Tom Hinchcliffe's presentation at NCVO's event on 10 December 2014, on European Structural and Investment Funds 2014-2020: from policy to practice, explores the voluntary sector and LEPs.
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2. Introduction
My role:
• Member of core Enterprise M3 team. Work to LEP Director.
Seconded to LEP from Surrey County Council;
• Led development of European Structural & Investment
Fund (ESIF) strategy;
• Led development of Strategic Economic Plan (SEP);
• Wide ranging role across LEP and currently leading on
implementation of Growth Deal.
4. What we want to achieve?
The Enterprise M3 Economy in 2020
GVA per capita
25% above the
national average
through increased
productivity and a
focus on high value
sectors
Jobs
Increase the
employment rate
from 77.4% to 80%,
creating 52,000 new
jobs
Business Birth &
Survival
Adding 1,400
businesses annually
to the area
5. Working in Partnership - Our Approach
• The “How”
• Embedded partnership approach
• Engagement at all levels and across themes.
• Culture of including not-for-profit sector in proposals
• Joint approach to securing funding and undertaking
research.
• Memorandum of Understanding (January 2014)
6. Representative on EU Sub-Committee
• Chosen by the sector;
• LEP has developed brief, provided guidance on role of the
subcommittee and clarity around requirements and expectation for
representatives:
• Truly representative of peers’ views and able to report back;
• Can take a strategic view across the area;
• Can commit sufficient time; and
• Understand what the LEP is trying to do with EU funds.
7. What has Worked Well?
• Recognition of the strength of the not-for-profit sector and
contribution to economy;
• Good engagement with the sector, willingness to undertake a
partnership approach to develop proposals
• Strong and supportive partner organisations who “speak LEP”;
• Ability to find common ground – tackle both social and
economic goals;
• Good examples of activity already underway;
8. Challenges Faced
• Capacity – on both sides;
• Lack of resources to support work;
• Delays and ambiguity around EU programme;
• Working across a new area;
9. Next Steps
Continued engagement, through:
• Delivery of Programme Development Funding
• Development of EU programme;
Delivery – using EU funds to make a difference!
Run through what will talk through:
Overview of Enterprise M3
How we have worked together with not for profit sector within the area
Reasons why this has been successful
Challenges encountered.
Bit of background around me and my role with Enterprise M3.
Wide ranging role covering strategy development and implementation over the past 18 months.
Geography covers part of two counties. Fourteen LA districts sit under us.
Varied area, covering a number of key towns, along with significant rural patches. Creates its own challenges.
What is Enterprise M3 all about?
Area is home to over 86,000 registered businesses and LEP has a strong focus on supporting entrepreneurship.
Believe that a focus on enterprise, the skills businesses need and the development and retention of businesses will reap economic rewards for the area. You can see from slide that our measures for success are all geared around productivity and enterprise.
Led by strong, private-sector led board. Brings together key players from across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
Our approach around the VCS sector is no different. Want to build sector within the area to promote inclusive growth. Recognises significant contribution the sector make to the economy.
Vision: “To be the premier location in the country for enterprise and economic growth, balanced with an excellent environment and quality of life”. Slide shows targets around how we will measure this achievement
Enterprise M3 board consists of range of key players across the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Private sector members represent 86,000 businesses across the area and come from organisations of all sizes, but with a real focus on Enterprise from the top.
LEP executive consists of a small central team; mobile across the area.
Need to work through strong partners. LEP has limited capacity and cannot do everything.
Approach around working with the not for profit sector builds on these key principles, and recognises them as fundamental part of the economy.
Engagement
Jason has covered nfp representation on governance groups. We deliberately do not have a ‘not-for-profit’ group. Instead, weave representatives throughout all groups to give coverage across range of issues.
Also have nfp representative on board and have done from beginning. When previous representative stepped down, worked with nfp sector to recruit successor. Nfp representative is a key member of the board - extremely active and represents EM3 at external events.
Active consultation with the sector around particular opportunities – eg. EU funds
Culture
Wider than just nfp sector. LEP is not a delivery organisation. It is a partnership driven by local stakeholders, cannot operate alone and must work closely with partners to achieve its goals.
Through level of engagement, fact this is driven from the top, and history of engaging. NfP considered in all propositions put forward.
Growth Hub is good example – will co-ordinate provision targeted towards not for profit sector alongside wider business support activity.
Joint approach
Currently undertaking jointly funded piece of research around social enterprise across the Enterprise M3 area.
Have recently jointly bid for and successfully won Big Lottery Programme Development Funding for the area.
MOU
Important document. Is a broad statement of intent, rather than a ‘traditional MOU’. Gives some structure to engagement. Sets broad goals around promoting the value of the not-for-profit sector for the economy, encouraging the participation of the sector and increasing their access to opportunities, and on engagement with.
Action-focussed – MOU generated action plan and forms basis of working relationship between the parties.
For EU subcommittee membership, we have worked through the sector to identify a suitable representative.
This is in common with approach taken around all sectors represented on the board.
Good example of partnership working, where the LEP has set down parameters and requirements for representatives, but allowed the not-for-profit sector to choose a suitable representative within these.
Strength of NfP and contribution to economic growth – namecheck Jason stats. We see this as really important.
Infrastructure organisations ‘speaking LEP’ is key. Recognition that LEPs are small organisations with real focus on economy. Infrastructure organisations can increase chances of success by framing arguments in economic terms to show fit with LEP’s agendas.
Key point here is point made by Sue – if you support sustainable social enterprises, you will tackle social inclusion issues through this. Through encouraging sustainability, longer-term favourable economic and social outcomes.
LEPs struggling for capacity. Role has expanded significantly recently, however funding to support LEP activities has not.
Although LEPs have responsibility for significantly increased funding, revenue funding to support this