Agenda and minutes

The Co-Chair, Mayor Jones welcomed everyone to the meeting. 

D Smith introduced Helen Kemp to the Board.  The Board was informed that Helen had recently been appointed to the role of Director of Business and Skills and would now take responsibility for supporting the Board alongside Team leads Dave Grimes and Rachel Clark. 

Apologies for absence were noted as above. 

None.

None.

None. 

It was noted that H Kemp would work with N MacDonald after today’s meeting to develop a Work Programme for the Board.  ACTION: H Kemp & N MacDonald. 

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 21^st October 2020 were agreed to be an accurate record and approved for signing by the representative of the Head of Paid Service.

A paper was submitted to provide the Board with an update and indication of the delivery priorities outlined in the Employer section of the Renewal Action Plan.

Following discussion at the last Board meeting held on 21^st October 2020, the Board was requested to consider, review and agree the contents of the draft RAP Employer Implementation Plan which provided an updated overview of the areas agreed by the Task and Finish Groups established to lead on the development. 

At the MCA meeting held on 16th November 2020 the endorsed priorities were agreed in principle and an initial budget recommended to be made available over the next 2 years of up to £8.3m to deliver against the prioritised elements in the employer section of the RAP.

As a result of the allocated budget, a consolidated set of priorities with an indication of delivery costs was currently in development.  The Task and Finish Group discussions had collectively developed a consolidated set of delivery proposals where it is felt the most impact would be delivered for businesses in comparison to the original plan based on the available budgets as well as priorities previously agreed.

The Board considered and reviewed the consolidated priorities for delivery for the remainder of 2020/21 to the end of 2021/22 initially. 

The anticipated intervention cost for the streamlined and consolidated delivery for the priority employer section totalled £5.20m, excluding any additional delivery costs associated which were currently being worked up to include licence fees and any additional personnel costs.

The Board noted that, due to the fast changing economic conditions impacted by Covid 19, but also UK transition, there was considerable flexibility requested in the delivery of the plans with the ability to review and refocus following review by the Board should matters change significantly.  Any non-allocated budgets assigned to this activity would remain as contingency to enable the programme to flex to changing needs. 

The full and updated Implementation Plan including the developed leadership proposals was also included as appendices to the document. 

In response to questions from Board Members around the timescale for the recruitment of 16 Advisor posts, D Grimes confirmed that work was progressing and advertisement of the Advisor posts was anticipated to be undertaken within the next six weeks, subject to internal funding resources being addressed and a framework being developed. 

The Board expressed its concern on the pace to progress recruitment and discussed if it would be appropriate to use contingency funding, rather than internal funding resources. 

The Board requested that an update report be circulated by email in approximately six weeks’ time to present the progress which had been made.  ACTION: H Kemp.

Mayor Jones asked for confirmation if the SCR LEP was authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to deliver loan funding schemes. 

In response, it was confirmed that there was not a requirement for the SCR LEP to be FCA registered due to the SCR not providing financial advice to businesses.  The SCR LEP would commission any  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

A paper was presented to provide Members with proposed changes to the way the MCA will deliver business support services from April 2021.  The Board was asked to support the principles underpinning the changes and note the changes being introduced. 

The Board noted that whilst the need for change and development of services is required to address changing economic circumstances and new priorities, the direction of that change needs to be guided by a set of principles against which change can be measured.  It was proposed that changes to business support services are guided by five principles as set out in paragraph 2.1 of the report. 

It was highlighted that the change related only to the LEP and MCAs business support services.  These were the combined roles of the current growth hub and trade and investment services.  It was proposed that these services were organised into hubs as presented in paragraph 2.2 of the report. 

The role of the Gateway service would be evolved to become the front door for all business enquiries and business engagement across the MCA Executive Team.  This would ensure that the MCA Executive Team have a business focussed, consistent, clearly accessible entry for business into the MCA.  It will also ensure that the MCA Executive Team consistently collect information and data.  The Gateway Service would develop its use of technology to inform, engage and resolve queries from business alongside its direct contact.

It was confirmed that the hubs would be resourced from the current core staff of the Growth Hub, Business Growth and Trade and Investment Teams, the contracted staff from services and those seconded into the MCA to support activity.  Financial services, contracting, performance and programming, communications and marketing and other support services would work to support activities within the hubs. 

The Board supported the principles outlined in paragraph 2.2 of the paper and asked if the goal to complete the internal changes by 1^st April 2021 was achievable.  Furthermore, the Board queried if any additional resources had been identified to support future business support services. 

In response, D Smith anticipated that the Team would have made substantial progress to implement the internal changes by 1^st April 2021.  He agreed to provide the Board with a progress update after 1^st April 2021 on the achievements made and a timeframe detailing when any outstanding actions would be achieved.  ACTION: H Kemp

D Smith highlighted that resources were scarce and there was no likelihood of any significant funding resources being received in future.  Whilst he accepted the Board’s desire for additional resources, the MCA Executive Team would need to be innovative and make the best use of its current resources.  Furthermore, the Team was attempting to balance the priorities around the support given directly to businesses and also the support and investment in relation to skills, which were equally important in the RAP. 

The Board recommended that it would be beneficial for the MCA Executive Team to provide Local Authority Strategic Directors with  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

A paper was presented reminding the Board that, at the previous meeting a report had been presented setting out the detailed rationale for the MCA-India programme together with an update of in-market activities undertaken since UK India Business Council’s (UKIBC) original report in 2017.

The Board noted that, as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, activities for the remainder of the 2020/21 MCA India programme had been adapted to virtual activities where relevant. 

A programme of activity was outlined in Annex 1 to the report for the remainder of this financial year, including a virtual delegation this month involving meetings between the Mayors of Pune and Sheffield City Region.

The Board noted that the Team were working with UKIBC to review its approach to date and initiating work on a “Roadmap” which sets out a Strategic Implementation Plan from 2021 onwards.  The Plan would seek to build on the work achieved to date and introduce a programme of activity for the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23.  The full report would be presented to the Board for discussion/approval at the March 2021 meeting.

The report also set out progress in the development of a strategic implementation plan to support further activities in the India market.  This included draft proposals to establish a South Yorkshire – India Forum comprising of an Advisory Board and Business Network. 

The Board were provided with the rationale behind the establishment of the India Forum. 

The Advisory Board would provide strategic advice and guidance, chaired by a LEP Board Member and would include public/private senior representatives from universities, DIT, companies operating in India etc.

The Business Network would include a wider group of businesses and stakeholders with interests relating to India.  Members would receive access to networking opportunities, events and newsletters.

The Board supported the establishment of the South Yorkshire India Forum and proposed that R Stubbs chaired the Advisory Board.

R Stubbs confirmed his acceptance of the Board’s proposal. 

RESOLVED – That the Business Recovery and Growth Board accept the next stage of the programme to establish a South Yorkshire India Forum in 2021 and endorse the continuation of the development of the MCA-India programme. 

The Board received a report to update Members of the implications of the EU Exit as far as it was known at the point of the writing and the actions being taken to support business. 

Members noted that some of the ‘unknown’ elements of the report had been superseded by the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement signed on 30^th December 2020 (since the report was published).

The Board received a presentation to provide Members with key points on the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the key impacts for the SCR and analysis for 2021. 

The key points contained within the Agreement were noted as follows:

·      Trade - There will be no tariffs or quotas on trade in goods provided rules of origin are met. 

·      Governance – The Agreement is overseen by a UK-EU Partnership Council supported by other committees. 

·      Local Playing Field Provisions – Both parties have the right to trade counter-measures including imposition of tariffs where they believe divergences are distorting trade.

·      Subsidies/State Aid – Both parties are required to have an effective system of subsidy with independent oversight.  Either party can improve remedial measures if a dispute is not resolved by consultation. 

·      Fisheries – 25% of the EU’s fisheries quota in UK waters will be transferred to the UK over a period of 5 years. 

·      Security – A new security partnership provides for data sharing and policing and judicial co-operation, but with reduced access to EU databases.

·      EU Programmes – Continued UK participation in some EU programmes.

·      Review and Termination – The TCA will be reviewed every 5 years.  It can be terminated by either side with 12 months’ notice. 

It was good news for the SCR that there would be no tariffs or quotas for trade, especially for the SCR’s manufacturing sector.  Albeit there would now be more barriers to trade. 

The Board noted that the SCR would continue to promote business support for business transition and distribute the Government’s allocation of £136k to the SCR to aid business transition. 

The Board requested that the presentation be circulated to them by email after today’s meeting.  ACTION: P Johnson

RESOLVED – That the Business Recovery and Growth Board:-

1)   Noted the updates on EU Exit.

2)   Consider the other support which the MCA/LEP could offer for businesses in the first few months of 2021. 

A paper was submitted to request the Board’s approval to accept the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Grant, approval to waiver the Contract Procedure Rules (CPR’s) to award a contract totalling £104,500 to Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and seeks delegated authority to be given to the S73 officer in conjunction with the Head of Paid Service and Monitoring Officer to enter into legal agreements for the schemes. 

The Board noted that, on 5th November 2020 the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) announced £6.4m EU Transition Business Readiness Funding for Local Enterprise Partnerships and their respective Growth Hubs nationally:

-  Up to £2.4m for advisors to provide outreach and advice on EU Transition for businesses ;

-  Up to £4m for improving business readiness and resilience for the end of the EU Transition period.

The Board noted that funding must be spent before 31st March 2021. 

The Growth Hub of the MCA had been awarded £136,050 of grant funding based on its business population:

- £54,000 for advisors to provide outreach and advice;

- £82,050 for improving business readiness and resilience. 

Of the £136,050 grant offered, £54,000 is ringfenced for the provision of EU Transition Advisors for Outreach and Advice.  The remaining £82,050 is for EU Transition Business Readiness more generally, activity and would include:

- Specialist and General advisors

- Intelligence, Analysis and Metrics and Evaluation

- Regional Co-ordination and Targeting including event support

The Board noted that the timescales associated with the date of grant award and period of funding (November 2020 – March 2021) prevented the MCA completing competitive recruitment and / or procurement processes to deliver this activity directly.

Delivery support had been sought from the 3 Chambers of Commerce representing the SCR local authority areas based on their established links to the business communities and ability to mobilise additional support quickly.  Sheffield Chamber of Commerce would act as the lead party on behalf of the 3 Chambers.

The Board noted that the proposed grant would be used to provide support through award of contracts to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, with additional wrap around activity to be funded by the MCA directly:

- £27,000 of BEIS grant to be contracted to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority for recruitment of 1 Specialist advisor for South Yorkshire;

- £104,050 of BEIS grant to be contracted to the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce; for recruitment of 2 outreach and advice advisors, and provision of further specialist and general advice, and intelligence;

- £5,000 to renew the licence fees on the existing UK transition resilience online tool for a further 6 months to cover the period following completion of the transition period.

RESOLVED – That the Business Recovery and Growth Board:-

1)      Approved the acceptance of the BEIS grant allocation of £136,050 for EU Transition Business Readiness Funding for Growth Hubs. 

2)      Approved a Waiver Request for award of contract totalling £104,050 to Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.

Approved delegated authority be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

A paper, and accompanying performance dashboards, were presented to provide Board Members with up to date performance information on all business growth programmes delivered on behalf of the LEP and MCA. 

The report and performance dashboards gave details of:

·           The Business Investment Fund

·           The SCR Growth Hub

·           The Inward Investment Key Account Management

RESOLVED – That the Business Recovery and Growth Board scrutinised the performance information provided in order to identify future performance deepdives or significant areas of risk. 

None.