Welcome from leader of the council Cllr Izzi Seccombe

Hello everybody and welcome to the September issue of Warwickshire Means Business.

We hope you like the new design and enjoy our latest round-up of what's happening in the county's business community and, in particular, all that's going on in terms of support available to business from ourselves and our partner organisations.

A lot of advice and support is out there so please have a good look and take advantage if you can. We are here to help!

Here at Warwickshire County Council we are very much looking forward to the first Coventry & Warwickshire Business Festival from November 20 to December 1. The Festival, hopefully to become an annual event, will be a brilliant showcase for everything this region has to offer. Warwickshire is a centre of excellence in so many sectors and, if we have a fault, perhaps it is that we don't shout loud enough about all the great things happening here. This Festival will change that.

Warwickshire Food and Drink, on Wednesday 22nd November, is certainly one for the diary and it is great to hear Adam Bennett, chef director at Warwickshire's only Michelin-starred restaurant, looking forward to it so much.

Warwickshire's business reputation is highest of all, perhaps, in the Digital Creative Sector. In that field, this region is nationally and internationally renowned as a leader and the county council is committed to ensuring that it stays that way. That is why we became involved with the Digital Schoolhouse programme under which four secondary schools around the county will become hubs for upskilling with their expertise then passed on to local primary schools. Digitial Schoolhouse is a great initiative in which we are delighted to be involved.

Elsewhere in this edition of WMB you can read about a number of funding initiatives that the county council is involved in - Skills 4 Growth, the Inclusive Enterprise Programme, the Midland Engine Investment Fund, Proof of Concept grants from Coventry University Enterprises.

But they are just the tip of the iceberg - please do have a look at our website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/invest/, call 01926 412140 or email invest@warwickshire.gov.uk for more information upon the full range of support available from ourselves and our partners.

For detailed expert analysis of the county's current economic situation, meanwhile, please read Dave Ayton-Hill's Warwickshire Outlook and our Quarterly Labour Market Bulletin which keeps you informed about all labour market trends around the county.