The Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership Business Support Coordination

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1 Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership Business Support Coordination Terms of Reference 1. Purpose The Cumbria Business Support Coordination (BSCG) brings together the core countywide private sector led business support expertise residing in organisations such as Britain s Energy Coast, Cumbria Chamber of Commerce and the universities and draws in organisations delivering relevant government funded initiatives (such as UKTI, MAS and InnovateUK), as well as a number of private sector business representatives reflecting the make up of Cumbria s business economy. This group aims to support business creation, sustainability, growth and competitiveness, doing this by: maximising coordination of business support helping to pull together the ongoing evidence base and identifying business support requirements through the ESIF Committee, feeding into production of business support calls for European and other projects 2. Role, duties and responsibilities Working together the BSCG seeks to maximise coordination of business support activity, seeking to encourage cooperation, minimise duplication and maximise the use of available resources. While not having direct control over projects, the group seeks to deliver a seamless network to support innovation and enterprise by providing a neutral platform that encourages and facilitates coordination of all business support activity no matter which body is delivering it. The group will play a strategic role, identifying and specifying business support requirements and helping to pull together the ongoing evidence base, working with the Cumbria County Council Economic Observatory. Through the ESIF Committee it will feed into production of calls for European and other projects. The group will also publish evidence base information, making it available to those looking to design and deliver projects and initiatives in order to inform that activity and provide supporting evidence. It will not be responsible for commissioning. Page 1 of 5

2 3. Reporting arrangements The work and recommendations of the BSCG will be reported regularly to the ESIF Committee, Strategy Committee and Cumbria LEP Board. 4. Notes of meetings The Agenda for meetings of the will be circulated to members by the BSCG facilitator normally at least five days before the meeting, together with any relevant reports and documents. Unless otherwise agreed in advance, papers will be circulated by . Matters for inclusion in the agenda and any other reports or documents are at the discretion of and will be agreed by the BSCG Chair. The BSCG facilitator will minute the meetings and distribute a draft to group members, normally within two calender weeks of each meeting. Secretariat support will be provided by Cumbria Business Growth Hub. 5. Frequency of meetings The will meet quarterly unless in the opinion of the Chair the business to be transacted does not warrant the holding of a meeting, or he considers that an additional meeting is warranted. Additional meetings can be convened to deal with urgent business and task & finish groups may operate. 6. Membership The is chaired by the LEP private sector Board member responsible for business support. It comprises: the Cumbria LEP private sector Board member responsible for business support Representatives of the core private sector led business support organisations in the county Representatives of the key universities active in business support in the county Representatives of key organisations delivering relevant Government funded business support initiatives One representative of Cumbria Observatory Page 2 of 5

3 This core group may be supplemented for particular activities/task & finish groups by additional co-opted members, which may include business representatives. members may take individual areas of responsibility such as leading on particular topics and chair or champion task & finish groups. 7. Quorum The quorum for meetings of the Commission is 50% of its regular membership. 8. Declarations of Interest Clearly by the very nature of this group those with the requisite knowledge and experience are also those with a vested interest in the outcomes. That said this group is an advisory group and does not have a role in commissioning or tendering. Any member who has a financial or other personal interest in any agenda item or discussion must declare that interest prior to the discussion taking place, or as soon as the interest becomes apparent. While the Chair retain the right to instruct that person to take no part in discussions and/or to leave the room it is not expected that this will be normal practice. This applies to meetings and electronic or any other forms of discussion/communication. The Chair may, but will not normally, exclude any member declaring an interest from being present during any discussions relating to that topic and/or from circulation of any relevant papers or other communications. 9. Alternate Members In order to maintain consistency and focus alternate members will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances and with the prior agreement of the Chair. 10. Voting Wherever possible the decisions of the will be by consensus, without the need for a vote. Where this is not possible a vote may be taken if the Chair considers it to be necessary to establish whether a consensus exists. The vote will be by show of hands and the result of the vote recorded in the minutes. Any member may request a formal vote. Page 3 of 5

4 In the event of a vote, only bona fide members are entitled to vote (including the Chair). If there is a tied vote the Chair will have the casting vote. 11. New Members and Resignations The Chair is appointed by the LEP Chair. Support providers to be invited to put forward a member are agreed by the LEP Chair and Chair working together. Members are put forward by their organisations and co-opted by the LEP Chair and Chair working together. Any member wishing to resign from the may do so at any time by writing to the Chair who will inform the and take steps to appoint an appropriate replacement. If the concludes that a member is operating outside these Terms of Reference then the can, on a simple majority vote, remove that member. Any replacement will be through the applicable normal appointment process. 12. Transparency and Accountability The will work in a transparent way and communicate clearly in order to maximise its engagement with businesses, organisations and the public. Minutes of meetings will be published on the LEP website, excluding any commercial in confidence items. 13. Cabinet Responsibility members must act in the interests of Cumbria as a whole, rather than individual areas or business/organisational interests. Once a decision has been reached it is expected that members will not undermine that decision outside the meeting, through a form of cabinet responsibility. 14. Commercially Sensitive Issues Certain discussions and papers will be treated as commercial in confidence where highlighted in documents/discussions. In these cases information must not be shared in any way without agreement of chair and other stakeholders. Such information is confidential to those within members organisations with a need to know based on their job role. Page 4 of 5

5 15. Participating Observers Although not normal practice the may periodically allow for attendance by other participating observers as it deems appropriate, to facilitate the work of the. The arrangement for attendance is by the agreement of the Chair. 16. Attendance of the Public Meetings of the will be closed to the public unless otherwise agreed by the Chair. 17. Place of Meetings Meetings of the will be held at venues approved by the Chair. The intention is to move venues around the county. 18. Alterations to the Terms of Reference The workings of the Terms of Reference will be reviewed and revised as appropriate after one year and thereafter every three years. Page 5 of 5