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General news of interest to the social enterprise sector in the region.
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This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news
Replacing the current ‘bloated’ inward investment system with a localist approach would help the UK regain its global competitive edge, according to a new report.
Inward investment begins at home says diverting the millions spent on branding the UK overseas to local initiatives would help attract jobs and investment.
Produced by consultancy Breeze Strategy - an adviser to governments, regions and local authorities - it calls for a five-pronged approach that is localised, business-led, transparent, efficient and effective.
Recommendations include creating an ‘investment attraction fund’ by removing the direct funding link between UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and regional development agencies (RDAs) to encourage competitive bids.
The report says the creation of RDAs imposed on the whole country a particular structural model, but argues that the ‘complex nature’ of investment attraction means some areas would be better served by a regional approach, while others may favour more of a city-region model.
Other ideas for reform called for include a new eBay-style UK inquiry portal and simplifying measures and scrapping targets to help avoid ‘red herring’ headline figures and misleading statistics on jobs and projects.
Breeze Strategy founder Adam Breeze, a former head of inward investment for government regeneration agency English Partnerships, said: ‘The organisation and funding arrangements in place are outdated, inefficient and ineffective. If nothing is done to change this system, the UK risks losing more jobs and companies to global competitors that have more professional and efficient investment promotion structures.
‘The structure of investment promotion has become bloated with a profusion of quangos which have presided over a damaging shift from local needs to regional and national diktat. This has caused increased bureaucracy and Whitehall control at the expense of private sector and local involvement.’ |
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East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Quotation for Translation Services
The East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Humberside Police Authority have identified the need for translation services and seek quotations from suitably qualified companies to provide a service for up to 36 months. The Contract start date Thu 01 April 2010
Contract duration (months) 36
Deadline for return of HARDCOPY submissions is 12pm 24th March 2010.
For more information please contact Kiran Kochar - Johnson Senior Policy Officer Health, Diversity and Information Team East Riding of Yorkshire Council (w) 01482 391425 (m) 07879 848781
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news
Councils could double their money as well as strengthen local economies and communities by using ‘progressive procurement’, according to a new report.
By building economic, social and environmental benefits into contracts, councils could yield £2 for every £1 spent, says the Association for Public Service Excellence (Apse).
Its guide considers the barriers preventing councils getting the most from their procurement and draws upon best practice examples.
The research, in partnership with the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, also highlights measures including:
• Introducing specific ‘community benefits’ clauses in contract evaluation
• Building strong relationships with local suppliers
• ‘Contract unbundling’ to enable smaller suppliers to compete
• Advertising locally through a procurement portal
Apse chief executive, Paul O’Brien, said: ‘Our previous work analysing the ‘local economic footprint’ shows how £1 of public spending can generate £1.64 in the local economy through strong employment and supply chains. If councils considered how to deliver community benefits through their procurement processes, that figure could rise to £2.
‘Achieving community benefits is not just about the money. By looking carefully at how we procure goods and services, we can start to have a real impact on the environment and well-being of communities.’ |
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This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news
A revamped waterway and a new bridge are to form part of a £4.4m boost to the New Islington area of Manchester.
Boaters will be able to moor in the area for the first time and a bridge and new paths and canal walkways will connect it to the neighbouring areas of Ancoats and Manchester city centre.
Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) is hoping that the revamp will help attract more than £250m of investment to allow the broader development of New Islington.
Steve Broomhead, chief executive of NWDA, said: ‘New Islington is a major regeneration scheme but was at risk of delay due to current market conditions. Our aim is to bring new life, activity and revenue into the area.’
The wider New Islington project will include a new primary school, health centre, shops and almost 1,500 new homes. Three residential developments have been completed including an Urban Splash development called Chips. Partners in the project include urban regeneration company New East Manchester (NEM) and the Homes and Communities Agency.
The new investment from NWDA will include start up costs for the canal marina, a new major footbridge and canal connections.
Work is expected to be complete by the end of 2010. |
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This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news
The recession has not impeded the progress of housing market renewal (HMR) pathfinders in revitalising the market, according to a government watchdog.
The Audit Commission assessed ten pathfinder partnerships involved in the programme on priorities including the number of new and affordable homes and the promotion of cohesive and sustainable communities.
Five scored the highest mark of ‘performing strongly’ and the other half were judged to be ‘performing well’.
All pathfinders maintained overall performance levels, while three improved areas of their work, including Newheartlands in Merseyside, which covers approximately 130,000 properties in some of the most disadvantaged communities of Liverpool, Wirral and Sefton.
An ‘impressive record’ of developing new homes despite the credit crunch, drawing in more complementary investment than any other pathfinder and attracting Kickstart funding to help build developments which might otherwise have been mothballed saw Newheartlands move from ‘performing well’ to the top ranking.
Managing director Brendan Nevin said the report demonstrated the pathfinder was delivering ‘real change for the better in the neighbourhoods that need it the most’.
There were also ‘significant improvements’ at Urban Living, the pathfinder for Birmingham and Sandwell. Cabinet member for housing John Lines described the review as ‘confirmation that we're on the right tracks in terms of making positive change for residents’.
Other pathfinder areas assessed included Manchester Salford, north Staffordshire and South Yorkshire. Renew North Staffordshire was praised for performing strongly in areas including place-shaping and developing affordable homes and mixed communities, but the review also recommended better maintenance of vacant sites to support regeneration and regular evaluation of its research programme.
Transform South Yorkshire was commended for establishing itself as ‘an influential agent of change’ but the commission expressed concerns over its long-term impact and the ‘continuing absence’ of a value for money strategy.
However, the commission’s housing director Roy Irwin said value for money issues that remained for some pathfinders were being addressed.
‘Our assessments show that, even in difficult economic times, the HMR pathfinders are playing an important role in efforts to improve existing homes and provide new homes while supporting communities,’ he said.
The assessment was carried out for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), whose chair Robert Napier said: ‘The HMR programme makes a vital contribution to the growth, sustainability and continuing economic development of some of the north and midlands’ most deprived areas.’ |
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This article is provided courtesy of the news feed at http://www.newstartmag.co.uk/news
The annual search for the most enterprising destination on the UK’s ‘business map’ has started.
Enterprising Britain showcases cities, villages, towns and neighbourhoods that have tackled the economic downturn and are successfully creating jobs, boosting local business and nurturing entrepreneurial talent.
The competition has, for the first time, expanded to five categories which organisations can enter any or all of:
• Enterprise culture
• Driving entrepreneurial skills
• Business support and start-up
• Global entrepreneurship
• Social cohesion
To mark the launch, trade, investment and small business minister Lord Davies visited last year’s winner Lowestoft in the east of England to discover how it reduced disadvantage by transforming itself from a town faced with declining industries and low aspiration into a breeding ground for business growth and job creation by encouraging enterprising activity and self-employment and with support from local enterprise agency NWES.
NWES chief executive Kevin Horne said Lowestoft was now seen as ‘the place to do business’.
‘But we’re not complacent,’ he said, ‘we’re also working with parts of the community who remain excluded from the mainstream business community and NWES has staff working with local schools to enthuse the next generation of entrepreneurs.
‘We have already used the award in attracting substantial new investment into the town in the offshore renewables industry and the profile of Lowestoft has risen rapidly with many people wanting to understand how we have achieved so much.’ |
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