Supporting Local Economic Recovery & Growth Conference

Throughout the Conference you will be able to make use of:

• Match making networking and live delegate meet ups
• Replay functions so you never miss a session
• Live chat, questioning and polling tools
• Real time resources and presentations
• A next generation conference engagement platform

The day will begin with a 10 minute interactive session, led by the Chair, in which delegates will be able to outline the key challenges they are facing in their roles and inform the Chair of the key issues they would like discussed throughout the day.

This will help to inform debate and direct the conversation throughout the day so that attendees are confident that their most pressing concerns and desired learning objectives will be covered.

• Outlining how MHCLG are supporting local businesses to recover from the impact of Covid-19 through the £20m England European Regional Development Fund distributed through Growth Hubs
• Providing an update on key funding programmes including the UK Shared Prosperity Fund & Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, designed to reduce inequalities and drive growth through innovation partnerships
• Highlighting the success of Single Local Growth Fund and Local Growth Deals, including the next steps to support LEPs and councils to stimulate private investment and job creation
• Analysing the support offered to local councils to help boost local high streets and town centres economies in the aftermath of Covid-19, such as the £50m Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and £6.1m funding for Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)

Use our Conference platform to pose your live questions to speakers, share your ideas with fellow delegates via our chat function.

Connect with attendees to discuss key themes with your peers, or use this time to take a screen break.

This panel discussion will analyse how the panellists and their organisations have effectively partnered with, engaged, and supported local SME’s to stimulate local growth. Panellist’s will also outline the key lessons they have learnt throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and provide guidance on how delegates can foster their own successful partnerships and programmes to support local businesses and growth.

This panel will include representatives from a Higher Education Institute, Local Growth Hub, and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). Delegates will have an opportunity throughout the 40-minute panel discussion to ask questions via the interactive chat function.

Connect with attendees to discuss key themes with your peers, or use this time to take a screen break.

• Outlining the process and priorities considered during the creation of ‘Staffordshire Means Business’, the council’s five-year economic recovery and renewal plan designed in response to the Covid-19 pandemic
• Examining the key areas the council will be targeting, such as business environment, people, infrastructure, place and ideas, as well as how these areas will be either renewed, transformed or recovered as part of the strategy
• Highlighting the support schemes on offer to local business and residents as a method to aid local recovery, such as emergency business grants, start-up schemes, delayed rent payment programmes and a local redundancy & recruitment triage service
• Analysing the role partnership working will play in supporting local and regional recovery, including working with district and borough councils, enterprise partnerships, the Midlands Engine and Midlands Connect

Use our Conference platform to pose your live questions to speakers, share your ideas with fellow delegates via our chat function.

• Examining the creation of West Midlands Combined Authority’s Inclusive Growth Unit and how the unit ensures inclusive growth features in the combined authority’s long-term decision-making process
• Outlining the Inclusive Growth Units decision-making tool kit, which accesses projects on their contribution to inclusive growth
• Explaining the four key criteria areas which projects must meet, including fitting with strategic priorities, contributing to inclusive growth priorities, understanding who will benefit and promoting good work practices
• Highlighting the positive impact the Inclusive Growth Unit and tool-kit has had on the combined authority and supporting growth across the region

Use our Conference platform to pose your live questions to speakers, share your ideas with fellow delegates via our chat function.

Connect with attendees to discuss key themes with your peers, or use this time to take a screen break.

Professor Justin Lewis will outline how Cardiff University established their  Creative Capital (Cardiff) project.

The project look to support and grow the local creative economy through digital innovation in  response to Covid-19. This includes partnering with UK broadcasters, small local businesses to develop new products and services in Wales.

This session will also cover how the project successfully achieved seeding funding from the UKRI’s Strength in Places Fund and how it looks to help support the local economy in the aftermath of Covid-19.

During this session, David Sweeney, UKRI’s Strength in Places Programme Director and Executive Chair of Research England, will provide an update on the Strength in Places Fund, which recently accounted the awards for Wave 2 seedcorn funding for 17 projects across the UK.

This session will also provide an update on Research England’s Higher Education Innovation Fund, and the impact it has had on supporting local growth. As well as examining the next step for UKRI in closing the gap between regions with the lowest economic growth and the highest economic growth.

Use our Conference platform to pose your live questions to speakers, share your ideas with fellow delegates via our chat function.

Connect with attendees to discuss key themes with your peers, or use this time to take a screen break.

During this session, David Ralph, Chief Executive of Heart of the South West LEP, will examine their regional approach to developing local productivity, skills and jobs across a rural economy.

This will include outlining how programmes such as the LEP’s Skill LaunchPad, Digital Skills Partnerships and Business Relisience/Growth Hub, were successfully established and help support local growth.

Use our Conference platform to pose your live questions to speakers, share your ideas with fellow delegates via our chat function.

This panel discussion will analyse the future of local high street and visitor economies across the UK in the aftermath of Covid-19.

Panellist’s will outline the work they and their organisations have undertaken to support high street SME’s, boost regeneration and encourage people to shop and holiday locally. As well as highlighting the key lessons they have learnt during the pandemic and their plans going forward.

This panel will include representatives from the government’s High Street Task Force, regional authority, and local council. Delegates will have an opportunity throughout the 30-minute panel discussion to ask questions via the virtual chat function.

*Programme Subject to Change