Agenda item

(Led by: Sue Cooke, Authors: Henry Rigg & Lorna Holroyd)

The Board considered a report of the Executive Head of Economic Services on a review of Inclusive Growth for Business Grants.

The Chair reported that this would be Sue Cooke’s last LEP Board meeting as she had been appointed as Chief Executive of the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre at Huddersfield University.  Members passed on their warmest congratulations and thanks for her hard work in the key role she has played in championing the Leeds City Region and wished her well in her new role.  

The report provided an update on the effectiveness to date of the new approach to securing inclusive growth commitments from recipients of business grants from the LEP’s Business Growth Programme (BGP).

The Board discussed the future approach to inclusive growth commitments from recipients of business grants and noted the feedback from recent consultation with the Business Innovation and Growth Panel, the Inclusive Growth and Public Policy Panel and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The Overview & Scrutiny Committee had previously recommended that consideration be given to extending the inclusive growth approach to the grant elements of all business support programmes and also to grants of all values. At their meeting held on 22 March 2019, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee had considered the new proposed inclusive growth criteria and commitments for all LEP business grants programmes and a supplementary note was circulated at the meeting which provided an update on their feedback, comments and recommendations.

The Board discussed the benefits and risks of extending/adapting the approach to other grant programmes which were outlined in the report. Consideration was given to the proposed extension of the Inclusive Growth criteria and commitments to the full range of LEP business grants.  These were attached at Appendices 2 and 3 and comment was made that whilst commitments from businesses receiving grants could be strengthened the impact on smaller businesses needed to be taken into account.  

Members welcomed the positive progress and considered that external communications to raise awareness of the support provided by the LEP across the whole city region was important. It was considered that case studies could be used to support and promote the help available and opportunities to seek sponsorship for an inclusive growth category at local business awards should also be investigated.

It was noted that the Business Innovation and Growth Panel had considered the outcome of the six month review and the approach would continue to be reviewed and a progress report brought to a future meeting of the LEP Board.

Resolved:

(i)         That the progress to date on the implementation of the new Inclusive

Growth criteria and commitments to the Business Growth Programme (BGP) be noted.

(ii)        That the proposal to continue the approach to inclusive growth for

recipients of business grants be endorsed.

(iii)       That the proposed extension of the Inclusive Growth criteria and

commitments to the full range of LEP business grants as set out in Appendices 2 and 3 of the submitted report be adopted.

(iv)       That the approach be closely monitored for a further six month period

            and progress be reported to a future meeting.