Energy & Costs: firmus energy confirmed an 8.98% gas tariff rise for Ten Towns customers (from 1 Oct) and a 12.5% hike for Greater Belfast, hitting around 77,000 and 54,000 domestic and small business users respectively. Local Growth Funding: Scotland’s Local Growth Fund released £52.1m across five regions, including £22.68m for Glasgow City Region and £14.1m for Edinburgh & South East Scotland, aimed at skills, jobs and support for smaller firms. Business Support & Exports: Scotland’s FUEL roadshow lands in Edinburgh (24 Sept) for pre-arranged meetings with lenders and advisers, while Business Gateway Edinburgh offers Export Support Grants of up to £2,000 for first-time applicants. Skills & Training: SSEN Transmission will build a £150m training centre at Thainstone Business Park to boost high-voltage network skills. High Street Reality: a London pub says Camden council forced it to remove outdoor tables during the heatwave, costing up to £40,000. Safety & Footfall: Glasgow councillor calls for a “lanes action framework” to tackle neglected, poorly lit lanes and protect women and girls—linking safer streets to local business. Tech for SMEs: VodafoneThree launched a dedicated business 5G “National Business Slice” for eligible firms, plus Mid Sussex is running a free AI event for local businesses (8 Sept). Disruption & Risk: a fire investigation is under way after a blaze at a Jarrow business, while Norwich saw parking fines rise sharply after council patrol changes.