ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN - REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY WE ALL MUST DO IT TO GET THROUGH IT - Northern Ireland Tourism ...

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

     WE ALL
  MUST DO IT
     TO GET
 THROUGH IT
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                          FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Ministerial Foreword

A little over a year ago I accepted         rollout gathers pace there is reason to      by a bold and highly ambitious vision
the role of Minister for the Economy        be optimistic and reason to be hopeful       which captures the bustling energy in
in the newly formed Northern Ireland        once again.                                  our innovation ecosystem, and seizes
Executive. I took up the post with a                                                     the chance to make a generational
clear vision of what I wanted to            I believe that the time is now right to      change in our economy. Successful
achieve and how I wanted to                 return to our plans and to build a           delivery of this plan will require
transform our economy. I wanted to          pathway to economic recovery. We must        additional investment at a time when
deliver for the people of Northern          use this point in our history to build a     the public expenditure landscape is
Ireland by creating jobs, developing        more competitive, inclusive and greener      extremely difficult, but we must prioritise
skills and by helping our business          economy. This means tackling the             our economic recovery. The delivery of
community achieve their goals.              immediate and unfolding effects of           this plan must also be flexible and
                                            Covid that are causing job losses,           respond to the economic events that
A few short weeks after my appointment      business closures and stifled demand,        unfold during this timeframe.
the first case of coronavirus was           and by finding permanent and complete
diagnosed in Northern Ireland. As we        solutions to the frictions in the UK         Recovery will be challenging but above
began to understand the scale of the        internal market caused by the                all we must ensure that Northern Ireland
pandemic, we set aside our plans and        implementation of the Protocol. It also      is once again open for business, open to
began working to protect our people and     needs us to be ambitious and creative        investors and open to visitors.
our economy as best we could in the         about our future, embracing new
face of the unknown.                        thinking, and recognising that the old
                                            norms will not necessarily help us
The people of Northern Ireland have         rebuild our economy.
been remarkable. It has been hard, the
effects of the virus have touched all of    This recovery plan sets out a range of       Diane Dodds MLA
our lives, many have lost loved ones and    decisive actions to kick-start economic      Minister for the Economy
the restrictions have affected the mental   recovery over the next 12 to 18 months.
health of many. Yet as the vaccine          These first steps will be quickly followed

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                     FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

          Dr Bryan Keating, Chair of the Department’s Strategic Advisory Forum, said:
   The Department’s Economic Recovery Plan is a significant piece of work which, I believe, will allow businesses to plan for
  the future. I also can see how the plan, when successfully executed, will allow young people a welcomed opportunity to join
       the workforce and older employees or those currently out of work to either enhance their careers or re-start them.

  Angela McGowan, director of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Northern Ireland, said:
   The CBI welcomes the Department for the Economy’s Recovery Action Plan. The emphasis on investing in skills, creating
   employment opportunities and stimulating investment and demand are strongly aligned with the CBI’s build-back-better
                                      proposals for a jobs-rich economic recovery.

                       Dr Joanne Stuart, CEO of the NI Tourism Alliance (NITA), said:
  NITA welcomes the Department’s Recovery Action Plan which recognises the importance of the tourism and travel industry
 as a key economic driver for regional economic recovery. The actions outlined within the report are critical to supporting the
 survival and rebuilding of the tourism industry and NITA look forward to continued engagement with the Minister through the
                   Tourism Recovery Steering Group on the development of a sustainable Tourism Strategy.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                        FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

      Kevin Holland, Chief                              John McGrillen, CEO of
   Executive of Invest Northern                            Tourism NI, said:
          Ireland, said:                      I welcome the publication of this action plan as we
                                               continue to offer support towards the recovery of
  The Department’s Recovery Action Plan
                                                  our tourism industry in partnership with the
     sets out a wider ambition to create
                                                Department for the Economy. Many businesses
   longer term economic prosperity. It will
                                              have been severely impacted by the pandemic, but
  contribute to the trade, investment and
                                                 we have also witnessed huge resilience and a
  jobs that will support the rebalancing of
                                                      determination to adapt and survive.
  our economy and underpin the building
    of a shared future for all. We are very
                                                The recovery plan includes the development of a
      happy to see innovation front and
                                              sustainable, regenerative Tourism Strategy focusing
        centre in driving this ambition.
                                                  on economic growth, social wellbeing and the
                                                protection of the environment. The plan will also
      We are currently building detailed
                                                  allow us to develop and deliver industry-wide
    delivery plans under eight economic
                                              training to the tourism sector, as well as campaigns
     drivers aligned to the Department’s
                                                 and additional funding to provide the skills and
    plan. These plans can impact quickly,
                                               capabilities to improve and grow product offerings
   generate public economic success and
                                                              and business models.
              build for the future.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Economic Context

The coronavirus pandemic has had a         A further 78,000 workers have availed   dramatically, with the January 2021
profound impact on the global              of the Self-Employment Income Support   claimant count, at 56,700, being around
economy, creating unprecedented            Scheme (SEISS). Even with these         twice that observed in the pre-pandemic
economic challenges. This has              unprecedented job support schemes in    months.
significantly reduced market               place, unemployment increased
opportunities for Northern Ireland
(NI) businesses to trade
domestically and export. As a direct
result of the pandemic it is
estimated that economic output fell
by around 25% at the height of
lockdown in spring 2020.

Output levels improved markedly over
the summer of 2020 as the NI Executive
lifted many restrictions. However, while
the rebound was strong, the economy as
a whole had not fully reverted back to
pre-pandemic levels before rising
infections meant new restrictions,
beginning mid-October 2020.

The trading restrictions have had a
severe impact on the NI labour market.
In total, nearly 250,000 NI workers have
been placed on furlough at some point.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                     FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

As we look forward, independent forecasters
                                                                               Forecast Summary %
believe that 2021 overall will be a year of
recovery in the Northern Ireland economy,                                                          2020    2021
with growth of around 4% to 6%. The roll-out      UK GDP growth                                    -10.7   4.2
of the coronavirus vaccine programme will
allow restrictions to be gradually eased as       NI GVA growth                                    -11.0   4.0
we move through the year. Similar to what         NI consumer spending growth                      -14.0   4.5
was experienced during the third Quarter of
                                                  NI Employee jobs growth                          -0.3    -3.0
2020 (Q3 2020), we may see a strong
increase in activity as businesses reopen         NI unemployment rate                             3.5     6.7
and confidence returns. At the same time
                                                  UK CPI inflation rate                            0.9     1.4
unemployment may increase in the short-
term, and there are significant risks if
recovery of output and jobs is not swift and
sustained.

While there are real reasons to look towards
the future with optimism. In the short and
medium term the economic context remains
stark. It is within this context of a recession
like no other that this Recovery Action Plan
is positioned.

                                                  Source: Oxford Economics, Danske Bank Analysis

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                                FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Economic Recovery Action Plan

“Rebuilding a Stronger Economy” set           • building a higher skilled and agile         This plan presents, at a high level, a
the priorities for a more competitive,          workforce;                                  significant amount of activity which is
inclusive and greener economy. This           • pursuing and securing better jobs; and,     being taken forward across the
Recovery Action Plan defines the                ultimately,                                 Department and its delivery partners. It is
immediate actions required to deliver         • producing a more regionally balanced        underpinned and informed by work being
against that agenda; and to protect             economy.                                    taken forward by groups such as the
and stabilise employment.                                                                   Tourism Recovery Steering Group and the
                                              In providing this support we look towards     Skills Strategy Advisory Group. It also
A crucial part of rebuilding will be the      the wider economic outlook, addressing        reflects a number of initiatives which,
process of reshaping our economy              key structural weaknesses so that we can      while already in train, will make a
through government intervention,              avail of economic opportunities in global     significant contribution to our economic
assisting people and businesses to adjust     markets, prospering through a higher skills   recovery. A key example is the City and
to the changing economic fundamentals         base, higher productivity and enhanced        Growth Deals programme, which will see
caused by Covid-19 and EU Exit to             competitiveness. The policy responses         close to £1.5 billion of investment across
maximise future growth potential. This will   must include opportunities for all our        NI providing a tremendous springboard for
involve targeted interventions to             people to ensure economic recovery is         the recovery plan. Through continued
encourage external growth in                  inclusive. This will involve supporting a     collaboration with councils, industry and
internationally focussed high-value added     range of jobs to reflect the volume of jobs   academia, we can use the planned
sectors where NI has the ability to exploit   lost and the skills of those affected,        investments to accelerate our recovery.
competitive advantage. It is in these         including those in the hardest hit sectors
sectors that our future economic              e.g. tourism, retail and hospitality. To do   It is important to register at the outset that
prosperity lies.                              this, we will build on the success of our     many of the actions set out within this
                                              existing employment support                   plan are subject to funding availability and
As outlined in “Rebuilding a Stronger         programmes, further adapting and              would be subject to the normal approval
Economy”, the challenge is to deliver         modifying these to address the current        process including tests for value for
decisive interventions that will              challenges we face and ensure these           money and meeting any EU State Aid / UK
contribute to:                                meet future business needs.                   subsidy control requirements.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Where appropriate, the actions will be
designed to target the high potential
areas identified within “Rebuilding a
Stronger Economy”. This will ensure
that, working with our partners, the
limited resources available will be
focused where we have the greatest
opportunity to drive innovation and
exports, develop the skills and capability
of our workforce and secure sustainable,
better jobs.

This Action Plan sets out what is
possible if the resources are made
available. Successful delivery of this
action plan will require an additional
£290m in 2021-22 (including the cost
of delivery the High Street Stimulus
Scheme). Recovery will not be
completed in one year alone, and many
of the actions set out within this plan
will require funding beyond 2021-22.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                               FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

The recovery actions have been                The purpose of this document is
designed against the backdrop of an           therefore to start a wider and more
ongoing health and economic crisis. At        detailed conversation regarding our
the time of writing, restrictions remain in   recovery journey, to test with
place on the day to day operation of          stakeholders if the steps laid out in this
many businesses across NI, and the            document are the right ones and,
Department, and wider Executive,              acknowledging the very real financial
continues to provide support to               constraints we face in 2021-22 and
businesses and individuals impacted by        beyond, seek views on the relative
these restrictions. It is inevitable that     priorities of the actions. This will enable
there will be an overlap between this         the Department to provide a
initial response phase and the                comprehensive input into the wider
foundations we need to build for              Executive framework for recovery.
recovery. However, given the dynamic
nature of this crisis, the timing of          As we pivot into economic recovery it is
recovery interventions will be under          important that the steps we take today
constant review and the actions will          not only tackle the disruption we are
need to be agile to respond to emerging       already experiencing and impacts that we
economic events.                              expect to see ahead of us, but are also
                                              aligned to the bold actions we must take
Economic recovery can only be delivered       to seize the opportunity for a longer term
through collaboration and partnership.        generational change in our economy.
During the development of this Action         Getting to this bold and highly ambitious
Plan the Department has considered the        vision – which we will publish shortly –
valuable input of key stakeholders and        will only be possible if we first overcome
delivery partners. However we recognise       the real damage and disruption to lives
more engagement is required and this          and livelihoods.
document is intended to progress these
conversations.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                        FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Supporting a Highly Skilled & Agile Workforce

Covid-19, and the measures required         By investing in skills, we will help to       designed around three
to reduce its transmission, is having a     ensure that NI businesses can rebuild         major policy objectives:
significant impact on the NI labour         and grow their markets, protect and           addressing skills imbalances; creating a
market. At the same time, EU Exit is        strengthen their supply chains and            culture of lifelong learning; and
introducing changes to fundamentals         maximise new opportunities. This              enhancing digital education and
such as migration and trade. We are         investment will also enable our people        inclusion across society.
focused on working with industry and        to avail of new and better employment
our delivery partners to respond to         opportunities. Potential also exists to       Digitisation of the workplace in
these challenges and improve the            target NI’s diaspora and to attract highly    particular has been transformative, and
skills profile of the working population;   skilled ‘returners’ who can contribute to     it is essential that we ensure citizens
and, ensure our young people are well       addressing key skills needs in high value     have the necessary skills to contribute
equipped for entry into the labour          sectors and, thereby, accelerate the          economically and thrive in an ever-
market. We will provide access and          growth of sectors of strategic                changing economy.
support to help people develop the          significance.
skills required to meet the changing
demands of the labour market. Not           The development of the new Skills
only does this support economic             Strategy for NI has focused on key
growth, it also improves wellbeing and      themes and policy objectives that aim to
helps address inequality.                   deliver against these challenges, whilst
                                            taking into account the need for our
                                            skills system to addresses growing
                                            inequalities, providing everyone with the
                                            access to the education and training
                                            opportunities that will enable them to
                                            fulfil their potential. The new strategy is

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                              FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

DfE will support a Highly Skilled & Agile Workforce by:
   • Growing and maintaining the Apprenticeship system as a critical skills pipeline for industry and
      valuable employment, particularly for young people, by providing incentives to employers to
      return apprentices from furlough and recruit new Apprentices;

   • Make apprenticeship opportunities available to more people and sectors by amending age-
      related criteria; and, establishing public sector apprenticeships as a way of growing skills and
      supporting opportunities for new employment and re-training for all;

   • Provide a flexible skills fund to offer new opportunities for individuals to upskill and reskill to
      meet evolving business needs, focusing on the priority sectors that will help our economy grow;

   • Developing our Youth Training system to ensure young people with the skills to progress to
      higher levels of education or successfully enter the labour force, through vocational education,
      training and work experience, and developing these pathways further to support higher level 3
      skills attainment;

   • Ensuring that the Further and Higher Education sectors continue to play a key role in the
      response to COVID-19, raising skills levels and increasing productivity of the future workforce,
      and examining ways to ensure greater alignment between study and the needs of the economy;

   • Launching a new Northern Ireland Skills Strategy, to help employers and individuals attain the
      skills needed to grow our economy and boost productivity, by addressing existing skills
      imbalances, improving lifelong learning, with a focus on the digital spine which cuts across all
      sectors; and

   • Building upon the existing vocational education infrastructure by establishing a Northern
      Ireland Skills Board, bringing together employers, providers and trade unions to progress the
      skills agenda, supported by sector specific action plans and skills hubs at a local level.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                             FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Supporting a Highly Skilled & Agile Workforce
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                             WHAT WE ARE DOING                             WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Adjusted our Apprenticeship offering to      Delivering an Apprenticeship Return,          Make Apprenticeships available to more
 support new forms of delivery allowing       Retain & Result Scheme to reduce the          people and sectors by amending age-
 training contractors to adopt flexible       risk of redundancy following furlough by      related eligibility criteria. This will
 delivery models including remote and         providing financial support to incentivise    significantly increase the supply of skills
 blended learning.                            the return, retention and on to successful    to the economy and the range of
                                              completion across the AppsNI and HLA          opportunities available to individuals of
 Extended Youth Training Programmes by
                                              programmes.                                   all ages.
 13 weeks to make up for lost training
 time due to Covid-19 restrictions            Delivering a New Apprenticeship               Work with sectors to create new
 enabling participants to achieve their       Recruitment Initiative to encourage and       Apprenticeship Pathways.
 targeted qualifications.                     support employers create apprenticeship
                                                                                            Introduce Public Sector Apprenticeships
                                              opportunities for both new apprentices
 Moved Careers Service functions on-line                                                    into the ApprenticeshipsNI and Higher
                                              and apprentices who have been
 and worked with the Department for                                                         Level Apprenticeship programmes.
                                              displaced by other employers.
 Communities to support those most
                                                                                            Address productivity challenges via a
 impacted by the pandemic.                    Through an Apprenticeship Challenge
                                                                                            New Advanced (Level 3) Vocational &
                                              Fund supporting ways to identify and
 Supported individuals impacted by                                                          Technical Award that will meet sector
                                              deliver innovative approaches to tackle
 Covid-19, to achieve one of over 90                                                        specific needs and provide an
                                              barriers to participation in the
 online, fully accredited qualifications in                                                 alternative pathway to higher education.
                                              apprenticeship system.
 key areas including digital, leadership
                                                                                            Extend the Apprenticeship Recruitment
 and management and employability.            Introducing the Northern Ireland
                                                                                            Initiative.
 These courses have been delivered            Traineeship programme. This new level 2
 across the Further and Higher Education      Vocational Education and Training
 sector, ranging from entry level to          programme will improve outcomes for up
 masters.                                     to 1900 young people when it launches
                                              in September 2021, rising to 4500 per
                                              annum in September 2022.
                                              Delivering a second round of fully
                                              accredited, online upskilling opportunities
                                              for 5,000 individuals, including those
                                              furloughed, made redundant, or availing
                                              of the self-employed scheme in priority
                                              growth sectors. Over 1,000 opportunities
                                              have been Post Graduate Certificates,
                                              with the digital sector accounting for a
                                              third of all places.
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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                            FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Supporting a Highly Skilled & Agile Workforce
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                              WHAT WE ARE DOING                           WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Supported 150 fully funded Post-              Piloting a range of graduate placement      Develop a digital careers platform to
 Graduate Certificates in Software             programmes, blending digital and            provide advice and guidance on future
 Development with Queen’s University           leadership skills with an eight week        and current skills needs and
 Belfast.                                      internship at a local employer to deliver   opportunities working closely with
                                               the commitment to support graduates         industry and key sectors.
 Increased the maximum student
                                               into employment.
 numbers by 410 in the 2020/21                                                             Develop a Women in STEM Action Plan
 academic year at the universities in          Increasing the maximum student              with the aim that by 2030, 30% of all
 response to Covid-19.                         number at the universities by 5% over       young people moving into STEM roles
                                               the next 3 academic years (20/21,           are women.
 In partnership with the Open University,
                                               21/22 and 22/23) to allow for flexibility
 provided a range of free, business                                                        Launch a Flexible Skills Fund, using an
                                               in the offering of local student places
 focused training courses via the NI Open                                                  evidence-based approach and will allow
                                               following an increase in demand as a
 University Social Learning Platform. Over                                                 government to be fast moving in
                                               result of COVID-19. This increase in
 300 courses in areas including Digital,                                                   responding to any emerging needs. This
                                               student numbers will be primarily
 Numeracy and Wellbeing were made                                                          will be used to reskill individuals in jobs
                                               directed at Science, Technology,
 available, with over 20,000 individuals                                                   at risk of automation into economic
                                               Engineering & Mathematics (STEM)
 accessing in 2020.                                                                        priority sectors or provide lifelong
                                               subject areas where there is a skills
                                                                                           learning accounts/vouchers to
 Established the NI Women in Science           deficit.
                                                                                           individuals with low levels of skills.
 and Engineering (WISE) Hub and Pulsar
                                               Supporting the NI WISE Hub and the DfE
 Live to support and improve
                                               Women in STEM Steering Group and
 participation rates and progression of
                                               development of a Women in STEM
 girls and women in STEM education and
                                               Vision and Action Plan for NI to be
 employment.
                                               published April/May 2021.
 Expanded the Skills Focus Programme,
                                               Supporting the development of a new
 available to SMEs, to offer free upskilling
                                               Skills Ecosystem, building on our
 for staff, including those who are
                                               existing structures to bring together
 furloughed and waivered the 25%
                                               employers, providers and the public
 employer contribution for April 2020 –
                                               sector. This includes the development of
 March 2021. 1,800 employees have
                                               a Northern Ireland Skills Council, a new
 been supported up to January 2021.            approach to engagement at a local level.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                         FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Supporting a Highly Skilled & Agile Workforce
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                            WHAT WE ARE DOING                          WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 In response to Covid-19 quickly             Delivering qualifications online since     Additional support for leadership and
 transitioned Assured Skills Academies       April 2020 in response to Covid            management, employer skills audits and
 from classroom to tutor-led online          restrictions.                              a community partnership plan to provide
 learning.                                                                              a new and diverse means to support
                                             Undertaking a pilot, “Press Refresh” to
                                                                                        employers to identify their skills needs,
 Included Social Enterprises in the          support 25 women returners undertake
                                                                                        boost productivity and bring in a local
 eligibility criteria for the Skills Focus   part-time learning in digital, with an
                                                                                        approach.
 Programme, introduced in September          internship and interview with a leading
 2020.                                       ICT employer.                              Develop a Capability and Skills
                                                                                        Enhancement Programme to deliver
 Launched a Creative and Digital             Supporting 100 individuals to get an
                                                                                        industry wide training to the Tourism
 Technologies programme to support           export and trade qualification, focusing
                                                                                        sector to provide business with the skills
 100 young people impacted by                on processes around cargo operation,
                                                                                        and capabilities to adapt their product
 Covid-19. This programme focused on         payment and insurance.
                                                                                        offerings and business models.
 digital skills development to create a
 strong pipeline to employment and                                                      Launch new cohorts of Invest NI
 economic growth.                                                                       Leadership Programmes, through virtual
                                                                                        delivery, focusing on how best to help
 Worked in collaboration with Further
                                                                                        businesses review and redefine their
 Education Colleges to provide flexible
                                                                                        strategy, rebuild and grow, in light of the
 delivery models in response to the
                                                                                        new economic fundamentals brought
 health restrictions taking into
                                                                                        about by Covid-19 and EU Exit.
 consideration the capacity and
 capability of the learner and the needs                                                Work with industry and stakeholders to
 of the specific course.                                                                identify collaborative skills solutions at
                                                                                        NI, sectoral and sub-regional levels by
                                                                                        establishing skills networks within these
                                                                                        groups.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                      FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Supporting a Highly Skilled & Agile Workforce
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                          WHAT WE ARE DOING                             WHAT WE ARE DOING (Cont.)
 Secured £7m of additional funding to      Introducing a new Skills for Life and         Delivering intensified support to help
 provide laptops, IT equipment, software   Work Programme to help increase               manufacturing and service companies
 and free school meals for financially     essential skills in English, Mathematics      develop resilient supply chains and
 vulnerable learners.                      and ICT, together with technical and          identify and exploit new supply chain
                                           employability skills that participants        opportunities.
 Introduced a Digital Hardship Fund to
                                           need to progress to Traineeships,
 ensure our most vulnerable trainees can                                                 Working directly with companies to
                                           Apprenticeships, Further Education, or
 access on-line and remote learning.                                                     identify areas to enhance productivity
                                           employment. There will be provision for
                                                                                         and ensure they have the necessary
 Adapted a range of Skills programmes to   up to 1500 disadvantaged and
                                                                                         skills to exploit these opportunities,
 meet social distancing and safe work      vulnerable young people per year.
                                                                                         whilst protecting profitability by
 environment requirements; including:
                                           Providing support for companies to            minimising waste. Since 1st April 2020,
 -   Skills for Growth;                    enable them to re-skill and upskill their     Invest NI has engaged with 90
                                           employees to assist in safeguarding           companies on Productivity Improvement
 -   Skills Advancement;                   employment whilst equipping workforces        projects.
 -    I Operational Excellence
     N                                     with the skills to be competitive when
                                                                                         Providing focused leadership
     Programme;                            markets recover.
                                                                                         development programmes, with locally
 -   Invest NI Leadership                 Offering funding to industry-led groups       and externally owned companies, to
                                           to cover the cost of independent              develop new skills to accelerate their
      Programmes; and
                                           facilitation to collectively address issues   growth potential, with a focus on
 -   Invest NI Collaborative Growth       and opportunities related to skills           addressing the consequences of
      Programme.                           development.                                  Covid-19 and EU Exit.
                                           Delivering Screen Industry Reboot - a
                                           4-month training programme for the
                                           video games industry developed and
                                           delivered by NI Screen.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                      FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Stimulating Research & Development and Innovation

R&D and the science behind it             In the past 12 months many companies         continued funding to
drives economic growth and                have taken a digital leap forward,           support research,
competitiveness. It is a simple           showcasing their resilience and              development and wider innovation
reality that our most R&D intensive       capability to deliver on the world stage.    activity. We will target new funding from
firms are responsible for the majority    We need to build on our excellence.          inside and outside NI, and work to
of our exports. R&D and Innovation        Project Stratum, for example, will play a    increase the capacity of NI businesses
go hand in hand, but while only a         vital role in re-building the NI Economy     to access UK Research and Innovation,
few high technology and science           by transforming broadband connectivity       Innovate UK, cross-border and
driven companies will be R&D              for many citizens and businesses in          internationally mobile funds.
intensive, every business must            rural areas by bringing next generation
innovate to survive.                      broadband services to most of NI.

NI has a rich history of pioneering       Innovative technology in
leading innovations, however our          pharmaceuticals has led us to a vaccine
performance in recent times has lagged    that will facilitate the pathway to
behind other UK jurisdictions and other   recovery and opens the door to
small advanced economies. It is           innovative opportunities that need to be
imperative that we support both           explored and supported. The recent
business and individuals to embrace       decision by Artemis Technologies, a
innovative practices and utilise the      spin-off from America’s Cup team
available opportunities thereby           Artemis Racing, to establish a new
unlocking our potential to become world   facility in Belfast Harbour to develop
class.                                    zero-emission maritime technologies is
                                          an example of how NI can be at the
The global pandemic has already           heart of this decade of innovation. In the
accelerated the adoption of digital       face of a changing economic landscape,
solutions and emerging technologies.      we must adapt to ensure we secure

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                          FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

DfE will stimulate Research & Development and Innovation by:
   • Accelerating delivery of plans for over £550m investment in innovation and digital across the 4
      City and Growth Deals in NI;

   • Creating a Chief Scientific & Technology Officer post to advise and guide on science,
      technology, R&D, innovation policies and strategies in the context of economic development;

   • Providing support to businesses to engage in research and development so that they can
      continue to innovate and drive new commercial opportunities;

   • Providing advisory services and support to assist companies understand innovation and develop
      their innovative capabilities;

   • Assisting SMEs to gain the skills they need to engage in innovation activities;

   • Assisting businesses to exploit new opportunities through the adoption of new technologies;

   • Supporting businesses to build on recent successes in securing UK wide funding streams and
      ensure NI fully benefits from the opportunities presented by the UK Government’s Levelling Up
      agenda; and

   • Fostering collaboration and partnership working between industry and academia.

                                                                                                           17
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                             FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Stimulating Research & Development and Innovation
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                              WHAT WE ARE DOING                          WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Expanded the Innovation Voucher               Providing additional funding for “Co-      Increase support for value added R&D
 Scheme to allow multiple vouchers to be       founders”, an initiative by Catalyst to    projects across all businesses with the
 used on complex issues with Covid-            encourage new start-up companies to        aim of increasing wealth creation and
 related projects specifically being invited   be created by entrepreneurs, students      delivering additional jobs.
 in calls.                                     and researchers.
                                                                                          Accelerate delivery of the City and
 Engaged with Innovate UK / Department         Rolling out SME Process &                  Growth Deals programme including
 for Business, Energy, Industrial Strategy     Organisational Improvement Grant           signing of Heads of Terms for “Mid-
 (BEIS) to influence the UK Research &         support.                                   South West region” and “Causeway
 Development and PLACE Strategies                                                         Coast” and start project delivery in the
                                               Development and roll-out of a new pilot
 ensuring that Northern Ireland specific                                                  in the “Belfast and Derry / Strabane
                                               Productive Investment Capital Grant
 nuances are recognised and                                                               Regions”.
                                               Scheme.
 understood. This influenced actions
                                                                                          Invest heavily in place based innovation
 included within the strategies increasing     Investing resource to support industry,
                                                                                          through City and Growth Deals.
 the potential funding available for           universities and councils develop major
 innovation in NI.                             innovation, digital and tourism projects   Develop Webinars and other potential
                                               that will create new and better jobs and   solutions and delivery models for NI
 Developed and implemented a digitised
                                               sustained economic growth.                 companies to support innovation.
 innovation framework for NI companies
 to improve their innovation success. To       Delivering the COVID Digital Innovation    Develop an action plan for NI to secure
 date over 200 Bronze (first time              and Productivity Programme to support      additional funding from UK government
 innovators) certificates have been            businesses across the tourism sector to    through the Levelling Up agenda
 awarded.                                      enhance their digital capability.          contributing to stronger investment in NI
                                                                                          commercial R&D capabilities.
                                                                                          Work collaboratively with Tourism Ireland
                                                                                          to digitally link online visitor behaviour to
                                                                                          real time visitors by delivering intense
                                                                                          localised marketing.

                                                                                                                                              18
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                          FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Stimulating Research & Development and Innovation
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                              WHAT WE ARE DOING                           WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Supported Belfast City Region and Derry       Working with Visit Britain to use Tourism   Support the development of cross-
 Strabane District Council in identification   Exchange Great Britain (TxGB), a            border innovation collaborations and
 of projects for inclusion in their            centralised booking platform, to enable     clusters through the InterTradeIreland
 respective City Deals, valued at over         NI businesses to access new markets         Synergy Programme.
 £600m.                                        and manage sales across multiple            Develop proposals to implement an
 Extend the eligibility criteria of the        global distribution channels.               Artificial Intelligence Centre of
 InnovateUs programme to include Social        Supporting a greater number of firms to     Excellence. The aim of the proposed
 Enterprises and to allow businesses to        innovate; develop new products,             centre includes positioning NI as AI
 undertake a third project.                    processes or services; and improve          leaders on the globally competitive world
 Provided additional funding for               efficiency through InterTradeIreland        stage.
 University Research & Development.            Innovation Programmes (FUSION /             Promote NI as a global cyber security
                                               Innovation Boost, Impact).                  hub, to achieve New Decade New
 Partnered with Innovate UK to enable
 increased access to UK funding e.g.           Piloting a cyber security job vacancy       Approach commitment of 5,000 cyber
 Innovate UK Fast Start Grant Support          platform with free online access to         security professionals in Northern
 Programmes.                                   skilled training.                           Ireland by 2030.
 Moved cross-border Innovation supports                                                    Create a Chief Scientific & Technology
 online (Inc. the All-island Innovation                                                    Officer post to advise and guide on
 Programme) to increase participation                                                      science, technology, R&D, innovation
 and accessibility, enabling firms to                                                      policies and strategies in the context of
 improve their competitiveness as they                                                     economic development.
 respond to Covid-19 challenges.                                                           Fund NI university participation in
                                                                                           large-scale collaborative Research
                                                                                           Centres in key strategic sectors.
                                                                                           Expand the prestigious US-Ireland R&D
                                                                                           Programme to generate further valuable
                                                                                           discoveries and innovations which are
                                                                                           transferable to the marketplace.
                                                                                           Expand strategic investment in
                                                                                           university R&D to promote economic
                                                                                           productivity and prosperity through
                                                                                           excellent science and its
                                                                                           commercialisation.

                                                                                                                                           19
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                      FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Promoting Investment, Trade and Exports

The transformational impact of trade       ensure that any issues businesses have     disadvantaged and those
and export growth for a small open         in sourcing from GB are resolved in a      who have been most impacted
economy like NI, in terms of global        permanent and complete way, if we are      by the pandemic and the subsequent
competitiveness, job creation,             to maximise our economic opportunity.      economic downturn.
productivity, innovation and,
importantly, sub-regional balance, is      In recent years our economy has            As a small SME dominated economy,
such that export growth and                benefited from strong employment           entrepreneurship remains a key success
attracting inward investment will be       growth and provided valuable support to    factor for economic recovery and future
pivotal in the region’s recovery           indigenous and overseas businesses to      growth. More so than ever, it is critical
agenda and critical for our longer         create new jobs in Northern Ireland. The   that all economic development partners
term prosperity.                           current pandemic has disrupted global      collaborate to build and nurture a strong
                                           markets and trade leading to a sharp       entrepreneurship ecosystem where our
Promoting trade and investment will be     increase in unemployment in recent         start-ups, early stage and growth
an important part of recovery. The size    months. However, even in the face of       businesses with potential to scale are
of the NI market is relatively small and   adversity, opportunities remain in key     able to realise their ambitions and to
external sales provide a vital part of     sectors to drive external market growth,   flourish.
business growth in NI. There has been      rebuild and create new jobs.
significant change across key markets                                                 City and Growth Deals are large
over the past year as a result of COVID,   We will ensure that we adapt and flex      strategic investments that have the
leaving the European Union and the         our existing employment and skills         potential to seismically shift the NI
protocol. However, even in this            support and introduce new initiatives to   economy and accelerate the economic
challenging environment work must          enable businesses to take advantage of     regeneration of the region. The Deals
continue to increase exports and           these new market opportunities and         provide multi-faceted coverage of
promote NI as a destination for inward     adapt to new ways of doing business.       activities that link industrial, societal,
investment in a very competitive           This will help to create new jobs and      and regional challenges in a
environment. We must recognise that        employment opportunities for all,          comprehensive, inclusive way.
exports rely on inputs, and we must also   including our young people, the

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                           FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Promoting Investment, Trade and Exports (continued)

The four local Deals will see a combined
investment of £1.5 billion from the NI
Executive and the UK Government over
the next 10 years.

Deals are aligned to NI’s priority sectors
and will contribute directly to the
development of a much stronger and
globally focused business base. The
deals will also seek to develop our
workforce, provide social inclusion,
regenerate areas, and build new
infrastructure to support NI’s economic
recovery.

                                                            21
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                             FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

DfE will promote Investment, Trade & Exports by:
   • Push for a permanent and complete solution to end frictions brought about by the protocol;

   • Securing clarity on long term trading arrangements and the regulatory environment arising from
      EU exit;

   • Building on the success of Invest NI’s International Strategy, and the continued promotion of NI’s
      sectoral strengths across its global network, to maximise trade and investment opportunities;

   • Providing investment and employment support to business to help them rebuild;

   • Stimulating demand for local businesses including retail, restaurants and hotels;

   • Assisting businesses to explore and increase cross border and GB market trade and develop new
      markets;

   • Working with businesses to help them adapt to new trading conditions, and

   • Ensuring SMEs in Northern Ireland are provided with support and guidance to fully benefit from
      opportunities for cross-border growth.

                                                                                                              22
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                         FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Investment, Trade & Exports
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                           WHAT WE ARE DOING                          WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Provided a Covid-19 Business &             Developing a High Street Stimulus          Secure additional funding from DCMS to
 Financial Planning Grant, which offered    Scheme to provide individuals              extend Project Stratum to include a
 up to £8,000 of support to businesses      throughout Northern Ireland with a         further 2,500 premises not currently ‘in
 operating in manufacturing,                personalised prepaid card to be spent at   scope’, increasing the number of eligible
 construction, professional services,       ‘bricks and mortar’ businesses including   premises can benefit from increased
 information and communication, or          retail, hospitality and close contact      broadband coverage.
 science and technology to engage with      services.
                                                                                       Flex and adapt employment programmes
 professional support.                      Establishing a shared DfC / Invest NI      to support new job creation in response to
 Provided grant support to businesses       team approach when engaging with           changing business needs, to take
 via the Covid-19 Digital Selling &         companies to assist in securing            advantage of new investment opportunities
 Capability Grant. This scheme provides     employment for the economically            and to ensure that those most impacted
 funding to help local businesses develop   inactive and unemployed.                   are included.
 their e-commerce & online selling          Leading the cross departmental Social      Invest NI will work with partners and
 capabilities.                              Economy Policy Group to deliver an         stakeholders such as Enterprise NI to
                                            integrated strategic approach to the       refresh and relaunch its Entrepreneurship
                                            social economy. Funding the Social         Forum and develop an Entrepreneurship
                                            Economy Work Programme to support          Action Plan.
                                            social enterprises to be part of NI’s
                                                                                       Intensify support for businesses to sell to
                                            economic recovery.
                                                                                       the GB market.
                                            Tourism Ireland marketing air and sea
                                                                                       Roll out a new Export Health Check for NI
                                            connectivity to Northern Ireland in
                                                                                       businesses to establish export readiness,
                                            2021/22.
                                                                                       ambition & support needs.
                                            Providing support to Tour Operator &
                                            Destination Management Companies           Offer a new International Sales & Marketing
                                            through development of marketing           Leaders Programme.
                                            assets which can be used by tour           Raise awareness, ambition & confidence to
                                            operators to promote Northern Ireland      export as a pathway to recovery & growth
                                            internationally..                          through an NI-wide marketing campaign.
                                                                                       Deliver a new international marketing
                                                                                       campaign to reinforce ‘Why NI’ for
                                                                                       international investors underlining new
                                                                                       selling points of post EU Exit opportunites,
                                                                                       our resilience and NI as a destination for
                                                                                       Covid-driven new business models.
                                                                                                                                          23
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                             FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Investment, Trade & Exports
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                            WHAT WE ARE DOING                          WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Used employment focused intervention        Providing advice and guidance to NI        Undertake a ‘call to action’ campaign to the
 programmes to safeguard and build a         employers, employees and policy            NI diaspora to support economic recovery
 wide range of employment opportunities      makers on the NI Labour Market,            including the appointment of Trade
 in the immediate aftermath of the           employee relations, best practice and      Ambassadors in key markets & sectors.
 emergence of COVID-19.                      compliance in response to the pandemic
                                                                                        Expand on the ground support for NI
                                             and its impact on labour relations
 Delivered a locally focused EU Exit                                                    businesses selling overseas to drive exporter
 communications campaign focusing on         Introducing a COVID Market Led Product     confidence, capability and ultimately sales in
 key actions for business in the run up to   Development Programme to support           markets that align with our export sectors of
 31 December 2020 i.e. Brexit                Tourist attractions, venues and            strength.
 Preparation Grants, on-line EU Exit         experience providers enhance their
                                                                                        Work in conjunction with DfC and the
 Resilience Tool, Advice Clinics, support    products and tailor them to changed
                                                                                        Councils to set targets for the NI Business
 for all NI businesses via Webinars, FAQS    market conditions.
                                                                                        Start Up Programme that provides advice
 and guidance on nibusiness.info.
                                             Developing a heavyweight tourism           and support to people seeking to start their
 Doubled the capacity of our Graduate to     consumer advertising programme             own business.
 Export (G2E) programme, which builds        across and NI and ROI to give consumer
                                                                                        Work jointly with DAERA to deliver an
 capability of NI businesses to develop      confidence and stimulate demand.
                                                                                        Independent Strategic Review of the NI Agri
 new overseas markets and attract trade
                                             Delivering targeted product marketing in   Food Sector.
 growth opportunities whilst developing
                                             high value tourism sectors including
 export-experienced graduates. Extending                                                Work with the UK Department for Transport,
                                             Business Tourism, Tour Operators and
 G2E drives further trade growth for NI.                                                as civil aviation is a reserved matter, to
                                             Golf.
                                                                                        identify how we can provide support to
                                             Providing support to the Market Access     airlines, to maintain and enhance NI’s
                                             Programme to stimulate and sustain         domestic and international air connectivity.
                                             tourism marketing activity.
                                                                                        Support North West air connectivity with GB
                                             Delivering Crisis Management and           by Funding, alongside the UK Department
                                             Turnaround Fund support for tourism        for Transport (DfT), the City of Derry Airport
                                             businesses including provision of a        to London Public Service Obligation route
                                             financial and business plan review to      over the next two financial years. This is
                                             support viability of the wider tourism     subject to Executive agreement and DfT
                                             ecosystem.                                 Ministerial approval.
                                                                                        Deliver a ‘Holiday at Home’ voucher
                                                                                        campaign to stimulate demand from NI
                                                                                        residents to staycation in NI in support of the
                                                                                        tourism industry.
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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                                FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Investment, Trade & Exports
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                               WHAT WE ARE DOING                              WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 In the run up to 31 December 2020, DfE         Delivering enhanced digital capability         Carry out sectoral research on EU Exit
 and its Arms Length Bodies (ALBs)              and presence to cross-border traders           business opportunities focusing on the
 provided a range of support to help            through the E-Merge Digital Programme.         sectors where NI has a competitive
 business prepare and to provide guidance                                                      advantage.
                                                Funding research to deliver a NI Aerospace
 and training as part of their EU Exit
                                                Customer Diversification Programme to          Promote and develop cross border trade to
 Communications Campaign.
                                                assist the NI Aerospace cluster recover        support the enhancement and expansion
 Delivered cross-border business                and build resilience.                          of IntertradeIreland’s support to SMEs, via
 development support through                                                                   their trade programmes and innovation
                                                Continue to provide financial support to
 InterTradeIreland’s Emergency Business                                                        programmes including FUSION, Innovation
                                                assist NI companies, particularly high
 Support Programme.                                                                            Boost, and Impact.
                                                growth SMEs, realise their export potential,
 Helped secure £5.7m joint funding              develop export opportunities, and              Deliver an “Experience Development
 package in May 2020 to maintain NI’s air       stimulate more companies to export to a        Programme” to provide grant funding for
 connectivity with GB mainland during initial   wider range of markets.                        tourism experience providers to help
 COVID pandemic.                                                                               develop their businesses.
                                                Engaging with the British Business Bank
 Developed “A Practical Guide to Working        and other relevant stakeholders, to            Tourism Ireland to undertake international
 from Home” and practical guidance on the       encourage and promote alternative forms        marketing programmes in core markets
 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’              of finance, and respond to changing            when consumer sentiment indicates this is
                                                access to finance requirements during the      appropriate, to increase international
 .
                                                economic recovery.                             visitor numbers to NI.
                                                                                               Work with Tourism Ireland on a timely and
                                                                                               strategic review of the GB Market and
                                                                                               implement NI specific campaigns in GB
                                                                                               when the time is right.
                                                                                               Accelerate the development of the Tourism
                                                                                               Data Hub to support the industry with real
                                                                                               time data to inform decision making.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                             FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Investment, Trade & Exports
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                             WHAT WE ARE DOING                             WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Delivered online webinar sessions to         Delivering support via equity funding to      Invest NI will work with partners and
 develop the export capabilities of all NI    innovative early stage companies to           stakeholders to refresh and relaunch its
 businesses including e-business skills.      leverage additional investment and help       Entrepreneurship Forum and develop an
                                              these companies develop and market their      Entrepreneurship Action Plan.
 Project Stratum will be completed by
                                              products and services, thereby supporting
 March 2024 and will close the broadband                                                    Expand support through Invest NI to help
                                              external sales and employment growth
 connectivity gap that exists in Northern                                                   micro and small businesses (particularly in
 Ireland. The project will deploy Gigabit     Delivery of a Website Development             sectors most impacted by COVID-19) to
 capable broadband services to                Programme for tourism businesses to           overcome current economic challenges
 approximately 76,000 premises across         receive capital grants for the upgrading of   and sustain businesses while they are
 predominantly rural parts of Northern        their websites to make them bookable          planning for future recovery and growth in
 Ireland, providing citizens and businesses   online.                                       a post Covid-19 economy. Young, female
 with the opportunity to access the highest                                                 and part-time workers will be specifically
 broadband speeds available to consumers                                                    targeted through this support.
                                                                                            Establish a cross-border Trade Information
                                                                                            Service to provide a comprehensive
                                                                                            service to firms trading goods and services
                                                                                            across the border, ensuring firms in NI
                                                                                            have the information and support needed
                                                                                            to benefit from cross-border growth
                                                                                            opportunities.
                                                                                            Undertake a programme of research,
                                                                                            business communications, business
                                                                                            supports and policy work to support trade
                                                                                            in the context of the Protocol.

                                                                                                                                              26
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                        FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

  Building a Greener Economy

In “Rebuilding a Stronger Economy”,        offers the NI economy the opportunity to     reduce emissions across all
it is recognised that the economic         build resilience, increase productivity,     sectors by transforming the way
recovery must be sustainable,              create jobs, strengthen competitiveness      we design, produce and use products. This
environmentally responsible and            and realise carbon, energy and cost          will contribute to the UK’s 2050, net zero
tackle climate change. Energy, across      savings.                                     ambitions. It will also help to eliminate
power, heat and transport, accounts                                                     plastic pollution, support clean and
for approximately two thirds of all        By encouraging innovation in renewable       inclusive growth and create jobs, many of
greenhouse gas emissions and               energy and low carbon technologies we        which will be high-skilled.
substantial investment from                can help to decarbonise energy and
consumers and the public and private       contribute to the growth of a greener
sectors will be needed in contributing     economy. The Hydrogen Economy can
to the UK’s 2050 net zero target. The      build on our world-leading capabilities in
Department is therefore leading on the     renewables and manufacturing to create
development of a new Energy Strategy       new sustainable jobs through: hydrogen
which will set out the pathway to a        production using renewable energy;
greener economy.                           hydrogen demand within the transport,
                                           industry, power and heat sectors; the
Clean energy is an area where              manufacture of cutting-edge new
investment will increase globally. It is   technologies such as electrolysers;
essential that we capture and benefit      export opportunities for advanced
from the significant opportunities that    manufacturing in global hydrogen supply
exist in clean energy, that we support     chains; and supporting a low carbon
green innovation and grow a sustainable    and hydrogen skills base.
and environmentally responsible
greener economy. Energy efficiency         Developing the Circular Economy will help

                                                                                                                                         27
ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                            FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

DfE will support a Greener Economy by:
   • Delivering a net zero carbon energy transition;

   • Improving energy efficiency of buildings and industry;

   • Encouraging green innovation in renewables and low carbon technologies;

   • Developing the Hydrogen Economy and Circular Economy;

   • Enabling a low carbon workforce; and

   • Working collaboratively across Government on a green growth approach to recovery.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                      FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Building a Greener Economy
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                             WHAT WE ARE DOING                         WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Supported the creation of a hydrogen         Supporting local councils to develop      Re-open the COVID-19 Energy Efficiency
 economy by funding NI Water to               proposals for a hydrogen training hub.    Capital Grant to applications in
 undertake an innovative Oxygen and                                                     2021/22. This will support businesses
                                              Establish an NI Working Group to
 Hydrogen Demonstrator Project. This                                                    in implementing energy efficiency
                                              support NI companies gain access to UK
 will be the first in the UK and Ireland to                                             measures, providing cost and carbon
                                              Government Department for Business,
 demonstrate how electrolysis can help                                                  savings.
                                              Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) &
 to increase processing capacity, reduce
                                              Innovate UK funding in 2021 through       Develop proposals to introduce a Green
 carbon emissions and improve flexibility
                                              increasing the success of NI firms in     Innovation Challenge Fund that will seek
 in the electricity grid.
                                              accessing funds for innovative low        applications from NI businesses on
 Delivered a contract, in partnership with    carbon energy technologies.               innovative low carbon technologies that
 DoF and SIB, for 100% renewable                                                        will place NI at the forefront of the
                                              Developing an Invest to Save Fund to
 electricity to be supplied to Government                                               energy transition.
                                              finance investments in central
 buildings. This contract demonstrates
                                              government buildings to provide energy,   Develop proposals to introduce an
 how procurement can be a key lever in
                                              carbon and cost savings. This project     Energy Efficiency Home Retrofit Scheme
 the transition to a Green Economy. The
                                              will stimulate growth, create new jobs    to drive energy efficiency in the NI
 action helps the NI Executive meet its
                                              and encourage investment in innovative    building stock, providing opportunities
 carbon reduction targets and produces
                                              and renewable technologies.               for job creation and green economic
 financial savings which can be
                                                                                        growth.
 reinvested in public services.

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ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACTION PLAN                                                                                                       FEBRUARY 2021
REBUILDING A STRONGER ECONOMY

Building a Greener Economy
WHAT WE HAVE DONE                            WHAT WE ARE DOING                          WHAT WE PLAN TO DO
 Provided “virtual” technical consultancy    Developing a Circular Economy Strategic    Launch an Energy Strategy by the end of
 support to businesses to help identify      Framework for NI to be published March     2021.
 improvement opportunities in the area       2022.
                                                                                        Develop options to increase renewable
 of energy and resource efficiency driving
                                             Working with UK partners to identify and   electricity investment in NI, including
 improvements in business
                                             target NI supply chain opportunities for   extending Contracts for Difference and
 competitiveness. Since April 2020,
                                             offshore wind.                             launch a pilot Solar Photovoltaic grant
 support has been provided to 60
                                                                                        scheme.
 businesses to undertake 86 projects.
                                                                                        Develop a sustainable regenerative
 Announced that a new 2030 renewable
                                                                                        Tourism Strategy for NI.
 electricity target for NI should not be
 below 70%.                                                                             Work with the Utility Regulator to review
                                                                                        how regulation can facilitate economic
 Delivered an Energy Efficiency Capital
                                                                                        growth in delivering the Energy Strategy.
 Grant to help businesses recover by
 building resilience through energy                                                     Develop specific targets and metrics to
 efficiency. The grant supported the                                                    encourage companies to enter markets
 purchase and installation of equipment                                                 in the clean, green or circular economy
 that offers greater efficiency in the use                                              to increase sales and drive sustained
 of energy, providing cost and carbon                                                   economic growth.
 savings.

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