This is a trade facing website. Visit the ACT's consumer site thecyclingexperts.co.uk for information and advice on cycling and find your local independent cycle retailer.

Search News

Results: 1-10 of 910


8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling...

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow...

2 May 2025

Could the UK cycling industry be showing signs of renewed momentum? Following a challenging period marked by falling sales and overstocked inventories, overall trends and sales figures from...

2 May 2025

The Netherlands is set to legalise electric scooters and other light electric vehicles on public roads from July 2025, provided they are registered and display a license plate.

30 Apr 2025

The ACT has welcomed the announcement of a parliamentary inquiry into e-bike products not meeting safety regulations, which has been launched “in context of dangerous low-quality e-bike...

29 Apr 2025

Edinburgh has been named the UK’s top city for bike commuting, with 10.00% of its workforce choosing to cycle to work, according to new research.

28 Apr 2025

The Labour Government’s new Employment Rights Bill is set to be in force this year and the new regulations will impact high street retailers up and down the country.

25 Apr 2025

ACT parent company Bira welcomes the Chancellor's announcement of plans to create a level playing field for British businesses against unfair international trade practices.

15 Apr 2025

Retail Crime Remains Alarming - Bira's Latest Survey Reveals Urgent Need for Action

11 Apr 2025

Bira has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement this week on plans to put 'thousands of Bobbies back on the Beat' with a new neighbourhood policing guarantee.

Back to news menu

Kickstart Scheme deadline extension

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

The Kickstart Scheme provides funding to create new job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.

Originally due to end on 31 December 2021, it has since been announced (4th October 2021) that the scheme has been extended until March 2022.

Employers of all sizes now have until 17 December 2021 to apply for funding which covers:

On top of this funding, an additional £1,500 payment is also made to the employer per placement to support with setup costs and employability training.

Employers can spread the start dates of the job placements up until 31 March 2022, with funding available for 6 months once the young person has started.

Further funding is available for training and support so that young people on the scheme can get a job in the future. So far more than 120,000 jobs for 16 to 24 year olds have now been created through the Kickstart Scheme, as ministers have urged more employers to get involved.

Download Kickstart social media posts and content

Read the Kickstart Scheme - a guide for employer

Now even simpler for employers to join

Since February 2021 the Department for Work and Pensions allows retailers to apply directly for its Kickstart Scheme regardless of the number of jobs to be funded, having amended from the previous requirement for retailers applying for funding for 29 or fewer placements to partner with an external ‘Kickstart Gateway' for quality checks.

Placements must start by the end of March 2022 and must be new jobs - they cannot reduce working hours for other colleagues. To ensure all job placements continue to be of a high quality, the government will continue to apply rigorous checks on training support and finances.

Further guidance about the Kickstart Scheme is available here. Please contact the ACT directly if you would like any further information about the ACT, Cytech or the Kickstart Scheme.

Back to news menu

Useful links

If you have any other queries please contact us.