North East LEP Growth Hub: Responding to COVID-19 and EU Transition Case Study

As part of the interim evaluation of the North East Strategic Economic Plan, Steer Economic Development (Steer-ED) was commissioned to develop and analysed two surveys to deep dive into the role the North East Growth Hub played in supporting the region's businesses through a period of significant economic disruption and uncertainty.

The in-depth case study investigates how the North East Growth Hub has helped businesses navigate the impact of COVID-19 and associated regulations, with a secondary focus on how businesses navigated EU transition. The findings from the surveys - which targeted businesses, and business support, finance and funding providers - will be used to better understand the North East Growth Hub's impact, and inform and shape the North East Growth Hub going forward.

For this commission, Steer-ED conducted:

• A Background Evidence Review & Scoping Consultations (February & March 2021), which provided an overarching understanding of North East LEP Growth Hub activity since March 2020 to inform survey design.
• Business & Provider Network Survey Design (April & May 2021), which involved setting out the research questions the survey aimed to answer, creating a logical flow for each of the surveys, and then developing, testing and refining the surveys before they were then launched to businesses and providers to respond to throughout June.
• Analysis & Reporting (July & August), which brings together insight across all aspects of the surveys to report the key findings.