We have developed a reputation for intensively supporting organisations including companies to engage and influence defence, energy, industrial and infrastructure policy.

Some of the ways in which we can help you influence other organisations might involve full secretariat support, as we currently do for the Keep Our Future Afloat Campaign. In others it may be in a survey and research role or facilitating round table meetings with political leaders in Westminster to discuss the future of manufacturing.

Our wide-ranging network of contacts in industry, local enterprise companies,’local authorities, community groups, trade associations, regional offices of government and work-forces has consistently allowed us to help with delivery of compelling, robustly researched, arguments and business cases for:

• new defence equipment investment , concentrating especially on naval shipbuilding and submarine programmes, demonstrating their job, supply chain, prosperity and strategic defence benefits and the contribution they will make to defence resilience;
• energy inward investment;
• pharmaceuticals and life sciences projects;
• road, rail, seaport and air helicopter base infrastructure priorities delivery that benefit Furness, Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria and North West  England.
•                                                                                                 We wereengaged by the KOFAC organisation to develop its new Strategy and Action Plan launched in October 2023.

We have for many years worked closely with local industry and MPs to champion the needs and realise opportunities in the local area – these ranging from engaging Homes England to championing the submarine industrial base and securing transport infrastructure improvements.

We have built up over many years insights into defence industry supply chain impacts on UK local regional and national economies.This has been part of a wider defence camping activity aimed at promoting defence industry skills capabilities the strategic importance of the defence industry in giving UK freedom of action and sovereign capability to defend UK interests.

The Keep our Future Afloat Campaign’s (KOFAC)  has since its formation in 2003-4, sought our help in coordinating delivery of its national advocacy to secure steady drumbeats of submarine and warship orders. Its reputation is established, one secretary of state for defence saying “this is the most effective defence campaign i have ever come across”.

We have continued to deliver a complete KOFAC Secretariat  budget, research and advocacy support service to shipyard and supply chain work-forces, local authorities, MPs and associated organisations involved in engaging with government and industry to ensure there is a long-term viable UK naval shipbuilding industrial base able to enable the Royal Navy to deliver its national security tasks. This has focused on a strategy for::

• Creating a national awareness of naval shipbuilding industry’s contribution to national prosperity and Levelling-Up of regions and communities
• the KOFAC Campaign’s aims, objectives, core messages, emerging opportunities by preparing a rolling KOFAC Action Plan, research papers, fact-sheets pamphlets, use of mutl-media channels, and direct engagement wit political, industry and community leaders, workforces to reach out nationally;
• Championing the case for build of 4 deterrent submarine boats, a fleet of Astute class submarines and follow on SSN ( R ) submarines that offer potential to sustain jobs well into the 2060s;
• Delivery of evidence for Committees of the House of Commons or to commission where needed bespoke research and working alongside research specialists such as Rand Europe to promote the strategic national value of the naval shipbuilding supply chain and skills;
• Building a deep understanding of the nature and extent of supply chains so as  to be able to brief industry leaders, ministers, shadow ministers, MPs, national, regional and local LEP and government leaderships on the impacts and benefits of sustaining skills and company capabilities;
• Sourcing and managing the campaign budget, implementing marketing of submarine industry days and regional defence conferences;

                                                        Celebrating Parliament’s decision to go ahead with building the submarine deterrent fleet. 

Our experience gained in the defence sector working alongside Lord Woodcock when he was MP for Barrow and Furness,companies such as McTaggart Scott and BAESYSTEMS has enabled us to develop policy influencing and engagement solutions for use by energy, pharmaceutical, infrastructure and fisheries interests where they have needed to undertake activity to influence policy decisions nationally.

Energy Sector: We have been involved in energising growth of many of the energy sector developments in South Cumbria, helping the area and local management of the ABP owned port of Barrow to make a case for, and to attract new, national scale, energy related investment  in offshore gas processing, offshore wind power generation, potentially tidal power generation and by assisting firms which supply products for use in those sectors and the civil and defence nuclear industries

In Cumbria we champion the oil-gas, LNG, carbon capture, offshore wind, hydrogen, gas storage potential onshore and offshore and civil and defence nuclear capability as being part of the energy transition solutions required to enable UK to have a resilient indigenous energy security strategy that provides affordable reliable energy supplies.

We devised in 2015 the ‘Furness Energy Forum’ as a way of enabling the area’s energy sector firms to come together to better understand ways to encourage new inward investment in oil, gas, offshore wind and electricity generation sectors in our area.

A mix of supplier briefing papers, “major project guides”, events and social media outlets are an integral part of the delivery mechanisms used to engage with companies about new contracts. More recently we have:

• worked alongside Oil and Gas Authority, now called the Energy Transition Offshore Energy Alliance, SpIrit Energy and Orsted to deliver regional supply chain events;
• been part of a Steering group that led to formation of the Offshore Energy Alliance promoting the offshore wind supply chain strengths of North West England and North Wales – it is a way of implementing the Offshore Wind Sector Deal and clusters of expertise in that region;
• delivered an offshore wind, hydrogen, energy transition supplier business strategy for consideration by Cumbria LEP’s Clean Energy Working Group.

                                 A590 – engagement with Highways England at Rusland and the completed A590 High and Low Newton by-pass

Infrastructure: Influencing Infrastructure decisions often involves concerted action over several months or years, ensuring that evidence and business cases address local, regional, national criteria and involve mobilisation of strong industrial and community support.

We have facilitated campaigns to:

• deliver a targeted “A590 Now” campaign to secure better road connectivity at High Newton to enable supply chains to function more effectively, then later advised a A595 campaign group on ways to seek what will now be a £15m bypass of Grizebeck
• attract skilled people to deliver the “national endeavour” to build and commission the UK submarine programme;
• engage regularly with Highways England and contribute to wider economic benefit studies of the benefits to be derived from the A590’s improvement.

Life sciences and pharmaceuticals:

As part of the GSK Taskforce Stuart has been working alongside management of GSK, South Lakeland District Council, Cumbria LEP and BEIS to support realisation of new life sciences and manufacturing investment at a 42ha site in Ulverston. in 2021-2022 a contract was delivered to support South Lakeland District Council in facilitating delivery of a Masterplan for the site prepared by Norr Consultants.

As part of a small Taskforce Working Group Team we devised a Prospectus promoting the attractions of the site its skills base and  places to live and work, then migrated to focus on realisation of a Regeneration Green Paper framework for engaging with LEPs, BEIS and laying out priorities for land donation, job creation, employee support, apprenticeships retention, and  worked alongside GSK and Cumbria Chamber of Commerce in 2019 to design and launch a £500,000 Enterprise Fund, which Stuart Chaired.

We also have in parallel provided advice to a life sciences start-up business, Lakes Bioscience Ltd,as it developed proposals for a new facility..

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Westmorland and Furness and the Lancaster and South Cumbria Economic Regions:

Devolution, creation of unitary councils in Cumbria, past Growth Deals , the Borderlands integrated Growth Deal and HM Government’s Levelling-Up priorities present new opportunities for North West England.

Through 2017 to 2019 we worked with officers of Lancaster City, Barrow Borough and South Lakeland District Councils on the formative stages of setting up a Lancaster and South Cumbria Economic Region Initiative. This included joint appraisal of economic development strengths, exploration of potential for a Joint Committee, common priorities and hosting meetings with the Northern Powerhouse Minister (Pictured below).It also required review and bringing together of outline business cases for a series of potential Growth Deal investments.

Other commissions involves providing advice on Implications of planned changes in Cumbria’s local government set up to a client.

In 2022 the business also assisted campaign management and policy development for an independent candidate for the new Westmorland and Furness Council which resulted in the individual’s election to the Council.

We have also extensive experience in coordinating local arrangements for Ministerial visits, as this example at Oxley Group shows.

 

We can help your organisation to influence Local Plans and Local Industrial Strategies.

Recent examples include:

• coordinating the Furness area’s input to the development of the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership’s Local Economic Strategy,
• supported Barrow Council at the Barrow Local Plan’s Examination in Public hearing by acting as expert evidence provider on employment land needs
• delivered a conference for industry to convey transport infrastructure priorities to Transport for the North.
• assisting Dalton Community Action Group to develop its influence and initiatives to benefit the town, residents and businesses of Dalton-In-Furness.

                        Briefing Cumbria County Council Area Committee on major projects and  interest in County owned development sites                                                                                                                

Individual companies sometimes approach us to enlist support to further growth initiatives.

Kingfisher Seafoods Ltd asked us to facilitate an approach through the Member of Parliament, Simon Fell MP, to Ministers in government about the need for new trade arrangements for live shellfish exports In the run up to the ending of transition arrangements for UK leaving the EU. The local seafood exporter received assistance in developing a engagement plan, MPs and Ministers briefing document to enable government to see what an optimum shellfish industry wide EU – UK trade arrangement could look like in order to enable the sector to continue to enjoy access to continental markets beyond January 2021.

                                                                                                                                    Kingfisher Seafoods Ltd received help in 2020 to lobby government for a post Brexit shellfish exporting regime to sustain lucrative European markets

Rail and road service and infrastructure improvements are a desirable to:

• help extend efficient transport links around Morecambe Bay and across the new Westmorland and Furness area via the A590, M6 and A66 routes;
• enable businesses to draw in skills from a larger travel to work area;
• encourage more UK and international tourist visits;
• enable businesses to conduct UK wide and international business using Manchester and Liverpool Airports and seaports at Liverpool and Humberside.
• afford first and last mile deliveries and parking arrangements.

We have continued to support the MP led Cumbria Better Connected Campaign and brought together Furness businesses to engage with Transport for the North and Highways England.

                                                           Dalton Station,Northern Rail service improvements are crucial for businesses tourism and extending access to skills

GET IN TOUCH,CALL: 07836254721 or email stuart@klosinski.co.uk  to discuss how we can help you influence policy decisions.Our fees are very cost effective.They can be negotiated on a per day, individual project, or a retained fee basis over an agreed period.