Our 'Supporting councils with business engagement' report captured learning from councils' contact with businesses over the course of the pandemic and their plans going forward. On example was Walsall Council. The pandemic changed the relationship between the council and the business community for the better.
About the area
Walsall is a metropolitan district situated in the West Midlands with 8,000 registered businesses. The local economy is comprised of manufacturing, human health and social care activities, wholesale and retail trade repair of motor vehicles, and transport & logistics. Walsall Council’s Business Growth Team deal with mostly SME manufacturers, transport & logistics firms, skills & training providers and start-ups.
Pre-pandemic
Pre-pandemic, Walsall Council’s capacity to engage with local businesses related directly to European Regional Development Funding (ERDF). Due to the associated eligibility criteria, Walsall Council’s Business Growth Team largely focused efforts on local SMEs who were eligible for such support. The government’s COVID-19 Support Grants meant that the council had to act quickly to put processes in place to administer grants and rate relief. This was a particular challenge as pre-pandemic, the local business base engaged with the council in a limited capacity, for statutory services.
During the pandemic
The pandemic changed the relationship between Walsall council and its businesses on a strategic, operational, and technical level. The council strengthened its internal communications to address businesses, with the public health, business rates, and environmental health teams all collaborating to deliver on a targeted and local level. This involved distributing both COVID-19 related guidance to businesses and items such as testing kits and PPE. On a broader level, to deliver grants Walsall council brought in an IT company to set up a portal which enabled them to address the high volume and complexity of business queries, which led to increased engagement with businesses and better long-standing relationships with businesses.
The council utilised its social media profiles and its newsletter, as well as contacting businesses personally through council members, to pass information from the office level to local businesses. The Black Country Economic Group was set up during the pandemic which brought together the key local stakeholders of business support, such as the Growth Hubs, Chambers of Commerce, and Universities, with the council for monthly virtual meetings and allowed for the learning and information to be shared on business support.
Already collaborating well across the Black Country, the pandemic strengthened collaboration, both within the council and among the council and business support organisations. This has been underlined in the ongoing review by the West Midlands Combined Authority which aims to identify and cultivate a business support ecosystem involving LEPs, enterprise agencies, universities and councils together.
Moving forward
As a result of the pandemic, Walsall council has interacted and supported more businesses than it would have previously, and such businesses have gained greater understanding of what the council can do to support them. As membership organisations bring membership fees and some businesses cannot afford them, it is thought that businesses will look to engage more with councils for support without cost. Moreover, as the economy transitions post-Brexit and while moving from EU funds to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Walsall Council recognises the opportunity to build local packages for the targeted needs of local businesses.
To maintain this increased level of engagement, communication is imperative, and the council as well as elected members aim to engage more regularly with its business base whether that be speaking at events or quarterly visits.