Economic growth and recovery improvement programme

Project description: To look at options for business models that bring together councils and the private sector to deliver services and stimulate economic growth. Models may include co-investment, social investment, income generation etc. and practical support for de-risking, procurement and contracting options would be included. The project would seek to provide practical networking opportunities between public and private sector parties.

Project description: Building on the microbusiness project this looked at lessons learned during the pandemic and how councils may want to engage with business and Local Education Partnerships (LEPs) and where the role of LEPs has changed.

Supporting councils with business engagement

Project description: The LGA’s improvement offer relating to job creation and Good Work charters is as follows:

• A councillors guide on how to create the right condition for job creation and embed ‘good work’ principles for COVID-19 recovery. 
• Case studies showing what local and combined authorities are currently doing and would like to do. 
• Bring in the voice of business to explain what they are looking for when deciding where to locate
• Work with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) on feeding in good work principles including decent pay, building cohesive employer networks locally and what a good business support offer looks like 
• Share output with the sector, such as a toolkit or webinar.

Good Work Project: helping councils to support good work in their local area

Project description: This looked at scenarios which take into account pre-pandemic trends and those established during the pandemic, and other upcoming changes to help councils shape town centres and high streets over the next 10 years. The project also examined other issues which will have an impact, such as how people access their town centres (including micromobility, cycling and walking). In addition the project focused on lessons learned from the pandemic, what may make town centres more resilient and how councils can better react to future shocks and emergencies.

Creating resilient and revitalised high streets in the ‘new normal’

Capturing learning from councils using culture to regenerate and bring underused buildings back into economic use, e.g. Bolton's transformation of the old city hall into a boutique hotel and aquarium; or Kent's plans to turn disused retail units into creative studios. 

Project description: This aimed to share learning from the UK Community Renewal Fund bidding process, helping councils to understand the process in advance of the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It helped develop both our and the Government’s thinking on the design of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

• Briefing on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Prospectus
• The Levelling Up agenda, House of Commons, 15 June 2021

Project description: To provide training for teams of economic development officers in design thinking and skills to apply to their local economic growth challenges. The Design Council delivered this training to councils to help them:

• design their approach to the use of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF)
• design their future high streets
• attract inward investment in the future.

Project description: Councillor masterclasses to support councillors in their role in encouraging and delivering local economic growth.

Leadership Essentials

Launched an e-learning package available to all councils through the LGA e-learning platform to build council ability and capacity to successfully bid for central government funding pots relating to economic growth.

Economic development e-learning

Project description: Councils spend significant money on consultancy fees to help interpret skills supply and demand data. This project aimed to understand what the sector is doing to access and interpret data, share learning about what innovation is out there, including new tools that have been developed, as well as testing what councils' future needs and ideas are in this space. There were facilitated roundtable sessions with skills data experts and a range of councils, and a good practice skills data guide with examples and tips was produced.

Work Local

Project description: Councils have a number of statutory duties for young people, including prevent and manage NEETs and reduce the the number of 'unknown' in their area. As a result of the pandemic the numbers in these groups was expected to rise. This project aimed to build on the youth project and:

• look at how some of the councils are implementing their action plans and learning from the previous project,
• explore how councils can support NEETs and disadvantaged groups possibly through ring-fenced opportunities within local government.

Supporting young people experiencing disadvantage into education, employment and training