GREATER BIRMINGHAM & SOLIHULL LEP
The Local Enterprise Partnership Agenda
Supporting Growth
Paul Heaven
Lead LEP Board Member – Access to Finance/
Business Support
The LEP
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Business-led Board (9 business and 8 public sector)
Inaugural Board meeting on 8th June
Setting the strategy to drive economic growth
An ‘enabler’
Key aims:
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Increase GVA by 30% (£8.25bn) by 2020
Create 100,000 private sector jobs by 2020
Boost indigenous and inward investment
Achieve global leadership in key sectors
Build a world class workforce
Andy Street
Chairman
MD, John Lewis
Board composition
Steve Hollis
Deputy Chairman
West Mids Chair, KPMG
Local Authority/Public
Sector representatives
Business members
Rob Brown
Group Managing Director
Roger Bullivant Ltd
Cllr Mike Whitby
Birmingham CC
Nick Bunker
President
Kraft Foods & Cadbury
Cllr Ken Meeson
Solihull MBC
Brian Francis
European Group Gestamp
Tallent Auto
Paul Heaven
Owner/Manager
Blue Sky Corp Finance
Cllr Daniel Cook
Tamworth BC
Cllr Michael Wilcox
Lichfield LDC
Cllr Roger Hollingworth
Bromsgrove DC
David Kaye
Formerly National Express
Cllr Richard Grosvenor
East Staffs BC
Wade Lyn
Managing Director
Island Delights
Cllr George Adamson
Cannock Chase DC
Alan Volkaerts
Operations Director
Jaguar Land Rover
Prof David Eastwood
University of Bham
Some 2011 Milestones:Apr – Andy Street – 1st Chair
May – Full Board Announced
June – 1st Full Board Meeting
July – LEP Support for HS2
July – City Centre EZ Bid gets Green Light
Sept – LBRO Workshops
Oct – Creative City Launch
Nov – £50m Growing Places Fund
Nov – £25m Advanced Engineering £25m RGF2
Fund
Opportunities
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Birmingham’s significant assets and drivers
Enhanced by offer from Solihull, South Staffs and N
Worcs
Opportunity to do things differently
Limited funding means that we can not ‘follow the
money’
Mandate from Government to ‘proceed until
apprehended’
Partnership between the private and public sectors
Emerging Strategy
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LEP to be a world-class city region
Built around strategic economic assets and
opportunities
Need to be bold and game changing
Long-term agenda with short and medium term
objectives
Focus on a small number of key priorities
Play to strengths of private and public sectors
Framework based on: Business; People; Place
Strategy for Growth
Making it happen…
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Business
Place
People
Business led
Local Authority led
Employment and Skills
Board
Business support
Access to finance
Inward investment
Birmingham – a global city
of choice
 Solihull – economic growth
driver
Region – complementary
strengths
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Linking education and
business
 Higher level skills
 Low skills and economic
inactivity
 Young people
 Apprenticeships
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Business
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Support all business but playing to sectoral strengths:
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Addressing fragmented business support
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Advanced manufacturing, especially automotive
Life Sciences
Creative and Digital industries
Improving access to business support
Improving access to finance and reducing regulation
The branding of the city region for inward investment
Reducing regulation - national pathfinder with LBRO
Promoting role of social enterprise
Business Support Agenda
General role
Interface with Business Community
Advise the LEP Board
Influence Government Policy
Link with National Programmes
Establish Priorities
Seek Funding for Local
Projects/Programmes
Business Support Agenda
Business Support
Closure of Business Link
Signposting Private Sector Support
Co-ordination/Linking Local Support
ERDF Funding Bid
Manufacturing Advisory Service
High Growth Coaching Programme
Universities/Science Park Coaching Mentoring
Influence/Set Priorities/Make Best Use
Business Support Agenda
Access to Finance
Equity Gap Challenge
SME Access to Finance
Working with Banks
Working with Business Growth Fund
Close engagement with RDA Legacy Funds
Close engagement with Capital for Enterprise
Better Knowledge of National Sources of Finance
RGF2 Bids (Advanced Engineering Supply Chain)
Long Term Ambitions to Secure own SME A2F Funds
People
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Business–led LEP Employment and Skills Board to
set strategic agenda
Work with providers to shape delivery
Six agreed priorities:
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Employer / demand led approach to skills offer - courses,
qualifications and curriculum
Engage with schools & young people early
Provide right careers advice
Core employability skills
Focus on higher level skills and apprenticeships
A shared understanding of skills needs
Place
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Creation of an ambitious spatial framework
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Connectivity
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High profile, iconic developments
Full support for High Speed 2
Highway investment e.g. A45 Improvements
(successful RGF 1 bid)
Supporting the airport extension
Leading edge digital connectivity
Creating a ‘business-friendly’ planning service
Enterprise Zone
Outcomes by 2025
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Over 700,000 sq metres of new floorspace
Focus on professional and financial services,
digital media, ICT and creative industries
Up to 40,000 jobs
£2.8 billion to the economy in GVA once the
above growth is delivered
Business rate uplift of up to £70 million p.a.
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Available for investment across the LEP
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Delivering the Strategy
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Strategy will only be as good as the delivery
mechanisms supporting it
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Need to harness strengths of private and
public sectors
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Seeking input and ideas
What can the LEP Do?
LEP is NOT a replacement to RDA
Manage Expectations
Business Lead v Influence
Localisation – the Reality v Theory
Transformational Change v Incremental Change
Focus upon Local Private Sector Priorities
Create the Environment for Change
Focus upon Local Strengths/Skills
Leverage Local Talent Pool