Comment: 'Business growth must not become a casualty of Devolution’
Credit:
Beth Walsh Photography
I understand business because I have lived it from several perspectives. I built a company from scratch, grew it into an award-winning business and sold it. I have worked at PLC level, in inward investment and economic development, and for several years led the Business Gateway Growth Hub.
Today, as Chair of Leicestershire Business Voice and a business owner again, I understand the pressures of starting, sustaining and growing a business. That is why I feel so strongly about the support available to businesses across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.
We have a robust and diverse business ecosystem. Innovative manufacturers, ambitious start-ups, family businesses, exporters and technology companies sit alongside strong universities, innovation zones and nationally important sector strengths. Our businesses are resilient, entrepreneurial and ambitious. They deserve the opportunity to flourish.
Good business support is not about dependency or handouts. It is economic infrastructure. The right mentoring, specialist advice or timely introduction can help a business adopt new technology, improve productivity, export, innovate, secure investment or scale.
When we talk about SMEs, we are not talking only about microbusinesses. An SME can employ up to 249 people. These businesses are major employers, investors and contributors to our economy.
The Growth Hub remains an important first port of call and I would encourage businesses to use it. Its experienced team will do everything it can to help. But its core funding is around £350,000 per annum, which must cover salaries, website, marketing, communications and running costs. That maintains an essential front door. It cannot, by itself, fund the meaningful programmes businesses increasingly need behind it.
Now look at what is happening around us.
The East Midlands Combined County Authority has approved more than £21 million for business growth programmes between 2026 and 2030, including investment, scale-up, local business support and exports, alongside a further £12.3 million for innovation and cluster development.
Greater Lincolnshire has also secured substantial Local Growth Funding through its mayoral Devolution settlement, giving another neighbouring area the capacity to plan and invest against its economic priorities.
We are pleased and supportive that our neighbouring regions have secured necessary investment to support their businesses and economic ambitions.
But why should businesses in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland have fewer opportunities than their neighbours?
This is not only about supporting the businesses already here. It matters enormously for inward investment too. Businesses considering where to locate, expand or make their next investment assess the whole ecosystem. Skills, innovation, universities, infrastructure, finance and the support available for future growth all contribute to the strength of a location.
If neighbouring regions can offer increasingly substantial support for innovation, digital and AI adoption, exporting, investment and scale-up, while businesses here cannot access equivalent opportunities, the competitive balance begins to shift.
For how long can we allow that disparity to continue?
We cannot afford to let this drift. Competitive disadvantage accumulates. A temporary disparity in funding risks becoming a structural disadvantage to our economy.
At Leicestershire Business Voice, we are bringing businesses, universities and other stakeholders together, developing collaborations and ensuring that the voice of business is heard. Meanwhile, the Growth Hub continues to support businesses with the resources available to it. There is tremendous commitment across our ecosystem.
But commitment cannot indefinitely substitute for investment.
Our businesses have the talent, tenacity and ambition to succeed. Backing them is good for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. It is also good for Brand UK.
We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for a fair opportunity for our businesses to compete. Business growth must not become a casualty of Devolution - and the Devolution premium must not become a Devolution penalty.
Who we are
Devolution Leicestershire is an industry-education-VCSE coalition.
Founded in 2026, its purpose is:
- To accelerate a Devolution deal for Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland
- To press for fair Government funding for LLR while the Devo deal is done.
Sue is Chair of Leicestershire Business Voice. She is the Founder and Director of Sue Tilley Associates and a member of the board of trustees at the Leicestershire Education Business Company. She was previously Head of Inward Investment, Economic Strategy Manager – Business, Head of Business, Innovation and Partnerships, and Head of the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP). Prior to that, Sue was Head of Inward Investment at Prospect Leicestershire, and worked as a sales director, business development director and general manager. She was Owner and Managing Director of the Classy Rags clothing company.
