Northwest Enterprise Forum

The Agency established the Northwest Enterprise Forum (NWEF) in 2007 to develop, challenge and monitor the success of enterprise activity across the region.   The NWEF acts as a strategic advisory board to the Agency, Business Link Northwest and other partners. It aims to aid the development of appropriate strategy and policy through a flow of enterprise intelligence, whilst also monitoring success of enterprise delivery. 

The NWEF will work to provide early warning of market need and opportunity in the enterprise field, whilst seeking to influence and drive the enterprise agenda particularly with partners via the use of short life working groups reviewing specific enterprise issues.

Chaired by Robert Davis, Chief Executive of EA Technology in Capenhurst, the NWEF has a core forum of 15 individuals with a passionate interest in enterprise. Board members have been drawn from the membership of a number of business representative organisations in the region including; Confederation of British Industry, Institute of Directors, Federation of Small Businesses, Northwest Women’s Enterprise Forum and the Northwest Ethnic Minority Business Forum. The Agency’s Executive Director of Enterprise and Skills attends as an observer and the Agency facilitates its operation through the provision of secretariat support.

The Forum reports to the Agency’s Board once a year as well as to the Enterprise and Skills sub-committee. This enables them to provide an update on activities and emerging trends to influence the future direction for enterprise and enterprise support across the region.

In addition, the Forum working alongside the Agency, intends to host an annual Enterprise Conference to raise awareness of the current enterprise thinking and also act as a communication channel to inform and consult on activities, progress and emerging trends.