Welcome to the NWDA

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is responsible for stimulating the economic growth and regeneration of England’s Northwest.

Our 5 key priorities and areas of work are:

Business

Encouraging new enterprises and supporting innovation, growing key regional sectors, exploiting the region’s science base and improving international competitiveness. Find out more about how the NWDA supports business in the Northwest
Skills & Education

Tackling worklessness, improving the skills base of the region and creating employment opportunities. Find out more about how the NWDA supports skills development in the Northwest
People & Jobs

Developing job linkages, growing local employment, improving the health of the workforce and responding to population change. Find out more about how the NWDA supports people and jobs in the Northwest
Infrastructure

Developing the region’s transport infrastructure and ensuring the provision of appropriate employment and housing sites through an effective planning system. Find out more about the NWDA's role in transport and infrastructure
Quality of Life

Developing the culture and image of the Northwest, improving community cohesion and capitalising on the region’s natural assets to enhance quality of life. Find out more about how the NWDA is developing the image and environment of the Northwest

Key Initiatives

NWDA launches Graduate Plus - a unique region-wide project, offering post-graduate bursaries for masters programmes
Graduate Plus, launched by the NWDA and the North West Universities Association, will award up to 200 bursaries to students taking a one year masters programme directed at the high growth sectors, at any of the region's 15 universities.

Northwest remains the UK’s leading region for Foreign Direct Investment outside of the South East
Figures released by UK Trade and Investment show that the number of inward investment projects secured in the Northwest over the last financial year has risen to the highest recorded number for the region, despite the difficult economic conditions.

Support for Northwest Businesses
This is the second publication outlining the support provided by the NWDA and partners for businesses in the region. All support can be be accessed through Business Link Northwest.

Supporting Business

Real Help for Business
A range of free support for businesses to help whether the economic downturn. Whether you need to raise finance, increase productivity, or save money by reducing waste and saving energy, you can get real help to keep your business fighting fit.

Business Link Northwest - Access to Business Support
The Agency has boosted the financial advice and guidance available to businesses via Business Link Northwest, the NWDA's service that provides access to all public and private sector business support.

Supporting Business - Update
The NWDA has recently announced a package of new and enhanced support to help the region's businesses through the current economic conditions.