Ambassadors programme to promote county is endorsed by Norfolk Business Board

An Ambassadors programme to champion the county and the launch of the Local Growth Plan were among the items discussed at the second meeting of the Norfolk Business Board held at the UEA.

The Norfolk Ambassadors Programme will be made up of business partners from across the county who are passionate about Norfolk both as a place to live and do business and cover all sectors, identifying and coordinating opportunities for the Ambassadors to raise its profile. Ambassadors will provide a voice for Norfolk businesses at a regional and national level and advise policymakers about the real issues facing businesses across the county. They will also help the board understand those business needs and the priorities they want to voice to government. Board members backed the formation of the programme and a steering group to provide support, strategic direction and oversight.

Norfolk's Local Growth Plan sets out an up-to-date economic growth strategy for the county for the next 5 years and serves as a framework for a wide range of partners including districts, education institutes and the private sector. Board members discussed an initial launch of the strategy in Norwich in January 2025, and the subsequent development of an action plan which they will feed into and bring stakeholders together to develop bottom-up solutions.

An overview of sectors that are key to the growth of Norfolk's economy was presented at the meeting by Innovation Hubs Coordinator Scott Cogman. Opportunities to engage with Connected Innovation events were highlighted, such as the Norwich AI Summit on 21 January and the Create Growth Programme investor showcase planned for 25 February.

The board will also support the development of programmes to leverage funding and use the Connected Innovation Programme as a vehicle to implement strategy and connect with wider innovation/ cluster growth initiatives/ partners.

Published: 10 December 2024