Short-term Growth Plan
REVISED DRAFT
Coventry & Warwickshire
£17.1bn of
40,380
goods & services
produced in 2011
businesses
14% of all
399,500
employees
employment is within
the manufacturing
sector
£507m was
One tenth
of all automotive
jobs in the UK are
in the Coventry &
Warwickshire area
spent by Coventry &
Warwickshire
businesses on R&D
activity in 2010 (far
higher than
surrounding areas)
FOREWARD
The message from Central Government could
not be clearer. Local Enterprise Partnerships
(LEPs) are central to driving forward growth in
England. LEPs are proving to be highly
successful in understanding and articulating the
needs and issues of their local economies, and
providing the leadership to drive positive
change.
Sir Peter Rigby
Lord Heseltine’s recent review – “No Stone
Unturned” – highlighted the key role that LEPs
CWLEP Chairman, and Chairman &
could play in stimulating and supporting
Chief Executive of SCH
sustainable economic growth, and significant
untapped potential if provided the right resources. The Government’s response to this
report in the 2012 Autumn Statement was hugely positive. Growth-related spending will be
devolved to local areas from 2015, under the strategic leadership and guidance of LEPs. To
support this enhanced role and increased responsibility of LEPs, the Government is
providing core funding to ensure that LEPs have the full capacity and capability to deliver.
The Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) is well-placed to rise to
this challenge. The CWLEP has now been established as a company limited by guarantee,
agreed a clear constitution, strengthened the Board, and developed a more strategic focus
to its work. We have also built up a strong and highly capable Executive Delivery Team,
providing the range of skills and resources we need to meet this enhanced agenda from
Government head-on. The CWLEP is building on the good work and real progress that has
been made over the past two years, and is ready and able to drive the local economy
forward.
The private sector in the area has also been leading work in developing a fresh and forward
looking economic narrative and identity for Coventry and Warwickshire which focusses on
its numerous assets and strengths to raise its profile and promote the opportunities it
offers. The narrative leads on innovation and enterprise particularly linked to its two
successful universities; its economic relationships with Birmingham and towns such as
Stratford upon Avon plus its one hour link to London and building on the success of events
and conferences as a growing part of the economy. Businesses across the area have come
together in a new and exciting approach to place leadership to promote and bring this
narrative to life as Coventry and Warwickshire Champions, under the strategic direction of
the CWLEP.
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The economy of Coventry & Warwickshire is also primed to exploit the new opportunities
that are coming, and will help lead UK Plc. back to strong and sustainable growth. Not only
have we a long and successful history in manufacturing and engineering, we are recognised
today the world over for our strengths in advanced manufacturing – particular but certainly
not exclusively - designing and building motor vehicles. We will continue to lead the world
in the next wave of motor manufacturing, with identified global strengths in low carbon
vehicles and intelligent mobility; along with strong and competitive digital media sector
which is increasingly seeing overlaps and synergies with manufacturing.
This Interim Growth Plan details both the actions that the CWLEP is taking now to help
support and facilitate the growth of the economy, and the steps we are taking to develop
our longer-term, comprehensive Strategic Plan for Growth over the coming year to meet the
challenge set by Government.
Sir Peter Rigby
February 2013
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PART A: STRATEGIC OVERVIEW
Introduction
The Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) has produced this
Interim Growth Plan as a short-term strategy to provide an immediate focus and structure
to the enormous amount of work and activity the CWLEP will be undertaking over the next
12-24 months (2013-2015). The context in which the CWLEP now operates is substantially
different to the one that existed when it was first established and published its initial 5-year
Strategy. The CWLEP recognises the need to establish a revised strategy, but two key issues
mean that it is not appropriate for a comprehensive plan to be completed at this time.
These are:


Following Lord Heseltine’s review – “No Stone Unturned” – and the 2012 Autumn
Statement, the Government has written to Local Enterprise Partnerships detailing its
proposals to devolve a significant amount of growth-related spending to local areas.
This funding will be dependent on a longer-term Strategic Plan for Growth being
established by LEPs. The Government expects these to be detailed, evidenced based
plans and has allocated funding to LEPs to ensure that they are sufficiently resourced
to develop them. Guidance on what these Strategic Plans should cover will be
available in the Spring.
The recent expression of interest to Government for a City Deal covering Coventry,
all of Warwickshire and the Borough of Hinckley & Bosworth has been accepted, and
we will now start detailed work and negotiation with Government over the year to
develop a strong, effective and empowered City Deal proposal.
Given these two issues, it was felt that this Interim Plan should be produced. This sets out
the shorter-term actions that the CWLEP will be undertaking over the next 12-24 months,
details the steps that will be taken to develop the Strategic Plan for Growth for submission
in late 2013, and explains how the CWLEP will utilise its resources (both financial and staff
resources) to deliver this Interim Plan.
The Coventry & Warwickshire Economy
The CWLEP area is home to over 40,000 businesses, together employing nearly 400,000
people, and generates some £17bn a year in economic output (known as Gross Value Added
(GVA)). Overall, the Coventry & Warwickshire economy performs in line with the national
economy. Before the recession, the area experienced growth rates on a par with England as
a whole; since the recession, it has seen a reduction in activity in line with the national
average. Over the past 10 years, Coventry & Warwickshire has seen higher rates of growth
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than much of the Midland area, although the county has seen substantially stronger growth
than the city in this period.
A key characteristic of the Coventry & Warwickshire economy is the relative size of our
manufacturing and engineering sector. 14% of the workforce in our economy is employed
in Manufacturing, compared to an average of just 10.5% nationally. Our manufacturing
sector has been less affected by the sustained downturn than in the national economy
[source: TBR Observatory], and many of our leading businesses in this sector are seeing
strong (if not record) levels of growth despite the current economic climate.
While a number of areas of the UK can claim to have a strong manufacturing base, research
undertaken for the CWLEP has identified a number of specific elements of this sector that
the Coventry & Warwickshire area can genuinely claim to be world leading. Work
undertaken by Breeze Strategy benchmarked our performance on a range of key business
sectors against national and global competitor areas. The research found that with the
combination of companies, assets & research establishments, labour market and wider offer
of the local economy, Coventry and Warwickshire can be considered to be one of the top
places in the world in:





The research, design and development of low carbon vehicles
Automobile manufacturing (particularly research and development)
Motorsports (as part of a wider Motorsport Valley, incorporating Northamptonshire
and Oxfordshire) – particularly focussing on innovation and new technology
Computer Gaming and Serious Gaming
Intelligent Mobility – R&D and testing of new, innovative technologies in this field
The Coventry & Warwickshire economy also has incredibly strong R&D assets (both from
our two universities, and a number of research bodies – including WMG & the
Manufacturing Technology Centre at Ansty (both Catapult Centres for Advanced
Manufacturing) and MIRA. The economy is also home to a significant amount of innovation
activity. Research undertaken by the Centre for Cities for the CWLEP has found that the
level of R&D expenditure in Coventry & Warwickshire was substantially higher than our
neighbouring LEP areas (expenditure of £507m in 2010 compared to £157m in Birmingham
& Solihull and £236m in Leicester & Leicestershire).
These clear strengths in business sectors that are at the cutting edge of new technologies,
and a high degree of innovation and R&D activity within the local area offer huge
opportunities for economic growth. The Coventry & Warwickshire economy can help drive
an export-led, production-based recovery in the UK, and play a key role in the Government’s
aspiration to re-balance the economy.
However, as with all economies, there exist a number of areas for improvement or barriers
that need overcoming to help unleash this potential to the maximum – particularly when
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focussing on more specific and niche business sectors. Through significant engagement and
consultation with our businesses and key intermediary organisations over the past two
years, the CWLEP has identified a key set of issues that need to be improved or overcome if
we are to create a strong environment where our business base will flourish and grow.
These are:





Skills – ensuring that education and training providers are effectively meeting the
needs of businesses
Infrastructure – ensuring that the Coventry & Warwickshire area provides the right
quantity and quality of employment land, in the right locations, with the right
supporting infrastructure (i.e. transport, broadband, etc.) to meet the needs of our
growing businesses and sectors.
Access to Finance – helping our business community find the resources to support
and facilitate their growth aspirations.
Targeted support to enable growth – providing focussed and tailored local support
to those companies (particularly SMEs) that have growth ambitions and potential,
and that with effective and timely interventions could create a step-change in
economic growth in the area. Clear focus on the need to expand and strengthen
support for innovation activity within our business base.
Promoting the area – the need to provide a stronger narrative and clearer “offer” to
companies locally, nationally and globally to attract and retain new investment and
develop international recognition of Coventry & Warwickshire.
The CWLEP regards these issues as key “enablers of growth”, which if effectively tackled,
we will create a supportive environment within which our key priority sectors – and the
broader business base – will prosper and grow. Through this approach, we will achieve the
CWLEP’s vision:
“By 2018, through strong private-public sector collaboration, Coventry &
Warwickshire will be globally regarded as a centre of excellence for advanced
manufacturing and engineering, with strong and innovative business and R&D
base and a highly skilled and flexible workforce.”
The key objectives underpinning this vision and the work of the CWLEP are to:




Drive economic growth in the area
Help remove barriers to growth
Help create new (high value) jobs
Co-ordinate activity to maximise impact
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How the Plan / Vision will be delivered
The CWLEP’s focus is on creating the best possible environment for growth it can. We
believe that if we can enhance the key enablers of growth, and remove any barriers or
unnecessary hurdles that businesses face, the private sector will do the “heavy lifting” and
undertake the necessary investment and activity that will bring strong, sustainable jobs-led
growth to the Coventry & Warwickshire area. Put simply, we want to make it as easy as
possible for a business to start, locate, grow and prosper in our area.
The work of the CWLEP is therefore structured around these key enablers of growth, under
the clear direction of the CWLEP Board. A number of business led groups have been
established to more clearly understand how improvements could be made or barriers
removed, and to provide strategic and operational leadership to the various partner
organisations and agencies that can deliver these changes. In addition, we think it is vital to
ensure that our work in these areas is constantly informed by the needs and issues being
faced by business across the area, particularly those that are in our priority sectors that will
be key to our growth now and in the future. We have therefore established three sector
focussed groups to provide this role, covering High Value Manufacturing, the Low Carbon
Sector, and the more diverse – but critically important – SME business community.
The CWLEP Board, and these Business Groups, are supported by a strong Executive Team,
which can effectively mobilise and shape the significant delivery capacity that exists within
agencies and organisations involved in the CWLEP to deliver this strategy. A virtual
Programme Office has been established within this Executive Team to help inform, oversee
and monitor the progress the range of projects and actions that are detailed in the Delivery
Plan below. This strategic approach is detailed in Figure 1 below.
It should be stressed that the CWLEP does not aim to be a direct delivery body in its own
right, or seek to replace or duplicate the work of other organisations. Rather, it provides
strategic leadership to shape and influence the work of others to meet the needs of our
business community and create the best conditions for growth that we can. The CWLEP will
use any resources that it has to add value or to “oil the wheels” for change as necessary. It
will also work pro-actively with surrounding LEPs (or those with shared interests) to bring
forward relevant activities and initiatives. The Action Plan below presents a high level
picture of how the CWLEP is deploying its resources, alongside those of all our constituent
members.
8|Page
Figure 1: Strategic Approach of CWLEP
CWLEP Board
Executive Team
Programme Office
Key enablers of growth
Skills
Business
Group
Access to
Finance
Business
Group
Planning
Business
Group
Transport
Business
Group
Inward
Investment
Business
Group
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Key sectors
SME
Business
Group
Low
Carbon
Business
Group
High Value
Manufacturing
Business Group
PART B: ACTION PLAN
The following Action Plan for the CWLEP is structured around the key enablers of growth that have been identified above. These will be
constantly reviewed and refined by our sector based Business Groups to ensure that they are fully aligned with growing our strategic sectors.
The plan sets out the key actions and deliverables that will be undertaken through the CWLEP over the next 12-24 months, detailing who has
lead responsibility for them, how progress will be measured, and how (if appropriate) CWLEP resources are being deployed to support their
delivery.
Skills
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
Commission research into
skill needs of engineering
businesses
Report produced by
March 2013 with
information and case
studies to inform future
work
Report produced by
March 2013
Workshop to explore
findings to detail required
work and further actions –
April 2013
Skills Business Group
(supported by the High
Value Manufacturing
Group)
Plan produced by March
Work with the Leicester &
Leicestershire LEP to
develop (and then
implement) a Skills
Priorities Plan for the
MIRA Technology Park
Enterprise Zone
Develop an Apprentice
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How progress will be
monitored & reported
Skills Business Group will
monitor activity and
report findings to LEP
Board
CWLEP resource input
Cross Border Delivery
Partnership & Skills
Business Group
Skills Business Group will
monitor activity, detail
required actions and
report to LEP Board
No direct funding from
CWLEP
Skills Business Group
Skills Business Group will
£14,000 of funding
£28,000 of funding from
CWLEP
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Plan for the CWLEP area
2013 with clear targets as
to how we will promote
and increase the take-up
of apprentices
Undertake a detailed audit
of skills activities being
delivered across the LEP
area, to inform and shape
future Skills Plan and
negotiations with respect
to the City Deal
Review good practice from
elsewhere (nationally and
internationally) to inform
future Skills Plan and City
Deal negotiations
Undertake detailed review
of physical accessibility of
learning and employment
opportunities to inform
both Skills Plans and the
work of our Transport
Audit complete by May
2013
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Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
oversee development.
CWLEP Programme Office
will monitor
implementation of the
Plan
Skills Business Group will
oversee the work, and
identify key messages for
CWLEP Board.
CWLEP resource input
Review completed by June Skills Business Group
2013
Skills Business Group to
oversee work and identify
key messages for CWLEP
Board.
Tbc
Review completed by
August 2013
Skills Business Group to
oversee work and
convene workshops with
other relevant Business
Groups to review key
findings.
Tbc
Skills Business Group
Skills Business Group (with
support from Transport
Business Group and SME
Business Group)
allocated from Skills
Funding Agency to the
CWLEP
Tbc
Activity
Business Group
Work with Central
Government to negotiate
proposals for devolution
of adult skills funding in
line with our City Deal
proposal to support the
growth of our Advanced
Manufacturing &
Engineering Sector
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Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
Conclude a successful City
Deal agreement with
Government by Nov 2013
Undertake a range of
activities to shape an
inform our negotiations –
March – Oct 2013
City Deal Steering Group
City Deal Steering Group
will report progress to
CWLEP Board
Tbc
Skills Business Group
Infrastructure
Planning & Development
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Agree and publish a
planning protocol,
covering all planning
authorities in C&W
Published protocol, setting Planning Business Group
out what planning
authorities will do to help
deal with applications
quickly and efficiently to
bring about growth.
Develop an interactive
map of key development
sites
Production of map on
CWLEP website showing
road infrastructure, land
allocations, designations
and sites available for
development.
Producing a protocol for
statutory consultees to be
endorsed by the LEP
board, consulted upon
and sent to DCLG as a
Setting a protocol for
statutory consultees to
engage them in the
growth agenda
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Lead responsibility
Planning Business Group
Planning Business Group
How progress will be
monitored & reported
The Protocol has been
adopted by all of the
constituent authorities.
The Chief Planner of each
of the LPAs will meet
quarterly to review the
success of the protocol
and report back to the
Planning Business Group
and onto the board.
Planning Group provide
operational steer and
mapping by April 2013,
CWLEP Programme Office
will monitor and report
progress to Board
Planning Business Group
will produce the protocol
by April 2013 and run a
consultation exercise
throughout May 2013.
CWLEP resource input
Tbc
Consultation Event
arrangement.
PR/Marketing
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
Progress will be reported
to the board as part of the
groups update.
Planning Business Group
to produce the model by
July 2013 and present to
the Programme Office to
report progress to board.
Both Councils resolve to
determine the planning
application and refer to
Secretary of State
CWLEP resource input
Coventry City Council
Programme Office will
monitor progress and
report to CWLEP Board as
appropriate
Funding from CWLEP RGF
Infrastructure Investment
Fund to be allocated
(subject to due diligence)
Coventry City Council
Programme Office will
monitor progress and
Funding from CWLEP RGF
Infrastructure Investment
proposal for
implementation
Modelling the benefits of
growth
Coventry & Warwickshire
Gateway
Friargate
Whitley
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Exploring the wider
benefits of growth and
modelling those benefits
for use by developers,
agents and planners.
Planning Application
Determined by Coventry
City Council (resolved to
grant permission in
December 2012) and
Warwick District Council
(due to consider in March
2013)
To support public realm
works required to enable
development to proceed
[add expected key
milestones of project]
Undertake transport
improvement works to
Planning Business Group
Coventry City Council and
Warwick District Council
PR/Marketing, Visual
Display and publication.
Preparation, submission,
and supporting
determination of the
planning application.
Delivery of the scheme in
due course.
Activity
MIRA Technology Park
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
improve access to site
[add expected key
milestones of project]
Successful development of MIRA
the Technology Park
Enterprise Zone
[add expected key
milestones of project]
How progress will be
monitored & reported
report to CWLEP Board as
appropriate
CWLEP resource input
Programme Office will
monitor progress and
report to CWLEP Board as
appropriate
No direct funding from
CWLEP
How progress will be
monitored & reported
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate.
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate
CWLEP resource input
Fund to be allocated
(subject to due diligence)
Transport
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
Toll Bar Island works
Improved transport flow
in known bottle-neck,
helping to facilitate
development and growth
in surrounding area
Improved infrastructure
on congested motorway
junction, easing pressure
on local road network and
enabling further
development and growth
Highways Agency,
Coventry City Council,
Warwickshire County
Council
M40 Junction 12
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Highways Agency and
Warwickshire County
Council
No direct funding from
CWLEP
Funding from CWLEP RGF
Infrastructure Investment
Fund to be allocated
(subject to due diligence)
Activity
M40 Junction 14
NUCKLE Phase 1
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Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
in the area
Improved infrastructure
Warwickshire County
on a congested local road Council
network which adversely
impacts on congestion /
safety issues on M40
Junction 14. Scheme will
facilitate improved access
to both Warwick and
Leamington Town Centres,
along with a number of
existing employment sites
in the area
Improved rail link
Coventry City Council
between Nuneaton and
Coventry, with the
creation of two new
stations at Arena and
Bermuda and improved
train frequencies. Scheme
to be completed by
December 2014, with at
least 2 trains running per
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate
No direct CWLEP funding
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate
No direct funding from
CWLEP
Activity
NUCKLE Phase 2
Establish Local Transport
Body for Coventry &
Warwickshire
Development of a full
prioritised programme of
investment for devolved
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Targets / Outputs
hour by December 2015.
Improved rail link
between Coventry and
Leamington, with a new
station at Kenilworth.
Funding secured by Dec
2013. If New Station Fund
bid is successful then
scheme open by summer
2015
Shadow LTB operational
by end of February 2013.
LTB Assurance Framework
to be submitted to DFT by
end of February 2013.
Provisional list of Major
Transport Schemes for the
period 2015-19 to be
submitted to DFT by end
of July 2013.
Submission of programme
to DfT for July 2013
Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
Warwickshire County
Council (working closely
with Coventry City Council
and Network Rail)
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate
No direct funding from
CWLEP
Transport Business Group
Progress of the LTB will be
reported to the CWLEP
Board
N/a
Local Transport Body
Progress of the LTB will be
reported to the CWLEP
Board
Use of LEP capacity
funding from DfT to
support scheme appraisal
Activity
major scheme funding
(2015-19).
Early development of
‘shovel ready’ and short to
medium term deliverable
transport schemes which
can be applied to funding
opportunities
Full engagement with
emerging transport
strategies and proposals,
including aviation, rail,
highway and cross-LEP
strategy
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Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
and monitoring
Hold a workshop with
Jacobs Consultancy by end
of April 2013 with priority
schemes identified
(building on CWLEP
Transport Priorities,
March 2012) with costings
by July 2013
Production of a
comprehensive high level
connectivity strategy by
end of 2013
Coventry City Council,
Warwickshire County
Council & Centro
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate
Transport Business Group
Project will be monitored
by the Programme Office
and reported to the
CWLEP Board as
appropriate
Potential ‘top-up’ funding
to support free
consultancy offer from
Jacobs Consultancy
Access to Finance
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Creating
Accessibility
Creating a virtual suite of
resources for businesses to
access information on finance
and funding. Will include the use
of web portals, apps and social
media
£1 million worth of loans up to
£30k each for small business to
access as part of gap financing.
Expectation that it will grow and
be matched with further ERDF
resources
Loans to small
Business
Grants to SMEs
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Lead
responsibility
Access to
Finance Group
How progress will be monitored &
reported
Progress will be monitored by the Access
to Finance Group at its bi-monthly
meetings.
CWLEP resource input
Access to
Finance
Group/CWRT
Progress will be monitored by CCC and
WCC , and performance information will
be presented to the Access to Finance
Group quarterly
Growing places £250k
initially before 31st March
2013. A further £750k is
committed from GP
resources to grow the
scheme. Up to £500k has
been earmarked from
WCC resources.
ERDF Priority 2 – no
further LEP resource
required
Delivery of 180 jobs through
Coventry City
investment of £1.8million into
Council
SME’s. Intervention rates vary
between 5-30% depending on the
location of businesses in assisted
and non-assisted areas.
A partnership grants panel is in place,
chaired by Coventry City Council as the
Accountable Body. It meets monthly to
consider grant applications and review
the pipeline opportunities. Summary is
reported to Programme Office who will
report to CWLEP Board
Small financial and expert
professionals to
implement the ideas and
directives of the LEP
Members.
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Grants and
Loans to Large
Businesses
£6.785 million in loans to
strategically important projects.
£4 million in grant
Up to £30million generated in
private investment
Infrastructure
Fund
Friargate Bridge
M40 Junction 12 improvements
Whitley Business Park (North
Gateway) improvements
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Lead
responsibility
Coventry City
Council
How progress will be monitored &
reported
Progress will be reported to the LEP
Board. Monitored by Coventry City
Council.
CWLEP resource input
Progress will be reported to the LEP
Board. Monitored by Coventry City
Council.
Kick started with
£22.5million RGF,
opportunity to grow and
invest further resources
from RGF4 and GP2
£10.8million Growing
Places
Targeted Business Support
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
Coventry & Warwickshire
Enterprise & Business
Growth Package
405 new businesses
created by 2015
490 businesses assisted to
improve their
performance by 2015
660 new jobs to be
created by 2015
120 new business startups by March 2016
400 businesses assisted to
grow by March 2016
Create or safeguard 500
jobs by March 2016
Report completed
February 2013
Workshop to discuss
findings with key partners
– March 2013
Undertake activities to
shape and inform City
Deal negotiations &
Coventry City Council
Rural Growth Network
Innovation Study
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How progress will be
monitored & reported
Progress will be reported
to the SME Business
Group, and performance
monitored by the
Programme Office
CWLEP resource input
Warwickshire County
Council
Progress will be reported
to the SME Business
Group, and performance
monitored by the
Programme Office
No direct CWLEP
resources. £2.4m of
funding from DEFRA.
University of Warwick
SME Business Group and
High Value Manufacturing
Group to work together to
explore how
recommendations can be
implemented
Report cost of £25k
funded by range of
partners. Costs for
implementation tbc.
No direct CWLEP
resources. £3.3m of
funding from ERDF.
Activity
Identify, target and build
strong relationships with
the key growth companies
in Coventry &
Warwickshire
Business Engagement,
Communications and
Co-ordination Strategy
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Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
proposals – April-Oct 2013
Complete High Growth
SME Business Group
Business Research project (working closely with the
by March 2013.
Access to Finance Group)
Undertake workshop in
March 2013 to explore
findings from research to
inform future business
support delivery.
Explore visual ways to
map and promote the high
growth potential within
our area – Spring 2013
Develop strong
relationships with key
companies through
Strategic Business
Relationship Managers
Inform and engage the
wider business community
about the CW LEP
programme of activity,
Led by the FSB & Chamber
of Commerce, supported
by the SME Business
Group
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
SME Business Group will
monitor progress and
update Programme Office
and CWLEP Board as
appropriate
£7,500 from LEP Capacity
Fund Round 2 (plus match
funding from
Warwickshire County
Council) for High Growth
Research Project
RGF funding to be utilised
to employ Strategic
Business Relationship
Managers
Through delivery of events
and activity that engage,
inform and educate the
business community in
Coventry & Warwickshire
£45,000 plus match
funding of resources from
FSB, Chamber of
Commerce and others.
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
Led by the FSB & Chamber
of Commerce, supported
by the SME Business
Group
Initially, in phase 1,
through the development
of a Regulation Project
Action Plan specific to
CWLEP that identifies
activities and outcomes
for phase 2.
Development of a
marketing and
communications strategy
that promotes registration
to the CSW procurement
portal; along with
£20,000 funded from
BRDA (Better Regulation
Delivery Office)
research and successes.
Engage the business
community in the
direction and success of
the CW LEP by utilising
business input, assets and
competences.
Better Business for All –
Regulation project
Procurement Project
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Engage the business
community in continuing
to understand the barriers
to successful enterprise
growth and job creation.
Generate a local
partnership between
businesses and regulatory
services, that promotes
growth by reducing the
regulatory burden on
businesses.
To identify and promote
the opportunities for
SME’s doing business with
the public sector in the
sub-region (CSW), and
with the CWLEP key
Led by the FSB & Chamber
of Commerce, supported
by the SME Business
Group
£5,000 plus match funding
of resources from FSB,
Chamber of Commerce
and others.
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
infrastructure and
development projects.
Undertake research on
supply chain networks and
labour market pools of our
companies (particularly
SMEs) to better
understand the
connectivity within our
economy
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Clearer understanding of
the connectivity of firms
within (and without) the
CWLEP area
Evidence to inform future
strategic planning
(particularly transport
provision, housing and
employment land)
SME Business Group
(supported by the
Transport Business Group)
How progress will be
monitored & reported
engagement activity with
the developers of key
infrastructure projects.
Evidence and report
developed, with workshop
to explore and understand
the implications. Key
outcomes of this will feed
into CWLEP Growth Plan
CWLEP resource input
Tbc
Promoting the area
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
Promote our key sectoral
strengths to UKTI, and
lobby to ensure that C&W
is recognised as the
primary location for
Advanced Manufacturing
& Engineering in the UK
Submit “Surfacing the
National Offer”
questionnaire to UKTI by
end of February 2013, and
keep up to date.
Hold at least 2 Industry
Briefing Sessions a year for
our key sectoral strengths
for UKTI officials.
Get lead UKTI officers for
advanced manufacturing/
automotive sector to be
based in C&W by April
2015.
Completed February 2013
Formal launch with
developers & agents in
May 2013
Inward Investment
Business Group (feeding
into the City Deal work)
Create a single Property
Database for Coventry &
Warwickshire, enabling
on-line searches for
available sites and
properties for companies
looking to locate in C&W
25 | P a g e
Coventry City Council &
Warwickshire County
Council
How progress will be
monitored & reported
Inward Investment group
will oversee development
CWLEP resource input
Inward Investment Group
will oversee development
and report progress to
CWLEP Board
£4,000 from LEP Capacity
Fund Round 2
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
Build on the “Story of
Coventry of Warwickshire”
using economic data and
sectoral strengths to
develop a clear, effective
and visual “offer” to
attract inward investment
Commission work to
produce and sharpen our
PR/marketing material –
Spring-Summer 2013.
Agreed revised material
by Sept 2013.
Marketing materials and
launch – Autumn 2013.
Identify and then target
key intermediaries and
embassy officers
Develop a target list of
companies in our key
sectors to approach and
promote C&W
Identify key global
events/shows for our key
strategic sectors and
develop an engagement
plan
Agreed approach by
August 2013, operational
by September 2013
Inward Investment
Business Group
Targeted promotional
activity to raise awareness
of the key strengths of
Coventry & Warwickshire
Develop and agree single
co-ordinated approach for
investment enquiries
26 | P a g e
How progress will be
monitored & reported
Inward Investment
Business Group will
update CWLEP Board as
appropriate
CWLEP resource input
Inward Investment
Business Group
Inward Investment Group
to monitor progress and
report to CWLEP Board as
required
Tbc
Inward Investment
Business Group
Inward Investment
Business Group will
update CWLEP Board as
Utilising staff seconded to
CWLEP
Activity
Targets / Outputs
Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
appropriate, and will work
across other Business
Groups as required.
CWLEP resource input
Develop and agree a coordinated and resourced
after-care service
Seek devolved control
over after-care resources
from UKTI for C&W area
Hold an international
event for the Intelligent
Mobility sector by end of
2013
Evaluate this event look to
develop second event in
2014
Engage 1200 companies
around exporting in 2013,
and raise awareness if
exporting to a further
1000 companies p.a.
Support 150 companies to
develop an international
Inward Investment
Business Group (feeding
into City Deal work)
Inward Investment
Business Group
Inward Investment
Business Group will
update CWLEP Board as
appropriate, and will work
across other Business
Groups as required.
Tbc
UKTI Local Trade Team
(working closely with the
Inward Investment
Business Group)
Inward Investment and
SME Business Groups to
work together to support
and monitor activity.
Tbc
across CWLEP partners
Develop a world leading
aftercare service for
inward investors to ensure
that companies stay and
continue to invest in the
area
Hold at least one major
promotional event for our
key strategic sectors a
year
Maximise linkages
between inward
investment, foreign
owned companies, and
existing international
relationships to exploit &
increase exporting
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Activity
Targets / Outputs
opportunities
trade action plan in 2013
Support 56 companies to
export for the first time,
and 42 to increase their
exporting in 2013
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Lead responsibility
How progress will be
monitored & reported
CWLEP resource input
Measuring Performance
Implementation of the actions in this Delivery Plan will be monitored by the CWLEP’s Programme Office, and quarterly progress reports will be
produced for the CWLEP Executive. The CWLEP Board will receive short Exception Reports at each meeting, along with a more detailed Annual
report (which will also be published on the CWLEP’s website).
The activities undertaken will produce a range of economic outcomes in the medium term, which can be expected to deliver improvements in
the longer-term to a set of broader economic impact indicators. These outcome and impact indicators are detailed below. The CWLEP
Programme Office will collate information on the economic outcomes of the various projects and activities undertaken, and present these in
the Annual Reports. Broader performance changes in the key economic impact indicators will also be produced alongside these, although
clearly it must be recognised that any changes are necessarily long-term and could take a number of years before discernible improvements
can be seen.
Outputs
Outcomes
Impacts
The successful delivery of the
various activities and projects
detailed in the Delivery Plan
The more immediate
consequences of these
activities. Key outcomes that
will be measured are:
The longer-term changes in the
economic base resulting from
the work of the CWLEP. Key
indicators that will be monitored
are:




New jobs created
Jobs safeguarded
Employment land created
Number of new apprentices




Programme Office Update Reports to CWLEP Board
29 | P a g e
CWLEP Annual Reports
Gross Value Added (GVA)
% growth in employment
% growth in number of
businesses
New business start-up rate
Figure 2: Trend & current performance of Key Impact Indicators
% year on year GVA growth
Productivity compared to England benchmark
(100)
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
-1.0%
-2.0%
-3.0%
105
100
95
90
85
2007-08
2008-09
2009-10
2010-11
2009
2010
2011
Coventry and Warwickshire
Leicester and Leicestershire
Coventry and Warwickshire
Leicester and Leicestershire
Oxfordshire
England
Oxfordshire
England
% Year on year growth in business
numbers
2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12
5.0%
% year on year growth in employment
2006-072007-082008-092009-102010-112011-12
0.0%
-1.0%
0.0%
-2.0%
-5.0%
-3.0%
-10.0%
-4.0%
30 |
-15.0%
2008
Page
Coventry and Warwickshire
New business birth rate
12.0%
10.0%
8.0%
6.0%
4.0%
2.0%
0.0%
-5.0%
England
Coventry and Warwickshire
England
Coventry & Warwickshire LEP
England
PART C: DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIC GROWTH PLAN & CITY DEAL
A major focus of the work and attention of the CWLEP over the next 12 months will be the
detailed development of the full Growth Plan for Coventry & Warwickshire, and the
negotiation of a City Deal with Government to support the development of this plan
through requesting additional powers, responsibilities and policy changes by Whitehall.
The Growth Plan and City Deal proposal will require further research and detailed analysis
to fully understand the problems and barriers facing the local economy and the steps that
can be taken locally and nationally to overcome these; to work through the policy
implications and forecast impacts of proposed activities to support growth; and to develop
new governance and delivery arrangements to enable us to achieve our aims and objectives.
The following presents a high level overview to the timetable for the Growth Plan and City
Deal (as far as currently understood), and key anticipated milestones in this process.

March 20th - UK Budget and expected Government response to Heseltine Review

End of March – guidance on Growth Plans published by Government

April? – details on City Deal Core Package announced?

March-May – further research on key areas of interest

April-June – Identification of pipeline projects and investments (with a particular
focus on future EU funding)

May-June – analysis of policy implications and stakeholder engagement/consultation

July – presentation of City Deal proposal to “Ad-Hoc Ministerial Group”

Summer – detailed guidance on EU funding programmes to LEPs (along with
potential provisional funding allocations)

June-September – development of prioritisation criteria and impact appraisal for
pipeline projects and investments

July-October – negotiation of City Deal implementation plans with Government

Autumn – agreement of revised Governance arrangements and proposed financing
plans

September-October – public consultation on draft Growth Plan

November/December – formal sign-off of City Deal with Government
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
December – submission of CWLEP Growth Plan to Government

Winter 2013/14 – prioritisation and appraisal of pipeline projects and investments

April 2014? Start of City Deal activities

Summer 2014? Start of new EU Funding programme

April 2015? Devolution of growth related spending from Government to LEPs?
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