The Norfolk and Suffolk All Energy Industry Council
Terms of Reference
Sept 2019
Purpose & Principles
To provide strong and clear leadership for the industry to drive forward the aspiration to be
recognised as the UK’s All Energy Region, the Energy Council will provide:
• Clear Leadership - demonstrating strong and clear leadership for the industry
• Communication - enhance strong and clear communication to speak with one voice
• Collaboration - instilling a spirit of cooperation and collaboration to strengthen
industry-government-education strategic partnerships for the benefit of the whole
industry sector
• Coordination - improving the coordination of activity and initiatives to add value,
enhance service delivery and knowledge transfer
• Capability - building knowledge, intelligence and expertise to help strengthen
capability and capacity within the cluster
• Competitiveness - driving innovation and productivity improvements to help drive
down costs, enhance efficiencies and boost global competitiveness for export and
investment
Strategic Objectives
Ensuring all partners play a part in delivering the ambitions of the cluster and the Economic
Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk, the Council will drive forward a set of strategic objectives:
1. Profile and Promotion Branding and marketing the area and cluster to national and
global audiences. Proactively promoting the offer to attract global investment and boost
exports across the energy sector.
2. Lobbying and Regulation
- strengthening links with Government and other
organisations as identified by the council to attract support and investment and improve
regulations.
3. Supply chain development - strengthening the cluster, helping businesses work with
each other, including tier one corporates, and maximising export and investment
opportunities.
4. Innovation support - helping businesses improve their performance and enabling
them to enter new markets, develop new products, enhance processes and improve
productivity.
5. Skills development - overseeing the skills sector plan, connecting employers with
providers and responding to industry demands in develop
tomorrow.
6. Infrastructure - attracting investment to enhance and build the infrastructure required
to support the growth of the industry and improve connectivity and business
productivity.
Responsibilities
•
Act as the LEP sector group for energy, considering the bigger picture and providing
strategic direction in delivering the aspiration to recognised as the UK’s All Energy
Region.
•
In collaboration with other strategic partners to drive and coordinate activity which
delivers the ambitions to develop the cluster
•
Act as clear and coherent reference point for dialogue with Government, being a single
point of contact, which brings together all partners. Utilising EEEGR events and
activities (including an annual House of Commons reception) to assist in achieve such
dialogue
•
Support the development of the Local Industrial Strategy, identifying actions and
interventions and best practice for energy transition and the move towards a clean
energy focus area and clean growth grand challenge that could be scaled up to achieve
bigger impact.
•
Engage with relevant national Sector Deals to ensure our ‘place’ is appropriately
mapped, such as the published Nuclear deal and Offshore Wind deals, and collaborate
with key strategic bodies, such as BEIS, Catapults, Innovate UK and relevant industry
councils (such as OWIC and NIC) to deliver the Sector Deals and other related
programmes of activity.
•
Commission task and finish groups where appropriate and where no other sub-board
or committee can fulfil the task.
•
Connect to and collaborate with regional boards and committees that play a role in
delivering the ambitions for developing the energy cluster, continuing to identify gaps
and opportunities.
•
Influence stakeholders and government - to coordinate resources and investment to
the deliver the objectives.
Membership and Appointment
The committee will comprise a total of around 25 members - the Chair, up to 13 private sector
Theme Champions, four Place champions, three educational representatives (HE/FE), New
Anglia LEP and East of England Energy Group representatives. The Board will include the
LEP Chief Executive and at least one LEP Board member, providing the link back to the LEP
Board and as ambassadors for the Economic Strategy. One seat will be reserved for a
Government official.
Board membership will be for a period of three years initially, with an option to be re-appointed.
No more than a third of the board will stand down on an annual basis. Board members will be
responsible for attending at least three meetings a year. Members failing to take part in at least
three successive meetings will have their membership revoked. In line with LEP policy, Board
members are not able to nominate a substitute if unavailable to attend the meeting.
Board members, including co-opted members, or additional observers, are selected by
nomination; at least two Board members and the Chair are required to nominate a Board
member or observer and final decisions will be made by a majority vote of the Board. Decisions
will be based on how well nominated individuals can represent their sector and on ensuring a
balance of representation across the Board by geography, size of businesses and sector.
Decisions on co-opted members, observers and working party membership will be based on
the specialist advice, knowledge and networks required.
The Board may co-opt up to three specialist advisors to support specific project development
and delivery.
The Board may invite observers from other LEP groups or interested parties, on a reciprocal
basis and for a fixed period of time.
Private sector Theme Champions will have a responsibility to represent the views of their
appointed thematic area. For place champions, we will seek four representatives, 2 for each
county.
The further education representatives will be nominated by the New Anglia Colleges Group
and will have a responsibility to represent the FE sector at Energy Council meetings, feeding
back to the colleges group on the outcome of meetings. One seat will be allocated for the HE
sector, and the incumbent will have the responsibility to report back to the other HE providers
in the region.
Attendance of non-members at meetings
Members of the LEP executive team, sub-boards and committees and EEEGR board,
executive, members and Special Interest Group participants may also be invited to attend
meetings where appropriate.
Meeting Frequency
Meetings will be held bi-monthly and scheduled to coincide with the dates of the LEP Board
meetings. The frequency of meetings could change to quarterly if the Board decide it is more
appropriate once it is established.
Delegated Authority
Can hold other groups including Task and Finish groups, to account. It has the authority to
task a sub-board, group or committee to deliver action within the deliver plan.
Reporting procedures
The minutes of meetings will be circulated to all members of the Board and published on the
LEP website. The Energy Council will be requited to report annually to the main LEP Board on
progress.
Secretariat
Secretariat will be provided by EEEGR under the terms of an SLA with the LEP and endorsed
by the Energy Council.
