Hardeep is excited by the opportunity to make an impact in her new role
"I love making a difference, supporting businesses to put their ideas and visions into reality and having that real impact."
Hardeep Sandhu has arrived at Warwickshire County Council armed with loads of knowledge and experience of supporting businesses but hungry to "get out of my comfort zone and rise to a new challenge."
So it is a perfect fit that Hardeep has joined the council's Economy & Skills team on a hefty mission: To help deliver one of the biggest and most significant financial support packages ever drawn up by the council.
The £140million Warwickshire Recovery Investment Fund was launched last summer to stimulate the county's economy, post-Covid. It will support businesses, create jobs and bring investment into the county. As Delivery Lead: Business Investment Growth, Hardeep will oversee the roll out of the Business Investment Pillar of the WRIF during 2022 and beyond.
She is well-qualified for the role, steeped in relevant experience, much of it local after spending the last seven years with Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce. That was a job that she really enjoyed, managing two very large contracts on behalf of Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council, but it was time for an exciting new challenge...and the WRIF offers exactly that.
"I've always really enjoyed working in economic development," Hardeep said. "I love making a difference, supporting businesses to put their ideas and visions into reality and having that real impact.
"That has always been close to my heart and I've been lucky enough that the jobs I have had enabled me to do that. I was Enterprise Manager at the Chamber for seven years, managing their Start-up Programme, and worked in Inward Investment for the Midlands region before that so I have that breadth of experience.
"I joined Warwickshire because I was looking for a new challenge. I am ready to specialise in a new field and keen to build on my experience, utilise my links and learn. The WRIF is a really exciting project and felt as if it was written for me because I feel I have such a lot to bring to the role."
The WRIF comprises three main strands of support: Business Investment Growth (debt finance to medium and larger businesses); Property and Infrastructure (investment in commercial sites and premises) and the Local Communities and Enterprise loans programme.
The £90million B.I.G strand is the biggest element of the WRIF with the potential to bring major impetus to the local economy.
"The fact that the WRIF is new to Warwickshire makes it very exciting," said Hardeep. "As it is new, we will approach it carefully with a team of staff there to advise. I am really fortunate that I have Joanna Smith and Sim Lee, two very experienced staff members supporting me. Sometimes, when looking for support, businesses come in and say they need x, y and z whereas often they need to think in more detail. I will encourage our Growth Advisors to analyse, break down business plans from scratch and do a business assessment and ask 'is that what they really need?'
" It could be they don't need to speak to us but to another partner, so we will connect them with other partners and stakeholders that we work with like other local authorities, the Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust, the universities, the Science Park, the Chamber and the Growth Hub as well as the recently appointed fund manager for the smaller LCE loans programme and fund advisor for the property fund.. Helping the economy revive after Covid has to be a collaborative effort and it is great that in this region so many stakeholders work together."
Hardeep has joined an Economy & Skills team which has itself risen to the challenges of the pandemic, burning many an hour of midnight oil to expedite the swift issue of loans and grants to businesses and to put in place and deliver a wide range of other support.. She aims to build on that excellent work by adding a new perspective where necessary on the Small Capital Grants issued to businesses.
"I am really keen to put my mark on the job and shape it and make the WRIF the most effective it can be for the businesses of Warwickshire," she said. "Having come from outside the council I can bring a different perspective, so hopefully can bring a slightly different dimension.
"As I am new to the job it will be largely strategic at first, and there is lots and lots of learning to do, but I love dealing directly with businesses so I will be getting my hands dirty as soon as I can. I am keen to get in front of investors, not just businesses. We are really keen for the WRIF to encompass the widest possible breadth of businesses and we have already generated a lot of interest already shown from quite a lot of sectors so that is very encouraging."
The Business Investment and Growth Fund is now open to expressions of interest. If you would like to express interest please visit here.