Pathfinder Actions and Decisions from the Project Board
Meeting of 7 January 2011 – Business Package
Key actions, decisions and issues discussed at Project Board concerning the
Pathfinder Programme.
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Action
Re-negotiate with NNBF to ensure the total SLA for
business advice co-ordination does not exceed £50,000.
Investigate whether RDPE grant could be used for tourism
improvements to supplement Pathfinder funds.
Ensure that processes are in place to prevent grants being
made available to businesses with business rates arrears.
Seek legal advice as to how this information can be
presented to NNBF grants co-ordinator.
The board does not believe Counsel opinion is required to
enable the loans scheme to progress. Continue discussions
will legal to resolve the issue.
Terminology in Loans Report needs to be clarified e.g. the
loans will not make money and any increase in funds will be
reinvested in the scheme. Information on interest rates and
defaults will be requested during the tender. Few minor
typing errors to be corrected.
Clarify to board the focus/themes of the business circles
before proceeding.
Detail the skills workshops utilising existing schemes (e.g.
welcome host) before proceeding.
Revise proposed SLA with Tourism Forum to detail specific
outputs and outcomes. Final SLA to be agreed by board
and to be signed off by NNBF CIC Ltd.
Responsibility
Jose Socao
Robin Smith/
Jose Socao
Jose Socao/ Ian
Coupe
Robin Smith/
Jose Socao/ Ian
Coupe
Jose Socao
Jose Socao
Jose Socao
Jose Socoa/
Robin Smith/ Rob
Goodliffe/ Peter
Frew
Economic
Development
Team
Rob Goodliffe/
Peter Frew/
Karen Sly
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Consider application for funds for the Real North Norfolk
Event.
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Investigate the possibility of transferring capital and revenue
between Coastal Management and Pathfinder budgets to
enable a larger sum of revenue to be made available for
projects. If this is feasible it would require a member
decision.
Decisions
When improving brown signage a co-ordinated approach taking into account
NCC signage guidelines will be required. This should consider replacement and
amalgamation of signs. To be arranged and co-ordinated by the NNBF grants
co-coordinator.
Blue Sail reports are endorsed by the board and can now be published.
Amendments to the NWES contract were agreed.
Agreement that the NNBF SLA can be extended for the next financial year in
line with previous decisions. Negotiations to ensure the value is below £50,000
are required.
Agreement that an SLA of £9000 with NNBF for grants co-ordination can be
progressed subject to fund availability.
An additional grants stream for community based grants to enable the delivery
of infrastructure improvements as directed by the marketing and development
reports should be included separately.
Ongoing monitoring and management of the business further support project
following March 2011 will be absorbed into Economic Development.
Loan applicants should provide evidence that they have attempted to obtain
funds from elsewhere.
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Loans should be between 5-35k and made available in rounds to prevent all the
funding being committed at the start. Not all the loans should be for 5 years.
Board is in agreement with the Cabinet report but this can not be implemented
until the funding and legal issues are resolved. It could go to Cabinet if these
are highlighted as to be resolved prior to implementation.
In procuring a CDFI for the management of the loans scheme the board would
wish that the location of the organisation is considered during tendering as a
local organisation who understand the issues and area would be preferred.
SLA with Tourism Forum in principle was agreed; however more specific
outcomes are required for implementing marketing actions.
NNBF will submit an application for the Real North Norfolk Event to the
Economic Development Team, who will then consider the proposal in
accordance with the views expressed by members of the board.
Agreement of amended project management budget and proposed budgeting
for phase 2 of the business projects. This may be amended further following
discussions regarding further capital/revenue reallocations.
Move forward with the development of the website – note that this should
incorporate the toolkits and dovetail with the Tourism Round Table SLA.
Issues
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Concern over deliverability of Tourism Brown Signs as there has been a
previous reluctance shown by NCC for signage due to roadside clutter.
Due to the expansion of the NNBF SLA the proposed total is currently just
above the £50,000 threshold. This must be below.
Sharing of sensitive data concerning business rates arrears needs to be
considered in the SLA for the grants co-ordinator.
Proposed Real North Norfolk Event is for a whole day which was considered to
long. The incomes were also viewed as optimistic and the timescale for
advertising and arranging is now quite short. Concerns over deliverability due
to timescales were voiced.
Risks
If loans default, the financial risks will be contained within the loans fund.
The commercial risk with the Real North Norfolk Event lies with NNBF. There
would however be substantial public finding and poor attendance could affect
NNDC’s reputation.
Date of next meeting: 14 February
Decisions from post Project Board ‘Round Robin’
Business grants will be first come first served basis.
Grants will be on the basis of a 25% contribution by the business.
The minimum grant available will be £1000 with a £250 contribution from the
business (Total £1250)
The maximum grant available will be £5000 with a £1250 commitment from the
business (Total £6250)
In both cases the business can top up the funding if required
Real North Norfolk Event – will launch the business marketing toolkit and
publicise the further business support. It will be held in the east of the district
and will encourage business networking.
Businesses from the east taking up stands will be charged only £50 rather than
the normal price of £75. For each stand from the east Pathfinder will make up
the difference of £25, to a maximum of £500.
Pathfinder will support the event to the sum of £2500.
Business buy to lease modelling will be discussed at the next pathfinder Project
Board.