What We Offer

Through our expertise, the team can offer partners a thorough exploration of economic landscapes, providing the necessary tools for informed decision-making and strategic planning across every step of the way.

The EIU Offer

The EIU has the skillset and expertise to apply all of its activities to various geographical levels and can provide a flexible intelligence response to meet bespoke requirements on a one-off or ongoing basis. An example of some of the products include:

Measuring Success: Annual Economic Review & Place-Based Narrative

• The Strategic Performance Management Framework (PMF) offers a comprehensive assessment of key economic indicators, including productivity, employment, infrastructure, competitiveness, sustainability, and public service reform.
• An Annual Economic Review provides crucial intelligence for local business cases, ensuring alignment with devolved governance and funding settlements.
• The EIU provides access to an extensive evidence base, enabling the development of compelling place-based narratives and strategic propositions.
• We create bespoke outcome monitoring models and support Place-Based Plan development.
• Our bespoke Investment Prospectus for local areas offer insights into local economic movement patterns, supporting regeneration and place-based interventions.

Place-Based Analysis: Geo-visualisation and Spatial Analysis

• We offer advanced GIS and spatial intelligence to enable detailed mapping of infrastructure, economic activity, and environmental transformation. 
• We support decarbonisation initiatives, including Black Country Industrial Cluster, Industrial Decarbonisation of Northern Ireland and Green Growth strategies.

Employment & Skills Strategy: Inclusive Growth & Workforce Development

• We provide both quantitative and qualitative labour market intelligence, offering real-time insights into workforce trends.
• Through partnerships with national networks we integrate industry expertise into skills planning.
• We actively support local Skills Boards, delivering intelligence briefings and deep-dive sector analysis (e.g., Digital and Green Skills for Growth). 
• Our data-driven approach ensures inclusive apprenticeship uptake and supports education and skills deep dives.
• We work with Integrated Care Partnerships to address socio-economic inequalities in education, employment, and health.

Business Competitiveness: Growing the Business Base

• We deliver strategic company intelligence, providing sector-specific insights and real-time monitoring of economic shocks (e.g., Brexit, global conflicts, cost-of-living crises), identifying barriers and future opportunities – linked to skills and investment opportunities. 
• The West Midlands Metals and Materials Forum connects businesses, trade bodies, and universities to foster sector growth and resilience.
• Business segmentation analysis helps identify high-growth and innovative firms, informing strategic policy interventions. 
• We leverage new datasets (e.g., Data City) to enhance understanding of local business diversity, including minority-owned enterprises, sectoral makeup, and business base segmentation including strategic companies, high-growth companies and spinouts.

Intelligence Hub and Data Portal

• Our Intelligence Hub and Data Portal offers partners interactive dashboards, bespoke reports, and access to comprehensive socio-economic datasets.

Measuring Impact: Evidence-Strategy-Delivery Framework

• We provide a full-cycle analytical approach, linking evidence to policy development, programme implementation, and impact measurement. 
• Our unique ‘total place’ methodology ensures a holistic understanding of economic interventions at both strategic and operational levels.
• Cross-thematic spatial analysis helps assess the effectiveness of interventions and identify further requirements.

National & Regional Networks

• We play a key role in regional intelligence collaboration, working with the Midlands Engine, WMCA, and leading academic institutions.
• Our national partnerships include engagement with the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth and the ONS. 
• As a representative on strategic forums, we ensure the West Midlands' economic priorities are well-positioned in national policy discussions.