The Director of Regeneration and Place introduced a report which provided details of the Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Place Based Business Support (PBBS) grant funding allocation of £952,320 from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA).

The report set out recommendations for how the Council should utilise the grant to deliver the required outputs and activities. The grant funding presents the opportunity to achieve savings against the Council’s revenue budget. The Council has commissioned Wirral Chamber of Commerce and Industry (WCC) under contract to deliver the Business Support Service (BSS) until 31 December 2023, with the option to extend delivery to 31 December 2025. It is proposed that the BSS Contract is varied to incorporate PBBS outputs and be part-funded from the Council’s UKSPF PBBS allocation. The PBBS allocation will also enable the commissioning of additional specialist interventions to support growth in key sectors and clusters and the funding of two full-time equivalent council staff posts during the UKSPF grant funding period.