To enable the accountable body, Shropshire Council, to delegate responsibility for managing the Get Building Funding grant and the relationship with the successful grant applicant NMITE to the council. The grant amount of £1.6m for the project will be transferred from the accountable body to the council, £800,000 in 2020/21 and £800,000 in 2021/22.  The grant funding will be utilised to accelerate development of NMITE’s Centre for Automated Manufacturing on the Hereford Enterprise Zone.

That:

(a)  The Council accept responsibility for managing the £1.6m Get Building Fund grant and the relationship with NMITE for the development of their Skylon Park campus.

(b)  The Chief Finance Officer be authorised, following consultation with the monitoring officer and cabinet member for finance, to complete such legal documentation including, but not limited to the funding offer letter from Shropshire Council and subsequent funding agreement between the council and NMITE to protect the council’s interests as the project accountable body and take all operational decisions necessary to implement the above recommendations.

1.         Do nothing - the council could decide not to be the accountable body for the project.  This may result in NMITE not being able to access the approved funds, which would reduce the funding available to support recovery from Covid 19 in the county.