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

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

3. 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 `

4. 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?

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

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

11. 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?