Agenda item

H Kemp introduced a report informing the Board that funding for 16 RAP Advisors, through Gainshare, to deliver emergency business support across the South Yorkshire region, in 2021/22 was due to expire by the end of March 2022.

The report provided an evaluation of the current provision for business support, funded by the Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA), and included some comparisons to other models of delivery and how they are funded, in other city regions.  The paper also provided several options on the future provision for delivering and funding business support in the future (post March 2022) with some key recommendations provided to the Board. 

The report recommended that the Board support option 3, which is an enhanced business support delivery model, including an in-house team of business advisors (funded through the MCA’s grant allocation from BEIS), working closely with up to 16 RAP Business Advisors (funded by Gainshare), to deliver comprehensive and coordinated business support to local businesses within each local authority area and across the region.

A Greaves reported that the Growth Hub Board fully supported option 3 and the recommendations contained in the report. 

H Kemp reported that a fundamental review of the business support landscape was scheduled to be undertaken early in the New Year. 

The review would be driven by the Growth Hub Board to identify if there are any gaps in the business support provision provided, and also to ascertain if there is any duplication occurring with regard to the business support provided to local businesses by the MCA and the local authorities.

The recommendations arising from the review would be presented to the Board in due course. 

The Board welcomed and indicated their support for a review taking place around the business support landscape. 

The Board noted that alternative sustainable funding would need to be identified and accessed to ensure intensive business support provision continued beyond March 2023.  The Board queried when work would commence to identify a sustainable funding solution. 

In response, M Mumtaz said that, as part of the business support review, the funding landscape could also be considered.  He suggested that the business mapping and funding solution element could be commissioned to an external consultant.  He welcomed feedback from the Board. 

In response, the Board considered that the review should be undertaken in-house, if it was feasible, and if there were resources and expertise available. 

Mayor Jones asked that any areas of duplication, especially around the use of CRM systems and system methodology be identified within the review.

Mayor Jones added that, the current arrangement of RAP Business Advisors allocated to the local authorities worked well, but for consistency of employment contracts, she believed that they should all be employed by the MCA. 

The Board felt that the recruitment of up to 4 in-house advisors needed to be fully justified. 

Following discussion, the Board agreed to support Option 3 as set out above. 

RESOLVED – That the Board:

i)         Recommended to support the continued provision of RAP Business Advisors for a further 12 months, following the expiration of the current funding at the end of March 2022.

ii)       Recommend to the MCA Board that the redeployment of Gainshare for business support, from other budgets, be used for funding, subject to the MCA’s internal assurance processes being undertaken. 

iii)      Support Option 3 (subject to future funding provision being agreed) as the preferred method for delivery.  Option 3 is an Enhanced business support delivery model, including an in-house team of business advisors (funded through the MCA’s grant allocation from BEIS), working closely with up to 16 RAP Business Advisors (funded by Gainshare), to deliver comprehensive and coordinated business support to local businesses within each local authority area and across the region.

Support a fundamental review of the business support landscape being undertaken early in the New Year.