Proposed recovery and renewal deal for post-COVID North East published

North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group outlines proposals to transform and reimagine the North East economy

The North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group has published its Recovery and Renewal Deal for the North East, which outlines how a thriving post-pandemic economy could potentially be created.

The group is made up of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), CBI, North of Tyne and North East Combined Authorities with the support of industry, to ensure the North East has strong economic leadership that acts quickly and collaboratively to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19.

Its proposal reflects on COVID-19 as a catalyst for change and details how the North East is ready and prepared to harness this catalyst to reinvigorate the North East economy.

The document sets out how, with the necessary support from the government, the North East could maximise opportunities to reach a goal of rapidly creating 100,000 good quality and secure jobs.

In the Recovery and Renewal Deal for the North East, the Group is asking the government for £2.8bn to directly unlock half of required 100,000 additional jobs quickly. It also wants accelerated confirmation of existing business cases, including Transforming Cities funding; a commitment to joint working in areas where the North East can lead the national recovery, specifically low carbon energy; and flexibility within national programmes to allow for maximum leverage of local and national resources.

It is envisioned that this would keep people in jobs and training, support businesses and sectors to restart and recover, and support the transition of our communities and places as they adapt to living with COVID-19.

In the long-term, the deal sets out how our future economy can be built by maximising the potential of our existing assets and exploring new opportunities and by investing in digital and transport connectivity.

Opportunities identified in the document include a series of new projects to empower our rural and coastal areas and reinvigorate our town and city centres; achieving zero carbon emissions targets; utilising new digital construction and advanced manufacturing techniques; leading the national offshore wind revolution; and delivering the first digitally-connected Freeport for the UK.

The proposals give particular focus to jobs in the key areas of data ageing, low carbon, life sciences and pharma. This will help the transition to a stronger, higher-productivity and higher-wage economy, with people primed to adapt to challenges and new opportunities.

Lucy Winskell, Chair of the North East LEP, said: “The Recovery and Renewal Deal for the North East is an ambitious proposal that is designed to create a fair playing field for everyone.

“Through our Strategic Economic Plan, it was our goal to create 100,000 new and better jobs and we were doing well – with 68,000 more jobs in March 2020. But the impact of COVID-19 will reset that, which is why our Recovery and Renewal Deal is so important.

“We have presented a proposal that puts sustainability and decarbonisation at the core. The Recovery and Renewal Deal ensures communities continue to improve and provide a strong offer for people to live, work, study and visit.”

Sarah Glendinning, Regional Director for the CBI North East, said: “Now more than ever we need to be imaginative in our thinking, brave in our approach and robust in our delivery in order to recover and thrive.

“In the Recovery and Renewal Deal for the North East, we have suggested the way to a new North East. Now is the time to come together to think bigger, greener, more inclusively and with innovation to reimagine our economy.”

Mayor Jamie Driscoll, North of Tyne Combined Authority said: “The pandemic has hit people hard. Young people need jobs. Businesses need investment. Yet we have the potential to be world leaders in offshore energy, advanced manufacturing, and sustainable transport.

“Our Recovery and Renewal deal will create 100,000 well paid jobs. It supports more affordable homes and better health. It’s what our region needs, and I want central government to back our plan and back the North East.”

Councillor Iain Malcolm, Chair, North East Combined Authority, said: “It is vital that we have a strong plan in place to help our businesses and communities to recover from this unprecedented crisis.

“The Recovery and Renewal Deal for the North East builds on the work we are already doing with government and other partners nationally and regionally to unlock all available support and financial assistance and sets out a bold vision for future prosperity.”

A dedicated North East COVID-19 Response Group web page has been launched for those looking for more information and partners wanting to engage with its work.

North East businesses can also access the North East Growth Hub, where a COVID-19 (coronavirus) toolkit provides the most up to date support and advice, including partner information.

Read the Recovery and Renewal Deal for the North East here.

New programme brings North East businesses together for economic recovery

Businesses in the North East are being invited to join a new business network programme which aims to help companies recover from the impact of COVID-19.

The Peer Networks programme will bring small cohorts of businesses together to support each other, work through common issues, and benefit from one-to-one coaching on a range of topics.

The programme is part of the government’s national COVID-19 response and up to 34 sector-specific networks will be formed in the North East, catering for businesses in a range of areas, from leisure and hospitality to advanced manufacturing.

Colin Bell, Director of Business Growth at the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), explains: “We know that many businesses in our region continue to be hit hard by the pandemic and this is a way for us to support businesses to develop a robust recovery plan.

“Whether it’s finding new ways of attracting and selling to customers, supporting staff, or learning how to use digital technology in new ways, businesses will be able to learn from others who have faced that same problem and make sure that they’re in the best possible position as our economy starts to recover from the effects of the pandemic.”

Members of each Peer Network will be able to put forward questions or issues that they are facing and support each other to develop practical solutions through a series of workshops.

Businesses will also receive one-to-one support and will be guided through the latest information on government support available to them as part of the COVID-19 recovery package.

“Being part of a Peer Network will not only provide a network of other business owners who can help you to steer your business through any issues you’re facing, it’s also about supporting each other’s wellbeing and mental health,” added Colin Bell.

“It can be lonely being the founder or a leader of a business of any size or sector, and a Peer Network can provide a sounding board and support network at one of the most challenging times many businesses have faced.”

Peer Networks are open to businesses that have been operating for at least a year, and had five or more employees, and a turnover of £100,000 or more prior to the pandemic.

Businesses can apply to join a North East Peer Network through the North East Growth Hub.

 

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

Working towards an ambitious North East trade and export strategy

The North East England Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) and North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) are at the forefront of developing a Trade and Export Strategy for the region.

A funding boost from the Department for International Trade will enable us, and our partners, to ensure the voice of the North East is heard as the Government prepares its forthcoming Trade and Investment Strategy.

This presents an opportunity for us to help shape the future of UK trade and export to benefit our region and we are ready to take on the challenge.

Our goal is to prepare a strategy for the LEP area which identifies a future-focused approach for the region to drive more and better jobs, and strengthen productivity and competitiveness within the business base.

To help us achieve this, the Chamber is recruiting an Export Manager for the development of a North East Trade and Export Strategy.

The Export Manager will propose and detail a forward-facing strategy for growing North East trade and export activity in the region.

The plan will focus on increasing international trade with a strong emphasis on supporting earlier stage businesses and SMEs to plan for international growth.

The appointment comes at a time when there have been significant changes in the global economic environment, including COVID-19 and of course the changes to the trading and regulatory environment as a result of the EU Exit.

Trade and investment is a growing part of our economy. The value of goods exports per adult in the North East region is higher than across England excluding London. The value of service exports per adult increased by more than 60% between 2014 and 2017. In 2018/19, the North East region had more than one and a half times more new jobs created per person due to foreign direct investment projects than England excluding London.

In 2019, 59% of the North East region’s exports in goods (by value) were to the EU and 41% were to non-EU countries.

North East exports in goods to the EU increased in value by 10% between 2014 and 2019, from £7.1 billion to £7.9 billion, while North East exports in goods to non-EU countries remained unchanged in value between 2014 and 2019, at £5.4 billion.

Almost 90% of the value of goods exported from the North East region came from three commodities – machinery and transport (55%), chemicals (21%), pharmaceuticals (12%).

As part of the North East Local Industrial Strategy, our aim is to increase the percentage of firms engaged in exporting from 6% to 9.5% by 2030 as a means of raising exports to 35% of annual GVA – with a particular focus on diversification of the goods export profile.

Our Trade and Export plan will align with these goals, in turn informing the Government’s forthcoming Trade and Investment Strategy so together we can drive forward the North East’s economic growth ambitions.

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director (North East LEP) and Julie Underwood, International Trade Director (North East England Chamber of Commerce).

Find out about the Export Manager role here.

Universities support North East’s economic recovery: Arrow: Supporting Innovation in the North East

Universities have a vital role to play in helping the North East economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The work being delivered by North East universities is supporting new and existing businesses to innovate and grow, and shaping and supporting a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

Durham University, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, University of Sunderland and Teesside University are all members of the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group, which was established by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to provide business resilience and ensure a collective response to the economic impact of COVID-19 on the North East economy.

Below is a case study about Newcastle University’s Arrow: Supporting Innovation in the North East programme, which accelerates the North East’s economic impact by pairing Newcastle University’s research, knowledge and innovations with the needs of local SMEs.

Arrow: Supporting Innovation in the North East gives SMEs access to more than 2,500 academics, innovators and experts at Newcastle University to help them develop new products or services, access new markets, or gain market share.

Arrow matches businesses with academics, innovation specialists and world-class researchers that can provide insight and expertise in areas such as research and product testing, data analysis and artificial intelligence.

The £3.4m innovation programme can also offer eligible SMEs up to £10,000 of match funding to buy services or equipment including; proof of concept and validation; survey and feasibility testing; product design; development and prototyping; analysis and testing; and commercial and contract research.

To date, more than 50 North East SMEs have received intensive innovation support from Arrow, including Your Health and Care Ltd, which provides complimentary services for people suffering from dementia, and Armatrex Ltd, which utilises expanding foam polymers to mobilise and support injuries.

Arrow works with companies to help drive their businesses forward through innovation and R&D support, leading to new investments and jobs. In line with the LEP’s Strategic Economic Plan, Arrow’s target sectors are; life sciences and healthcare; advanced manufacturing; creative and digital technologies; offshore, subsea and energy technologies.

To find out more about Arrow: Supporting Innovation in the North East, visit www.ncl.ac.uk.

Arrow is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Click here to read more about how universities in the region are playing a central role in supporting the region to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Click here to read more about the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group.

Sowing the seeds of growth in the North East tech sector

Last week saw the launch of the London Tech Week and UK Tech Cluster Group’s 12 Clusters of Tech series. Running monthly for the next year the reports each shine a light on a different region and showcase some of the UK’s most exciting and innovative tech businesses – and brilliantly, the series opened with a look at the North East and Tees Valley.

The need to enable, support and facilitate tech businesses is a central priority of the North East digital strategy. We have a vibrant digital ecosystem in the region with multiple networks engaged in promoting it. It’s absolutely critical that we nurture the types of businesses that the report celebrates. How do we ensure that next year’s report features as many, or more, success stories? Who are our emerging companies that might be next in line for high growth? Do we have the right conditions in place to increase the birth and survival rate of tech startups?

These are all important questions because tech startups – early stage, innovation-led businesses with high growth potential that are creating proprietary technologies – have distinct needs that are different to the more generic support required by established scaling businesses. They are creating new products, services and solutions; sometimes solving problems we don’t even know we have yet. And with that they have the potential to create new supply chains, new workforces, open up new markets, give the region distinct competitive advantage and play a major role in our economic and cultural identity.

And this is where as a region we have some challenges and some opportunities. In order to see those high growth businesses born and flourish we need a pipeline of pre-seed companies developing their MVPs, their IP and their investment rounds. As a region we don’t perform as well as others in feeding that pipeline – this is reflected in our national profile with private investors and the number of new tech startups thriving in the North East. Whilst we are home to some fantastic tech businesses, as shown in the report, there is more to be done to improve the trajectory.

This is why the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), via the digital strategy, is working with founders to explore what those distinct needs are; to better understand how we can boost the sustainability of emerging startups and to establish exactly what needs to be in place to improve the picture. By asking the tech startup community what it needs, we can better facilitate and champion the right support and see an uplift in early stage tech business creation and survival. We are working with founders to create a blueprint for regional tech startup support which we will be announcing more about in the coming weeks and months.

So what’s needed? One of the privileges of my role is that I get to speak with so many inspiring tech entrepreneurs on a day to day basis. Some key observations that should inform future plans:

  • Know when to ask and when to tell: getting a tech startup off the ground is really hard work. It takes guts, determination and a healthy dash of madness. It would be easy for those of us in the wider business community to assume what the needs of founders are, but that’s only going to go so far. Equally, founders can be so enveloped in building their businesses they might forget to look up occasionally. The North East tech ecosystem needs to be shaped by entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs.
  • Take the longview: early stage startups often navigate a precarious and unpredictable path to get off the ground. By definition they find the sweet spot between product development and market fit through iterating, experimenting, and even failing first. As tempting as it can be to shout every early success from the rafters, those companies need space and time to come to fruition. If we want to see a tranche of tech businesses born in the region over the next decade we need to plant seeds now and be ready for the long haul – if that means watching and waiting, it will be worth it.
  • Be purpose led, outcome focused: related to the above, it’s easy to lose the USP of an early idea in the mix of all things “digital” (which these days, is really just “all things”). But losing that nuance means we compromise on uniqueness. Prioritising resource onto purpose and outcome, rather than immediately tangible quick wins might go a long way.
  • Context is everything: building tech clusters is complex. To be clear, this isn’t the same as building an individual tech startup. Cluster development requires multiple factors and actors to work together as part of an overall ecosystem and each regional cluster is specific to its economy, culture, assets, identify and profile. A healthy and sustainable tech cluster is geographical, not sectoral.

As we collectively navigate the challenges of the current climate, the North East will need to be as innovative, resourceful and resilient as ever. We will need to be creative and daring to build the economy of tomorrow and to do that we can learn a lot from the tech start up community. To further bolster our status as one of 12 clusters of tech let’s continue to demonstrate that we value our tech businesses and work collaboratively to ensure they feature in future reports and more.

Laura Partridge, Digital Programme Lead, North East LEP

Find more information about London Tech Week and UK Tech Cluster Group’s 12 Clusters of Tech series, and download the North East report here.

If you want to know more about the North East digital strategy and supporting the region’s tech startups contact Laura Partridge on [email protected].

 

Universities support North East’s economic recovery: TechUPWomen

Universities have a vital role to play in helping the North East economy recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The work being delivered by North East universities is supporting new and existing businesses to innovate and grow, and shaping and supporting a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

Durham University, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, University of Sunderland and Teesside University are all members of the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group, which was established by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic to provide business resilience and ensure a collective response to the economic impact of COVID-19 on the North East economy.

Below is a case study about Durham University’s TechUPWomen programme, which took 100 women from the North of England and the Midlands, and retrained them for a career in technology.

Durham University wanted to address the fact that only 17% of the tech workforce is female, and women from Black, Asian and other minority communities are under-represented in the sector.

In 2019 it launched TechUPWomen, a programme that retrained 100 women from the North of England and the Midlands for a career in technology. In spring 2020, the TechUPWomen participants graduated from the six-month programme having developed skills in data science, machine learning, and project management.

Whilst studying for the programme, participant Benedicta Banga launched her own app – Blaqbase. Fellow graduate Shakirah Mustapha-Tahir is now working for HR in One as Content Manager and has been elected Board Trustee of Being Woman UK. Winona Sharpe, who also completed the course, started a new position as Junior Release Associate with Double Eleven Ltd, a games developer based in Teesside.

Other success stories include Jennifer Calland who has a new job as a Google Certified Platform Engineer for Cloud Technology Solutions and has been awarded a place at Edge Hill University to do an MSc in Big Data Analytics. Course graduate Amy Woodget has a new job as Lead Advisor in Earth Observation for the Civil Service, and Katherine Iveson has a new job as a Data Analyst for HMRC.

Durham University’s TechUPWomen programme was named winner of the Employment & Skills category at the Digital Agenda Impact Awards, which celebrates how technology and innovation improves lives.

For more information about Durham University’s TechUPWomen programme, visit www.techupwomen.org.

Click here to read more about how universities in the region are playing a central role in supporting the region to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Click here to read more about the North East COVID-19 Economic Response Group.

North East LEP response to government’s new Peer Networks scheme

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP, said: “Accessing knowledge, support and advice from peers is one of the most valuable resources for any new business.

“The £510k the North East LEP region has been awarded through government’s Peer Networks Programme will give hundreds of SMEs access to action learning sessions to help them to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting businesses’ collective action to revive sectors and areas such as town centres, and to share knowledge and best practice on what has helped them to overcome challenges and grasp opportunities.

“Working collaboratively has always been a strength of the North East business community. We can now utilise that peer support to boost our SMEs and aid our region’s economic recovery.”

For more information about the Peer Networks scheme and to register your interest, visit www.peernetworks.co.uk.

In conversation with Dr Yvonne Gale, Chief Executive of NEL Fund Managers Limited and Business Growth Board member at the North East LEP

As a newly appointed member of the Business Growth Board, how will your skills and experience support the North East LEP’s aim to increase the density of scaleups in the region?

“I have been working with scaling up local businesses my whole career, first in professional services, then running the finance teams inside several high growth local businesses, and now as CEO of NEL Fund Management who have funds specifically targeted at scaling up businesses. You could say I’m a finance for scale-ups expert – helping businesses to grow with the finance they need is what I do every day.

“I bring to the Business Growth Board the knowledge of what scaleups need so we can ensure, as a Board, we create a joined up system to empower businesses with growth potential and provide them with the wide range of ingredients they need, including finance. The more businesses with scaleup potential that are financed for deliverable business plans, the more we together increase the density of scaleups in the North East LEP region.”

How important will access to finance be for our regional economic recovery as a result of the coronavirus pandemic?

“Economically we are a long way both physically and culturally from City of London approaches to finance, but we don’t want any business to suffer for the lack of access to the right finance. Like most imbalances, the coronavirus pandemic has made more pronounced the existing disconnects.

“For years I’ve been advocating that accessing finance from a computer portal or call centre is fantastic until there’s a problem. An example is how many local businesses struggled to get through to their finance providers when they desperately needed to talk because they didn’t have a person-to-person relationship.

“Being able to access finance is about knowing where to go and who to talk to as much as it’s about the amounts involved and the level of cash. Central government created some fantastic interventions but these were for the heat of the emergency and not designed to be permanent or perfect. The recovery will take time and access to finance is likely to be a problem both in who will put up the finance in uncertain times, and does that finance fit the recovery, as every business will be different. As a Board, we need to ensure there is finance available that fills in any gaps over the medium to long term for regional businesses to deliver their potential.”

How will a recession further impact the North East, and what can businesses do to survive?

“I advocate three actions. First, good cashflow planning helps every business owner make informed decisions. As a chartered accountant, I would always advocate spending time on a good long range forecast, but almost anything is better than knee jerk reactions based on today’s bank account balance.

“Second, relationships matter when times are tough. The current situation presents an opportunity to forge deeper relationships with customers and suppliers. Now more than ever, people are logging who helps and who doesn’t. This creates opportunities for developing your business with new and existing partners.

“Third, the business world is in a state of flux and ‘fortune favours the brave’. It is difficult for complex organisations to be nimble but local businesses don’t need to wait for permission from head office. Now is the moment to think big and bold, striding out while others are busy elsewhere.”

Many small businesses are struggling as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. What support is available for them in the North East?

“There is an immense amount of support available in the North East, all of which have rapidly adapted so they can help now. The list is so long that it’s not possible to cover it in a blog. My best suggestion is to talk to people; be that your existing trusted advisors as there may be many ways they can help that you’ve never needed to ask about.

“If you want to widen your pool of who can help, consult the North East Growth Hub or make an appointment to talk to the Growth Hub Connectors. The Growth Hub is a comprehensive portal of the support available in the region.

“Of course if you need information on finance, I’m happy to help. You can reach me by emailing [email protected].”