Appendix B Inward Investment Bodies continued

West Midlands Growth Company

The West Midlands Growth Company is charged with developing an inward investment strategy and delivering inward investment in the West Midlands region. It seeks to support the delivery of the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Local Industrial Strategy, working to increase jobs, businesses and productivity. Its partners include local enterprise partnerships, councils, growth hubs, universities, Chambers of Commerce, and the private sector.

The West Midlands Growth Company is owned by the West Midlands Combined Authority and its Constituent Members, with governance that heavily involves the private sector. Its core West Midlands Combined Authority and local authority funding is used to attract significant additional funding from the private sector and other sources, such as future Devolution Deals.

The West Midlands Growth Company has six delivery areas which support the Local Industrial Strategy:

Regional Marketing

Attracting Investment

Account Management

Promoting Tourism

Business Support

Market Intelligence

CityCo

CityCo seeks to support the vibrancy, resilience, and growth of Manchester city centre by bringing businesses together with public agencies. they work in partnership with Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, Greater Manchester Police, Marketing Manchester, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Manchester’s homelessness charity network Street Support, and other statutory bodies.

CityCo represents business interests from all sectors and company sizes. It helps businesses to have their opinion heard, expand activities, and connect with the right people at the right time. CityCo’s networks allow for the sharing of city plans, discussion and actionplanning around developments, business challenges and opportunities. The range of business services offered by CityCo include:

Operational Support help with tackling environmental issues, street cleaning, litter, anti-social behaviour, protests, road closures, rough-sleeping challenges, urban resilience.

Business Crime Reduction Partnership access to security intelligence, day/night radio systems linked to city centre CCTV and business training.

City Forums and Lobbying bringing businesses together to problem-solve and representing corporate interests with public authorities.

Zoom Business Briefings keeping members in-the-loop with city statuses, consultations, strategy conversations and future city planning.

City Intelligence access to Daily/Weekly/Monthly City Centre

Footfall Trends, Event Calendars and Property Developments Map.

Manchester BID Public Events promotional opportunities via our programme of large-scale events including Chinese New Year and Halloween celebrations.

Coast to Capital Growth Hub

The Coast to Capital Growth Hub provides fully funded advice, support, investment and strategic leadership to help small and medium sized enterprises drive sustainable business success and regional economic growth in West Sussex, Brighton and Hove and East Surrey (Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead, Tandridge and Mole Valley).

Coast to Capital Growth Hub seeks to: Encourage and enable strategic change; Connect businesses to support programmes, experts, peer business leaders, and funding opportunities; and

Help businesses develop national and international opportunities.

As part of their offering, the Growth Hub can undertake analysis to diagnose key areas of business improvement to help unlock business potential.

The Growth Hub can fund a day of specialist support from its Growth Champions network, a network of consultants that are experts in their respected fields who can provide specialist support for businesses to unlock growth.

The Growth Hub’s Relationship Managers can provide comprehensive business diagnostics through ‘GROWTHmapper’ which includes a set of assessment questions designed to underpin coaching and advice, as well as a digital coaching programme ‘DNAsix’ that can help businesses survive, compete, and thrive in today’s digital marketplace.

The Growth Hub also supports investment enquiries and opportunities in partnership with the Department for International Trade and local partners, helping to identify solutions and support for existing and potential investors including those from overseas.

Make it Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire

The Make it Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Investment Services team provides a tailor-made service for businesses relocating and expanding in the area. Businesses opening in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire can benefit from support to help establish their new operation in the area, as well as having access to on-going support from advisors.

The business support services offered by Make it Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire include:

Identification of suitable sites and premises

Help with site visits and area tours

Advice on grants and incentives

Support in relation to skills, training, salary levels and recruitment costs

Assistance with industry and market research

In addition, Make it Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire supports companies by partnering with Staffordshire University and Keele University to access support for graduate recruitment as well as for developing Research and Development linkages. This includes Knowledge Transfer Partnerships which provides funding for accessing university-based skills and expertise, ranging from product development to business process improvements.