West Yorkshire Combined Authority in association with the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP) has developed a new programme of support to help people from all backgrounds to explore starting a business or becoming self-employed as a career option.

This event is for stakeholders across West Yorkshire who may be working with people who could benefit from this programme.

There are three workstreams:

Workstream 1: will put in place support to create the appetite and interest from individuals to consider enterprise as a career choice, through a marketing campaign, workshops and a school programme

Workstream 2: will provide practical support to individuals wanting to start a business, though workshops and tailored advice. This will be available to any start-up business from any sector, including social enterprises, cooperatives and businesses selling directly to consumers

Workstream 3: will provide support for innovative entrepreneurs, by providing intensive and targeted support for individuals with the potential to become successful innovative entrepreneurs and/or businesses

Event programme:

09.15-09.25: Welcome and introductions – Kamran Rashid

09.25-09.40: Mayor Tracy Brabin to be interviewed by a student from Batley Girls’ High School

09.40-09.45: Reflections and handover – Kamran Rashid

09.45-10.05: Jane Green and Lorna Holroyd from the LEP will talk through the new programme and the support it offers to individuals and businesses

10.05-10.30: Kamran Rashid in conversation with other business owners about their own start-up journeys:

Naseef Ahammed, Founder and Director, Reshift
Callum Ronan, Producer, Callum Ronan Creative
Tania Kosma, Director, IKON Architects
Krishna Patel, Marketer, Dilishque

10.30-10.50: Sir Roger Marsh in conversation with Heba Bevan, Founder and CEO, Utterberry

10.50-11.00: Q&A with audience

The Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (the LEP)

We want the Leeds City Region to be recognised globally as a strong, successful economy where everyone can build great businesses, careers and lives. Our Business Support Service provides entrepreneurs with a single point of access to a wide range of support from our public and private sector partners to help them grow and develop. Businesses at all stages, from start-ups and early-stage companies to those that are more established, can benefit from one-to-one tailored advice, funding, training, events and networking opportunities.

Kamran Rashid – LEP Board Member and CEO of Impact Hub Bradford

Kamran Rashid is a social innovator and leader in the third sector noted for work across the voluntary, social enterprise, non-profit, diversity and inclusion and public sector ecosystems.

As LEP Board Member, Kamran is working to support inclusive growth across the region through the lens of social innovation.

As CEO of Impact Hub Bradford, he is driving the development of new programmes of support, convening new events and contributing perspectives to the global Impact Hub network.

Tracy Brabin - Mayor of West Yorkshire:

Tracy Brabin is a British Labour and Co-operative politician who was elected as the first Mayor of West Yorkshire, and the first ever woman Metro Mayor in May 2021.

She was the Member of Parliament for Batley and Spen from 2016 until 2021. As MP, she held appointments as Shadow Early Years Minister, Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and Shadow Minister for Cultural Industries.

Born in Batley, Tracy was an actor and television writer prior to entering politics.

Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL – Chair of the LEP and NP11

Sir Roger Marsh OBE, DL has been Chair of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) since 2013 and during that time has led the LEP through a period of significant transformation, including securing the country’s largest ever Local Growth Deal with Government.

Sir Roger chairs the NP11 which brings together the 11 Northern LEPs to work with the Northern Powerhouse Minister to support the Government’s vision for the Northern Powerhouse. He was a Member of the Williams Rail Review Expert Challenge Panel and Chair of both the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund Strategic Oversight Board and European Structural & Investment Fund Local Sub Committee. Before joining the LEP, Sir Roger was Senior Partner at PwC and boasts nearly 40 years’ experience in the private sector. In 2015, he was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for Services to Business and the Economy and in 2019 became a Deputy Lieutenant. He is Chair of The Piece Hall Trust and a Member of Council of the University of Leeds. Also he was a Trustee and Treasurer of the Iraq/Afghanistan Memorial Project.

In the 2021 Queens Birthday Honours Announcements, Roger was made a Knights Batchelor for services to Business, to the Economy, and the community in Northern England.

Enterprise West Yorkshire: Programme Launch