There was a high turnout for NEN’s April members’ huddle which discussed a range of topics from how to create effective consortiums to the need for a national business support strategy at government level.
Attendees included Simon Goon from Umi, Jennifer Crowther from Yorkshire in Business, Amy Enright from Evolve Advisor, Tracey Moore from the PNE Group, Chris Plant and Declan Riddell from Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce, Mike Brook from Business for London, Philippa Batting from Buckinghamshire Business First, Adrian Champney from Ngage Solutions, Ginny Cooper from St Alban’s Enterprise Agency, Richard Myers from Team Transmit, Alex Till, NEN chair and Chief Executive of Menta as well as Carol Daniels, NEN Operations Director.
Sue Parkinson, Project Director at North East Enterprise Agency Ltd (NEEAL), shared invaluable insights into various consortium types and their effective strategies. Members benefited from Sue’s firsthand experience, as her team has successfully secured substantial funding through various innovative models.
Sue is happy to share further examples and templates for SLA agreements. In the first instance contact carol.daniels@nationalenterprisenetwork.org .
Following Sue’s presentation and further discussion around funding and consortiums, the members debated the current challenges in the country’s business support sector.
Alex Till said one of the many problems was a lack of recognition at government of the business support network already in existence combined with the current funding structure, which is inconsistent, fragmented and often rushed.
The whole huddle agreed that the current system was a ‘postcode lottery’ for businesses with the vital role played by enterprise agencies across the country undervalued.
Alex Till said there needed to be a nationally focused delivery programme. Currently businesses on opposite sides of the road could get a completely different provision, rather than a consistent level of support which was tuned into local needs.
Chris Plant said that local authority timescales were worsening the problem, leaving many enterprise agencies trying to deliver 18-month contracts in just six months which doesn’t allow for proper planning and reduces quality. Simon Goon from Umi asked for great consistency – a national agreed standard for outputs and outcomes while Rich Myers expressed concern that enterprise agencies were often expected to cut rates and operate at or below cost.
Simon Goon suggested a national campaign promoting the cost of doing responsible business, making key stakeholders and government decision-makers aware of the social as well as economic value delivered by enterprise agencies, especially in the areas of living wage, carbon reduction and skills.