North England Inward Investment Agency


The North of England Inward Investment Agency was a UK government sponsored agency that represented the three regional development agencies of Northern England: Northwest Regional Development Agency, One NorthEast and Yorkshire Forward. NoE’s primary function was to work as an ambassador to businesses and therefore attract targeted inward investment to Northern England.
NoE provided a link between businesses considering European expansion or relocation and resources in Northern England. Once a company made the decision to expand or relocate into Northern England, NoE’s function changes to be a bridge for that transition, working to connect new inward investment companies with the people, resources, funding and more to help minimise risk and increase profitability. Some of the planning services that NoE provided to potential inward investment companies included: industry trends analysis, recruitment and training assistance, matching skills provision to employer needs, site location assistance, legal/customs/taxation information, introductions to private funding, links to academia, as well as UK and region specific economic and market information.
It had several offices located throughout the U.S. and Canada, and NoE targeted specific industries that would benefit from the infrastructure in place in the UK. These specific industries include: Life Sciences, Energy and Environment, IT and Media, Advanced Engineering, and Professional Services .
NoE was established under the, all of which were formally launched in eight English regions on 1 April 1999. It is funded from six Government departments:
Each RDA was led by a Chair and a Board of 15 people. The RDA Chairs met regularly with each other and with Government ministers to advise on national policy. They provided a regional perspective informed by work on the ground with partners and by the extensive consultations they hold in the regions. RDAs helped central government ensure that local conditions and local needs are fully taken into account when they drew up national policy.
It was effectively abolished when its representative agencies, the three regional development agencies, were abolished in 2012.
WWW northengland.com

The Region

The Northern England region encompasses the cities of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Sunderland. The North is considered by many to be one of the most culturally dynamic regions in the UK, with an identity separate from that of the rest of England. The underlying structural changes occurring in the North England economy has been impressive. Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Liverpool have all outpaced UK national economic growth. The Northwest has a projected £111 billion economy,while the Northeast's economy has an annual turnover of £4bn. Healthcare, life sciences, advanced engineering, business and financial services, multimedia and energy are all significant contributors to North England's economic infrastructure. Some of the Region's Top Industries include: Life Sciences, Energy and Environment, IT and Media, Advanced Engineering, and Professional Services .

Board Members in the Region

Simon Goon - Chairman
Patrick Kendall- ONE Northeast
Sarah Kemp- NWDA
John Cunliffe- NWDA
Kristen Hirst- NOE

Inward Investment and North England

Inward investment is the injection of money from an external source into a region, in order to purchase capital goods for a branch of a corporation to locate or develop its presence in the region. Foreign firms are a catalyst for better economic performance. For one thing, they invest more, employ more skilled people and are more productive. Careful consideration should be given to the costs and benefits of attracting inward investors. When locating a business, inward investors seek:
  • A stable macro-economic climate
  • stable political and regulatory environment
  • Market access and open competition
  • A welcoming environment
  • Available sites and/or premises
  • Appropriate, available and reliable utilities and transportation
  • Available skilled workforce
  • Available local suppliers and resources
  • Appropriate education, training and research facilities
  • A good quality of life
  • Manageable regulation and taxation systems
  • Incentive schemes
Foreign firms had seen the UK as an attractive place for business expansion or business relocation; it was the number one gateway to Europe giving easy access to the then other 27 member states of the European Union, the world's largest single market, with its then population of nearly 500 million. The UK government reported that the United States was the primary source for inward investment in the United Kingdom, accounting for 50 percent of all projects, followed by Germany, Canada, Japan, and France. According to UK Trade and Investment,, more than 1,200 overseas companies had chose to invest in the UK in 2007, making it the best year ever for inward investment. More than 45,000 new jobs were created in 2008 by companies launching in the UK or expanding existing operations while 58,000 jobs were safeguarded, with US firms accounting for 30% of all new investments during the year.
In North England, energy and world-leading R&D, 4.7 million skilled employees, of which 1.7 million work in science and technology, and quality of life, including low cost of living, had made the region a logical choice for companies seeking to expand or relocate their operations overseas.

Offices in North America

NoE had several offices in the United States, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Newport Beach, and Toronto. Kristen Hirst, Senior Vice President, oversaw the agency's operations throughout North America.
Atlanta
3455 Peachtree Road, 5th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30326
Boston
8 Franeuil Hall Market Place, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Chicago
444 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 3350
Chicago, IL 60611
Newport Beach
4695 MacArthur Court, 11th Floor
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Toronto
234 Berkeley Street
Toronto, ON M5A 2X4