Agenda item

Committee considered a report which provided Members with an update on the delivery of the UKSPF programmes.

The report and appendix detailed expenditure and activity so far. Across the five projects, the service had just over £789k for the period of the funding. Following delays in receipt of the allocation from Government, the start of the projects had been impacted but it was expected that all five projects would be delivered as planned over the two-and-a-half-year period.

Tourism and Culture

Accessibility audits were being completed across all four main centres to ensure that visitors were able to fully assess access to visitor sites, restaurants, bars/pubs, and signage with the aim of increasing inward and outward tourism. A total of 30 accessibility audits were being completed via Accessibility UK and visitors would be able to search the site for Bolsover locations and businesses as part of planning their visit.

Business Growth Grants Scheme

The project offered two grant options. The first was grant funding available to existing businesses to encourage business improvement and growth opportunities resulting in job creation and retention. The growth grant was up to a maximum of £10,000 and had an 80% grant intervention rate.

The second grant was a small start-up grant of £500 at a 100% intervention rate. Applicants could be pre-start or a new business (up to 18 months old) and would be able to work with a business adviser on a 1:1 basis to assist with completion of the application and business plan but also to offer on-going support and access to workshops, networking events and courses.

A number of applications were due to go to the next panel meeting for consideration.

Net Zero Hyper Local Innovation Programme

This project aimed to deliver green skills audits for local businesses. In addition, local businesses would be supported to access training and funding to develop their understanding and skills relating to Net Zero. An additional element would include the completion of a feasibility study for a future green skills centre in the District based on the needs of business and informed by this programme of business engagement.

Hyper Local Small Business Support Scheme

Clowne Enterprise, an established local business support organisation had been commissioned to deliver this project. The support scheme covered pre-start, newly established and existing businesses within Bolsover district. Residents could take advantage of assistance to access mentoring and financial support to help launch a new business. Pre-start, start-up and existing businesses could receive assistance to develop a new product, become investor ready, or improve productivity of their business through innovation and technology implementation. Up to 30th June 2023, 15 people had received 1:1 coaching, and 13 businesses had received 1:1 coaching.

Visitor Economy Business Support

The project would contribute to accessibility, international tourism, and sector specific support for the cultural, historic and heritage sector. Businesses were being offered a programme of support, embracing innovative ways of working and business adaptations. Industry experts had been procured to deliver sector specific support including Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), social media, online booking channels, working with travel trade, accessibility, green and sustainable tourism and working with international tourism operators and events development. Wider environmental considerations would include the development of ‘shoulder’ season experiences and encouraging day visitors to stay longer and ‘stay with us.’ This would also assist in increasing productivity through the offer of year-round opportunities and build further business resilience.

An additional part to the new post was the development of ‘Bolsover the Place’ and creating a pride of place, both through tourism businesses, accommodation providers and attractions but also pride in the wider community and businesses as a whole.

In response to a Member’s query regarding the process should the accessibility audit identify work that needed to take place to improve a premise, for example, a hearing loop or ramps, the officer noted that the Tourism and Place Manager was working with businesses to identify possible grant funding. Anything identified within main public realm areas or wider issues around town trails was being dealt with as part of wider work on the town centre.

A Member queried how the green skills audits planned differed from the wider skills audit recently completed. The Director of Economic Development noted that the green skills audit work would build on previous projects with colleagues at Sheffield Hallam (general skills audits and pathways post 16) and Nottingham Trent (green skills). A key outcome was to assess future job requirements, potential locations within the District and potential skills gaps within the area. As part of the scheme there would be focused interviews with businesses within the sector which would then shape the creation of a Skills Hub.

A Member queried if this would link back to recent work looking at the potential to develop skills provision/hub at the Pleasley Vale site. The Director confirmed it did.

A Member commented that the report was very comprehensive and welcomed the detailed update. They also queried what scope there would be for business-to-business support within the five project themes. The officer confirmed that it was not included within the five projects, however, there were a range of networking events and opportunities for local businesses that were developing well, and this enabled business to business engagement. The Director noted that the service had developed an active programme of networking events during and following the pandemic. The recent one had been branded as a ‘Business detox’ event involving lots of business-to-business interactions and sharing of information and ideas, with around 20 attendees per event. There was also a specific Business Women in Bolsover Network, so lots of peer to peer networking opportunities available.

A Member noted that technically the UKSPF programme was already around halfway through, and he questioned if the Council was still able to deliver everything planned due to the allocation delays and if there was a risk of non-delivery. The officer clarified that while the Council was still in the procurement phase for the Net Zero skills survey, all other areas were moving forward. The service was making allocations to local businesses and was already looking at where there could be underspend from other areas as demand was rising for Net Zero based support, beyond what had been originally allocated. The Director also noted that the projects were not yet halfway in terms of the funding profile, the biggest amount of spend was expected in year 3 of the programme and he expected the Council to spend what had been allocated.

A Member asked if it were possible to geographically plot the businesses in receipt of grant support and those engaging so the gaps in engagement and distribution of funding could be easily identified. The Senior Economic Development Officer noted this could be done and current analysis showed that engagement was from all over the District and events were actively being run in a range of locations to ensure the networking opportunities were accessible. There had been a good geographical spread to the applications received to date and businesses had given Clowne Enterprise good feedback about the Council’s approach and the support and funding available.

Moved by Councillor Will Fletcher and seconded by Councillor Phil Smith

RESOLVED that the progress report be noted.