SEMLEP’s annual delivery

This annual delivery review looks back at our achievements during the 2020-2021 past year.

With the UK entering a lockdown on 23 March 2020, this past year brought many challenges. A key focal point for the year was supporting businesses to work through the crisis, whilst working with partners to shape our strategic approach to facilitate and aid economic recovery. The South East Midlands Economic Recovery Strategy was published in December 2020.

Our achievements include securing Getting Building Fund investment in the area for 12 projects, launching two new Growth Hub grant schemes to aid COVID recovery, and launching Peer Networks to bring businesses together. We also approved an additional 20+ Community Grants projects and started to refresh our Skills Strategy for the area.

In the coming year, we'll continue to focus on the implementation of the Economic Recovery Strategy. This includes supporting our business community through our Growth Hub, continuing to be at the forefront of the Clean Growth Challenge and providing live labour market information to occupational groups with need/demand.

Our Milestones

 

Strategy

July 2020

Submitted an initial action plan for the Economic Recovery Strategy to SEMLEP's Board 

September 2020

Brought together local energy providers and policy leads to discuss a collective approach to the transition to zero carbon 

October 2020

Held a meeting of the key Digital Infrastructure stakeholders in the South East Midlands

November 2020

Submitted a detailed recovery framework to SEMLEP’s Board, including a distributional impact assessment, as part of developing an Economic Recovery Strategy

December 2020

Worked with Innovate UK to hold an event to help identify – and find solutions to – local energy challenges

 

Governance

green tick

February 2020 Reviewed and updated our equality and diversity statement

September 2020

Appointed Expert Consultants to work alongside the SEMLEP team to embed equality, diversity, and inclusion into the Economic Recovery Strategy and its delivery 

Commenced Board

recruitment for new and diverse board members

November 2020

Undertake a Skills Audit among Board members and utilise the findings in board recruitment and training opportunities

Programme Delivery

6,526
Jobs created
through the Local Growth Fund

5,057
Businesses
supported through Growth Hub

147
Schools currently
engaged through skills programme

Local Growth Fund

This is a £265million capital investment fund allocated to the South East Midlands LEP (SEMLEP) area from 2015 to 2021 for capital projects to support growth. 

KPI
Total to date (20 May 2021)
Provisional forecast to 2030
Jobs
6,526
21,016
Homes enabled
5,038
39,676
Learners
5,539
8,989

Local Growth Fund: 2020/2021

Jobs

(LGF, total in the year for 2020/21, target exceeded)

Homes Enabled

(LGF, total in the year for 2020/21)

Additional Learners

(LGF, total in the year for 2020/21, target exceeded

Growth Hub Business Support: 2020/21

Number of Enquiries

No. of 1-to-1 meetings with clients

Number of Workshops held

Skills: 2020/21

Proportion of schools with complete compass tool (total for 2020/21)

Average Gatsby Benchmark scores 

Number of enterprise advisers

.

2020/2021

Provided kickstart COVID recovery grants to over 200 businesses - 251 grants provided

Delivered intensive recovery and resilience support to at least 100 businesses  - high-intensity support provided to 171 businesses

Capital Programmes provided contact time with each spending project every fortnight

Supported over 100 businesses through peer to peer networks* Over 200 businesses expressed interest in the programme, with over 100 businesses starting the programme and 91 businesses having completed the peer networks programme

July 2020

Completed and published a review of skills reports for occupational groupings for digital, logistics specific, engineering and manufacturing, health, and education

22 Funding agreements issued for 2020/21 Local Growth Funding

August 2020

Covid-19 response - Mapping of provision and identifying gaps with employer consultation and review of the needs of individuals

November 2020

Ran round 4 of the community grant programme and had 20+ additional projects approved

January 2021

Aim to approve and commence 12 Getting Building Fund projects on-site. *6 on-site by January 2021, 93% expenditure achieved, all projects on track to be achieved by March 2022

February 2021

Refreshed the Skills Strategy, including a summary of the analysis, action plan through SAP and Covid-19 response - Final strategy published in April 2021

March 2021

Aim to spend 75% of 2020/21 LGF allocation this financial year *defrayed 67%, due to some unforeseen project slippage, and delays to Northampton North West relief road. Capital swap arrangements were agreed with Luton BC. £16.9m has been carried forward to 2021/22

 
 

2020/2021 Investment Highlights

.

Vulcan Works

Central to the cultural quarter in Northampton Town Centre, the Vulcan Ironworks will transform a largely derelict building into a business and learning space for creative industries. 

Read more

Bedford Green Energy Innovation Park

Located on a 30-ha former landfill site, this exemplar model within the Oxford-Cambridge Arc will generate green, low carbon, clean energy to encourage others to reduce carbon emissions, adopt innovative technologies, and improve air quality.

Read more

Cranfield Forensic Institute, Cranfield University

Cranfield University are relocating their forensic science capabilities and taught programme from Oxfordshire to Bedfordshire to create a world class national centre for forensic science.

Read more

MK Gallery

Transforming the contemporary art space in the town offering cafe, meeting room and training space. This project aims to increase visitor numbers to the city of Milton Keynes.

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Catesby Aerodynamic Research Facility

A 1.7 mile long straight and flat former railway tunnel converted to an indoor, fully controllable vehicle testing facility to include wind and simulated weather impact, aerodynamics and emissions. A significant new, global standard test facility enhancing the capability of the UK vehicle industry

Read more

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