DD2692 Resilient Urban Business and Enterprise Networks

1.1.    The UK Government Resilience Framework puts an emphasis on a whole-of-society approach to resilience. This explicitly references the role of businesses and the private sector. 
1.2.    Many local businesses and enterprises engage with each other through networks and partnerships, and there is often business-sector representation on Local Resilience Forums (LRFs). 
1.3.    There are many business and enterprise networks in urban areas. These can vary in focus, from being linked geographically to urban centres (Business Improvement Districts, Chambers of Commerce, local trader associations) to national industry-sector bodies with local footprints (UK Music, UK Hospitality, UK Finance). There are also particular groups to support smaller businesses, such as the Federation of Small Businesses.
1.4.    Given the number, scale and diversity of businesses in the UK, meaningful engagement with the business sector by LRFs is challenging. Working through trusted established networks is one way to overcome these challenges, but LRFs have limited or uneven success in engaging with business and enterprise networks. 
1.5.    The London Resilience Forum’s Business Sector Panel gives business and enterprise representatives a voice in the LRF’s work. The Panel is supported by the Cross-sector Safety & Security Communications (CSSC). Since launching, the CSSC has helped companies prepare for scenarios ranging from counter-terrorism, cybercrime and public order events to hostile reconnaissance and security alerts. However, this level of engagement can, at best, include a small percentage of the businesses in London. Even fewer can contribute to the London Resilience Forum’s work, or to resilience at the local level.
1.6.    Business in the Community is the UK’s largest and most influential responsible business network, dedicated to building a fairer and greener world. It has been supported by His Majesty the King for over 40 years. It is a longstanding reputation in supporting business engagement and operating geographical leadership boards across the country, with wide reach across the private sector. 
1.7.    Business in the Community has extensive experience in business engagement and support, including in relation to resilience. This includes its Local Resilience Support Initiative, the Water Resilient Cities project in Greater Manchester, and the development of a Business Resilience Health Check tool.
1.8.    The project will be led by the London Resilience Forum in partnership with Business in the Community. Other LRFs delivering this project in partnership are:
•    Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Resilience Forum
•    Cleveland Resilience Forum 
•    Leicestershire and Rutland Resilience Forum 
•    West Midlands Resilience Forum. 
1.9.    The overall responsible officer for this project will be the City Resilience Manager in the GLA. There will be quarterly Project Review meetings which will include at least one representative from each LRF and representatives from Business in the Community. The Project Review meetings will explore the project’s progress against the key milestones, against key risks and on overall progress.
 

2.1.    This funding’s objectives are to determine existing business and enterprise network engagement in resilience; and identify ways to enhance engagement and realise the benefits for whole-of-society resilience, as outlined in the UK Government Resilience Framework.
2.2.    The project will begin in April 2024 and close by March 2025. It will be delivered in phases, with key project milestones as follows:
•    Milestone 1: April 2024. Business in the Community will begin their primary research with business and enterprise networks in each of the areas in England, supported by respective LRFs.

•    Milestone 2: September 2024. Business in the Community will deliver their final research report with recommendations for future engagement with business and enterprise networks.

•    Milestone 3: October 2024. The five participating LRFs will launch engagement projects based on the research report’s recommendations. 

•    Milestone 4: January 2025. Business in the Community and the five participating LRFs will host an online sharing event in partnership with DLUHC.

•    Milestone 5: March 2025. The five engagement projects led by LRFs will end and the overall project will conclude.
2.3.    The expected outcomes of this funding are to:
•    build a better understanding of existing business and enterprise networks – including their views on, and roles in, resilience and emergency planning.
•    increase resilience and emergency planning knowledge for local businesses through their local business and enterprise networks, empowering them to ‘own’ resilience with partners locally.
•    inspire stronger relationships and two-way knowledge sharing between business and enterprise networks and LRFs.
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the Public Sector Equality Duty – that is, the need to: eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.
3.2.    The Resilient Urban Business and Enterprise Network is a project focused on research and engagement of the business and enterprise sector. The project looks to improve engagement with and understanding of business and enterprise networks, helping to build bridges between diverse local businesses across London and beyond. The project is not specific to any one equality group.
3.3.    The inclusion of local business partnerships will improve mechanisms for the London Resilience Forum and other participating LRFs to engage with these local network partners.
3.4.    In the project, as learning points arise that are connected to people’s protected characteristics and/or experienced inequalities, these will be reflected in resulting recommendations. The City Resilience Team will seek advice and expertise from colleagues in the GLA’s Communities and Social Policy Unit as required.
 

4.1.    The following key risks have been identified:

4.2.    This proposal will support the People and Places strands in the Mayor’s City Resilience Strategy.
4.3.    There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.
 

5.1.    Approval is sought for:
•    the receipt of £80,000 from DLUHC for the successful Innovation Fund project: Resilient Urban Business and Enterprise Networks
•    the expenditure of up to £30,000 on a research project delivered by Business in the Community; and £50,000 for engagement projects that follow this research.
5.2.    This approval has no impact on the planned budget for 2024-25; this is new funding and expenditure.
5.3.    This receipt of £80,000 from DLUHC is expected to be in 2023-24 financial year in February 2024 and expenditure of £24,000 is also expected to be in 2023-24 financial year. The balance of £56,000 expenditure is expected to be in 2024-25 financial year. The transfer will therefore be effected through a Receipt in Advance at year end as is standard.
5.4.    The funding should be monitored against outcomes outlined in section 2, and any deliverables should be outlined in funding agreements.
5.5.    This funding will be managed and administered by the City Resilience team in the City Operations Unit, within the Strategy and Communications Directorate.
 

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Executive Director of Strategy and Communications concern the exercise of the Authority’s general powers; falling within the Authority’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development and the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:

•    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;

•    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
•    consult with appropriate bodies.       

6.2.    In taking the decisions requested, the Executive Director of Strategy and Communications must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic ( age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation) and persons who do not share it and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Executive Director of Strategy and Communications should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.  

6.3.    Paragraph 5.1 above indicates that the contribution of £80,000 to the GLA amounts to the provision of grant funding and not payment for works, suppliers or services.  Officers must ensure that the funding be distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities and with the requirements of section 12 of the Authority’s Contracts and Funding Code.

6.4.    Furthermore, officers must ensure that an appropriate funding agreement be put in place between and executed by the DLUHC and the GLA as recipient before any (a) commitment to fund is made; and (b) funding is paid to the recipient.
 

7.1.    The Resilient Urban Business and Enterprise Networks project will be delivered through grant funding to Business in the Community and through other LRFs.
7.2.    Key dates are detailed below: