HEY LEP Business Support Board – updated Jan 2022

Aims and Objectives

To support the LEP’s role in the development of a competitive business environment where private businesses can grow and create jobs for the benefit of the local community and maximise the opportunities created by the LEP’s emerging priorities to drive economic success.

Role and Responsibilities

 

1. To strategically lead the HEY LEP in the development of a unified business support service to ensure that local businesses receive the right support and advice to sustain, develop and grow their business.

 

2. To utilise the strengths of the board to ensure the LEP is able to deliver a customer focused strategy to develop outstanding business support packages and products to meet the evolving needs of business and address UK innovation and productivity gaps.

 

3. To work with LEP Officers to attract new businesses and overseas investment into the Hull and East Yorkshire region, by facilitating new development opportunities promoted through a range of effective investment marketing initiatives which are serviced through a co-ordinated investor support service.

 

4. To provide strategic oversight to the HEY Business Growth Hub, reviewing its performance and operational outcomes.

 

5. To influence the procurement policies of the public sector and large private companies to create local supply chains and open up opportunities for local businesses.

 

6. To strategically drive the co-ordination of international trade and export activity, ensuring that businesses in the region can access a range of opportunities that meet the needs of the regional economy and that the area is represented effectively in relevant overseas markets whilst supporting businesses in investigating new markets for products and services developed in the Hull & East Yorkshire region.

 

7. To ensure the maximisation of funding opportunities for businesses and other strategic partners and ensure that funds are leveraged to gain maximum benefits for the Hull and East Yorkshire region.

 

8. To harness the collective strength of partnership working with membership organisations, trade & industry bodies and individual businesses through effective collaborative approaches providing a cohesive platform for policy lobbying, business engagement and intelligence gathering to support the development of HEY LEP key sectors and thereby addressing associated barriers to growth.

 

9. To establish appropriate sub/task groups to deliver the Board’s agenda as required, and to direct and monitor their work.

Membership

The membership of the Board will be primarily from businesses, with appropriate representation from the region’s two local authorities and co-opted members from key statutory agencies.

All members will be expected to attend meetings. If a member fails to attend for three consecutive meetings without reasonable justification, a conversation between the chair and member will take place to review the situation. The final decision on board membership rests with the Chair.

Membership will be reviewed on a bi-annual basis and in addition when any major factors or government directives indicate a necessary change such as changes to business policy or the main LEP Board.

Frequency of meetings

 

1. The Board will normally meet bi-monthly at dates to be agreed by the Chair with Board members. This will be reviewed after the first year.
2. The Chair may call meetings giving 7 days’ notice if circumstances require members to meet or decisions need to be taken in between normal Board meetings.
3. The meetings may take place physically or virtually as circumstances determine.

Quorum for meetings

 A quorum for meetings will be at least 50% of the current membership but must include the Chair or the Chair’s agreed representative as below.

Decision making

 

1. All decisions by the Board will be in accordance with the National Assurance Framework National local growth assurance framework – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and the Local Assurance Framework Assurance Framework » HEY LEP – Hull and East Yorkshire

 

 

2. All decisions will be made by a simple majority of those present at the meeting. In the event of a tie, the Chair’s vote will decide.

 

3. Co-opted members will not have a vote.

 

4. Urgent decisions required from the Board may be taken by electronic communication in between meetings, with the same requirements for quorum and declarations of interest as above.

 

5. Any delegated authority for decision making will be reflected in the LEP’s Assurance Framework

How the Board will operate

 

1. The Board will operate in a business-like, non-bureaucratic fashion.

 

2. Board members will conduct themselves according to the Nolan Principles. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-7-principles-of-public-life/the-7-principles-of-public-life–2.

 

3. Board members with personal, commercial, or financial interests in any agenda items will declare them at the relevant points on the agenda and not participate in votes on those items. In addition members will be required to update their published Registers of Interest at least on an annual basis as per Officer’s requests.

 

4. Draft minutes will be distributed within one week of the Board meeting.

 

5. Meeting agendas, papers and minutes are to be circulated to members at least five days in advance of the meeting.

 

6. Board meetings are confined to Board members and the LEP secretariat except for external presenters and observers, which have been agreed with the Chair in advance.

 

7. Minutes of Board meetings will be made available on the LEP’s website once approved.

 

8. In the Chair’s absence a member of the board will be asked to chair the meetings.