South West Investment Panel
Latest News - 30 June 2011
The South West RDA has ceased to administer new applications for
the Grant for Business Investment. The Coalition Government has
decided to transfer the management and delivery of existing grants
under the Grant for Business Investment (GBI) and Selective Finance
for Investment in England (SFIE) programmes from Regional
Development Agencies (RDAs) across England, including South West
RDA to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) by
01 September 2011. For further information
please see the GBI page.
About the Panel
Regional Investment Boards were originally established at the
time of the 1972 Industry Act with the principal purpose of
advising the Secretary of State for Industry or his officials on
major grant applications. This remains the main function of all the
Regional Investment Panels although they now advise their
respective Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), to whom the
Secretary of State has delegated responsibility for grants less
than £2m.
Members of the Panels are experienced senior representatives of
industry and commerce in the regions concerned. Meetings are
dependent on demand but are usually held monthly in Exeter.
The role of the South West Investment Panel
The Panel's casework comprises the consideration of applications
for Grant for Business Investment (GBI) in the range £250,000 to
£2,000,000. The Panel's consideration covers:
- An assessment of the financial and commercial viability of the
applicant and the proposal;
- How well each case meets the policy objectives and criteria of
GBI, notably viability, additionality and economic efficiency;The
industrial and regional case for supporting the project;
- Value for money, and the level of assistance to be
offered.
Panel members are provided with papers giving a detailed
appraisal of each case and at meetings are given a short
presentation by one of the appraisal team from the South West RDA.
The Panel then advises the South West RDA on whether or not the
application should be supported.
South West RDA transition and closure
South West Investment Panel held its final meeting on 28 April
2011. Responsibility for approving GBI applications will
revert to the ERDF Endorsement Advisory Groups from 1 July
2011.
The current members of the South West Investment Panel are as
follows:
Mr Terence Slater
(Chairman)
Region Director South West, EEF Ltd
Rev Dr Susan
Astbury
Former Company Director, Atlantic Inertial
Systems Ltd
Mr Jim
Barnard
Independent Consultant
Mrs Anne Blunn
Finance
and Commercial Director, Becatech Ltd
Mr Stephen
Branfield
Retired, former Partner, Foot Anstey
Solicitors
Mr Ken Burrows
Retired,
former Chairman and Chief Executive of Somerset Chamber of Commerce
and Industry Ltd
Mr Richard
Church
Assistant Director of Transaction Advisory
Services, Ernst & Young LLP
Mr Jeremy Knight
Self
Employed Finance Consultant, First Consulting Group
Mr Richard
Morgan
Retired, former CEO, British Filters Ltd
Ms Jane
Stubbs
Retired, former Partner, Pricewaterhouse
Coopers LLP
Mr Robin
Sutton
Independent Consultant
Mr Nathan
Waller
Director of Business and Commercial Banking,
Royal Bank of Scotland
Register
of Panel Members Financial and Business Interests 2010
Details of the activities of all the Regional Industrial
Development Boards are contained in the Industrial
Development Act Annual Report 2009-2010