Business Development
Improvement in local employment opportunities is a function of successful indigenous business growth, survival and start ups. The response of local agencies and partnerships is more effective if shaped to meet the needs of business and targeted to improve competitiveness and stimulate enterprise. PACEC have developed innovative approaches to identify key policy areas, meet the needs of companies and evaluate the impact of policy.
Key Issues
- Business and occupational skills requirements
- Recruitment difficulties and skills gaps
- Innovation and product development
- Premises and land
- Markets and competition
- Finance for growth
- Supplier links and gaps
- Collaboration and networks
- Transport infrastructure and access
- The environment
- Regulations and standards
Examples of Projects
- Corporation of London / Camden Borough Council. Review of business start-ups and closures (benchmarked against central London), key influences and policy implications.
- Small Business Service. National mapping of all business support services funded through central government including all regional organisations, ie RDAs, Government Offices, Business Links, and the LSCs, and local agencies including Local Authorities.
- Regional Case Studies in West Midlands, the East and the North East.
- HM Treasury. A review of the finance needs of firms (debt and equity finance) in growth and high-tech sectors in Scotland, the North East, M11 and M4 corridors, Munich, Boston, Sydney and South of France (part of the review of British Banking).
- Development Plans for Business Competitiveness. A review of the needs of firms and the development of policies in:
- Camden
- Coventry
- Greenwich
- Nottingham
- Essex
- Central Scotland
- Welsh Regions
- Pendle
- Brighton
- Black Country
- South Yorkshire
- ONE NorthEast. Review of all business support services and funding in the North East as part of regional strategy development.
- Small Business Service. Evaluation of the Action-4-Business (A4B) management development programme for SMEs (Lancashire).
- Social Enterprise East Midlands. Review of projects and best practices to develop social enterprise and strengthen the support network.
