KCC Backing Kent Business

It will be good to see Kent County Council put into action their intentions to support businesses in the county.  This is one area that I’ve no direct experience – my own business being pretty tiny in the grand scheme of Kentish commerce – however it is good to see such positive intentions.  Diary note made to see how it’s going in a few months…

Meantime, the 10-point package of support, as detailed on the KCC Business web pages:

1. Support Kent firms by speeding up the payment of invoices to them to improve their cashflow. Invoices are currently paid within 30 days. KCC is committing to reduce this to 20 from January 1.
2. Drive forward and deliver KCC’s ambitious capital programme. The programme of £400m for 08/09 and £450m for 09/10 will provide empoyment opportunities for local firms in areas such as school improvement, waste facilities, new road programmes, libraries, social care facilities. In addition to the Building Schools for the Future contracts (£600m contract signed in October with Land Securities and a further £850m contract available September 2010)
   and the £200m programme to deliver seven new academies.
3. Establish Property Enterprise Fund 2. To ensure delivery of KCC’s ambitious capital programme is delivered. Up to £85m of vacant possession unsold property assets to be placed in a fund; developed into “oven-ready” schemes with professional planners/teams of architects and released as joint venture developments with private sector house builders, packaged appropriately to attract Kent firms.
4. Expand KCC’s approved list of contractors to businesses of all sizes. Applications will be accepted for a new Select List of Approved Contractors which will increase the number of local firms carrying out work on KCC sites.
5. Kent Business Support Centre. By the end of January develop a centre, free to all Kent businesses, with access to information and advisers to give advice and support on procurement with KCC, grants and business support and latest news and events for businesses. Accessible through KCC’s website and also provided through workshops and events for businesses.
6. Raise awareness of tendering opportunities. Forensic analysis to be carried out of the major contracts across the public sector, in Kent and outside the county, and information made available through the Kent Business Support Centre e.g. opportunities to bid for Olympic 2012 contracts; Building Schools for the Future and academies programmes in and outside of Kent; highways maintenance programmes and other Public Sector contracts such as health and housing association contracts.
7. Encourage and facilitate consortia of Kent businesses. In order to compete for larger public sector contracts outside of Kent. For example Kent legal firms working together as a consortia so that they could bid for access to the government approved list for PFI/BSF/Academy work and Kent Architecture Practices coming together – as per the BSF consortium in Kent with Land Securities – to bid for BSF contracts outside of Kent.
8. Direct support for businesses to access Government/European/Regional grants. Support in making sense of and signposting businesses to grant aid available through regional, national and European channels. And raising awareness of schemes such as the Small Business Rate Relief scheme, which currently 60% of those eligible don’t claim.
9. Back Kent Business in Whitehall. Lobby national government to reduce the burden on Kent business by lobbying for the removal of unnecessary regulation and bureaucracy, including: reducing charges on empty business properties; a freeze on commercial rates which is to increase next year up by 5%; the continuation of the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme; speeding up the planning process and introducing flexibility on section 106 conditions; a review of housing density figures; reintroduction of the business expansion schemes (BES) and reducing the amount of contracts that have to be advertised under OJEU rules.
   

   KCC will lead by example with a full independent review of Kent County Council’s ecology policy function and process; and will work in partnership with the 12 district councils on a review of new planning requirements.

10. Review the way Kent is “marketed” and promote Kent’s Unique Selling Points, Kent Tourism (link opens in a new window) and Locate in Kent (link opens in a new window). Following examples such as Kent’s film office which generated £5m in 2007.