further talk covers a different style of networking.
How to become a council supplier
This is the part of the event we would go for.
The programme includes a focused introductory briefing on the essential steps for engaging with the council as a supplier. Kay Springthorpe, Head of Procurement and Supply Chain Management at Leicestershire County Council, will speak on how to do business with the council. Hearing that from someone who heads procurement is far more useful than piecing it together from a website. If you have ever wondered whether your firm could supply a council, write your questions down before you go and put them to her in the room.
That applies to trades as much as to professional firms. A council buys a wide range of services, and the briefing is the place to find out how it goes about choosing who supplies them.
Support for taking on young people
Recruitment is the second theme. Emma Kendrick, Recruitment Consultant Team Leader at the Department for Work and Pensions, will speak on the Youth Guarantee Offer, including the support and grants available, and on the recruitment support open to businesses. Carrie-Anne Abdulai, Vice Principal for Higher Education and Adult Programmes at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, will talk about connecting local curriculum to careers.
The council’s page gives no grant amounts or eligibility rules, so we won’t guess at them. If you are thinking of hiring a young person, bring the details of the role with you and ask on the day. If you would like the people you hire in future to arrive with skills that fit your work, the college talk is the one to listen to closely.
Where this sits alongside a referral group
Lindsey Randle, Customer Relationship Coordinator at Horiba MIRA, will speak about the MIRA Tech Park Woodland Walk ‘Netwalking’ events. They are another way to meet people locally, and worth asking about if a walk suits you better than a meeting room.
An event like this is good for information and for putting faces to public bodies. Steady recommendations work differently. They come from seeing the same people regularly and building trust until someone is happy to vouch for you, and that takes a regular room. We would treat the Hinckley & Bosworth Business Network as a source of contacts and know-how, and keep relying on a referral group for the warm introductions that bring in day-to-day work.
The two fit together well. Something you learn at a council briefing, about supplying public bodies or taking on an apprentice, is often worth passing on to the people in your referral group.
How to book a place
Registration is free by emailing [email protected]. Spaces are limited and no closing date is given, so it makes sense to email soon. The organisers ask attendees to tell them about any dietary requirements, and the booking email is the easiest place to do that.
If you would like to see how a referral group runs alongside events like this, come along to a FindaBiz meeting as a guest. Each group holds one seat per trade, and your first visit is free. If you would like a look at FindaBiz before committing to a morning, our free online networking runs every Friday and is open to anyone with a free account.
