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SOME OF OUR WORK
ENTERPRISE POLICY CONSULTING FOR
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
PolicyDepartment, our collaboration partners and freelance associates work hard to support our amazing clients navigate the post-COVID business environment.
MENTORING MATTERS
Working for Enterprise Nation ahead of National Mentoring Day
When: 2022
The brief: through primary research, analyse the market for business mentoring in the UK - its size, potential for impact, and the barriers and incentives to getting involved.
What we delivered: analysis based on focus groups and an online survey of over 800 business leaders that uncovered the critical role that mentors can play in business success. The report estimated that converting potential mentoring relationships into real ones could lead to 118,000 new business mentors and 284,000 more businesses getting support.
SMALL BUSINESS TECH ADOPTION IN THE UK
Working for Enterprise Nation and Dropbox.
When: 2021
The brief: through primary research, analyse the potential of tech tools to improve the performance of micro and small businesses. Uncover the barriers that they, policymakers and tech suppliers need to address to exploit their economic and social potential.
What we delivered: analysis based on a survey of 900 business leaders that measured take up, time-savings and other benefits for a range of tech tools. It measured the role of tech in enabling business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report identified barriers to take-up and recommendations to policymakers, industry players and customers.
WEST MIDLANDS (UK) FUTURE BUSINESS SUPPORT SYSTEM
Working with collaboration partner Metro Dynamics for the West Midlands Combined Authority Strategic Economic Development Board (bringing together the WMCA with the area's Local Enterprise Partnerships, metropolitan borough councils and Growth Company).
When: 2021
The brief: design a fit-for-purpose business support system for a post-pandemic, zero-carbon, technically-enabled world within new UK public funding frameworks.
What we delivered: recommendations for reform based on four 'pillars': a genuine customer journey that meets the expectations of today's businesses; branded, universal elements available to firms across the region, targeted premium products, identified by a sophisticated local insight and evaluation programme; proactive outreach and campaigns to drive take up of services.
SOUTH YORKSHIRE (UK) CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE POLICY PROGRAMME
Working with Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley & Rotherham Chambers of Commerce.
When: 2021-
The brief: through high-impact business policy research, thought leadership, member and partner engagement, position South Yorkshire as a model for positive, private-sector civic activism and leadership.
What we are delivering: revamp of the region's flagship Quarterly Economic Survey and its associated outputs; establishing new models of member engagement in shaping policy such as business citizens assemblies; creating a Sheffield city-regional voice for the Chamber movement in South Yorkshire through common media and public affairs initiatives.
See the policy pages of 3 Chambers of Commerce: Doncaster, Sheffield and Barnsley & Rotherham
SURREY (UK) POST-COVID, POST-BREXIT SOCIO-ECONOMIC TRENDS
Working with collaboration partner Third Life Economics for Surrey County Council.
When: 2020
The brief: identify emerging post-pandemic, post-Brexit socio-economic trends and their relevance for Surrey's future
economic growth, business communities and development strategies.
What we delivered: an evidence review that selected 11 high-priority trends to watch and recommendations for how to operationalise evidence for each in decision-making and economic visioning.
DORSET (UK) COVID IMPACTS AND RECOVERY
Working for the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership.
When: 2020
The brief: estimate the evolving impact of COVID-19 on Dorset's business environment. Review prospects for the county's economic recovery, the uncertainties, new dynamics, and priorities for forward planning.
What we delivered: an evidence review of the channels to impact across businesses, investors, consumers, pubic spending and the labour market. Practical recommendations on how to flex the delivery of Dorset's Local Industrial Strategy for the post-pandemic context.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY GUIDE: CAMBRIDGESHIRE AND PETERBOROUGH (UK)
Working with collaboration partner Metro Dynamics for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).
When: 2020-2021
The brief: produce a step-by-step guide to refreshing the Local Industrial Strategy and associated business sector plans for the post-COVID socio-economic context.
What we delivered: analysis of the post-pandemic trends emerging in mid-late 2020, the uncertainties surrounding different scenarios for economic change, the implications for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and what this meant in practice for CPCA strategies. The 4-stage plan for strategy refreshes was applied to the area's Local Economic Recovery Strategy, Skills and Adult Education Budget (AEB) Commissioning Plan; and sector visions for Agri-tech; Advanced Manufacturing and Materials; Life Sciences; and Digital.
RESTART, REBUILD, RENEW PLAN FOR A POST-PANDEMIC UK ECONOMY
Working for the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).
When: 2020
The brief: support BCC in developing its policy priorities for a post-COVID business environment.
What we delivered: a three-phase plan for reopening the UK economy ('Restart, Rebuild. Renew') that drew on the experience of Chambers, their members, and their first-hand understanding of the approaches being adopted internationally.
POLICY, PLACEMAKING AND CAMPAIGNS MENTORING, STAFFORDSHIRE (UK)
Working with Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce.
When: 2021
The brief: support capacity development around civic engagement on business policy.
What we delivered: mentoring sessions for key staff covering policy development, economic development strategy and campaigning for change.