The West of England Initiative is an integral part of the region’s policy making and decision taking. The team work with the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and Initiative board, local business leaders and Initiative members to deliver on:
Developing policies for six priority areas
- Economy and Business Growth
- Planning and Development
- Employment, Skills and Education
- Transport and Connectivity
- Energy and Low Carbon Economy
- Local and National Government
It is around these policy areas that we seek to influence opinion, stimulate positive action and develop working partnerships in the years ahead. Between them, these policies represent our route map to The West of England 2050 Vision.
Campaigns for Change
Working closely with Matt Griffith, Business West's Director of Policy, the Initiative works hard to capture and represent the views of our business community, not only at a local and regional level but at a national level, on topical issues ranging from Brexit to West of England devolution. Read more on our policy activity under the Campaigns for Change hub.
Community Involvement
Sitting at the centre of Business West, The West of England Initiative and its partners are people committed to enabling the business community to focus on the long term improvement of its social and economic infrastructure and determined to make our area the best place to work and live for all of its residents.
Read our March 2017 Wider Activity Report which sets out many of the other activities, projects and programmes that BCCI leads or supports.
The West of England Initiative helps run and support a number of projects through the Bristol Initiative Charitable Trust, including:
- Bristol affiliation with HMS Prince of Wales
- How to get involved with STEM initiatives in our schools
- Bristol Young Heroes Awards
- 91 ways
- Unseen
- The MTM Awards
- The Fair Trade Awards
- LinkAge
- The Armed Forces Community Covenant
- Avon Scouts
- Zero Tolerance
- City Office
West of England Mayor - A Manifesto for Business 2021
Business West's Manifesto for Business outlines 6 focussed requests of the West of England Mayor based on the views of 400 local businesses.
