Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Martin Booth, Cllr Darren Byford, Cllr Roy Miller, Prof Lisa Roberts and Lee Savage.

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests declared by members at the meeting.

There were no items on the Agenda requiring exclusion of the press and public.

That the minutes of the Business Innovation and Growth Panel held on

24 May 2018 be approved and signed by the Chair.

The Chair opened the meeting by welcoming Roger Marsh, Chair of the LEP Board and Julie Haigh, Private Sector Relationship Manager. 

The Chair provided an update on NP11, a recent Select Committee appearance and the Autumn Budget submission.

Members were advised that Steph Morris, Innovate UK Regional Manager will be leaving her current role in October and she was thanked Steph for her work on the Business Innovation and Growth Panel.  Recruitment for a new Member was underway but in the interim Dean Cook will be the Innovate UK representative on the Panel.

The Panel considered a report on International Trade activity to date

Which included:

·         Trade Outlook

·         International Trade Plan Progress

·         Forward Plan 2018/19

·         Outline Priorities for 19/20 Forward Plan

Current ideas for activity in 2019/20 include targeted activity on the city region’s key sectors including showcasing at Arab Health 2020 and Valve World 2019, (both currently subject to evaluation of the current year’s activity and identification of trade activity supporting the digital and creative sector) and development of trade activity focussed on target markets such as China, India, USA and Europe.

The Panel was asked to note the progress within the Trade Plan thus far and was asked for their comments and input into the development of key trade priorities and activities by 2019/20.

Resolved: That the contents of the report and the comments and input of the Panel be noted.

The Panel considered a report on the Trade and Investment Plan that was presented to LEP Board in March 2018 and confirmed support for the direction of travel set out.

The Panel was also supportive of the positive progress on activities, including shortlisting for the Channel 4 National HQ.

Resolved:  That the contents of the report and the progress within inward investment activities be noted.

The Panel was provided with a report on the new investor development team set up within the Trade and Investment team.

Marc Adams set the wider context and confirmed that some investor development had previously been carried out by local authorities and the Department for International Trade (Dft).  For Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to build on its growing reputation as a successful investment promotion agency, the addition of an investor development function will strengthen the City Region as a location in which to do business.

The Panel was supportive of the progress on the investor development activity reported above.

Resolved:  That the contents of the report on the new investor development team be noted.

The Panel considered a report and presentation to inform members about the Digital Framework consultation which launched in early July 2018 and is due to formally close on Friday 14 September 2018.  The presentation set out some of the key statistics, emerging feedback and next steps.

Resolved:  That the contents of the report and presentation be noted.

The Panel considered a report to inform about a series of LEP supported bids into the Strength in Places Fund.

Led by UK Research and innovation, Strength in Places Fund is a new competitive funding scheme that takes a place-based approach to research and innovation funding, to support significant regional growth.

The Panel was noted the content of the report and welcomed further investment into the City Region’s innovation assets to help drive future growth.

Resolved:

(I)            That the contents of the report be noted.

(ii)        That the Panel welcomed further investment into the City Region’s innovation assets to help drive future growth.

The Panel considered a report to inform the City Region’s response to a competition funded by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and run by Innovate UK, to improve productivity in low-to-mid productivity firms by encouraging adoption of existing technologies and business practices associated with more productive firms in similar sectors.

The Panel supported the City Region’s proposal for Innovate UK’s business basics fund and discussed how this might be refined/targeted to meet the needs of the City Region’s low-to-mid productivity firms.

Resolved:  That the contents of the report and outcome of the discussion be noted.

The Panel considered a report to update on business support activity being undertaken, including the LEP Growth Service, the Business Growth Programme, the Resource Efficiency Fund, Access Innovation, Strategic Business Growth, the Travel Plan Network and the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.

The Panel noted the progress made to date on delivery of the business support projects, programmes and services and endorsed the proposed change to the Business Growth Programme Policy related to multiple applications as set out in the report.

Resolved:

(i)            That the contents of the report be noted.

(ii)               That the proposed changes to the Business Growth Programme policy related to multiple applications be endorsed.

The Panel considered a report to inform of the implications of Government’s `Strengthened Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs))’ report presented by the LEP Chair.

Roger Marsh, Chair of the Leeds City Region LEP, asked the Panel to provide views to inform the LEP Board’s response, which will be agreed at its meeting on 20 September.

Resolved:

(i)            That the contents of the report be noted.

(ii)          That the views of the Panel be noted.

The Panel was presented with a report and asked to note the governance arrangements and Terms of Reference for the Business Innovation and Growth Panel approved by the Combined Authority at its annual meeting on 28 June 2018.

Resolved: That the Governance Arrangements and Terms of Reference be noted.

27 November 2018 at 2:00 pm in Committee Room A, Wellington House, Leeds.