Ideopolis Internationa

Merseyside Entrepreneurship Commission What is the Entrepreneurship Commission?

The Entrepreneurship Commission is a group of entrepreneurs based in Merseyside or with powerful links to the area, who are running or have created successful ventures. They have come together because of their belief in the potential of Merseyside and their confidence that successful entrepreneurs - from all communities across Merseyside - hold the key to prosperity for all.

What are its aims?

The overall aim is to create across Merseyside a genuine entrepreneurial culture - or perhaps more accurately to re-create the culture that led local to create great ventures here and those from outside Merseyside to come here to create their businesses.

More specifically to build a City-Region in which all individuals, groups and communities are better equipped to:

• Respond positively and creatively to opportunities and change.
• Create, build and support new, businesses and realise the full potential of existing ventures, employing - where appropriate - new ideas and ways of working, and make sound assessments of risks and rewards and act upon them.
• Enable all to create an environment supportive to entrepreneurship in its many forms either directly through their own entrepreneurship or indirectly through their attitudes and actions.

Why was it created?

Very simply, because we seem to have lost that entrepreneurial drive. Rates of new business creation on Merseyside are among the lowest in England, while the individual Boroughs (Liverpool, Knowsley, St Helens, Wirral and Sefton) each performs poorly not only against other parts of Britain, but against other parts of the North West. This is especially worrying as increasing numbers of jobs are dependent on small firms.

The situation is made worse by the relatively low turnover and profitability per firm and per employee. This means that we risk a vicious circle of low wages and limited resources for investment and innovation.

Who initiated it?

The idea originally emerged from a series of "brainstorming" sessions organised by the team at the Objective One office. This included people like Prof Tom Cannon, Frank McKenna, Emma Jones, David Wade Smith and Marcie Incarnio as well as the Objective One team itself. It rapidly won support from others including TMP, the Chambers on Merseyside, The local authorities, the BThe idea originally emerged from a series of "brainstorming" sessions organised by the team at the Objective One office. This included people like Prof Tom Cannon, Frank McKenna, Emma Jones, David Wade Smith and Marcie Incarnio as well as the Objective One team itself. It rapidly won support from others including TMP, the Chambers on Merseyside, The local authorities, the Business Link, Learning and Skills Council and the NWDA.

Who is backing it?

Many of the same people are backing it with the Government Office providing much of the finance through a major development programme with the Chambers. Liverpool Chamber of Commerce actually holds the contract.

Who are the members?

There are around 20 Commissioners including Phil Redmond who is the Chair , Lloyd Whiteley, Colin McKeown, Sharon Hilditch, Claire Dove, Brendon Kenny, John Robinson, Peter Johnson, David Wade Smith, Len Collinson , Carol Taylor (since resigned), Andrew Hogg, Esther Mcvey, Paul Roy, Tim Bacon, Andrew Smith, Tony Caldeira, Steve Morgan, Dave Windsor, Tom Hunter, Matthew Johnson , Paul Donaldson and John Hargreaves.

How were they chosen?

On one level the criteria was very simple. We wanted entrepreneurs with a real track record of achievement and real commitment to Merseyside. That is why we have people like Phil - whose belief in the area's future is well know and his success at Mersey Television is clear. But, we also have individuals like Paul Roy. He is a graduate of Liverpool University and recent endowed a Chair in Entrepreneurship at the University.

Who are you consulting?

We are trying to make our consultations as extensive as possible.

• Currently we are holding meetings in each of the Boroughs. We've already had sessions in Knowsley and St Helens with others planned.
• Besides this we are planning meetings with key industry groups, for example, those covered by TMP's cluster strategy - but not excluding others.
• We think education is especially important so we are planning sessions that involve the Education Authorities, schools and colleges. We, also, plan a specific session to include the Universities.
• Other groups are being approached notably those involved in encouraging women to develop their own businesses, the black and minority ethnic community.
• Next month, for example, we are holding special sessions with the key local intermediaries and Business Link for GM, Learning and Skills Council, MSIF, TMP and the NWDA.

How are you involving them?

We are using a wide range of approaches from very open public events such as those in Knowsley, through a widely disseminated "invitation to give evidence or make submissions" that is getting sent to over 400 organisations and individuals. Sometimes the evidence will be writing, occasionally verbal - but we are trying to be as creative as possible. We are, for example, exploring a creative way to explore the way technologies and markets are changing in the short, medium and long term future.

When was it formed?

The initial work was over Summer and Autumn 2004 with the Commission getting down to its work from January 2005.

What are the types of issues that you are expecting to examine?

We are looking at a host of issues ranging from - why the entrepreneurial culture went into decline, perceptions of entrepreneurship, the impact of the informal economy, the development of Women own businesses and those from within the black and minority ethnic population - through to entrepreneurial opportunities in emerging markets, the system of support for entrepreneurship and related issues of small firm finance.

When do you expect to complete your work?

Our target date is end July 2005

What are your expected outcomes?

Formally, we expect to produce a "green paper"

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