Key Regional Bodies - Federation of Small Businesses - FSB - UK small business support organisation

Who We Work With

An important role of the East Midlands Area Policy Unit is to work with key regional bodies and individuals to try to establish a regional economy in which small businesses can flourish.

By working with them, we attempt to influence their strategies and policies for the benefit of small firms, addressing barriers to business sustainability and growth.

The main organisations and individuals that we work with are:

East Midlands Development Agency (emda)
East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA)
The Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM)
The Regional Minister, Phil Hope MP
The East Midlands Business Forum (EMBF)
The Learning and Skills Council (LSC)
The Employment, Skills and Productivity Partnership (ESP)

We also work with a range of other partnership organisations.

Following the Government's Sub-National Review of Economic Development and Regeneration in 2008, there will be major changes to the roles and responsibilities of some of these organisations from April 2010.

A brief description is given below of some of the main organisations that we work with, along with links to their websites.

East Midlands Development Agency (emda)

Emda is one of nine Regional Development Agencies across the country. They are responsible for spearheading economic development throughout the region.

The FSB's East Midlands Area Policy Unit supports emda's vision of transforming the East Midlands into 'A Flourishing Region' by 2020. We are in discussion with them at the highest level to ensure that they fully appreciate the importance of small businesses to the region's economy and that they fully understand and provide for the needs of small businesses. We have had significant input into the review of the Regional Economic Strategy and other important strategies that affect small businesses.

In 2010 emda will begin to produce the new integrated Regional Strategy for the East Midlands with the newly established Local Authority Leaders' Board. This strategy will combine the Regional Economic and Regional Spatial Strategies.

East Midlands Regional Assembly (EMRA)

This is the region's grouping of 111 key stakeholders who are responsible for:

The East Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy - a clear vision for the region's future on what physical development takes place where and when
Scrutinising the work of emda to ensure that economic targets, and the regions needs are met
Fulfilling the role of the Regional Planning Body

Two thirds of the members on the Regional Assembly are from local authorities. The remainder are from the social, economic and environmental sectors. Within the economic sector, there are 8 business places available to members of the East Midlands Business Forum (EMBF). The FSB currently occupies two of these seats, which are both taken by members of the FSB's East Midlands Area Policy Unit, John Hardwick and Angela Rushton. Angela also Chairs the Regional Scrutiny Board.

At the end of March 2010, the East Midlands Regional Assembly will close. Many of the Assembly's current responsibilities will pass to Local Government East Midlands. The Local Authorities Leaders' Board will be jointly responsible with emda for developing, agreeing and monitoring the new integrated Regional Strategy.

The Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM)

GOEM comprises of nine government departments which are tasked with disseminating government policy and achieving government targets throughout the region. They also provide feedback to central government on issues within the East Midlands.

We have regular meetings with GOEM officials to put forward the views of our members on issues that can seriously affect the development and profitability of small businesses within the East Midlands. This can include anything from the burden of compliance with government red tape and paperwork, through to local training needs of small businesses.

The Learning and Skills Council (LSC)

The LSC is the strategic body responsible for planning and funding education and training. Their remit includes funding further education colleges and private training providers but excludes funding higher education institutions. The LSC's primary objective is to improve the skills of young people and adults to ensure that we have a workforce of world-class standard.

The FSB's East Midlands Policy Unit works with them to ensure that good quality training, that is relevant to the needs of small businesses is easily accessible. Much of this training provision is delivered through the 'Train to Gain' programme.

From April 2010, the functions of the LSC will be undertaken by several different organisations. These are:

National Apprenticeship Service - responsible for promoting and co-ordinating Apprenticeship places
Skills Funding Agency - will fund education and training at further education colleges and private training providers for adults aged 19 years and above
UK Commission for Employment and Skills - key role in analysing future skills needs and informing the National Skills Strategy
Individual local authorities - will takeover the responsibility of planning, commissioning and funding education for 16 to 19 year olds

Employment Skills and Productivity Partnership (ESP Partnership)

In July 2003, the Government launched the National Skills Strategy. This set out the need to ensure that businesses have access to the skills and support they need, and that individuals have the skills to be employable and personally fulfilled. The Strategy also announced the creation of Regional Skills Partnerships. In the East Midlands, ours is called the Employment Skills and Productivity Partnership (ESP Partnership)

In the East Midlands, our Partnership is working to set priorities and enable the delivery a quality service for all the region's businesses that is driven by demand and is customer focused.

Key partners include the Learning and Skills Council, East Midlands Development Agency, Jobcentre Plus, and East Midlands Businesses Ltd.