About

Ambition

Greater Manchester’s ambition is to become a financially self-sustaining city with the size, the assets, the skilled population and political and economic influence to rival any global city.

With a growing economy, a population of 2.7 million people and over 100,000 businesses, Greater Manchester already competes on a global scale.

The Greater Manchester Business Board sits at the heart of Greater Manchester’s governance arrangements, ensuring that business leaders are empowered to set the strategic course, determine local priorities and drive growth and job creation within the city region. It is central to the wider partnerships established between local government, businesses and educational institutes, and the public, private, voluntary and community sectors.

Our strategic ambitions for the city region and our key priorities are set out in the Greater Manchester Strategy. We have also set out where people can see how we are delivering on that vision.

Recent Devolution Agreements have provided Greater Manchester with powers and flexibilities to shape the decisions which affect the city region so we can work together to develop a truly place based approach.

Assurance

Greater Manchester Business Board (LEP) is evolving into a new model fully integrated into the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) with a remit to be as ambitious as possible, maintaining a strong business voice at the heart of city region and maximising economic growth across the city-region.

We are currently refreshing our website to reflect this new approach. In the meantime, please see below a summary of the key policies and documents which set out how this new model will operate and provides assurance on remit, governance and transparency.

• The Greater Manchester Business Board is made up of members from both the public and private sector and is central to driving a successful economy across Greater Manchester, addressing the challenges and opportunities presented by the dynamic political and economic context to deliver for all parts of the city region.
• Our commitment to diversity and our understanding that different people bring different ideas, knowledge and perspectives. As part of this commitment, the Board refreshes its membership every two years to ensure it reflects the breadth of industrial sectors as well as the diversity of Greater Manchester’s people.
• The Terms of Reference set out the purpose and governance arrangements of the Board including its remit and objectives; role of members; how the Board is appointed; decision making; transparency, accountability and conflict of interest policy.
• In addition, all Board members must declare any personal or prejudicial interests relating to agenda items at the beginning of each Board meeting and a full Register of Interests is published and reviewed every six months.
• The Board Chair and Chief Executive also publish an annual Governance Assurance Statement setting out the status of governance and transparency
• The Board is also covered by the Complaints Policy and Whistleblowing Policy as set out in GMCA Accounts, Transparency and Governance