What does the Policy department do?
As the leading voice of business for the two counties, the Chamber can support you in getting your views heard and represented locally, regionally, and nationally.
Research
The Chamber is an apolitical organisation whose agenda is driven by the concerns of Members. We regularly conduct research to better understand the challenges and opportunities our Members face. By regularly conducting local research, the Chamber can gauge Members’ experiences of fundamental business issues, from local infrastructure developments to concerns of national pertinence, such as dealing with the labour market skills shortage. The more Members that engage and communicate with us, the better we will be able to lobby on their behalf. Click here to find out more about the Economic Research and Reports we produce.
Events
The Policy Department deliver between 20 and 30 events per year, focussing on specific barriers to growth and opportunities for businesses. The key focus of these events is to discuss issues which transcend individual businesses and effect the business community as a whole. Events range from invite only roundtables for focussed discussions, to large seminar events with interactive sessions. Topics of discussion include, but are not limited to, preparing for EU Exit, business planning in uncertain times, protecting your business from cyber crime and the implications of net zero for business. The Chamber also regularly hosts quarterly roundtables with the local Bank of England representative.
Represent
By conducting formal research and engaging with our Members, the Chamber can represent their views on a local and national level. We pledge to maintain a constant dialogue with Government through a variety of mediums; we continually relay the key challenges and opportunities businesses face to local MPs and Ministers working in central government.
Through our work with the British Chambers of Commerce, our ongoing collaboration with Local Enterprise Partnerships and regular interaction with key decision makers, the Chamber ensures that the interests of local businesses are represented during the decision-making processes associated with business critical issues in Westminster, Whitehall and Brussels.
Find out more about the Chamber’s Policy department here