WELCOME TO THE EAST OF ENGLAND BUSINESS GROUP (EEBG)

"The success of the East of England's economy is built on the imagination and efforts of its business people and their workforces. It is vitally important that the voice of business is heard in any forum that seeks to shape the region's economy. The East of England Business Group and its member organisations are determined to provide robust advocacy on behalf of the region's business people and their companies."

Michael Large
EEBG Chairman

GUEST COLUMNIST

This month we begin a new feature of inviting key strategic organisations and personalities to write a guest column. This month Antony Gough, Programme Director of Resource Efficiency East writes about a new initiative for SME's to help improve resource efficiency. Read our guest columnist, click here.

NEWS, LINKS & DOWNLOADS

Insight East

Insight East is the main portal for information and data on the region.

Website: www.insighteast.org.uk.

There are two new reports on the site which may be of interest.

The insight East site has a regular forecasting model for the East of England based on all the most up to date intelligence and data for the region. The model takes a view of the future of the region's economy up to 2031. It can be accessed by clicking here.

For an update on how the region is performing through the recession, click here.

ICAEW

The ICAEW has published its Business Confidence Monitor Survey for Q4 2009. It shows this region's businesses as optimistic despite the continuing recession. Pippa Bourne, EEBG member and regional director of the ICAEW cautions against too much optimism as the economy is still very fragile. To download the full report click here.

Prompt Payment Code

Hosted by the Institute for Credit Management and supported by BIS and EEBG members CBI, FSB and EEF a new Prompt payment code has been launched. It can be accessed by clicking here.

Faster Broadband Survey

EEDA are conducting a survey to assess business demand for faster broadband in the region. The survey is simple and quick to complete, click here.

European funding grants for SME's

EEDA is offering SME's up to £10,000 grant funding to help companies access European and national competitive research grants. Deadline is 31st march 2010, for more information click here.

EEDA

EEDA has restructured and formed area based teams in:

- Essex, Southend and Thurrock 
- Hertfordshire, Luton, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire 
- Norfolk and Suffolk 
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough 

Members of the teams are being put in place and we will keep you informed on later updates.