Introduction

This Assurance Framework outlines the processes and procedures for decision-making at New Anglia LEP. The document is an agreement between the LEP and Government, underlining our commitment to transparency.

It outlines the LEP structure, including our Boards, Sub Boards and Committees and explains the relationships between the LEP and local authorities. It also sets out the arrangements for the delivery and oversight of projects, including relationships with delivery partners.

This document should be read in conjunction with a number of associated documents which provide more detail on the arrangements. For example, the LEP�s Articles of Association and the legal agreement (Accountable Body Agreement) between the LEP and its Accountable Body, Suffolk County Council.

The Monitoring and evaluation plan sets out the local arrangements for output and outcome monitoring and evaluation of projects.

The LEP and Accountable body will undergo an annual review of the Assurance Framework and Accountable Body agreement.

Background and Context

New Anglia LEP was officially granted permission by ministers to be established in November 2010.

This followed the submission of a bid to ministers supported by leaders from local authorities and dozens of individual businesses, as well as business representative groups, MPs and academia.

The newly appointed LEP board was keen to develop a governance model that was fit for purpose and provided for efficient decision-making, transparent to all parties, and operated on the basis of consensus.

The board agreed to establish the LEP as a company limited by guarantee, with its governance model built into the LEP�s legally binding Articles of Association.

During 2017, board members agreed the LEP�s governance and operations needed reviewing to keep pace with the expansion of the organisation and its increase in roles and responsibilities. It commissioned PwC to conduct a review, which was published that summer.

All recommendations of the review were endorsed by the LEP board and in September 2017 an implementation plan was agreed by the LEP board and put into immediate effect.

In September 2017, Mary Ney published an independent review on behalf of the Government into governance and transparency of all LEPs and recommendations followed soon after.

New Anglia LEP has accepted and implemented all the recommendations of this review, as well as the recommendations of the PwC review.

During 2018, the Government published its own review of LEPs. New Anglia LEP has implemented the recommendations of this review in full. This Local Assurance Framework brings New Anglia LEP�s governance in line with the recommendations of the LEP Review.

In March 2021, the Government announced a further review of LEPs. This review was then integrated into the Levelling Up White Paper. The Levelling Up White Paper was published in February 2022 with the Government acknowledging the work undertaken by LEPs. It promised to write to LEPs will further details on the proposed functions of LEPs �as soon as possible.�

The letter dated 31 March 2022, said: �This letter marks the beginning of the transition of LEPs� functions and roles into local democratic institutions. It sets out the principles of future LEP policy but allows some flexibility to accommodate local circumstances.�

Further it said: �LEP functions and roles will be integrated into institutions with devolved powers for the purpose of hosting a county deal.�

The letter also highlighted key functions it expects to be carried out by LEPs or the bodies into which they are integrated:

a. Embed a strong, independent and diverse local business voice into local democratic institutions.

b. Carry out strategic economic planning in partnership with local leaders that clearly articulates their area�s economic priorities and sectoral strengths. This should involve building and maintaining a robust local evidence base that identifies local strengths and challenges, future opportunities and the actions needed to support priority sectors, aligned to the relevant levelling up missions. The nature of this role will depend on individual LEPs� integration pathway. Across all pathways, LEPs, or local democratic institutions where LEP functions and roles have been integrated, should continue to use their convening power to bring together business, education and other local economic stakeholders.

c. Continue to deliver a number of functions on behalf of government departments, shaped by the local business voice where relevant.

d. Where appropriate, LEP business boards can help broker and support new or deeper devolution deals, where requested by local partners.

In the light of �minded to� county deals being agreed with both Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils, the financial year 2023/24 is being regarded as a transition year for the LEP.

During this year New Anglia LEP will continue to discharge its functions and responsibilities, while at the same time agreeing a transition plan with the county councils and Government.

This will include agreeing how functions Government wishes to see continue are delivered, as well as the wide span of other programmes and activities carried out by the LEP.

LEP Board Structure

The LEP board membership, more details of which are set out in the company�s Articles of Association, is as follows:

Eighteen board members comprising: 10 private sector board members, six local authority board members and two education sector board members. For the purposes of quorum and voting, the education sector board members are classified as private sector.� Since its inception, New Anglia LEP has ensured SME representation at board level with a policy of reserving at least one place on the board for business representatives from the SME community, with a specific remit to represent that community. This role of SME champion includes liaising with small businesses groups such as the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), the Institute of Directors (IoD) and small businesses more widely. �

The chair must be one of the private sector board members and the appointment of the chair must be agreed by the full board, according to our formal election process. The chair serves a maximum term of three years. The advice states that it is best practice for the LEP deputy chair to come from the private sector. Our deputy chair is a private sector Board member and serves for a maximum of three years. Their appointment must be agreed by the full board, according to our formal election process. Quorum for voting purposes is 50% of members from each of the public and private sector membership.

Each private sector board member is initially recruited for one year. This can be extended by a further two years and at the end of this period can be extended by a further three years, making a maximum length of service of six years.

Recruitment of private sector board members is conducted by an open and transparent process, with all vacancies extensively advertised.

New Anglia LEP is currently making use of a number of the permitted exemptions introduced by government as a result of compliance difficulties linked to the current circumstances.�

The role of the chair will include:

� Chair and lead the board to ensure the development and implementation of the Norfolk and Suffolk Economic Strategy in order to enable economic growth in the region.

� Ensure that New Anglia LEP and the board comply with the published Local Assurance Framework.

� Set priorities, develop plans, monitor performance, manage risks and ensure sufficient resources are available to deliver the LEP�s plans.

� Support the development of the effective and inclusive private public sector partnership to achieve practical outcomes with a consensual approach.

� Promote and inspire confidence in the wider business community and our partners by demonstrating an understanding of the economy, the area and our stakeholders to support and attract business growth.

� Formally represent the LEP in meetings with business and public sector partners including with Government Ministers, and in the media.

� Work collaboratively with chairs of other LEPs and work closely with the chief executive and the senior management team to ensure a coherent approach.

The chair�s full job description can be found on our website here.

The rules governing conduct for board members are set out in our briefing document to all board members. The Code of Conduct to which staff and board members adhere is published on our website. New Anglia LEP has adopted the Nolan principles as the core of the code of conduct. Board members are therefore expected to adhere to these principles, in addition to their responsibilities as company directors. The seven principles were established by the Committee on Standards in Public Life, which provides independent advice to the Prime Minister on standards of conduct of holders of all public office. The LEP has a role description for private sector board members which is used in board member recruitment and induction. All board members sign a Non-Executive Director Agreement setting out their formal governance responsibilities.

All board members receive a handbook as part of their formal induction process. This includes all requirements as set out in the LEP Network Induction Brief June 2019. Board roles are non-remunerated. Mileage and other direct travel expenses may be claimed at cost, in line with the staff travel expenses policy.

The LEP is committed to ensuring it reflects the diverse economy and people of Norfolk and Suffolk. When LEP Board opportunities arise, they are advertised widely in the local press, through our sector groups, the LEP website, social media and other avenues. We recruit board and sub-board candidates from a broad range of backgrounds that reflect our sector strengths and ensure we have members from small business and entrepreneurial backgrounds, as well as bigger business and organisations from the voluntary and community sector. We provide clear and accurate information to enable potential applicants to assess their own suitability for the post. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, faith or disability. LEP board members are recruited through a formal application process, with a sub-group of the board forming an appointments panel and interviewing the shortlisted candidates. The interview panel then makes a recommendation to the LEP Board for approval.

The LEP Board has appointed a diversity champion and adopted a diversity policy in 2018. The LEP also has a Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement which sets out the steps New Anglia LEP has taken to ensure that slavery and human trafficking are not taking place within its supply chains or in any part of its business. In the New Anglia area, we are committed to removing barriers that might restrict people and we are proactively working towards positive change.

While all the Norfolk and Suffolk local authorities are members of the LEP company, the Articles of Association grant local authorities six board positions. Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and Norwich City Council and Ipswich Borough Council have permanent seats on the board, with the other district and borough authorities each nominating a representative, one for each county.

Recognising the importance of all local authorities, the LEP has developed a number of mechanisms to ensure all local authorities are engaged with the strategy and decision-making of the LEP. These are outlined later in this document.

The area�s colleges and universities are also members of the LEP company. Two seats are taken by representatives from this sector. Mechanisms to ensure engagement of all colleges and universities are also outlined later.

LEP board succession planning

The LEP recognises the importance of succession planning for the role of chair and board members. Our approach ensures the board can move swiftly to fill vacancies at the end of agreed terms of office or in the event of resignations. The LEP has an agreed policy for the recruitment of the chair and deputy chair, which is enacted either in advance of the end of the term of office or in the event of a resignation.

Succession planning for board members is undertaken as follows:

� Private sector. The formal recruitment process for private sector board members begins in advance of the end of term of office of private sector board members, or at the point of resignation.� The board position or positions are advertised extensively. As part of the recruitment process, the board will look to broaden the range of expertise on the board, as well as its diversity. This will include ensuring suitable representation from SMEs, a spread of sectoral expertise and increased female representation. The LEP continues to take proactive steps to ensure a gender balanced board. Women make up one third of our current board.

� Education sector. The college and universities in Norfolk and Suffolk are all members of the LEP and are responsible for selecting their board representatives, one for colleges and one for universities. Each representative serves a three-year term. At the end of term or in the event of a resignation, a new representative is selected by these groups.

� Local authorities. Norfolk County Council and Suffolk County Council as the upper tier authorities and Norwich City Council and Ipswich Borough Council as the larger urban centres, have places on the LEP board taken by their leaders. In the event of a change of leadership, the LEP board seat transfers to the new leader.

The remaining district and borough authorities in Norfolk and Suffolk jointly nominate representatives for two board seats � one for Norfolk and one for Suffolk. In the event of a resignation, the local authority leaders in each county are responsible for nominating a new board member.

LEP Accountable Body

The Accountable Body for New Anglia LEP is Suffolk County Council. There is an Accountable Body Agreement which is reviewed annually.

The Accountable Body Agreement sets out the relative roles of the two organisations in relation to financial and programme management and includes a procedure for dispute resolution.

The LEP works closely with the Section 151 officer and her designated deputy in Suffolk County Council. The Section 151 officer or her designated deputy attends the LEP Management Committee at which forthcoming board business is discussed. They also have an open invitation to attend board meetings.

The Section 151 Officer and/or other members of the Accountable Body team are core members of the LEP Audit and Risk Committee, which meets twice a year or more often if needed. The Audit and Risk Committee manages LEP external audit arrangements and identifies, assesses and manages risk from a strategic and operational perspective, assisted by a detailed LEP Risk Register, which is updated bi-monthly. The Section 151 Officer attends at least one LEP board meeting per year and is available to attend additional meetings as required.

The Section 151 Officer provides a letter by 28 February each year as part of the LEP Annual Performance Review confirming the LEP is compliant with its Assurance Framework.�

The LEP finance team and Accountable Body staff have shared access to financial information on Programmes and review financial data on an ongoing basis, with frequent communication between the teams.��

Responsibility for final sign-off on financial decisions ultimately rests with the LEP chair, with a scheme of delegation in place (and accessible on the LEP website) for sign-off on individual funding decisions.

Grant agreements for Growth Deal funding and Getting Building Fund were signed off by the Section 151 Officer, who reviewed the full range of documentation for each grant, including the relevant board paperwork and any additional briefing from the LEP. Another member of the Accountable Body team reviews and signs off grant agreements for all other LEP programmes on behalf of the Accountable Body.�

Financial claims for the Growing Places Fund, Growth Deal, Getting Building Fund, Road to Net Zero and BEIS Growth Hub funding are checked for compliance by the LEP team and passed for payment to the Accountable Body team, who are able to raise any concerns they have in processing the claims for payment.� Financial claims for the Growing Business Fund, Small Grant Scheme, Growth Through Innovation Fund and the Business Recovery and Resilience Fund are handled directly by the Accountable Body team.

Monitoring is undertaken by the LEP team where funds have been paid in advance.

LEP Decision Making

The board is the ultimate decision-making body for the LEP. The board operates through a principle of consensus � that all board members should consent to a decision.

However, there may be occasions where it is not possible to reach a unanimous decision. On these instances the company�s Articles of Association provides that a decision may be made by a simple majority.

The LEP board is required to approve the LEP�s significant and strategic decisions, including annual budget and business plan and the LEP�s Economic Strategy as well as retaining overall responsibility for risk and performance.

It is also responsible for agreeing bids for funding by the LEP, such as bids to the Local Growth Fund and subsequent Growth Deal, requests for funding from the LEP and investment decisions on the Growing Places Fund, other than requests for funding or investment below �500,000 which can be determined by the Investment Appraisal Committee under delegation from the LEP board. All decision-making is made on the basis of access to the application, a detailed appraisal and a clearly argued recommendation with conditions where appropriate.

Delegation of decision making to the LEP chair on any of these areas is permitted through the prior approval of board members.� The LEP board also has a mechanism for taking decisions via written procedures.

The LEP board is also the decision-making body for areas covered by its sub-boards and working groups.

Any delegation of decision making by these boards must be agreed by the LEP board. The LEP has an agreed scheme of delegation which can be viewed on our website (link) and is reviewed annually. Any decision made in contravention of published powers and processes will be invalid.

LEP Staff

The LEP board is supported by the LEP executive, which carries out the actions agreed by the LEP board, provides information and advice to support decision-making and conducts operational activity on behalf of the LEP board. All LEP staff are employed directly by the LEP and directly accountable to the board through the CEO and senior management team.� The LEP CEO�s performance and remuneration is the responsibility of the LEP�s remuneration Committee. All new LEP staff are inducted following a standard process, including familiarisation with LEP policies and processes. LEP staff opportunities are advertised on our website and promoted widely and the LEP follows standard HR practice to ensure a fair recruitment process.

All staff members sign up to the LEP Code of Conduct and declare any conflicts of interest where this is relevant to their job roles.

Scrutiny

Independent scrutiny of the LEP is provided by the scrutiny committees of Suffolk and Norfolk County Councils. Subject to the workload of each committee, the LEP will appear once a year before each of the scrutiny committees, providing an opportunity for independent scrutiny of the LEP.

The LEP makes itself available to other local authority scrutiny sessions on request.

Evaluation

The LEP has developed its own evaluation framework, based on central government guidance.

This has been enhanced with a three-year programme of evaluation covering its programmes and projects, including impact, process and economic (cost benefit) evaluations. This framework has been shared with other LEPs to help inform their thinking on evaluation.

The LEP now has in place a call-on, call-off list of external providers to support the delivery of the evaluation framework, bringing independent evaluation and external expertise, and fulfilling contractual requirements of some of the LEP�s funding. The list of external providers has been published on the Government�s Contract Finder website.

The programme of evaluation is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. This includes: an overview of what will be evaluated by when; whether the evaluation will be conducted internally or externally commissioned; whether the evaluation is a contractual requirement; the chosen evaluation approach; who is leading the evaluation; who the evaluation will report back to; and records the data being collected and monitored.

Evaluations play an important role in setting and delivering the ambitions and objectives in the Economic Strategy and Local Industrial Strategy, demonstrating accountability and providing evidence for independent scrutiny processes. Good evaluations also contribute valuable knowledge towards our evidence base, feeding into future strategy development and occupying a crucial role in determining our future projects, interventions and investments.

Public Sector Equality Duty

The LEP has a duty to comply with its legal duties under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED); and the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) Regulations 2011. This requires the LEP to work towards eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people and society. The duty protects people with the following �protected characteristics�: age, disability, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and gender reassignment. The aim of the duty is for public bodies to consider the needs of all individuals in their day-to-day work, in developing policy, in delivering services, and in relation to their own employees. All committees must therefore take account of equality issues generally and incorporate equality considerations into their work.

LEP sub-boards and committees

New Anglia LEP operates a number of sub-committees and panels to support the work of the board.

Full Terms of Reference, details of membership, plus agendas, papers and minutes for each sub board and committee are published on the LEP website.� Terms of Reference include common principles of accountability, transparency and fair decision-making, such as ensuring a quorum for decisions and handling conflicts of interest.

The Investment Appraisal Committee ensures allocation of funding is delivered appropriately through the Small Grant Scheme, Growth Through Innovation Fund, Capital Growth Programme, Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund, and other funds as appropriate. It acts on behalf of the LEP board to ensure the funding allocations support the development of schemes that deliver the Economic Strategy and are made in accordance with the Assurance Framework. The Investment Appraisal Committee has delegated authority from the LEP board to approve funding for projects up to �500,000.�

The Small Grant Scheme Panel makes decisions on behalf of the Investment Appraisal Committee on allocations of funding through the LEP�s Small Grant Scheme.

The Growth Through Innovation Panel makes decisions on behalf of the Investment Appraisal Committee on allocations of funding through the LEP�s Growth Through Innovation Fund.

The Remuneration Committee provides a formal and transparent procedure on behalf of the LEP board for developing and implementing policy on LEP senior executive remuneration.

The Audit and Risk Committee ensures the development and implementation of the LEP�s policies on strategic risk management, financial reporting, audit process, system of internal controls and ensures compliance with the Assurance Framework. �This Committee has an independent Chair.

The Management Committee is the executive management committee of the LEP and provides oversight of LEP operations, providing assurance that the LEP carries out its business in a transparent and accountable way.

The committee provides regular updates on the progress of programmes through monthly reports to the LEP board, provides early warning of issues around risk and performance.

The committee includes the LEP�s management team, the Growth Deal manager, the Finance and Governance Manager, senior representatives from Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils and a LEP board member. In addition, the committee includes another representative from Suffolk County Council representing its role as Accountable Body.

As an internal committee, its agenda, papers and minutes are not published on the LEP website.

LEP sub-groups

New Anglia Skills Hub

The Norfolk & Suffolk Skills Advisory Panel has been stood down. In its place, the New Anglia Skills Hub and the Local Skills Improvement Plan will aim to deliver the key objectives set out by the Skills Advisory Panel.

The New Anglia Skills Hub is a partnership arrangement between New Anglia LEP, Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils that provides a coordinated regional approach to strengthening the development of the workforce across the Norfolk and Suffolk economy.

The primary focus of the hub activity will therefore be industry-facing, in-work progression and workforce development � some of this work will inevitably cross-over and contribute to the other priorities, including informing and supporting the work of the Local Skills Improvement Plan � led by both Chambers of Commerce. Essentially the Local Skills Improvement Plan will aim to ensure a better match between the supply of and demand for the skills employers most need to thrive and boost productivity, as well as helping to drive greater collaboration between providers to realise the benefits of economies of scale and specialisation.

In addition, the LEP is overseeing the delivery of Skills Bootcamps across both counties and the Careers Hub (Enterprise Adviser Network), while the LEP�s sector groups will also consider skills needs as part of their work � more details are provided in the Project and Programme section below.

Innovation Board

The New Anglia Innovation Board is a sub-group that reports into the main LEP board and is chaired by a LEP board member.

The Innovation Board has a remit to oversee strategic activity relating to innovation across Suffolk and Norfolk but with a particular focus on the five main �innovation hubs� � Norwich Research Park, Hethel Engineering Centre, Orbis Energy, CEFAS and Adastral Park as well as the three regional universities.

Each of the main innovation hubs are represented on the Innovation Board, along with representatives of the universities, two local authority representatives (NCC and SCC), two recent additions from Innovation Labs and Oxford Innovation, to reflect the expanding network of innovation hubs, as well as an observer from Innovate UK. The secretariat function is provided by the Innovation Team at New Anglia LEP.

The Board is also progressing new initiatives to strengthen the network of innovation centres and clusters. This includes the Connected Innovation programme, funded via external funds from Norfolk and Suffolk, which aims to enhance the innovation ecosystem via regular business events and networking, cross-sector innovation activity and the showcasing and promotion of science, research and innovation. The network of innovation hubs across Norfolk and Suffolk now increased to 24 in total and is very diverse, from small co-working spaces in market towns through to science and research institutes and technology parks. The LEP�s Innovation Team also work closely with the national organisations and agencies including Innovate UK Edge, KTNs and Catapults. Regular operational meetings of the innovation centres from across Norfolk and Suffolk are chaired by the LEP�s Head of Enterprise Zones and Innovation with regular update reports provided to the main Innovation Board.�

Inward Investment Management Group

Following the launch of the Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited brand in September 2019, a new inward investment service was established in January 2020. It consists of secondments from the two county councils and is supported by a number of LEP staff, as well as from other partners across the two counties. Clearly Covid 19 impacted heavily on the team�s operations, as well as on the global inward investment scene, with global foreign direct investment flows remaining below pre-pandemic and Brexit levels. In July 2022, the LEP board agreed to support the next stage of activity which will focus more on lead generation work over the next 12-24 months. The LEP Board continues to oversee the performance of the team, but there are a number of informal arrangements in place, with regular cross-LEP area summits, liaison with the development sector and regular focus sessions with districts. In addition, an Inward Investment Management Group comprising a senior representative from Norfolk County Council, Suffolk County Council and the LEP meets quarterly to provide operational oversight of the joint service.

It is anticipated that the newly elected Leaders of the respective counties will take a keen interest in the work of the Invest Norfolk and Suffolk team and if both agree that cross-county working should continue then we will look to set up a new governance structure that gives both Leaders a key stake in the future direction and operation of the team.

New Anglia LEP Working Groups

As well as the formal sub-boards and committees, there are a number of officer-led working groups reporting to the LEP board or relevant LEP sub board.

Enterprise Zone Partnership Groups

The LEP has two Enterprise Zones (EZs). Firstly, the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft EZ which has been in operation since 2012. Following a Government award in November 2015, the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft EZ was extended geographically from 2017. Announced by Government at the same time, the second EZ designation for New Anglia was awarded, called Space to Innovate, consisting of ten sites operational from 1 April 2016.

A new 5-Year Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk Enterprise Zones was approved and launched in April 2021. The main LEP board has overall responsibility for the two New Anglia Enterprise Zones (EZ), day-to-day management and the delivery of the EZ strategy, in conjunction with these partnership groups.

Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (New Anglia) Enterprise Zone Working Groups

The Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone covers six development sites. The LEP and the four local authorities responsible for the development of the zone oversee the EZ delivery plan. There are regular reports back to the LEP board. The work of the EZ is tied into broader support for the energy sectors as a whole, with a combined marketing strategy which is part of the EZ delivery plan.

In 2021 the governance and management of the original EZ Working Group was reviewed and revised with the creation of a Great Yarmouth Working Group (chaired by the Head of Enterprise Zones and Innovation) and an East Suffolk (Lowestoft) Working Group (chaired by the Enterprise Zones Manager). These enable a stronger focus on specific sites and projects led separately in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. This approach has been fully supported by the local authorities involved with revised legal agreements in place.

Space to Innovate Enterprise Zone Development Group

There is a similar partnership in place for the 10 newer EZ sites across Norfolk & Suffolk with the Development Group meeting quarterly.

The group is chaired by the LEP�s Head of Enterprise Zones and Innovation and includes representatives from the district/borough councils and both county councils responsible for the development of the 10 sites.

Each district/borough council has its own project or steering group for its site/sites which is responsible for the delivery of the EZ site delivery plan. A member of the LEP�s EZ team is represented on all of these groups. These feed into the overarching Development Group and subsequently the LEP board where regular update reports are provided.

The membership of the group also includes representatives from key Government departments responsible for supporting enterprise zones.

New Anglia Small Grant Scheme Panel

The LEP has been successful in its bid to the government to deliver the New Anglia Business Growth Programme, which includes the Small Grant Scheme (SGS) and was awarded �14.02m from the European Regional Development Fund. The Small Grant Scheme became operational in August 2016 and will be running until June 2023.

SGS grants are between �1,000 and �25,000 with the SGS Panel considering grant applications over �10,000, with the Growth Programme Coordinator approving grants up to �10,000.� Applications go through a Due Diligence process, undertaken by the LEP�s Due Diligence Officer, with the panel members deciding whether to award grant funding for a proposed project electronically. The panel also meets quarterly to discuss the grant programme, its processes and eligibility criteria to make sure the programme achieves its set targets.

The SGS Panel consists of three panel members, one representative from each of the following organisations: the LEP, Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. It is a virtual group.

The Growth Programme Coordinator provides monthly reports on the programme to the Investment Appraisal Committee, Growth Programme partners and other stakeholders, as well as quarterly reports on the programme to the LEP Board.

New Anglia Growth Through Innovation Fund

The LEP has been successful in its bid to the government to deliver the Growth Through Innovation Fund (GTI) and was awarded �14.02m from the European Regional Development Fund. The Growth Through Innovation Fund became operational in April 2020 and will be running until March 2023.

GTI grants are between �1,000 and �25,000 with a the GTI Panel considering grant applications over �10,000, with the Growth Programme Coordinator approving grants up to �10,000. Applications go through a Due Diligence process, undertaken by the LEP�s Due Diligence Officer with the panel members deciding whether to award grant funding for a proposed project electronically. The panel also meets quarterly to discuss the grant programme, its processes and eligibility criteria to make sure the programme achieves its set targets.

The GTI Panel consists of three panel members, one representative from each of the following organisations: the LEP, University of East Anglia and University of Suffolk. It is a virtual group.

New Anglia Growth Programme Partnership Board

The LEP was awarded �3.9m by Government as part of the Wave Two Growth Hub Programme and linked to the Norwich and Ipswich City Deals business support package. The programme ran for one year and consisted of the New Anglia Growth Hub, a business Start-up programme, Small Grant Scheme and Innovation Vouchers Scheme.

From April 2015, the Department of Business Innovation and Skills (now called the Department for Business and Trade) awarded a further �350,000 of funding, as part of the Growth Deal, which enabled the Growth Hub element of the programme to continue to operate until the end of December 2015.

Since then, the LEP has secured �17.3m of ERDF funding to sustain the Growth Programme until the end of June 2023, including the Growth Hub, Start-up Programme and the Small Grant Scheme.

The New Anglia Growth Programme Partnership Board provides strategic and operational oversight of this programme. It is accountable to the main LEP board and provides a monthly operational report to the LEP board in which it can recommend proposals for change or action. The Partnership Board has a key role in identifying gaps in business support provision and supports the development of new programmes where gaps in provision exist. It also provides a forum to coordinate all aspects of business support in Norfolk and Suffolk to reduce duplication and to spread best practice, as well as providing a leadership role in the application of resources.

The board is chaired by a representative from the New Anglia LEP and includes representatives of local and national business support providers, business interest groups, local authorities, education and the voluntary sector. The group has its own terms of reference.

Careers Inspiration Coordinating Group

The Careers Inspiration Coordinating Group strategically supports and guides the focus of careers education, information, advice and guidance (CEIAG) to young people in mainstream schools and colleges plus settings such as Pupil Referral Units and SEND schools.

Careers Inspiration is important at all stages of employment, so this group will review this. Initially the focus of the group is on pupils in Year 7�13 and primarily be centred around the Careers and Enterprise Company programmes being delivered in Norfolk and Suffolk.

The Coordinating Group will:

provide coordination across the CEIAG landscape with a strategic focus on careers inspiration in Norfolk and Suffolk
collaborate proactively to identify opportunities and barriers in delivering the key CEIAG interventions particularly focussed on the Gatsby benchmarks
actively report to the New Anglia LEP Skills Advisory Panel on its progress and seek support with challenges, as well as responding to actions set out by the board.
interpret, share and/or respond to Labour Market Information and other appropriate sources of evidence which could impact the choices that young people make.

Partnership Working

Working with partners is critical to the success of the LEP and we have a range of mechanisms to ensure businesses remain at the heart of our strategy. The purpose and effectiveness of our stakeholder engagement is under constant review by LEP management and board to ensure effective delivery. In 2019, the structure and role of a number of the sector groups was reviewed to support them to deliver more effectively.

LEP Sector Groups

The LEP has established a series of business-led advisory groups covering the key sectors with potential for growth in the LEP�s local area. These are supported by the LEP�s Innovation and Sector Manager and Innovation and Sector Development Coordinator.

These groups have historically operated at arm�s length from the LEP board. They are responsible for developing insight into the priorities and needs of their sector, and championing action from the LEP and others to support these priorities.

The priorities are essential building blocks for the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk, and the sector groups are a vital mechanism for understanding the needs of business and for the LEP to test its future plans. Where they have the appropriate structures in place, sector groups have a role to play in supporting the delivery of activities such as taking forward the Sector Skills Plans.

Following a review of sector group governance, a number of parameters have been put in place which include that sector groups cannot be a private organisation or membership body, and that groups must regularly report to the LEP board on achievements.

As part of the work to strengthen our sector group structures, the LEP established three Industry Councils to represent the three strategic opportunity areas of the Local Industrial Strategy; Energy, ICT-Digital and Agri-Food. Considered formal sub-boards of the LEP, Industry Councils are partnerships between the private, public and education sectors and tasked with coordinating delivery of sector development interventions of the Economic Strategy. Each council is supported by the relevant industry body and has an enhanced terms of reference to ensure alignment and accountability to the LEP board.

The LEP continues to support other key sectors, through working in partnership, to assist economic recovery and growth in various key sectors such as the visitor economy, creative industries, culture, marine and life sciences, finance, construction and manufacturing, and more recently the space sector.

The LEP is the lead organisation for a couple of new sector-based programmes, following successful funding awards in 2022-23. Firstly the �1.25m Create Growth DCMS funded two-year scale-up business support programme which is delivered in partnership with Cambridge & Peterborough Combined Authority, UEA (lead delivery partner), UoS, ARU and Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. Secondly, the new regional space cluster development initiative, led by the LEP, which is funded by the UK Space Agency, also over two years.

Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor

The Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor is a partnership initiative between Breckland District Council, Broadland District Council, Cambridgeshire County Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, Norfolk County Council, Norwich City Council, South Norfolk Council, West Suffolk Council and Suffolk County Council and the private sector. The initiative is hosted by New Anglia LEP.

The Cambridge Norwich Tech Corridor initiative is set up to support technology led economic growth and cluster development in the geography between Norwich and Cambridge. The initiative has been funded generally through the pooled business rates with specific projects delivered and supported by other external funds. The initiative now has strong ties to the LEP�s Connected Innovation Programme which links up 24 innovation hubs across the area.

Stakeholder engagement

LEP annual general meeting

The LEP�s articles of association provide for an annual general meeting which provides an excellent opportunity to update all stakeholders on its progress and for the LEP board and executive to be held to account. �A five-minute video showcasing highlights from 2021-22 was produced and shown as part of the most recent AGM, which was held virtually.�

Communications

The LEP uses a wide range of communication channels to engage with stakeholders and promote its work.

These include press releases, reactive and proactive media statements, media interviews, the LEP website, Growth Hub website, Norfolk & Suffolk Unlimited website, monthly e-newsletters, as well as posts on Twitter and LinkedIn. All marketing and promotion is carried out in accordance with Government branding guidelines. Furthermore, all legal agreements clearly stipulate this branding requirement as part of any funding awards made, and we actively monitor compliance with grant recipients.

The LEP website is regularly updated to promote its activities, and ensure transparency, with details of all Local Growth Deal projects and other funded projects clearly displayed. A series of case studies has been produced to demonstrate outcomes from grant awards, and projects the LEP has invested in.

Events

We continue to participate in external events, with board members and executive members taking part in a range of speaking engagements and events during the year in order to maximise all opportunities to raise the profile of our work.

Our chair and sector group leads meet regularly to discuss ongoing projects and opportunities.

The LEP hosted an in-person Clean Growth for Business event in 2022, offering advice to help businesses start their journey to net zero. The team also supports the Growth Programme with strategic communications advice and marketing and communications activities.

�Local Authority Engagement

New Anglia LEP�s board and executive engage extensively with all local authorities covering Norfolk and Suffolk.

This is often done on a one-to-one basis, by participating in meetings with individual local authorities. However, there are a number of formal groups in which the LEP participates.

Suffolk Public Sector Leaders Board and Norfolk Public Sector Leaders Group

The LEP chairman and chief executive are participants in both groups, enabling engagement with all local authority leaders and wider public sector partners in the work of the LEP on a regular basis and enabling the LEP to engage in the wider work of the public sector.

Both groups give the LEP regular opportunities to provide updates on the activities of the LEP and its key priorities, and the opportunity to receive feedback from leaders as well as to answer questions from leaders.

Norfolk Chief Executives Group, Suffolk Chief Executive Officers Leadership Team (SCOLT) and Suffolk Growth Programme Board

The Norfolk Chief Executives Group, SCOLT and Suffolk Growth Programme Board all have an important role to support the LEP, in particular the delivery of the Norfolk and Suffolk Economic Strategy.

These working groups are chaired by local authority chief executives and each group includes the local authorities from each county. The groups are attended by the LEP CEO or COO.

One of their roles is to provide advice to the LEP, to support the delivery of the Economic Strategy and ensure it aligns with local plans and vice versa.

Suffolk Growth Portfolio Holders Group

The LEP also participates in this group which brings together the economic development or growth portfolio holders in Suffolk to oversee plans for growth across the county, to pool and share expertise.

New Anglia Economic Development Officer Group (NAEDOG)

The LEP chairs regular meetings of the group, which is made up of Economic Development Officers from each local authority in the New Anglia area. While this group has no formal decision-making powers, it provides a regular opportunity to discuss key issues as well as having a key role in the development and delivery of a range of economic development activities.

Cross-LEP Working

The focus of the Local Enterprise Partnership is on delivering economic growth in Norfolk and Suffolk.

To achieve this, we recognise that working closely with LEPs and partners in other areas on enhancing supply chains, learning best practices and driving efficiency around procurement will maximise opportunities for our economy.

Cross-LEP working is particularly relevant for New Anglia LEP as three of our district councils were previously also covered by the LEP area managed by the business board of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority. We are therefore working to ensure we have a strong working relationship with the Combined Authority (CA) to ensure smooth continuity of delivery for that area. This includes New Anglia LEP and the CA Business Board signing a memorandum of understanding about joint working.

New Anglia LEP collaborates with other LEPs and CAs on a range of projects and initiatives. We are members of the Transport East Forum alongside four other LEPs and play an active role in the Greater South East Local Energy Hub which covers an area involving 11 LEPs.�

We have also formed stronger relationships with Cambridgeshire CA and Greater Lincolnshire LEP to promote and develop the wider regional opportunities in relation to the agri-food sector, as an example. We are also working in partnership with Cambridgeshire CA in delivering the DCMS funded Create Growth programme (branded as Creative East).

We also have an active role, working collaboratively with the four LEPs on the Oxford to Cambridge ARC as part of the regional Growth Hub cluster and LEP Network regional cluster.

Where relevant, we collaborate across LEPs in developing projects � we are working with LEPs in the South West and Cumbria on the nuclear sector deal and with GMCA, North East LEP, Greater Birmingham & Solihull LEP, West of England LEP and Coast to Capital LEP on developing Decarbonisation Academies with the Energy Systems Catapult.

New Anglia LEP also plays an active part in the LEP Network, working with LEPs on areas of relevance across England. These include attendance at EU Programme network events, and sector-based themed events such as the Food and Drink Network and leading on consultation response for the network.

Transparency of Decision-Making

New Anglia LEP prides itself on transparency of decision-making.

The LEP has a website which publishes information about its board, sub-boards and committees. This includes agendas, papers and minutes, membership details, terms of reference and registers of interests of members.

The website also has details of our Growth Deal and Getting Building Fund projects and their delivery aims, as well as latest news which keeps visitors up to date with our most recent announcements and decisions. All LEP communications are delivered in accordance with Government branding guidelines.

For all LEP programmes, information on the application and decision-making process will be made available on our website. All programmes include clear processes for handling sensitive or confidential information without compromising transparency and these processes are used to ensure only appropriate information is published.

The LEP ensures value for money and scrutiny for all projects and programmes through its formal appraisal processes and this is monitored throughout project delivery.

All project appraisals are independent of the promoting organisation or, where this is impracticable, sit outside the management unit responsible for developing and promoting the business case.

Overall, the LEP�s Head of Programmes is responsible for ensuring value for money and scrutiny for all projects and programmes.� Value for money is assessed by scrutinising project outputs and deliverables in relation to the requested investment and reviewing the cost effectiveness of delivery mechanisms. All investment decisions are made with due regard for statutory requirements, key policy parameters such as local transport objectives and conditions of funding.

Agendas, papers and minutes published on the LEP website will include all information appropriate for public disclosure, in line with relevant local authority rules and regulations.

Also published as part of the LEP�s board papers and available on the website is a decision log which records all the decisions taken by the LEP board and its sub-boards.

The LEP�s statutory annual accounts are published on our website each year, following the LEP�s Annual General Meeting which is held in the autumn. The LEP�s accounts are also filed publicly at Companies House and are audited by independent accountants.

The website also provides details of the LEP�s Growth Deal and Getting Building Fund and information regarding its ongoing implementation.

Requests under the Freedom of Information and Environmental Information Regulations are responded to by the LEP, in accordance with the relevant legislation.

The LEP has a company Articles of Association available on its website, which explains our purpose as well as our duties and responsibilities.

The Conflicts of Interest policy is on the website and is also set out in the Articles of Association. This sets out a clear process for dealing with any conflicts or potential conflicts of interest that may arise.

The LEP records all declarations of interest in the minutes of the monthly board meeting. A register of interests is published on the LEP website and each member�s individual register of interests is also published on the website.

The LEP also has complaints and whistleblowing policies and provides a clear link to these on its website.� We aim to deal with complaints in the first instance within the relevant team, with the option for escalation to the LEP CEO or, in rare instances, to external review if needed.� The whistleblowing procedure allows for securely confidential reporting of serious concerns, with a cascade of options for reporting concerns within the LEP and recourse to the LEP Unit at MHCLG if required. Assurances to staff who report concerns in good faith are incorporated. The LEP�s code of conduct is also available on the website.

Most of our key governance documentation can be accessed on a single governance page on the website, as recommended in the guidance � https://newanglia.co.uk/governance-decision-making-and-faqs/ .

Project and Programme Delivery

All capital projects and the LEP programmes have clear processes in place to ensure strategic fit, value for money and due diligence.

The LEP has in place an appraisal framework which provides a detailed methodology for project identification, commissioning, appraisal and prioritisation. This helps the LEP and partners to assess how proposed interventions would contribute to the aims of the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk and demonstrate value for money. The framework is also consistent with the Treasury Green Book.

The LEP now has in place a call-on, call-off list of external providers who will support the delivery of independent appraisals of the LEP�s programmes to ensure we have capacity to deliver programmes effectively.

The LEP funding programmes are:

� Capital Growth Programme

� Getting Building Fund

� Growing Business Fund

� Small Grant Scheme

� Growth Through Innovation Fund

� Growing Places Fund

� Innovative Projects Fund

� Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund

� New Anglia Capital

� New Anglia Careers Hub (formerly the Enterprise Adviser Network)

� New Anglia Apprenticeships Levy Transfer Pool.

The LEP has developed an Investment Plan to prioritise new projects for funding and delivery which have a close fit with the Economic and Local Industrial Strategy. Alongside this will sit a Funding Framework which sets out the parameters for approving funding and seeking funding from external sources. It also sets out a clear process for approving ad hoc LEP funding for activity outside its own programmes, for example as match funding for key bids.

The application decision-making and delivery processes and governance and accountability of each of these programmes are described below. There are some key processes and checks which are common to all programmes, as follows:

Risk management

The LEP actively maintains a Risk Register across all its activity, which is under regular review by the Management Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee which will take action to challenge and address any concerns. The LEP seeks to manage and minimise risk in programme delivery by careful appraisal and scrutiny of potential projects prior to contract, and by constant monitoring of activity to identify issues.

Data Management

The LEP manages data in accordance with GDPR and the regulations of individual programmes, in particular the document management and retention requirements of EU Funding.

As Data Controller and Data Processor, New Anglia LEP is responsible for ensuring that any customer data and personal data, that it holds is accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.� Therefore, it is a duty of the LEP to ensure individuals have access rights to their data as required by the General Data Protection Regulation (2016/679) and Data Protection Act 2018.

In accordance with Article 5(2) of the General Data Protection Regulations, New Anglia LEP adheres to the principles of the Regulation when storing and processing data.

New Anglia LEP has several contracts with Government departments to deliver a range of business support programmes and grant schemes, several of which are delivered in partnership with other organisations and Local Authorities.� As part of the operation of these programmes/schemes, New Anglia LEP processes personal data according to the following lawful basis:

Article 6(1)(e) of the General Data Protection Regulation: �Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller�.

The lawful basis for controlling or processing �special category� data is:

Article 9(2)(g) of the General Data Protection Regulation: �Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest, on the basis of Union or Member State law which shall be proportionate to the aim pursued, respect the essence of the right to data protection and provide suitable and specific measures to safeguard the fundamental rights and the interests of the data subject�.

Depending on the nature of activities or support provided by New Anglia LEP and its delivery partners, a range of information may be collected and may be shared with delivery partners and Government departments for the purposes of reporting and monitoring.

Information Being Shared

As part of the operation of New Anglia LEP�s business support programmes and grant schemes, a shared Client Relationship Management (CRM) System has been developed by New Anglia LEP to enable business support and delivery partners across Norfolk and Suffolk. Its role is to facilitate the delivery, coordination and management of business support services to customers, support to inward investment opportunities in line with the objectives outlined in the Norfolk and Suffolk Economic Strategy, and contact customers about business support services that can be accessed through the New Anglia Growth Hub.

Further information can be found in the LEP�s Privacy Policy.

Withholding, suspending and/or pay back of funds.

In some instances, as a result of project review and monitoring it will be determined that a project is not going to spend its LEP allocation or there will be an issue with eligibility or relevance of spend against contract which requires a claw back of funds.

Process

Offer letters relating to financial awards granted through programmes offered by the LEP determine the circumstances under which funds might be withheld, suspended and/or clawed back. Project applicants agree to monitor the delivery of their project to ensure its aims and objectives are being met and the terms of the Agreement are being complied with.�

The LEP and/or the AB will undertake interim or post completion checks to confirm the grant has been used for the approved purposes and inspect any grant aided activity. The applicant must on request provide the LEP or the AB with such information, explanations and documents as may reasonably be required in order to facilitate monitoring and/or to establish the terms of their Agreement have been complied with.

No financial claim shall be paid unless and until the LEP and/or the AB are satisfied that such payment is due under the terms of the project Agreement.

While not exhaustive, key circumstances under which the LEP might seek an applicant to pay back funding include; breaking state aid law, where the applicant fails to comply with our agreement, commits fraud or a prohibited act, breaks the law or acts dishonestly, misleads the LEP/SCC, undertakes activity which could affect our reputation, fails to make satisfactory progress, delivers the project in a negligent manner, uses the grant for purposes other than it was awarded (such as ineligible expenditure), or fails to achieve an output.

Growth Deal and the Capital Growth Programme

Background

The LEP was awarded a �290.9m �Growth Deal� by Government to be invested in the region by 2021. It was forecast to create 54,750 new jobs, 6,800 new homes and generate an additional �628m public and private investment.

The funding was for capital programmes and projects.

Growth Deal funding (also known as �Local Growth Funding�) was awarded in three stages:

Growth Deal One (July 2014): �173.3m
Growth Deal Two (January 2015): �48.5m
Growth Deal Three (February 2017): �69.1m

Growth Deal provided funding to deliver major capital projects that will boost the region�s skills, drive innovation, target support to help small businesses to grow, and improve transport and infrastructure. A list of all of the approved Growth Deal capital projects can be found at https://newanglia.co.uk/growth-deal/

Growth Deal also provided funding for the following programmes: Growing Places Fund, Growing Business Fund and the Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund.

Processes

The Capital Growth Programme was launched in 2017, with a call for projects in October 2017. Prior to this, capital projects were prioritised by the LEP and local partners for applications to the Government in July 2014 and January 2015.

New Anglia LEP launched a further call for projects focussed on Skills, Innovation and Productivity opportunities that meet the strategic priorities of the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk in October 2018.The LEP is likely to take a similar approach to any future call for projects.

Monitoring and Reporting from April 2022

The Growth Deal and Capital Programme concluded on 31 March 2021. The period from April 2021 to March 2023 has been spent managing rolled-over expenditure already allocated to approved projects and through LEP sub-programmes.

All funding should be defrayed to existing projects and through LEP sub-programmes by 31 March 2023.

Monitoring of projects will continue until all claim and monitoring information is received and project outputs are achieved, in accordance with the individual Grant Offer Letters. In some cases, outputs will not be achieved until a number of years after the full grant for the project has been drawn down.�

The LEP retains its decision-making function regarding the management of allocated Growth Deal funds. This is because the LEP requires overall control of the Growth Deal profile to provide the Government with details of this annualised spend.

Accountability

Suffolk County Council is the Accountable Body for the programme.

Suffolk County Council provides the legal support to prepare suitable grant documentation for each approved project.

All loans and grants issued are subject to State Aid rules and are scrutinised by SCC at an early stage of the process to ensure compliance with available legislation.

Resources

New Anglia LEP Growth Deal Manager (F/T)

New Anglia LEP Head of Programmes

SCC Finance Team

Suffolk Legal

Getting Building Fund

Background

The Government made �900m available through the Getting Building Fund (GtgBF) for investment in local, shovel-ready infrastructure projects to stimulate jobs and support economic recovery across the country. The LEP was allocated �32.1m from the GtgBF for a wide-ranging package of projects that will deliver a much-needed boost to the local economy.

In Norfolk and Suffolk, the funded projects are expected to deliver benefits throughout the two counties, focussing on key sectors including tourism, food production, health and social care and energy. The funding will enable a number of local market towns to become more resilient. There will also be direct support to local businesses through extending the Resilience and Recovery Fund introduced as a result of Covid-19 to support businesses to diversity and grow.

A list of all the approved Getting Building Fund capital projects can be found at https://newanglia.co.uk/getting-building-fund/

Processes

The Getting Building Fund was launched on 10 June 2020, following a communication from the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with a call for projects to be submitted by 18 June 2020.

New Anglia LEP received 70 applications for funding. Following review and assessment of the submissions, a revised list of projects was submitted to government, comprising 25 projects with a combined funding request of �72m. MHCLG awarded funding of �32m, covering 13 projects that met and satisfied the funding criteria. Supported projects included both accelerated projects to support the growth of the economy and shovel-ready capital projects able to deliver before 31 March 2022.

The key criteria used for the June 2020 call were:

That all projects must be:

� able to demonstrate they are driving up economic growth and jobs and supporting green recovery.

� fully completed by the end of March 2022

� able to demonstrate their contribution to the delivery of the Economic Strategy through direct and indirect outputs

� State Aid compliant

� able to demonstrate the need for funding and the additionality achieved by the funding.

Examples of projects expected to be supported include:

� Town and city centre modernisation through targeted infrastructure investments unleashing their longer-term economic potential

� Investment in physical connectivity to improve the functioning of the local economy

� Investment in innovation ecosystem including through improvements to research and development facilities driving up business productivity

� Improvements to human capital

� Improving digital connectivity to support economic performance, particularly in more isolated areas.

It will not be possible to support:

� Projects unable to deliver and spend before 31 March 2022

� revenue costs

� costs that have been incurred before a grant offer is made

� items that only benefit an individual or sole business

� items that are not directly needed to deliver the proposed work

� loan repayments or contributions to general appeals

� political or religious activities.

The project application, decision-making and delivery stages are as follows:

Application

The Getting Building Fund call for projects was opened on 10 June 2020 and closed to applications by 15 June 2020. Given the short timescales and restricted criteria, applications were either submitted by local authority partners or extracted from the LEPs Tactical Project pipeline. Applications were submitted on a template supplied by MHCLG capturing the project outline, funding requirements, delivery timescales and outputs. �

All applications were subject to assessment and appraisal, as follows:

Review of Submissions: The initial review of information by the LEP prioritised projects against criteria. Crucial amongst the criteria were the strategic fit, both in terms of government support and local priorities and the deliverability of each project. Projects that did not meet the eligibility criteria of the call did not proceed beyond this stage. In addition to strategic fit and deliverability, all projects had to be able to demonstrate that the following key issues had been addressed:

� whether the need for the project has been clearly demonstrated

� evidence of option appraisal and business case

� how well the project meets the priorities of the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk

� how well the project fits with local and sub-regional plans and priorities

� estimated costs with level of detail to reflect the current stage of the project

� potential of the project to contribute to economic growth

� how likely the project is to be successful

� how risks will be managed and mitigated

� economic outputs and impacts created by the project.

Assessment: Projects were reviewed and appraised by the LEP executive team and projects meeting the fund criteria were presented to the LEP Board for consideration. Areas assessed included strategic fit, value for money, deliverability, affordability, additionality and need.

The appraisal process also examined the following aspects of the project:

�� action is justified with an identified need

�� any intervention is likely worth the determined cost

�� the proposed objectives deliver suitable benefits

�� direct outputs, indirect outcomes and wider impact are reasonable

�� benefits and cost of each option have been considered

�� the selected solution can reasonably be achieved

�� any barriers there are to delivery, such as inadequate infrastructure, etc

�� level of risk to successful delivery and possible impact

�� milestones and performance indicators

�� the State Aid position.

Decision-making

� The results of the formal independent appraisal of projects, the high-level list of eligible projects was presented for consideration by the New Anglia LEP Board by written procedures on 17 June 2020. �

� The LEP Board agreed to support the recommendation of the LEP executive team by 18 June 2020.

� MHCLG considered the submission and provided a settlement grant figure of �32m on 4 August 2020.

Delivery, claims and monitoring

� Bespoke loan/grant agreement set up for each project in conjunction with Accountable Body legal team.

� Approval to proceed with project agreement authorised by the Section 151 Officer of Accountable Body.

� Grant agreement confirms payment release mechanisms (retrospective on project spend and works done).

� Grant agreement incorporates claim form, which should be reviewed by both LEP and SCC officers to ensure eligibility and compliance with award conditions.

� Payments are subject to standard Accountable Body (SCC) accounting procedures and systems.

� Ongoing monitoring of project delivery, spend and outputs through to project completion.

Monitoring and Reporting from April 2022

The Getting Building Fund concluded on 31 March 2022.

All funding should be defrayed to existing projects and through LEP sub-programmes by 31 March 2023.

Accountability

Suffolk County Council is the Accountable Body for the programme.

Suffolk County Council provides the legal support to prepare suitable grant documentation for each approved project.

All loans and grants issued are subject to State Aid rules and are scrutinised by SCC at an early stage of the process to ensure compliance with available legislation.

Resources

New Anglia LEP Growth Deal Manager (F/T)

New Anglia LEP Head of Programmes

SCC Finance Team

Suffolk Legal

Growing Business Fund

Background

The Growing Business Fund was a grant fund run by the LEP from April 2013. The fund was initially supported by the Regional Growth Fund, with �12m awarded from Rounds 3 and 4 of the funding. In 2015, the LEP secured an additional �25.57m from the Local Growth Fund through the Growth Deals. The Fund provided grants between �25,000 and �500,000 to local businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk.

Monitoring and Reporting only from April 2023

The Growing Business Fund concluded on 31 March 2022.

All funding was defrayed to existing projects and through LEP sub-programmes by 31 March 2022.

Monitoring of projects will continue until all final claim and monitoring information is received and project outputs are achieved, in accordance with the individual Grant Offer Letters. This monitoring is carried out by the grants delivery team at Suffolk County Council.

Governance

The Growing Business Fund is delivered through a casework team of SCC employees seconded to the LEP including an SCC Programme Manager. The PM is supported in this role by the LEP Programmes Manager and LEP Head of Programmes.

Accountability

Suffolk County Council is the Accountable Body for the programme on behalf of the LEP.

The casework team are SCC employees seconded to the LEP. SCC provides the financial systems and support to release grant payments to projects, utilising existing financial procedures. Payments are approved by the Programme Manager to show a separation of duties between the assessment and payment stages.

All grants issued were subject to State Aid rules and are scrutinised at an early stage of the process by the LEP, Finance East, and SCC to ensure compliance with available legislation.� Grants were supported under GBER or De Minimis regulations and only awarded to SMEs based in Norfolk or Suffolk or to large businesses based within an Assisted Area in Norfolk or Suffolk. Applicants are advised that projects are subject to review by the EU and of the implications should an Aid be considered illegal, including the requirement to repay the funding with interest chargeable.

Resources

New Anglia LEP:

- Supported by the LEP�s Programmes Manager and LEP�s Head of Programmes

Suffolk County Council

- Supported by Programme Manager and Finance Team

Small Grant Scheme

Background

The Small Grant Scheme (further after � the programme or the SGS) is a grant fund that has run by New Anglia LEP since August 2013. The programme is currently part of the New Anglia Business Growth Programme supported by �14.02m from the European Regional Development Fund. It provides grants between �1,000 and �25,000 to local businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk.

The SGS covers a gap in the market and there is a clear need for this type of scheme, identified by an �in-depth� consultation with a wide range of organisations. The SGS is derived from other successful grant schemes and has been set up to provide an innovative package of discretionary capital and revenue grant-based support for SMEs, integrated with and complementary to the other New Anglia Growth Hub products and the Growing Business Fund. The programme supports SMEs through the provision of grants to assist them to grow and expand, employ new staff, introduce new products and services, improve productivity or efficiency, increase their competitiveness etc.

Small businesses employing less than 50 people may apply for up to 20% of the costs of the project under General Block Exemption Regulations (GBER) Articles 14, 17, 18 and 19. Medium sized businesses may apply for funding of up to 10% towards the project cost or 20% if regulated by De Minimis regulations (EUR 200,000 is a maximum amount of all De minimis aid a business may receive over a three-year fiscal period).

Successful applicants must be able to explain how their business will benefit from a grant and what will happen if they do not receive funding. They must also be able to secure the remaining funding needed for their proposed project from private sources (private finance, company funds or investment, bank loans etc.). Funding from public sources, e.g., government, local authorities, lottery funding, is not accepted as match funding for the SGS.

Processes

� The SGS is open to small and medium-sized businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk meeting the grant programme eligibility criteria.

� The programme operates on an �open call� basis while funding is available.

� Projects must be related to growth or expansion or introduction of a new product/service, or improvement of productivity/efficiency.

� Match funding must come from private sources.

� Projects must be viable, supported by a robust business plan/ forecast and represent effective use of public funds, demonstrating good value for money in terms of deliverables and impact.

� The fund should not be used where sufficient funding already exists.

Application

� Enquiry � all enquiries are dealt with by New Anglia Growth Hub

� Application � assessment conducted by the Growth Hub to judge eligibility for funding

� Assessment � independent project appraisal, including financial viability assessment conducted by New Anglia�s Due Diligence Officer

� Recommendation for SGS Panel completed.

Decision making

� Grant applications are considered by the SGS Panel electronically as and when they are ready.

� Decision and conditions (if relevant) are conveyed to the applicant through a legal grant award letter (Offer Letter) issued by Suffolk County Council (SCC).

Delivery, claims and monitoring

� Having signed and returned the Offer Letter to SCC, the Applicant may commence its project.

� Having invested all the project costs, the Applicant may submit only one claim (a claim form template is part of the Offer Letter) to a Caseworker at SCC for approval and payment.

� Grant payments are made against evidence of all expenditure through SCC financial system, approved by SCC Programme Manager.

� Ongoing monitoring of targeted outputs (if apply) � job creation and/or introduction of a new product/service and/or improvement of productivity or efficiency until achieved. A possible monitoring visit completed by a Caseworker following completion of the project.

� Clawback procedure in place for not complying with the requirements.

Governance

The SGS is delivered by New Anglia LEP, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (Growth Hub) and Suffolk County Council.

The LEP employs the Business Growth Programme Coordinator to manage day-to-day delivery of the SGS, as well as other elements of New Anglia Business Growth Programme, promote the SGS and engage with key stakeholders and delivery partners. The Coordinator is supported by the Administrator, the Finance and Compliance Officer, the LEP Programmes Manager and Head of Programmes.

All SGS enquiries are dealt with by New Anglia Growth Hub. Due diligence of grant applicants is completed by the New Anglia Due Diligence Officer.

Grant decisions are only made by majority of the SGS Panel which comprises of one representative from each of the following organisations: the LEP, Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils. Offer Letters are issued, and claims are checked and paid by a Caseworker at SCC that is supported by SCC Programme Manager.

Accountability

New Anglia LEP is the Accountable Body for the SGS and the New Anglia Business Growth Programme as a whole. Our partner organisations Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (Growth Hub), Nwes, Menta, SCC and others are actively promoting the SGS. SCC provides the financial systems and support to release grant payments to grant applicants, utilising existing financial procedures.

All grants issued are subject to State Aid rules and are scrutinised at an early stage of the process by the Growth Hub, LEP, Nwes and SCC to ensure compliance with available legislation.� Grants must fall within GBER (Articles 14, 17, 18 or 19) or De Minimis regulations and only be awarded to SMEs based in Norfolk or Suffolk. Applicants are advised that their projects are subject to review by the EU and of the implications should an aid be considered illegal, including the requirement to repay the funding with interest chargeable.

Resources

New Anglia LEP

- Programmes Coordinator (F/T); Administrator (F/T); Finance & Compliance Officer (F/T); Due Diligence Officer (F/T).

- Supported by the LEP�s Programmes Manager and LEP�s Head of Programmes.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (Growth Hub): (13xF/T)

Suffolk County Council

- Caseworker (P/T)

- Supported by Grants Manager and Finance Team

Growth Through Innovation Fund

Background

The Growth Through Innovation Fund (further after � the programme or the GTI) is a grant fund that has run by New Anglia LEP since April 2020. The programme is supported by �2.48m from the European Regional Development Fund. It provides grants between �1,000 and �25,000 to local businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk.

The GTI covers a gap in the market and there is a clear need for this type of scheme, identified by an �in-depth� consultation with a wide range of organisations. The GTI is derived from other successful grant schemes and has been set up to provide an innovative package of discretionary capital and revenue grant-based support for SMEs, integrated with and complementary to the other New Anglia Growth Hub products. The programme supports SMEs through the provision of grants to assist them to invest in innovation, research and development so they are able to grow and expand, introduce new products and services, improve productivity or efficiency, increase their competitiveness etc.

Small and medium businesses employing less than 150 people may apply for up to 50% of the costs of the project under General Block Exemption Regulations (GBER) Articles 25, 28 and 29.

Successful applicants must be able to explain how their business will benefit from a grant and what will happen if they do not receive funding. They must also be able to secure the remaining funding needed for their proposed project from private sources (private finance, company funds or investment, bank loans etc). Funding from public sources, e.g., government, local authorities, lottery funding, is not accepted as match funding for GTI funding.

Processes

� The GTI fund is open to small and medium-sized businesses across Norfolk and Suffolk meeting the grant programme eligibility criteria.

� The programme operates on an �open call� basis while funding is available.

� Projects must be related to investment in innovation, research and development or expansion or introduction of a new product/service, and/or improvement of productivity/efficiency.

� Match funding must come from private sources.

� Projects must be viable, supported by a robust business plan/ forecast and represent effective use of public funds, demonstrating good value for money in terms of deliverables and impact.

� The fund should not be used where sufficient funding already exists.

Application

� Enquiry � all enquiries are dealt with by New Anglia Growth Hub.

� Application � assessment conducted by the Growth Hub to judge eligibility for funding.

� Assessment � independent project appraisal, including financial viability assessment conducted by New Anglia�s Due Diligence Officer.

� Recommendation for GTI Panel completed.

Decision making

� Grant applications are considered by the GTI Panel electronically, as and when they are ready.

� Decision and conditions (if relevant) are conveyed to the applicant through a legal grant award letter (Offer Letter) issued by Suffolk County Council (SCC).

Delivery, claims and monitoring

� Having signed and returned the Offer Letter to SCC, the Applicant may commence its project.

� Having invested all the project costs, the Applicant may submit only one claim (a claim form template is part of the Offer Letter) to a Caseworker at SCC for approval and payment.

� Grant payments are made against evidence of all expenditure through SCC financial system, approved by SCC Programme Manager.

� Clawback procedure in place for not complying with the requirements.

Governance

The GTI is delivered by New Anglia LEP, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (Growth Hub) and Suffolk County Council.

New Anglia LEP employs the Business Growth Programme Coordinator to manage day-to-day delivery of the GTI, as well as other elements of New Anglia Business Growth Programme (including the SGS) and promote the GTI and engage with key stakeholders and delivery partners. The Coordinator is supported by the Administrator, the (GTI) Finance and Compliance Officer, the LEP Programmes Manager and Head of Programmes.

All GTI enquiries are dealt with by New Anglia Growth Hub. Due diligence of grant applicants is completed by the New Anglia Due Diligence Officer.

Grant decisions are only made by majority of the GTI Panel which comprises of one representative from each of the following organisations: the LEP, University of East Anglia and the University of Suffolk. Offer Letters are issued, and claims are checked and paid by a Caseworker at SCC that is supported by SCC Programme Manager.

Accountability

New Anglia LEP is the Accountable Body for the GTI. Our partner organisations Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (Growth Hub), SCC and others are actively promoting GTI. SCC provides the financial systems and support to release grant payments to grant applicants, utilising existing financial procedures.

All grants issued are subject to State Aid rules and are scrutinised at an early stage of the process by the Growth Hub, LEP, SCC to ensure compliance with available legislation.� Grants must fall within GBER (Articles 25, 28 or 29) or De Minimis regulations and only be awarded to SMEs based in Norfolk or Suffolk. Applicants are advised that their projects are subject to review by the EU and of the implications should an aid be considered illegal, including the requirement to repay the funding with interest chargeable.

Resources

New Anglia LEP:

- Programmes Coordinator (F/T); Finance & Compliance Officer (F/T); Due Diligence Officer (F/T)

- Supported by the LEP�s Programmes Manager and LEP�s Head of Programmes.

Suffolk Chamber of Commerce (Growth Hub): (13xF/T)

Suffolk County Council:

- Caseworker (P/T)

- Supported by Grants Manager and Finance Team.

Growing Places Fund

Background

The Growing Places Fund (further after the programme or GPF) is a recycling loan fund which has been run by New Anglia LEP since 2012.

The fund was designed to address the problems facing stalled developments, by providing financial support towards costs such as site infrastructure, services or access.

The fund operates predominantly as a loan fund.

Processes

The Growing Places Fund is open to public and private applicants. The fund now stands at a total allocation of approximately �40m which has been matched by in excess of �307m from public and private sources. The Fund has committed more than �40m on 47 capital investment projects and has supported six sector developments.

The project application, decision-making and delivery stages are as follows:

Ongoing monitoring of targeted outputs and other project outcomes

Application

� Loans � initial enquiry received. The programme operates on an open call basis with the funding opportunity promoted through the LEP�s website and wider marketing opportunities.

� Full application completed following discussion with LEP.

� Project appraisal and due diligence conducted by independent consultants.

� Decision or recommendation by the Investment Appraisal Committee to the LEP board completed.

Decision making

� Projects will be debated by the Investment Appraisal Committee which makes decisions on amounts below �500k or recommendations to the main New Anglia LEP board for amounts above this at monthly LEP board meetings. Decision-making incorporates value for money, ratio of funding to jobs created, security of loan.

� Decision plus conditions if relevant conveyed to applicant

� Bespoke loan agreement set up for each project in conjunction with Accountable Body legal team and signed off by the Accountable Body.

Delivery, claims and monitoring

� Loan agreement confirms payment release mechanisms (retrospective on project spend or works done).

� Loan agreement incorporates claim form, which should be reviewed by both LEP and Suffolk County Council officers to ensure eligibility and compliance with award conditions.

� Payments are subject to standard Accountable Body (Suffolk County Council) accounting procedures and systems. Expedited payment system (The Clearing House Automated Payment Scheme (CHAPS)) available, if necessary, to provide rapid payment. Final sign- off of payment by the Section 151 Officer.

� Ongoing monitoring of targeted outputs and other project outcomes.

Governance

The Growing Places Fund is delivered through a Senior Programme Coordinator, employed by the LEP. The Coordinator also delivers case work and is supported in this role by the LEP Head of Programmes.

Project approvals are only made through majority decision by the LEP�s Investment Appraisal Committee or Board following consideration of the application for funding and the recommendation made by the Programme Coordinator.

An independent appraisal of each project is conducted in line with Green Book techniques and an initial level of due diligence is carried out on the applicant. Deliverability, leverage, regional or local economic significance and value for money are key areas that any project has to score highly to gain investment from the fund.

Requests for payment are submitted by the applicant as a formal claim process, reviewed by the LEP and by Suffolk County Council and signed off by the appropriate officer at Suffolk County Council on behalf of the Accountable Body.

Accountability

Suffolk County Council is the Accountable Body for the programme.

Suffolk County Council provides the legal support to prepare suitable loan or grant documentation for each approved project. This support is reimbursed at cost by the programme.

All loans and grants issued are subject to State Aid rules and are scrutinised by SCC at an early stage of the process to ensure compliance with available legislation. The majority of loans are issued at or equivalent to a commercial rate of interest to ensure they cannot be considered to be an Aid. Applicants are advised that projects are subject to review by the EU and of the implications should an Aid be considered illegal, including the requirement to repay the funding with interest chargeable.

Resources

New Anglia LEP Senior Growing Places Coordinator (F/T)

New Anglia LEP Head of Programmes

SCC Finance Team

Principal 2023/24 Growing Places Fund operational variances

The fund will be delivered in 2023/24 in accordance with existing procedures and operational methodology. The only changes to the delivery process are:

� Ensuring future projects support the objectives of the Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk.

� Preference given to smaller scale loans over shorter borrowing periods.

� Awarded funding to be in the form of loans or investments only, no grant funding available.

� Revised annual allocation agreed in order to meet demand.

Business Transition to Net Zero fund

Background

The Business Transition to Net Zero fund (BTTNZ) is a grant scheme which has been run by New Anglia LEP since 2022.

The grant fund was designed to support SME transition to Net Zero through investment in products and processes reducing reliance on carbon fuels and improving efficiency, for example in revised manufacturing and production method, energy efficiency and waste management. �

Processes

BTTNZ is open to SME businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk. Grants are provided at a maximum intervention of 20% with a minimum grant of �25,000 and a maximum of �100,000. Grants are available for capital projects, excluding LED lighting or the supply or installation of solar panels. Eligible schemes will include those which improve productivity for the business and supply chain and make use of clean and/or renewable energy production and the recycling of goods and materials. The completion of a decarbonisation plan is an expectation of the fund and consultancy support is offered to support the production of these plans.

The project application, decision-making and delivery stages are as follows:

Application

� Initial enquiry received. The programme operates on an open call basis with the funding opportunity promoted through the LEP�s website and wider marketing opportunities.

� Full application completed following discussion with LEP.

� Project appraisal and due diligence conducted by independent consultants.

� Decision or recommendation by the Investment Appraisal Committee to the LEP board completed.

Decision making

� Projects will be considered electronically by the LEP Grant Panel for grant awards for �50k or less or debated by the Investment Appraisal Committee for awards over �50k and up to �100k.

� Decision plus conditions if relevant conveyed to applicant

� Grant offer signed off by the Accountable Body.

Delivery, claims and monitoring

� Grant agreement confirms payment release mechanisms (retrospective on project spend or works done).

� Grant agreement incorporates claim form, which should be reviewed by both LEP and Suffolk County Council officers to ensure eligibility and compliance with award conditions.

� Ongoing monitoring of targeted outputs and other project outcomes.

Governance

BTTNZ is managed by a Senior Programme Coordinator, employed by the LEP. The Coordinator also delivers case work and is supported in this role by the LEP�s Head of Programmes.

Project approvals are only made through majority decision by the LEP�s Grant Panel or Investment Appraisal Committee following consideration of the application for funding and the recommendation made by the LEP Due Diligence officer.

Accountability

Suffolk County Council is the Accountable Body for the programme.

Suffolk County Council provides the legal support to prepare suitable loan or grant documentation for each approved project. This support is reimbursed at cost by the programme.

All grants issued are subject to Subsidy Control rules and are scrutinised by SCC at an early stage of the process to ensure compliance with available legislation.

Resources

New Anglia LEP Senior Growing Places Coordinator (F/T)

New Anglia LEP Head of Programmes

LEP Due Diligence officer

SCC Finance Team

Innovative Projects Fund

Background

An important source of revenue funding comes from our Enterprise Zones. Under the Enterprise Zone legislation, the LEP is entitled to retain 100 per cent of additional business rates generated by the zones for a period of 25 years.

Under agreements reached with our local authority partners, this funding is split on each site into three pots.

� Pot A is retained by the district and county authorities to ensure they are not at a financial disadvantage from the zone. Without EZ status, they would have ordinarily retained a portion of the income.

� Pot B is set aside to accelerate development of the zone and is managed by the local authorities and the LEP.

� Pot C is ring fenced by the LEP to invest in supporting economic growth and in the delivery of the LEP�s Economic Strategy.

In January 2017, the LEP board agreed that a portion of funding from Pot C should be set aside to support innovative projects by external partners to deliver the Economic Strategy and Local Industrial Strategy. The Innovative Projects Fund (IPF) was created.

The first call took place in August 2018 with an approved annual allocation of �500k. Following the outcome of the first call, local authority partners in Norfolk and Suffolk indicated interest in matching New Anglia LEP�s future allocations of the Innovative Projects Fund through their respective pooled business rates. This resulted in a �1.5m pot being made available to prospective projects under a 2019/20 call.

Processes

The Innovative Projects Fund is promoted through the LEPs website and wider marketing opportunities and networks. The Innovative Projects Fund is open to public and private applicants located from within the New Anglia LEP area. Preference is that projects bidding for funds from the 2019/20 Innovative Projects Fund are regional in nature. However, this does not preclude countywide or locality-based projects from being supported.

As part of the assessment process, projects that can clearly demonstrate direct links to delivering elements of the Economic Strategy, and, in particular, growth of LEP ambitions, themes, sectors and key growth locations will be prioritised.� For example, projects relating to energy, agri-food, ICT/ digital and creative industries with clear and demonstrable outputs will be prioritised.

Cross-sector collaborations, where specialist skills in one sector can drive innovation and growth in another are of particular interest.� Proposals for revenue funding to accelerate the impact of LEP capital schemes are also considered. Transport feasibility studies are not supported through this fund.

Additionally, all projects must be:

State Aid compliant
Able to demonstrate their contribution to the delivery of the Economic Strategy and Call Focus through direct and indirect outputs.
Able to demonstrate the need for funding and the additionality achieved by the funding.

The project application, decision-making, and delivery stages are as follows:

Application

� Initial enquiry received via the Programmes Team.�

� Initial project enquiry and applicant contact information is recorded.

� Application form sent to applicant.

� Full application completed by applicant and submitted following discussion with LEP.

Decision making

Once submissions have been received, applicants may be required to respond to queries about their projects from the LEP programmes team as part of the shortlist process.

Applications will then be subject to a full appraisal by an independent consultant.

The appraisal will be in accordance with HM Treasury Green Book principles of viability, value for money, achievability, affordability and need.� As such, projects will be scored on a competitive basis against the following criteria:

Demonstration of clear fit with the Economic Strategy and Local Industrial Strategy.
Additionality. How is this more than business as usual? The fund should not replace core funding.
Value for money. Can the project demonstrate this is good use of public money?
Leverage. What additional funding, public or private or in-kind support does the project generate?
Impact. What will the project actually deliver and how innovative is the proposal?
Sustainability. What will happen when the funding ends?

Key areas will be scored 1-5 for each project, with 5 being the highest.

The New Anglia LEP Investment Appraisal Committee (IAC) considers all applications at its scheduled meetings and determines whether to approve or reject each of the Innovative Projects Fund applications. A decision plus any conditions (if relevant) will be conveyed to the applicant.

Delivery, claims and monitoring

All projects approved for funding will be subject to an offer letter and/or agreement drawn up in conjunction with the LEP�s Accountable Body, Suffolk County Council. The agreement/ offer letter will include the cycle of anticipated drawdown of funding and the outputs expected to be generated by the project plus any conditions laid down by the Investment Appraisal Committee. The process is then as follows:

� Having signed and returned the Offer Letter to SCC, the Applicant may commence its project.

� Having invested agreed project costs, the Applicant may submit claims in line with its claim schedule (a claim form template is part of the Offer Letter) to the project caseworker at the LEP for approval and payment.

� Grant payments are made against evidence of all expenditure through the SCC financial system, approved by SCC Programme Manager.

� Clawback procedure in place for not complying with the requirements.

Monitoring and Reporting from April 2022

The Innovative Projects Fund is no longer open to new applications. There have been no new rounds of funding since the 2019/20 awards.

Governance

The Innovative Projects Fund is delivered by the SCC finance team supported by the LEP Head of Programmes.�

A partnership arrangement between the LEP�s IAC and the two local authorities has been put in place to consider eligible applications for funding. An IPF Panel has been created comprising two private sector members of the IAC and two local authority representatives from Norfolk and two from Suffolk, selected by their respective leaders� groups. The two private sector members in attendance at the IPF panel will have delegated authority from the board to approve projects up to �500,000.�

Project approvals are only made through majority decision at a meeting of the partnership between the LEP�s Investment Appraisal Committee and the two local authorities, following consideration of the application for funding and the recommendation made by the LEP Head of Programmes, following the appraisal process (outlined above).

Requests for payment are submitted by the applicant as a formal claim process, reviewed by the LEP and by Suffolk County Council and signed off by the Section 151 Officer at Suffolk County Council.

The performance of the Innovative Projects Fund is monitored by the LEP�s Management Committee, to ensure it is delivered appropriately and within acceptable risk tolerances.

The Management Committee also monitors the spend profile. Performance of the programme is also reported to and monitored by the LEP board through regular board reports.

Accountability

New Anglia LEP is the Accountable Body

SCC provides the financial systems and support to release grant payments to grant applicants, utilising existing financial procedures.

Suffolk County Council provides the legal support to prepare suitable grant documentation for each approved project. This support is reimbursed at cost by the programme.

Resources

New Anglia LEP Head of Programmes

SCC Finance Team

Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund

Background

The Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund is used to co-invest with local authority partners in joint delivery projects on Enterprise Zone sites.� The fund is aimed at supporting local authority partners delivering Enterprise Zone sites in their borough or district and is for capital expenditure only.

The fund is designed to deliver a return on commercial terms, generating a long-term return on investment.

The key objectives of the Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund are:

1. To create a fund that supports economic growth while generating an income to help to support the long-term economic growth objectives of the LEP.

2. To provide financial support on a co-investment model to enable local authority partners to develop opportunities on EZ sites.

3. To establish sustainable revolving funds so that funding can be reinvested to unlock further development, and lever in private investment.

New Anglia LEP considers opportunities to invest to support the delivery of essential development required to unlock growth on Enterprise Zone sites, bringing forward delivery.�

The intention is that finance obtained from the fund will attract a 14-20-year return on the capital investment. The intention is not to generate a substantial return, but to help to sustain the LEP interventions targeted at supporting the local economy.

The assessment criteria will ensure the developments selected for forward investment will prioritise schemes that deliver early.�

The Growth Deal ends on 31 March 2022 and all EZAF investments need to be in place and the investment committed by this date.

Processes

The New Anglia LEP has developed its Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund in line with the Government�s objectives and has developed a process and a set of criteria to select appropriate schemes. The programme operates on an �open call� basis, but within controlled eligibility.

All potential investments must meet the following broad criteria:

� Schemes must be for capital investment (not revenue).

� Schemes should contribute to the LEP�s strategic objectives contained in the Economic Strategy.

� Schemes must be in the New Anglia LEP and located on an EZ site.�

� Schemes will need to demonstrate investment readiness with no barriers or constraints in relation to land ownership, planning and other approvals.

� Applicants must be a local authority partner with 50% or more of the investment funding secured through an appropriate mechanism.

Applicants are invited to discuss potential projects with New Anglia LEP ahead of their submission.

�Application

Expressions of Interest are invited to allow early discussions with LEP staff to ensure eligibility and value for money etc have been considered projects prior to application stage.�

Once submissions have been made applicants may be requested to respond to queries about their applications as part of the consideration and short-listing process.

Short-listed schemes will be required to submit further details of financial profile and output projections to enable detailed scheme appraisals to be completed. Full details of any information required will be confirmed with each applicant.

All schemes that pass an initial eligibility assessment are further assessed to determine their suitability to receive Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund investment.

Decision making

The decision-making process for the Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund includes:

� That projects will be debated by the Investment Appraisal Committee, which makes recommendations to the main New Anglia LEP Board, at monthly LEP Board meetings. Decision making incorporates strategic fit, value for money, additionality, deliverability.�

� Decision plus conditions, if relevant, conveyed to applicant.

� Bespoke investment agreements set up for each project in conjunction with the Accountable Body legal team. Approval of project only by the Accountable Body team at SCC.

Delivery, claims and monitoring

� The investment agreement/contract will include formal signature requirements; revenue share and return arrangements, agreed milestones for delivery linked to the release of funds; and claw back arrangements in case of delay or lack of delivery.

� The investment agreement incorporates a claim and monitoring form, which should be reviewed by both LEP and Suffolk County Council officers to ensure eligibility and compliance with award conditions.

� Payments are subject to standard Accountable Body (Suffolk County Council) accounting procedures and systems.

� Ongoing monitoring of spend and outputs.

Monitoring and Reporting from April 2023

The Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund concluded on 31 March 2022. The period from April 2021 to March 2023 has been spent managing rolled-over expenditure already allocated to approved projects and through LEP sub-programmes.

All funding should be defrayed to existing projects by 31 March 2022.

Monitoring of projects will continue until all claim and monitoring information is received and project outputs are achieved, in accordance with the individual investments. In some cases, outputs will not be achieved until a number of years after the full LEP financial contribution for the project has been drawn down.�

Governance

The Enterprise Zone Accelerator Fund is coordinated by the Growth Deal Manager and the Enterprise Zone Advisor, both employed by the LEP. The two posts are supported by the LEP�s Head of Programmes.�

Project approvals are only made through majority decision by the LEP board following consideration of the application by the Investment Appraisal Committee and the recommendation made by the LEP Head of Programmes.

An independent appraisal of each project is conducted in line with Green Book techniques and an initial level of due diligence is carried out on the applicant.

Requests for payment are submitted by the applicant as a formal claim process, reviewed by the LEP and by Suffolk County Council and signed off by the Section 151 Officer at Suffolk County Council.

Programme performance is monitored by the LEP�s Management Committee to ensure they are delivered appropriately and within acceptable risk tolerances.

The Management Committee also monitors the spend profile. Performance of the programme is also reported to and monitored by the LEP board through regular board reports.

New Anglia Capital

Background

New Anglia Capital was formed to provide an equity investment option to early stage and pre-revenue SME�s looking to grow and create jobs in Norfolk and Suffolk and increase the network of angel investors. NAC operates as a subsidiary of New Anglia LEP, with funding allocated from repaid loans issued through the Growing Places Fund.

Key objectives

� To facilitate increased investment in early stage and pre revenue companies in Norfolk and Suffolk.

� To consider providing equity investment where co-investment is offered by local angel investors.

� To grow the network of angel investors in both Norfolk and Suffolk.

Governance

Investments are considered by the New Anglia Capital board which comprises six members, at least three of whom are also LEP board members. New Anglia LEP officers act as observers and advisers on the board. NAC provides updates to the LEP board with a full report on investments and outcomes twice a year. All investments are subject to full independent due diligence.

Anglia Capital Group (ACG) was appointed as the support organisation for New Anglia Capital following a competitive procurement exercise in August 2014.

ACG were appointed to help deliver two principal outputs:

� To generate deal flow including suitable investment opportunities for NAC to consider co-investing in

� To grow and manage a sustainable network of angel investors in the region.

Due to the encouraging growth and continuing deal flow the contract with ACG has been extended.

ACG is now regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. This allows ACG to become pro-active in arranging investments and supporting angels, thus accelerating its objectives and increasing its outputs as outlined above.

Investments

NAC maintains a portfolio of investments (22 at March 23). Maximum investment for each company is �250k. All investments are expected to exit within three to five years of investment, with returns reinvested into the NAC investment fund. �

Careers Hub (formerly Enterprise Adviser Network)

Background

The Careers Hub (CH) is an important programme that supports schools to develop a careers strategy and encourages skills interventions to support the achievement of the Gatsby benchmarks. The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) operates the Careers Hubs across the Country in partnership with LEPs, recruiting senior business leaders to work voluntarily with secondary schools and colleges as �Enterprise Advisers� (EAs). The CH is recognised as an important initiative that will strengthen the links between the business and education community in order to drive young people�s aspiration and work readiness in line with the requirements of the local economy. As of January 2021, the Careers Hub is match funded by the European Social Fund, this match funding will run until the end of December 2023.

Objectives

EAs work strategically with senior leaders in schools and colleges, supporting them to develop and enhance their business engagement plans. The aim is to improve the quality and consistency of careers, work-related and enterprise education delivered to students and to broker activities with businesses and enterprise providers. The volunteers will bring their wealth of knowledge and experience of the world of work to help develop a comprehensive action plan for careers education, fully supporting young people aged between 11 and 18.

Resources

EAs are supported by a team of Enterprise Co-ordinators (ECs), full-time and part time employees of the network who establish the connections with the businesses and the schools and report to the CEC.

Of the LEP�s 11 ECs six cover Norfolk and five cover Suffolk. The team of ECs are managed by the Careers Hub Strategic Lead. From September 2020 all Educational Establishments in the old EAN became part of the expanded New Anglia Careers Hub to fully meet all Benchmarks.

�

The CH is a national programme and the LEP has responsibility for the engagement in Norfolk and Suffolk. Currently the programme is funded via CEC, matched by ESF funding up to December 2023. Future funding is under review with CEC to confirm in April 2023 funding for the academic year 2023/24.

Monitoring

The programme is monitored on a monthly basis through reports and meetings with CEC, as well as the LEPs Programme Performance meetings. Driving up quality and considering the best way to measure impact and sharing best practice is a key focus for the team during 2023/24.

The LEP will work with the two county councils and the CEC to interrogate data and evidence available to the Careers Hub to explore and test the impact the different parts of the network are delivering.

Accountability

New Anglia LEP is the accountable body.

The LEP�s match funding was approved by the LEP board which receives quarterly reports on the programme�s performance.

The LEP�s polices on procurement and financial control are followed.

The LEP�s Head of Strategy oversees the CH team and the programmes performance.

Quarterly claims are submitted to CEC and are signed off by the LEP�s COO.

A Careers and Inspiration Coordinating working group makes recommendations for the effective allocation of a careers hub fund to support Educational Establishments with achieving the Benchmarks.

Recommendations for the Hub Fund spend are reviewed by the LEP�s CEO and COO under the LEP�s delegation policy.

Skills Bootcamps

Background

Skills Bootcamps � Wave 3: As part of the Government�s Skills for Life, New Anglia LEP has been delivering a contract for the Skills Bootcamps funded initiative, commencing in summer of 2022. This is supported through Wave 3 of the DfE Skills Bootcamps programme.

Sectors covered are logistics, digital, construction, green skills and leadership and management.

Wave 4 Skills Bootcamps

Following the success of the Norfolk and Suffolk Skills Bootcamps, New Anglia LEP has received approval from DfE for the Wave 4 programme, to commence delivery in April 2023.

The range of subject areas for learners will be expanded to ensure that the broadest range of skills can be delivered and will be particularly targeted at those areas in the region where there are known skills shortages. Skills providers will be expected to deliver courses in the following subject areas:

� Digital, including software development, digital marketing and cyber security

� Technical, including welding, fabrication and engineering

� Construction- bricklaying, slingers and ground works

� Green Skills- arboriculture, farming and retrofit

� Logistics

� Leadership and Management

� Accelerated Apprenticeships

Objectives

The objectives of the Skills Bootcamp include:

� Supporting individuals to develop skills and fulfil their potential through sector specific skills training

� Assisting people currently un-employed or returning to work to find skilled local work

� Providing new skills for the self-employed to enable them to take on more contracts

� Supporting businesses to hire people with the skills required enabling them to fill their job vacancies

� Encouraging employers to provide their own employees with targeted training to help them develop and progress within the business

Outputs

The initial contracted target for the Norfolk and Suffolk Skills Wave 3 Bootcamp was 240 learners. We have received approval from DfE to add a further 42 learners under flex arrangements, making a total of 282 learners to be achieved.

Building on the success of the current Wave 3 delivery, the Wave 4 bid will engage 322 new learners and the bid value will be �1.4m, to include operational delivery costs.

Governance

Delivery through provider contracts. Payments retrospective on outputs achieved.

Resources

LEP:

1x0.5 FTE Skills Manager

1x1.0 FTE Skills Broker

0.2 FTE Head of Strategy/Head of Programmes

SCC

0.4 FTE Skills Support

0.1 FTE Financial Support

Monitoring

Prescribed monitoring in accordance with DfE grant offer arrangements

Accountability

Suffolk County Council is the Accountable Body for the programme.

Suffolk County Council provides the support to compile data from providers to assemble evidence reporting for DfE, alongside financial claims in accordance with the DfE offer letter. This support is reimbursed at cost by the programme.

New Anglia Apprenticeships Levy Transfer Pool

Background

Apprentice numbers have dropped significantly in recent years due to apprenticeship reforms making businesses more cautious, new standards not being available and/or more training being focussed on existing staff members. Intervention is required in order to boost the number of apprenticeship starts, particularly amongst SMEs, which make up the vast majority of employers in the area.

Companies with a pay roll in excess of �3m per year must pay the apprenticeship levy at a rate of 0.5% of wage bill, which can only be used to fund apprenticeship training. After a slow start, many larger employers are using the levy to invest in training. However, it is also evident that many levy payers are not using their full allocation, in some cases by a significant amount. If this allocation is not spent after two years, the allocation is retained by Government and lost from the region, instead of being invested in apprenticeship training.

Proposed levy transfer process

The New Anglia LEP Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Programme allows firms to allocate up to 25% of their levy to other firms. These funds can then be transferred to support the training needs of SMEs across Norfolk and Suffolk. This will retain several million pounds of training funding locally and pay for the training of hundreds of additional apprenticeships.

Any preferred use of funds � certain apprenticeship standards, sectors or locations � can be identified by the firm allocating its levy to the scheme.

Levy payers (in and outside of the LEP area) with unspent levy need to be identified and encouraged to allocate some/all of funds available. Any preferred use of their funds needs to be identified at this stage, e.g., certain apprenticeship standard, sector, geography.

The LEP or an endorsed partner will then source businesses direct or through an apprenticeship provider that have potential apprentices looking to �receive� the funds. An introduction will be made and if all parties, including the training provider, are happy with the match, then funds can start to be transferred.

Having LEP endorsement of the process has the aim of raising the profile and being an impartial broker.

Link to the Economic Strategy and Local Industrial Strategy

The Norfolk and Suffolk Economic Strategy stresses the need to step up efforts to promote and support the delivery of high-quality apprenticeships providing clear entry routes into focus sectors, directly producing the skills and capabilities the Norfolk and Suffolk economy needs. The Local Industrial Strategy reinforces this. Lack of intervention at this stage will not allow this to happen.

Governance

The pool has been developed by the LEP working alongside Norfolk and Suffolk County Councils as a tri-partner project.

There is regular reporting into the Skills Advisory Panel, the LEP board, the New Anglia Learner Providers group and Youth Pledge stakeholder meetings.

Filename	New Anglia LEP Assurance Framework
Location	https://newanglia.co.uk/governance-decision-making-and-faqs/

Version No.	Revision Date	Filename/Location stored:	Brief Summary of Changes
1		As above	N/A
2	10/05/2016	As above.	Revisions made to reflect progress on the LEP�s governance framework and the processes that underpin this.
3	09/02/2017	As above.	Revisions made in light of the updated National Assurance Framework (published November 2016) and to reflect progress on the LEP�s governance framework and the processes that underpin this.
4	27/02/2018	As above	Revisions made to reflect progress on the LEP�s governance framework and the processes that underpin this.
5	27/03/2019	As above	Revisions made in the light of the updated National Assurance Framework and to incorporate new policies and practice adopted by the LEP.
6	31/05/2019	As above	Minor additions of information on LEP policies
7	25/03/2020	As above	Revisions to incorporate new programmes, policies and practices adopted by the LEP
8	31/03/2021	As above	Revisions to incorporate new programmes and minor additions to LEP policies.

9	30/03/2022	As above	Revisions to incorporate new Road to Net Zero scheme and LEP monitoring of programmes coming to an end 31/3/22. Minor updates to policies and practices adopted by the LEP.
10		As above	LEP transition and update to LEP programmes which have now ended but continue to be monitored. Addition of Business Transition to Net Zero Fund. Revisions to incorporate the New Anglia Skills Hub and Skills Bootcamps. Minor updates to policies and practices adopted by the LEP.

	Name	Signature	Date
LEP Chair	C-J Green
Accountable Body	Louise Aynsley
LEP Chief Executive	Chris Starkie