Business leaders invited to help transform the future of York and North Yorkshire at ‘Business Summit’

Held at the Guild Hall, the summit will focus on the opportunities that both devolution and carbon reduction will bring to the region and how it will benefit businesses.

Organised by the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the summit will bring together leading regional organisations, businesses, and political leaders.

Chair of the York & North Yorkshire LEP, Helen Simpson OBE, said: “Devolution will bring significant investment to our region, and this combined with our aspirations to be England’s first carbon negative region could bring exciting opportunities for everyone.

“With the many challenges our economy is currently facing, this is a timely moment for us to all come together to understand what is on the table with devolution and discuss how the business voice can contribute.

“We’d love business leaders to join us for the summit and take this opportunity to help shape our future.”

The York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Y&NY LEP) is a public-private partnership charged with driving economic growth and prosperity across York and North Yorkshire.

The summit aims to form a region-wide connection between businesses and to build momentum to transform the region’s economy for growth.

Delegates will have the opportunity to network with business leaders from all over the region, to ask questions, bring ideas, and discuss future challenges and opportunities in York and North Yorkshire.

Organisations such as the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub will also showcase the support available for businesses across the region.

The summit is organised in partnership with leading business organisations from across the region, including The CBI, The Federation of Small Businesses and York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.

The summit aims to encourage businesses to talk about the opportunities within the proposed devolution deal that was announced on 1st August this year.

It hopes to bring businesses to the forefront of discussions on how devolution could be a key driver for York and North Yorkshire to achieve its ambition of becoming England’s first carbon negative region, in turn creating opportunities for growth both for the region and for its businesses.

A line-up of guest speakers and a panel of business leaders from across the region will share their own stories on how implementing carbon reduction strategies and working towards Net Zero has changed and benefitted their businesses.

Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor and keynote speaker at the summit said: “We have seen huge benefits in Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool from devolution for every type of business in our region, from the high street to global firms, and there’s no reason why it should not be the same for businesses in York and North Yorkshire.

“I look forward to sharing my experiences and answering questions.”

As part of his speech, Mr Houchen will share his insights from devolution in Tees Valley, and how the opportunity could unlock long term investment and growth in the region, creating new and higher paid jobs for residents.

Mr Houchen will discuss his experience as Tees Valley Mayor, and the crucial role that the business community have in driving forward economic growth and prosperity for all.

The summit will take place on Friday, October 21, from 1:30pm to 5:30pm, it will also be livestreamed and shared on the Y&NY LEP’s website.