1. northamptonshireep.co.uk
Closure Report 2016 -
Summary of Activity to
September 2016

2. Foreword
This Closure Report has been produced to demonstrate to all of our partners and stakeholders the work that
NEP has delivered during the first half of the 2016/17 financial year, up until the point of operational closure in
September 2016.
The Board and Executive Team of NEP have always taken transparency and accountability seriously, being
one of the first LEPs in the country to produce an Annual Report and to hold an Annual General Meeting.
This Closure Report is the final demonstration of that commitment - outlining how NEP’s funds,
including those provided by government, have been effectively used to support the economic growth of
Northamptonshire.
NEP as an organisation has always been passionately committed to Northamptonshire, its people and its businesses and the team
has therefore worked hard to ensure that there is a seamless transition to the new single LEP, for the South East Midlands, including
Northamptonshire. This includes providing continuity at Board level with NEP’s Chairman becoming the Deputy Chair of the Shadow
Board of SEMLEP, the single LEP; providing an effective handover of all programmes and projects funded by government and
transferring legacy funds to support the single LEP’s work going forward.
Post-operational closure the process of legal and financial closure will continue with the business being formally closed before the
end of the 2016/17 financial year. The Board has been re-shaped to take forward this important task, with a small residual Executive
resource secured to deal with any matters arising in relation to NEP and its operations.
I hope that this Closure Report demonstrates that NEP has continued to operate in the best interest of Northamptonshire, its
businesses and its people right up to the point of operational closure.
Jo Lappin
Chief Executive, Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership
Closure Report 2016
Contents
4 Board Members
5 Closure Statement
6 Business & Innovation
16 Who We’ve Helped
18 Employment & Skills
26 Infrastructure & Connectivity
30 Rural Economy
31 ESIF
32 Summary of Accounts
34 Five Year Review
36 Working in Partnership
northamptonshireep.co.uk

3. Board Members
Closure Report 2016
Closure Statement
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It is with a great deal of pride that I present this Closure Report, my final report as Chair of Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership
(NEP), prior to its closure of operations on 30 September 2016.
NEP has played an important role in growing Northamptonshire’s economy by helping our businesses to grow and prosper and
this report provides a flavour of what we have been doing during 2016 to continue this work and ensure that we leave sound
foundations for the future.
Over the five years that NEP has been operating as a Local Enterprise Partnership there has been a significant improvement in
economic performance with over 5,200 new businesses started and unemployment reducing to its lowest level since the current
reporting system began. This positive growth trajectory has made real inroads on the ambitious targets set in our Strategic Economic Plan to increase
Northamptonshire’s economy to £20 billion per annum, create 32,500 additional jobs and deliver 37,000 new homes by 2021. It was therefore very pleasing
to note that our top 100 privately owned businesses in Northamptonshire delivered a 10% contribution to the economic and jobs targets in the last 12
months alone.
However, there are areas where more needs to be done and that is why I am very pleased with our work on the Enterprise Advisers programme, with the
NEP model being recognised as a real trailblazer in linking the world of work and the world of education to encourage aspiration and attainment. During the
year, we scaled up this work to ensure that most of Northamptonshire’s young people have the opportunity to develop a real understanding of our economy
and the jobs that are available to them locally. It also means that our businesses are actively working to shape our future workforce so that Northamptonshire’s
young people really do have the skills to succeed in a 21st Century economy.
2016 was a major transition point for NEP as we responded to the demand for the integration of the two Local Enterprise Partnerships serving the
Northamptonshire geography, recognising that a complete overlap was not sustainable in the medium to long term. This led to the conclusion that a merger
of operations was the right thing for Northamptonshire and its businesses to ensure that there was a strong, sustainable Local Enterprise Partnership
going forward.
Therefore, the priority for NEP moving into the 2016 year was to complete our highly effective work programmes and to make sure that the excellent work
completed in Northamptonshire with our businesses, schools and wider partners was taken forward and built upon. This Closure Report provides a small
flavour of this activity.
I would like to pay tribute to my Board colleagues for their leadership of the growth agenda in Northamptonshire and unstinting support to NEP, our ambition
and our priorities. Their support and guidance over the period pre-closure has been invaluable and I wish them every success in continuing to drive forward
their businesses and Northamptonshire.
I would also like to thank NEP’s Executive team for their unwavering commitment to Northamptonshire, its economy, its businesses and its people in what
have been challenging times as we move forward to operational closure. They have, as always demonstrated the highest degree of professionalism and
continued to translate the Board’s ambition into real activity on the ground with our businesses and partners.
Finally, NEP’s achievements were only possible because of the contribution of all of our strategic and delivery partners. I would therefore like to recognise and
thank all of our partner organisations for their commitment and support over the years and wish them every success in driving forward Northamptonshire’s
economy in the future.
John Markham OBE
Chairman, Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership
NEP has benefitted from excellent private sector representation on its Board and wider governance structure which has ensured that
its products and services have been genuinely designed and delivered in a way that meets the needs of business and the economy.
This, coupled with the wider engagement of the public and the voluntary and social economy sector (VCSE), has provided NEP with a
mechanism to both drive strategy and operations and also demonstrate accountability to a wide range of partners.
In preparation for closure, the Board agreed at its meeting on 29 June 2016 that it should be slimmed down to a smaller body which
would closely monitor and oversee closure. This was also in line with NEP’s commitment to good governance so that only those Board
members closely engaged with closure were held accountable for this as company Directors.
It is therefore appropriate to thank NEP’s excellent Board members, who stood down at the beginning of September 2016, for their
exceptional commitment and dedication to Northamptonshire and its economy.
Cllr. Steven North
Leader, East
Northamptonshire Council
Prof. Nick Petford
Vice-Chancellor & CEO,
The University of
Northampton
Cllr. Chris Millar
Leader, Daventry
District Council
Victoria Miles
Chief Executive,
Northamptonshire
Community Foundation
David Reynolds
OBE DL
Chairman,
North Northants
Development Company
David Rolton
Founder,
Rolton Group
James
Saunders-Watson
Owner,
Rockingham Castle
Martin Sutherland
Chief Executive,
Royal & Derngate
Stephen Davies
Principal
Moulton College
Pratima Dattani
VCSE Representative
Support Wellingborough
Wellingborough Homes
Cllr. André Gonzalez
De Savage
Northamptonshire
County Council
Cllr. Jim Harker OBE
Leader, Northamptonshire
County Council
Chris Hatfield
Managing Director
David Wilson Homes
Andrew Langley
Managing Director
Juniper Trading
Cllr. Tom Beattie
Leader, Corby
Borough Council
Jon Corbett
Head of Corporate
Banking, Barclays
John Markham OBE
Chairman
Brian Binley
Vice-Chairman
Sarah Canning
Partner - Head of
Litigation, Franklins LLP
Gerald Couldrake
Company Secretary,
advised by Naomi Green
of BEIS
Graham Goss
Chartered Accountant
Greenslades Ltd
Cllr Heather Smith
Northamptonshire
County Council
The Board Members responsible for leading the closure process are:

4. Closure Report 2016
Business & Innovation
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Our programmes and interventions to support Business & Innovation in
Northamptonshire have been targeted at small, growing businesses and a
range of different-sized businesses within Northamptonshire’s four key sectors.
Key actions such as helping businesses to start up, grow and trade
internationally to help improve performance and productivity have all been
successfully implemented.
Northamptonshire Growth Hub
The Northamptonshire Growth Hub (NGH) has been a strong
partnership between NEP, The University of Northampton and
Northamptonshire County Council.
One of the first Growth Hubs to be established (November
2013), NGH has been at the forefront of national Growth Hub
delivery and development since its launch, delivering strong
and effective support to Northamptonshire businesses.
In 2016, NGH has continued to grow its client base with
over 2,500 Northamptonshire companies now supported
and with a growing number of public and private sector
referral partners. NEP has collaborated with the university on
strategic development of the service and led on marketing
and publicity.
Also in 2016, NEP has strongly supported two university-led
ERDF bids that will establish new programmes for supporting
start-up, growth and innovation by Northamptonshire SMEs.

5. Closure Report 2016
Business & Innovation
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NEP has worked closely with the Food & Drink
industry - one of Northamptonshire’s priority
sectors employing around 40,000 people in the
local economy - to develop a programme of
support for established and young and growing
Food & Drink businesses.
NEP’s Food & Drink sector strategy
board is representative of the industry in
Northamptonshire and includes names such as
British Pepper & Spice, The Mallows Company,
Carlsberg UK, Farrington Oils, National Farmers
Union, Phipps Brewery and Weetabix.
Food & Drink manufacture is a strong feature
of the sector in Northamptonshire and in
2016 NEP developed the Northamptonshire
Manufacturing Forum, chaired by Alex Cosgrove,
Head of UK Manufacturing at Weetabix. The
Forum has focused strongly on shared learning
and best practice in manufacturing and in local
manufacturing supply chains.
Food & Drink and the Manufacturing Forum
Internationalisation -
supporting company investment and increased export activity
Alongside UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), Northamptonshire Growth Hub, Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce
and other partners, NEP has continued to undertake a prominent support role helping Northamptonshire SMEs in
particular to explore new markets for export.
In April 2016, NEP hosted the UKTI Big Export Truck in Corby and delivered sector focused talks on Food & Drink
exporting, general sessions on getting into export and advice sessions on specific export markets.
NEP has also delivered other export market specific activity for locations such as Flanders, Germany and China.
Support for company matching between Northamptonshire High Performance Technology (HPT) companies and
Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and vehicle development companies in 2014 and 2015 continues to
pay dividends in 2016 with new export contracts for companies such as Fahr/Axon Automotive and Mahle Powertrain.

6. Closure Report 2016
Business & Innovation
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Midlands Engine
NEP has been strongly engaged with various parts of the Midlands Engine project in 2016. Most notably, working
closely with the Promotions and Communications group and their joint LEP approach to the MIPIM property event
in Cannes, contributing four investment opportunities (one in Daventry, two in Corby and one in Northampton) to the
UKTI sponsored, Midlands Engine Pitch Book.
NEP has also supported several successful UKTI Midlands Engine Challenge Fund projects as part of the work of
this group and are partners in a bid to Visit Britain’s Discover England Fund. NEP has actively contributed to the
development of the Midlands Engine Investment Fund at a Board and Officer level and the discussions around
structure and how to split the overall fund into a series of targeted sub funds.
The Midlands Engine for Growth is an ambitious plan to grow the regional and UK economy to generate an
additional £34bn over the next 15 years and to create 300,000 jobs. The Midlands Engine is a partnership between
the regions’ Local Enterprise Partnerships, businesses, universities, local authorities and wider partners.
Logistics
NEP’s Northamptonshire Logistics Forum was created in October 2015 to enable those within the sector in
Northamptonshire to meet and discuss common issues and work collaboratively on the issues identified.
The industry led Forum is chaired by Tony Bellott, General Manager, NDC Operations at John Lewis with
representatives including XPO Logistics, Yusen Logistics, Knights of Old, C.BUTT, Wincanton, Kuehne & Nagel,
Road Haulage Association, Chartered institute of Logistics and Transport as well as the University of Northampton.
Skills related issues have continued to dominate NEP’s logistics sector work in 2016. These include the promotion
of the sector to young people and inspiring students to choose a career in logistics, not least of those attending
Northampton College’s Logistics Academy. They also include innovation and tackling the barriers affecting industry
growth including the Driver Assessment Accreditation Pilot, Warehouse Accreditation Pilot, Infrastructure challenges,
Smart Motorways and employment challenges.
Northamptonshire Logistics Awards
In April 2016, the first annual
Northamptonshire Logistics Awards was
launched to much acclaim. The competition
was designed to celebrate the current
success and achievements of individuals
and teams working in the sector locally and
to raise the profile of the industry, promoting
the significant diversity and ongoing
excellence of logistics operations based in
Northamptonshire.
The Awards also provided a showcase
for the industry’s future workforce locally,
encouraging young people currently deciding
on their future careers to consider logistics
as an option. This will help to ensure that
the thousands of new jobs forecasted to be
created are filled.

7. Closure Report 2016
Business & Innovation
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High Performance Technologies
In 2016, NEP has continued to strongly support the High Performance Technology (HPT) network in
Northamptonshire, providing a comprehensive range of business development initiatives to help HPT companies
grow, expand and create jobs.
The HPT network comprises of over 1,000 innovative companies within the fields of motorsport, automotive,
defence, aerospace and energy, contributing £2bn to the local economy and employing over 20,000 people in
Northamptonshire.
NEP has recently focused on helping HPT
companies access new market opportunities
through the transferability of cross cutting
technologies to other industry sectors and
has been a lead partner in the delivery of the
high profile British Grand Prix Business event
‘Driving Technological Change’.
NEP has worked closely with the Motorsport
Industry Association on delivery of this in
2016 with the event securing over £5m of
business opportunities between overseas
markets and UK HPT companies.
Another example of NEP’s work has been
with the Rail Supply Group and Railway
Industry Association to actively promote the
innovation and supply chain opportunities
emerging on the back of unprecedented
growth within the rail Industry. It has so far
supported over 80 HPT companies seeking
opportunities in new markets.
Up-skilling is a key driver in productivity growth within the HPT industry, both locally and nationally. NEP has been
working with local training providers to implement a series of modular engineering training courses across different
skill levels to address some of the training gaps that have been identified by the local HPT industry.
NEP has continued to support businesses on a one to one basis to help address a range of skills, training and
recruitment needs, providing essential input to help strengthen the overall HPT supply chain.
Creative and Cultural Industries
The Creative and Cultural Industries (CCI) are a prominent part of the
Northamptonshire economy and in 2016, working with the industry
strategy group, NEP has mixed support for individual companies in
sub sectors such as fashion and textiles, the visitor economy and
digital technologies, with that given to arts initiatives such as
What’s Next and Made in Corby.
In May, guided by the strategy group and working alongside key
partners, the Northamptonshire Arts Management Trust (NAMT),
the University of Northampton, Balance and the Improbable Theatre
Company, we staged a two-day ‘Open Space’ event attended by
over 100 local CCI companies and organisations - discussing and
agreeing a plan for new activity across a range of arts and creative activities.
Recommendations from this work have influenced a subsequent proposal
to Arts Council England, led by NAMT, for supporting funding.
The outcome of this proposal is expected early in 2017.

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Business & Innovation
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Visitor Economy
Northamptonshire has an exceptional visitor offer
including more historic houses than any other county
in the country. However, this high quality offer which
includes Silverstone, the home of British Motorsport,
seminal moments in history including the Battle of
Naseby, the capture of King Charles I and the execution
of Mary Queen of Scots as well as our heritage as
the centre of men’s world class footwear is not widely
understood.
This means that Northamptonshire’s economy and
the individual attractions do not capture the number of
visitors or spend that they might.
Those involved in the visitor economy recognised this
and at NEP’s Heritage in the Economy Conference in
September 2015 they agreed to work collaboratively to
better promote Northamptonshire as a great place to visit
with Lord Spencer hosting an event in late 2015 to kick
start this initiative.
NEP has worked closely with the Northamptonshire Lord Lieutenancy, country houses owners and
representatives of the local Creative and Cultural Industry to develop an exciting new branding and marketing
campaign to reposition and promote the county to national and international audiences.
This campaign has been developed with the invaluable expertise and leadership of James Lowther, recently
retired founding partner and Chairman at M&C Saatchi, and will be supported by a dedicated industry supported
website and will be market tested at the World Travel Market in London in November 2016 before being formally
launched by partner organisations in March 2017.

9. Closure Report 2016
Who we’ve helped
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“NEP has helped to transform XCAM in the time that it has worked with the
company and we are so grateful for the help we’ve received over the last few
years. A really key part of this support was that NEP took so much time and
effort to get to know us all personally - it was so easy for us to approach the
NEP team for help or guidance whenever needed.”
Karen Holland
CEO, XCAM
“Turnell and Odell have had interaction with NEP in various capacities and I can
only speak highly of the services they have provided. We have been fortunate
to have received some financial assistance with investments based around jobs
directly created and help on mentoring projects.”
“I have also been involved with working on Manufacturing Forums, High
Performance Technology groups and the Mentoring programmes that have
brought benefits directly to companies based in Northamptonshire. The high
level of knowledge, involvement of local businesses and quick reaction has
made this a very powerful and reactive organisation.”
Clive Odell
Managing Director, Turnell & Odell
“I have worked closely with NEP for a few years now through my involvement with
the Logistics Strategy board that they created and I have always been incredibly
impressed by the enthusiasm and understanding they have shown for the logistics
industry.”
“There is no question that without the support and vision of NEP, the first inaugural
Northamptonshire Logistics Awards wouldn’t have taken place earlier this year.
Not only did this give us the opportunity to raise the profile of the logistics industry,
it also raised funds which have been used for training for young people who wish
to enter into the industry.”
Elaine Harries
Managing Director, Action Express
“I believe there are strengths that NEP should be proud of like their encouragement
and support of collaboration between local businesses and promoting commercial
growth by engaging with the local community at every level ... basically getting
things done. That, in my opinion, is a rare quality with no hidden agendas.”
Tony Bellott
General Manager, NDC Operations, John Lewis / Chair, Logistics Forum
“TotalSim Ltd have worked with NEP over the last five years on numerous projects.
In particular, NEP has been key in progressing TotalSim’s Catesby tunnel project by
providing support and funding.”
“Other NEP supported projects have enabled TotalSim to expand their offices and
capabilities for digital scanning of 3D objects, building of bespoke computers and
enhancing design capabilities, all of which has supported the growth and success
of TotalSim over the past five years.”
Rob Lewis
Managing Director, TotalSim

10. Closure Report 2016
Employment & Skills
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Talent for Care Group Project
Given the significant impact of the Apprenticeship Reforms and the
employer levy for the NHS, NEP’s Employment and Skills Team has been
working in partnership with the Talent for Care Group to raise awareness
of the wide range of apprenticeship opportunities available across
the NHS.
Building on its established Love Bright Futures brand, NEP developed
a joint campaign which included case studies of current apprentices,
a high profile high street poster campaign on major routes across
Northamptonshire, a range of marketing collateral and linking NHS
colleagues with the wider Enterprise Adviser programme as well as
creating opportunities to engage with students.
The project also included NHS sponsorship which has enabled some of
NEP’s Enterprise Adviser schools to introduce an Alumni programme.
This approach has proved successful in helping to inspire young people
and to raise their aspirations for future career choices.
Michael Ellis MP Apprenticeship Show
From the early planning stages, NEP has worked closely with
Michael Ellis MP’s office to support the delivery of the prestigious
Michael Ellis MP Apprenticeship Show. The event was the first local
apprenticeship show of its type and one which attracted significant
ministerial and media interest.
On 22 April 2016, over 300 year 11 and sixth form students
attended the event at the Royal & Derngate in Northampton.
As part of the event, NEP developed a series of workshops for the
students which covered why apprenticeships are so important to
businesses with guest speakers Church’s Shoes and Opus Energy,
apprenticeship opportunities in Northamptonshire with NEP’s
Employment & Skills team and how to submit a winning apprenticeship
application (Northampton College).
The show also included an Apprenticeship Fair which was supported by
many of Northamptonshire’s leading businesses including Barclaycard,
Dachser, Travis Perkins, Shoosmiths and St Andrews Healthcare.
Love Bright Futures Campaign
Our dream jobs with top companies in Northamptonshire was one of
several crowd-pulling straplines as part of a major campaign launched by
NEP in 2015 and continuing to date which encourages apprenticeship
and graduate training opportunities in Northamptonshire.
The campaign’s aim and legacy has been to give Northamptonshire’s
young people fresh insight into the many great career and training
programmes available right on their doorstep.
Numerous local businesses, large and small have welcomed in large
numbers the campaigns’ strong messages which include the importance
of investing in young people and their training requirements, essential for
most companies to ensure sustainability and growth.
In 2016, the overall focus of the campaign has been consistent with
businesses in all key sectors continuing to respond positively, pledging
and acting upon their commitment to forge stronger links with students
and schools, offer apprenticeships, graduate trainee and work placement
positions and to participate in careers events.
The campaign website replicates much of the publicity and ambient media so far by featuring many of
Northamptonshire’s real apprentices and prominent local businesses investing in their young employees.
SEMLEP will take responsibility for www.lovebrightfutures.com moving forward.

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Employment & Skills
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Apprentice Ambassadors
NEP’s Apprentice Ambassadors have continued to be inspiring role
models through their engagement with young people. They have
supported a number of events including a series of pop-up job shops
in schools during April and May, The Michael Ellis MP Apprenticeship
Show as well as various school events and other employment and
skills activities.
In terms of their own development, the feedback from individual
ambassadors has been very encouraging.
“I’d struggle to tell you how much I’ve learnt
through being an Apprentice Ambassador.
The programme has really helped me.”
“The Apprentice Ambassador Programme has
given me so many transferable skills and made
me much more confident.”
Apprentice Ambassadors, Ryan Finnegan, is one
of the East Midlands finalists in the 2016 National
Apprenticeship Awards.
Apprenticeship Task & Finish
Group
In response to discussions by NEP’s
Employment & Skills Strategy Board,
NEP set-up an Apprenticeship Task
& Finish Group to identify emerging
national policy and guidance on the
Apprenticeship Reforms to ensure
a co-ordinated approach in helping
businesses to prepare for the impact
of these changes.
The group produced an action plan
with three key objectives:
1) To support Northamptonshire
businesses and key stakeholders
to prepare for the Apprenticeship
Reforms; helping Government to
achieve their ambition of
3 million apprenticeships by 2020.
2) To ensure all key stakeholders
work collaboratively across the
Northamptonshire network.
3) To Improve young people’s
knowledge of apprenticeships and
career pathways.
Membership of the group includes
Northamptonshire colleges, Prospects,
Northamptonshire County Council and
some employer representatives. The
Apprenticeship Action Plan highlights
key activities to drive forward these
significant changes.
The Place for Engineering
A new Northamptonshire campaign targeting
ex-forces personnel was launched by NEP in May,
enabling local companies to promote vacancies to
this highly skilled target group.
Hosted by Northampton Saints, the launch took
place at a specially convened Forces Recruitment
Fair where exhibiting Northamptonshire
companies were joined by prominent ex-forces
staff now settled and pursuing successful careers
in Northamptonshire.
Championing exceptional career development
opportunities, the wider lifestyle offer, locational
strengths and high ranking quality of life reviews,
NEP has enjoyed backing and excellent support
from CTP and the REME Job Agency as well as
from Northamptonshire businesses countywide.
SEMLEP will take responsibility for
www.theplaceforengineering.com
moving forward.
“This was an excellent event and we really enjoyed delivering the workshop to
promote the range of opportunities across our business. These individuals have
so much to offer and Philip Doyle, our Military Project Manager, was able to share
his own experience with potential applicants to show the support we can offer in
making the transition to the next step in their career”.
Robin Tringham
HR Business Partner at Kuehne + Nagel

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Employment & Skills
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Enterprise Advisers Programme
In 2016, NEP has continued to work in close partnership with
The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to further develop
and build on the success of the Enterprise Advisers Programme in
Northamptonshire whilst also playing a significant role in contributing to
the development of programme on a national level.
CEC held its first annual conference in Liverpool in May and several members of NEP’s Enterprise Adviser Network
were invited to deliver presentations and form part of the Enterprise Adviser Network Panel. They received praise
and recognition from CEC for the high quality and effectiveness of NEP’s Enterprise Advisers Programme and was
held up as an example of best practice for other LEP areas engaged in the programme.
In Northamptonshire, the Enterprise Adviser Programme has continued to grow. 25 fully trained Enterprise Advisers
are now working with 29 schools throughout Northamptonshire with new schools expressing an interest to engage
all the time.
Over the last six months, NEP has made a hugely positive impact in terms of developing plans and strategies
designed to ensure Northamptonshire’s young people are as prepared as possible for the world of work.
Notable successes achieved through NEP’s Enterprise Adviser Programme include:
• 100% of schools have included raising awareness of apprenticeships in their development plans. Local
employer, Opus Energy, has seen an increase of 100% in the number of apprenticeship applications over
the last year
• Additional employer engagement activities have been delivered to over 5,600 students throughout the county
• 271 new employers have engaged with the programme
• Many schools are now exploring how to measure the impact of Careers and Work Related Learning activities
to ensure these are of high quality, purposeful and impact all students across all year groups
NEP held a celebration event in June 2016
which saw all of its Enterprise Advisers and
their partner schools come together for the
first time to mark the significant progress
made in the first full year of the Enterprise
Adviser Programme.
The event gave attendees the opportunity
to reflect on their individual progress, share
good practice and attend workshops
enabling them to benchmark against the
eight recommendations in the Gatsby
report.
“Thanks to the programme, we now have a much more ambitious strategy
which has seen our enterprise and work-related learning plan shift to have
greater significance and status.
“The support for the Enterprise Adviser
Programme by our management
committee, staff, parents/carers and
pupils has been overwhelming and, with
a national network with which to better
understand best practice, we have many
more ideas for employer engagement
moving forward.”
Cath Kitchen
Head Teacher at the HOE

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Employment & Skills
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The Inspiration Agenda - Big Business in the Classroom Conference
NEP, in partnership with STEMNET, hosted The Inspiration Agenda - Big Business in the Classroom Conference in
June 2016, attracting over 120 attendees from schools, colleges and local businesses in Northamptonshire.
With the aim of strengthening education and industry links, the conference built on NEP’s success in establishing an
extensive Enterprise Advisers network and work programme for Northamptonshire; work that is designed to unlock
the potential and enhance the future prospects of the county’s young people whilst reducing the skills gap.
The event brought key people
together from both the
education sector and local
industry sectors to discuss the
issues surrounding careers
education in the classroom,
plan local industry involvement
and further enhance and bring
relevance to the curriculum.
It also highlighted to employers
the significant benefits of
engaging with schools as
either an Enterprise Adviser,
Inspirer or STEMNET
ambassador and included
skills-based leadership
development opportunities as
well as the a chance to access
and foster local business
networks.
To support local Northamptonshire schools with their drive for higher standards, the Big Business in the Classroom
Conference aimed to inspire teachers to develop curricula and pedagogy that is engaging, motivating and linked to
the world of work and business.
Teach Northamptonshire
Due to be launched in January 2017, Teach
Northamptonshire is a new Northamptonshire Teacher
Recruitment portal and three-year marketing campaign.
Developed by NEP in partnership with Northamptonshire
County Council (NCC) and Northamptonshire schools, the
objective is to help address the significant recruitment and
retention challenge faced by schools countywide.
Fast population growth, a strengthening Northamptonshire
economy and ageing population are contributing factors.
The county needs a further 300 teachers to accommodate
pupil projections alone.
This UK-wide campaign builds on the considerable success of work undertaken by NEP to date, supporting
Northamptonshire Teaching Schools with Trainee Teacher recruitment. Promoting Northamptonshire as an excellent
place to start, build and develop a teaching career, the campaign showcases a commitment to exceptional standards
of teaching as well as the county’s wider lifestyle offer, locational strengths and high ranking quality of life reviews.
Positioning Northamptonshire as the place to succeed in
teaching, the campaign will target not only those within a
one-hour drive time of London, where the lifestyle offer is
so attractive, but also talent pools in locations where over
supply is well-documented.
The website build was completed in August 2016
and free school profile pages are now available to all
Northamptonshire schools. At the time of writing 70 have
completed profiles ahead of the October deadline.
The portal will sell the benefits of both living and teaching
in Northamptonshire, with functionality to enable
schools to advertise job and governance vacancies. The system will integrate with social media channels so that
all new posts are featured on Twitter, Facebook and job sites as appropriate. It will also facilitate online application
management and automated email alerts. It will provide the following for applicants:
• Information about living and working in Northamptonshire
• Interactive maps to show vacancies as well as ‘places within the place’
• Facility to apply online for job vacancies
• Newsletter subscription
• Short video clip bringing the Teach Northamptonshire proposition to life
Teach Northamptonshire will be launched by NCC in January 2017.

14. Closure Report 2016
26 27northamptonshireep.co.uk
Infrastructure & Connectivity
As stated in the SEP, Northamptonshire has ambitious targets with regards to the creation of jobs and new homes
(32,500 jobs and 37,000 homes by 2021; 70,000 jobs and 80,000 homes by 2031).
Through funding programmes delivered by NEP, we have been taking great strides towards achieving those goals.
The High Performance Technologies (HPT) Investment Programme, funded by Regional Growth Fund and
European Regional Development Fund, safeguarded and created 539 jobs. The HPT R&D Investment Programme
is due to create 291 jobs by March 2018.
Other programmes such as
Apprenticeships will also have added
to the jobs figures by supporting young
people into jobs alongside the Sir
Thomas White’s Northampton Charity
grants which help young people prepare
for a better future in the labour market.
Through Northamptonshire’s Growth
Deal, NEP has already allocated £63m
(excluding DfT retained scheme) to
support local transport and infrastructure
schemes, leading to the creation of over
130,000 jobs and over 100,000 homes in
the longer term.
Projects include the development of
the A43 from Northampton to Kettering
and Stanton Cross development at
Wellingborough. Through a partnership
with SEMLEP, NEP bid for a further
£149m from the third round of Growth
Deals to support 18 projects across both
LEP areas. Benefits derived from the joint submission will be announced in the Autumn statement.
Another national scheme delivered by NEP for Northamptonshire is the Growing Places Fund which has seen
£5.5m of funding provided by a loan agreement to support local infrastructure. This included funding road
improvements at St John’s and the Plough junction in Northampton which has enabled the development of a
468-bed student hall of residence for the University of Northampton.
Sir Thomas White’s Northampton Charity
Earlier in the year, NEP was chosen by Sir Thomas White’s Northampton Charity to manage/administer a grant
funding programme on its behalf. The charity is responsible for a legacy fund left by Sir Thomas White, an English
cloth merchant born in 1492. Even after his death in 1567, he left a legacy which has enabled young people to set
themselves up in business or provide education.
Through the programme, grant funding of up to £1,000 has been available to support young people between the
ages of 16 and 34 in Northampton to enter employment or to progress within their careers. NEP was allocated a
total of £50,000 by the charity and through four funding calls has managed to support 60 young people.

15. Closure Report 2016
Infrastructure & Connectivity
28 29northamptonshireep.co.uk
During the operating period in 2016, NEP has concentrated on research and influencing activity that will support
the longer term growth of Northamptonshire. Three studies were completed to assess airport, rail and utilities
capacity to better understand how each of these critical enabling infrastructures were and would continue to meet
Northamptonshire’s growth aspirations. The studies specifically considered:
Aviation - produced in response to concern
regarding future provision of air capacity for the county
and the potential to develop dedicated airport facilities
there. The scope had a number of areas covering
aviation, wider transport, and economic issues that
were assessed to understand future airport capacity
provision and its economic importance to the county.
Rail - SLC Rail were commissioned to assess
the adequacy of rail industry plans to support the
economic development of Northamptonshire as
set out in the Strategic Economic Plan to 2031,
recognising that rail has a vital role to play in
supporting economic growth. Rail patronage has
doubled since 1994 and is likely to do so again in
the next 20 years, therefore NEP wished to identify
Northamptonshire’s key priorities for the rail industry
in order to influence franchise specifications and the
DfT’s next High Level Output Statement. This will be
finalised in 2018 for investment in the five-year period
2019-2024.
Utilities - this reviewed the anticipated strategic growth within Northamptonshire and assessed the ability of the
strategic electricity, gas, sewage and waste water and water supply and distribution infrastructure to meet the
demand of this growth and any further growth over the coming 15 years. This identified any constraints at the level of
individual geographies for each type of infrastructure.
NEP also commissioned SDG to develop a response to the National Infrastructure Commission’s (NIC) call for
evidence on the Cambridge - Milton Keynes - Oxford ‘growth corridor’ on behalf of the Buckinghamshire Thames
Valley, Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough, Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire and South
East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnerships. This evidential response was developed in partnership with the Local
Authorities and wider stakeholders and was submitted to the NIC on 5 August 2016.
A response was also submitted to the NIC
call for evidence on electricity interconnection
and storage. This was developed with expert
technical support from Peter Brett Associates
and with significant input from business and
public sector partners. The response focused
on addressing four main questions posed by
the NIC:
• Balancing of the grid in terms
of supply and demand
• Barriers to the deployment of
energy storage
• Appropriate level of electricity
interconnection
• Lessons learnt from
international best practice
regarding balancing supply and
demand

16. Closure Report 2016
Rural Economy ESIF
30 31northamptonshireep.co.uk
The Growth
Programme
LEADER
Countryside
Productivity
Countryside
Stewardship
RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAMME
2014 - 2020
Going Further, Faster.
northamptonshireep.co.uk
Northamptonshire’s
Rural Funding Factsheet
Continuing resource pressures, the growth of the knowledge economy, climate
change, an ageing but wealthier population, new industries and new ways to
communicate and purchase goods and services are just some of the issues
and opportunities rural Northamptonshire faces.
In 2015, NEP hosted a Rural Conference that discussed these issues.
From this event it was agreed to host a Rural Task and Finish Group that was
asked to develop a Rural Plan for Northamptonshire. The plan, completed
in summer 2016, has identified key themes, issues and priorities that affect
Northamptonshire’s rural economy and has identified partnerships to lead the
way to resolve them.
The key themes were:
• Infrastructure and Housing
Ensuring suitable infrastructure is in place to enable economic growth
including roads, transport, utilities and broadband
• Economic Growth
Providing rural businesses with appropriate support to ensure the
development and diversification of a dynamic and innovative rural economy
and ensuring the development of a strong brand to promote Northamptonshire
• Social Environment
Promoting and supporting the employment and skills needs within the rural economy
• Natural Environment
Protecting and enhancing the environmental assets of Northamptonshire to support sustainable development
Funding for Rural Areas
Under the Growth Programme, which is funded from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
to help projects create jobs and help rural economy growth, NEP was allocated a total of £2.12 million.
During 2015/16, NEP identified that a priority area for investment was to support the growth and development of
micro businesses and SMEs based in the rural parts of Northamptonshire.
Reflecting its rural composition with agriculture, food & drink and tourism all being important employers in the county,
it was agreed to prioritise funding that would support micro and small businesses including farming companies that
wished to develop projects promoting rural tourism and food & drink processing activities.
Since April 2016, NEP has been able to provide one-to-one support and guidance to these businesses, helping them
set out their ideas. Approval of these applications and allocation of funding will be made in Autumn 2016.
Over a year ago, we saw the launch of the European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) programme
for 2014-2020 with NEP responsible for implementing the ESIF strategy in Northamptonshire.
The strategy provides the basis for activity that will be supported by each of the three funding strands:
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF: 28,132 euros), European Social Fund (ESF: 26.6 euros)
and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD: £2.2m) which collectively make-up
the ESIF programme.
Throughout the year, NEP has run a series of awareness raising events and workshops to promote the
programme and opportunities for providers to bid under the various funding calls to deliver services to
support businesses and people in Northamptonshire.
NEP has also provided support on an individual
basis working closely with local providers on a
variety of proposals to meet the needs of both
the programme and the local service required
for the area. In brief, the calls under the ERDF
and ESF strands have been aimed at providers
who will deliver support services.
Under the EAFRD programme, which is aimed
at the rural economy, businesses were able to
apply directly to the fund for individual support.
NEP commissioned a consultant who has been
working with those applicants to develop their
bids.
The initial period of delivery is for activity up
to 2018, therefore not all of the funding is
allocated. There will be changes to the overall
programme due to the decision for Britain
to leave the EU, the outcome of which is starting to unfold. However, contracts up to 2018 will be
honoured.
The initial period of delivery has focused up until 2018, with half of the overall programme value
released to fund activity to support business and innovation, employment and skills and rural issues in
Northamptonshire.
Our thanks go to members of the ESIF Sub-Committee for Northamptonshire who oversaw the delivery
of the programme and provided valued input on local strategic impact.

17. Closure Report 2016
Summary of Accounts
32 33northamptonshireep.co.uk
Fixed assets
Tangible Assets
Current assets
Debtors
Cash at Bank and in Hand
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year
Net Current Assets
Total Assets Less Current Liabilities
Net Assets
Reserves
Profit and Loss Account
Surplus
17,363 15,096
87,387 89,171
1,240,200 3,617,298
1,327,587 3,706,469
1,097,399 3,471,524
230,188 234,945
247,551 250,041
247,551 250,041
247,551 250,041
247,551 250,041
2016 2015
£ £
Balance Sheet - Year ended 31 March 2016 Detailed Profit & Loss Account - Year ended 31 March 2016
Turnover
Local Authority Income
NCC Capital Funding
Other Public Funding
Private Sector
Deferred Income
Mobile TIC
Cost of Sales
Project Costs
Project Delivery Costs
Total Cost of Sales
Gross Profit
Corporate and Establishment Costs
Other Operating Income
Released Reserves
Bank Interest Receivable
Deficit on Ordinary Activities
302,683 795,162
250,000 910,000
2,059,981 3,207,370
235,980 127,147
2,060,653
4,909,297 5,039,679
3,441,480 (3,884,168)
708,114 (672,876)
4,149,594 (4,557,044)
759,703 482,635
873,849 489,390
(114,146) (6,755)
104,270 0
9,232 6,133
(643) (622)
2016 2015
£ £
Please note:
The reserve figure of £247,551 has been released as Income for 2016/17 financial period to
fund expenditure activity during the current financial year.

18. Five Year Review
Closure Report 2016
34 35northamptonshireep.co.uk
NEP has undertaken a very wide range of programme management and delivery, as well as high
profile campaigns promoting Northamptonshire the place to a range of target audiences.
Below are just a few examples of what has been achieved over the last five years and some of the
hundreds of Northamptonshire companies that have been supported towards innovation, growth and
the creation of new jobs.
Logistics Awards 2016Support for Creative Industries
Construction Campaign The Place to Teach
Heritage Week 2015
Carlsberg UK
Northamptonshire
Food & Drink Awards
Enterprise Advisers
model adopted nationwide Annual Export Week Campaign
Annual Driving Technological Change
Conference
Love Bright Futures Campaign
Northamptonshire Growth Hub The Place for Engineering
October 2015
A £120m growth funding package which could
create up to 2,000 jobs and 3,000 new homes
in Northamptonshire was officially signed off
by government minister, Penny Mordaunt MP,
during a county visit.
October 2014
Sam Gyimah MP, Parliamentary under Secretary of
State for Childcare and Education, visits Northampton
Academy to see the impact that NEP’s Enterprise
Advisers Programme, which links the worlds of
education and work, has had on young people
in schools locally. He was keen to learn what
Northamptonshire has been doing to ‘lead the way’
as the programme rolls out nationally.
April 2016
BBC Capital
Northampton - ‘This is the most enterprising place in Britain’

19. Working in Partnership
Closure Report 2016
36 37northamptonshireep.co.uk
NEP developed its governance structure to ensure that a wide range of public, private, voluntary,
community and other partners were involved in driving forward our business.
Our sincere thanks go to the many talented and committed individuals (over 230 of them) who have
striven to ensure that NEP continually operated to the highest standards of propriety in the best interests
of Northamptonshire, its businesses and its people by sitting on the following Boards.
NEP Board
Chair: John Markham OBE
Business & Innovation Strategy Board
Chair: David Rolton - Founder, Rolton Group
Deputy Chair: Jon Corbett - Head of Corporate Banking, Barclays
Employment & Skills Strategy Board
Chair: Stephen Davies - Chief Executive & Principal, Moulton College
Deputy Chair: Cllr. Tom Beattie - Leader, Corby Borough Council
Housing Strategy Board
Chair: David Reynolds OBE DL - Chairman, NNDC
Deputy Chair: Chris Hatfield - Managing Director, David Wilson Homes
Infrastructure & Connectivity Strategy Board
Chair: Cllr Heather Smith - Leader, Northamptonshire County Council
Deputy Chair: James Saunders-Watson - Owner, Rockingham Castle
Northamptonshire ESIF Committee
Chair: Cllr. André Gonzalez De Savage - Northamptonshire County Council
Deputy Chair: Melanie Crunkhorn - ERDF Governance Manager, DCLG
Finance & Audit Sub-Committee
Chair: Graham Goss - Chartered Accountant, Greenslades Ltd.
Prosperity Board
Chair: John Markham OBE - Chair, NEP
Growth Implementation Board
Chair: John Markham OBE - Chair, NEP
Logistics Sector Board
Chair: Tony Bellott - General Manager, NDC Operations, John Lewis
Food & Drink Sector Board
Joint Chair: Declan Kennedy - General Manager, TMI Foods
Joint Chair: Ian James - Chief Executive, British Pepper & Spice
Creative & Cultural Sector Board
Chair: Martin Sutherland - Chief Executive, Royal & Derngate
High Performance Technology Sector Board
Chair: Julian Winch - Director and General Manager Snap-On Finance
Government Advisers
A special thanks to Rowena Limb, Naomi Green BEIS and Mark Foley,
Ian White, Mel Crunkhorn and Brenden Byczkowski, DCLG for their advice
and support as government’s representatives to Northamptonshire
Enterprise Partnership.

20. northamptonshireep.co.uk