Foundational Economy Pilot Blaenau Gwent Foundational Economy Pilot Steve Cranston – United Welsh Professor Calvin Jones – Cardiff University

Background What does the foundational economy look like here? What are we learning? Where next?

Conversation 4 Housing Associations Hold significant assets Housing and much more Here for long term Steering Group Blaenau Gwent Council Wales Coop Centre Coalfields Regeneration Trust `

Project Scope Focus – Micro SMEs - 88% of Blaenau Gwent businesses are smaller than 9 people - 1,085 What matters to SMEs? What can Housing Associations do/become to support this SME community? Where are the collaboration opportunities? What system change may be needed?

What does it look like here? Blaenau Gwent Swansea Wales Material 17.5 16.0 17.4 Providential 32.5 38.6 32.2 Overlooked 20.4 19.5 20.9 Total 70.4% 74.1% 70.5% Nomis data

The Wider Impact of RSL pending in Blaenau Gwent (2017-18) Identifiable local spend of Tai Calon, United Welsh, Linc & Melin Includes ‘Tier 1’ + supply chain + wage effects Excludes onsite employment & activity within the RSLs Wales level impacts – but most (70%+?) will arise within Blaenau Gwent

What Matters to SMEs? What matters conversations are geared to understanding: What strengths and assets can be built on What networks of support business find helpful . What ‘new’ would help SME’s to release their potential

Emerging Learning Enterprise facilitation Loyalty and commitment of work force Real sense of pride Low knowledge of housing associations Desire for stronger relationships with housing associations Hit and miss support around recruitment and training of workforce. Cashflow pressures

Asset Mapping RSL procurement by local area of operation Investment in the pipeline Community assets owned by RSLs (e.g. land and buildings ) that could be utilised by start ups, co working or existing businesses

Where next? Hold up a mirror SME engagement events – Oct/Nov Enterprise facilitation - what could it look like and what are the collaboration opportunities?

Workshop conversations What are good examples? What drives this good practice? What gets in the way? What one thing would enable change? What’s the vision? How should the future be different?