About Invest Northamptonshire
Invest Northamptonshire is the county's investment promotion agency established in 2004 by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department for Communities & Local Government - DCLG) and Northamptonshire Partnership. It was launched to support the planned level of growth of Northamptonshire and aims to encourage and retain investment in the county.
In summer 2006, Invest Northamptonshire became part of Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited along with Explore Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire Partnership, Northamptonshire Observatory and the Economic Development team of Northamptonshire County Council.
Invest Northamptonshire is responsible for promoting investment opportunities and providing guidance to those who choose Northamptonshire, whether they be a property developer, global company, new business or established county firm seeking to grow their existing operations.
Invest Northamptonshire's team delivers a wide range of services that promote the county as a profitable business and investment location.
Services include the Investor Development facility which is a free and confidential support service for foreign owned businesses and large UK employers. In 2004-2005 the Fit for Market scheme, backed by Northamptonshire Partnership, allocated £2.5 million to the regeneration of brownfield sites and redundant buildings that can stimulate additional employment. The agency also provides advice on finding premises and recruitment, and works closely with a number of different partners on initiatives that raise the profile of the county and the opportunities for investment.
In the twelve months to March 2005, the agency was directly involved in the creation of 1175 new jobs, assisted in safeguarding 575 jobs, handled 275 new enquiries and assisted 17 companies with expansion and 10 with first time investment in the county.
Invest Northamptonshire places emphasis on the importance of research in to the county's investment potential and, as part of this, has undertaken research into the key sectors which offer the best opportunities for investment. It also works on a range of sector-specific programmes that immprove the performance of businesses across the county.
