Bristol’s One City partners have launched an urgent strategy to support the economy as the city faces the biggest financial depression in recent years.

The continuing impact of COVID-19 on businesses has seen Bristol’s unemployment rate more than double to 4.5% from March to August this year, and over 70,000 people in the city have been furloughed. In the face of this crisis, Bristol City Council plans to allocate £10m, over the next two years to support the immediate challenges being faced by businesses and citizens alike. As well as the immediate need to respond, city partners have also recognised the need to look ahead.

As such, many organisations across the city have inputted into Bristol’s Economic Recovery and Renewal Strategy which seeks to reduce poverty and inequality; increase the city’s resilience and environmental sustainability; and enhance the economic and social wellbeing of every community.

Bristol Mayor, Marvin Rees, said: “As Bristol faces the deepest economic depression since the 1930s it is imperative that we work together now to do all we can to keep those working to stay in work, help businesses to stay open, and provide new opportunities for those who are unemployed.

“The scale of the challenge presented by COVID-19 is significant and testing every system in our city. Livelihoods are being devastated. We must support business, promote innovation and work to attract new and established businesses into the city.

“We must stimulate the economy with infrastructure and regeneration projects that offer jobs, homes and investment opportunities to the city. It is without doubt that working in collaboration with businesses and partners across the city was, and will continue to be, a key strength and foundation of Bristol’s long-term economic response and recovery.

“The city’s recovery from COVID-19 must acknowledge that tackling poverty must go hand in hand with improving health and education, reducing inequality, stimulating growth and tackling climate change.”

The One City Economic Recovery & Renewal Strategy states the following as its three over-arching objectives:

1. to seek to reduce poverty and inequality;

2. to increase the city’s resilience and environmental sustainability;

3. and to enhance the economic and social wellbeing of every community.

As these align with BSWN’s work and ambition, the organisation welcomes and supports the local Council’s stated commitment to tackle the said challenges.

In particular, the strategy aligns with BSWN’s research and work when it acknowledges and takes prioritised action on the following:

It recognises ‘people and the labour markets’ as a key focus area for recovery, supported by an in-depth analysis of how COVID-19 strikingly increased the levels of financial insecurity and income inequality across the city, whilst lowering the labour market’s accessibility levels, exceptionally so for groups such as: young people, low-income families, zero-hours contract workers, women and black and Asian minority ethnic groups (page 34).
It positions ‘business and investment’ as the second key focus area for recovery, once again supported by robust evidence and data on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the different business sectors; particularly hit were retail and food services and the arts and cultural sectors, consistent with BSWN’s research findings (BSWN, 2020). Once again, it is acknowledged and contextualised how black and Asian minority ethnic groups are disproportionally hit (page 59) and according proposals for targeted provision are listed in the priorities for response.
The strategy acknowledges both barriers and opportunities around digital infrastructure; one of the key recovery areas to be prioritised according to the most recently published BSWN’s research work (BSWN, 2020). For example, it created a more inclusive working model for certain disabled people office workers, whilst excluding different segments of the population due to digital poverty-related barriers.
The intersectional nature of the current challenges facing the city permeates the document consistently from beginning to an end through the inclusion of the Sustainable Development Goals mapping, which provides a clear picture for balancing recovery priorities across all equalities’ groups, environmental outcomes and development opportunities (e.g. digital and technological opportunities and quality homes), as well as the general improvement of the city’s - and its communities’ - resilience, agency and overall sustainability.
Specifically in regard to the post-pandemic recovery of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities and businesses, the strategy prioritises the below list.
Utilising already existing community networks and building capacity within the VCSE Sector to ensure black, Asian and minority ethnic groups are engaged and accessing support to enhance employment skills.
Develop a range of pre-apprenticeship programmes for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and other young people and adults who are under-represented in key sectors.
Working with the private sector to address under-representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic employees through inclusive recruitment practice and monitoring workforce data, and funding greater involvement of representatives from these communities in key policy areas such as environmental sustainability.
Targeted specialist financial and advisory support for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic and women led businesses in Bristol.
Support procurement processes that support equality including ensuring improved representation of women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic-led businesses.
Develop a community-based enterprise model for the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic business sector – including infrastructure for workspace.

Reflecting on the priorities of the strategy, Sado Jirde, Director, Black South West Network said, “This Economic Recovery Strategy places inclusive economic development at its core by catalysing inclusion to implement a shared agenda that expands opportunity. Recovery must include the voices of those too often left out of the design of initiatives developed to help them. To truly build community resilience, reduce income inequality and ultimately achieve any Sustainable Development Goals, community voice must be at the centre of any meaningful recovery strategy to enable these lived experiences to move beyond just being a powerful story, but actually affect real change.”

Bristol is not alone facing these challenges, and a big priority for the partners is to build on the work of and alongside many others around the globe. To this end, all of the priorities in the strategy are clearly benchmarked against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will allow us to measure progress and ensure transparency within the city and with external partners.

The Economic Recovery and Renewal Strategy brings together vital strands across the city to help ensure collaboration in delivering our plans within the city and engaging with those outside it; including regional representation from the West of England Combined Authority to ensure its alignment with emerging regional recovery planning.