Economic Development Board

What is the Isle of Wight Economic Development Board (EDB)?

The Isle of Wight Economic Development Board (EDB) is a group that helps make plans to improve jobs, businesses, and the economy on the Island.

The main purpose of having a local Economic Development Board (EDB) is to enable local partners to agree shared economic priorities for the Island and to ensure the most effective use of the increasingly limited resources and support services available.

Terms of Reference

The EDB will develop, agree and review an ongoing vision for the economic future of the Island as part of a wider regeneration strategy.

The EDB will provide input to and act on feedback from other Island or regional partnerships addressing issues such as education and skills, infrastructure and housing. 

The EDB will oversee and monitor the effective development and deployment of an Island Business support programme.

The EDB will inform and monitor the development and delivery of a local economic strategy and, where appropriate, ensure consistency with the Solent Strategic Economic Strategy and relevant UK government policy, such as the Industrial strategy. 

The EDB will also initiate activities to improve the overall economic wellbeing of the Isle of Wight in line with the economic strategy. 

The EDB will work closely with regional economic partners and ensure that the needs and aspirations of the Isle of Wight are clearly understood. 

The EDB will assist in establishing a clear communications strategy to ensure consistent messaging about the Island’s economy and to generate investment interest in the Isle of Wight. 

The EDB will facilitate widest possible engagement with the business community of the Isle of Wight.

The EDB will inform, direct and lobby plans and objectives of any agency which impacts on the Isle of Wight in all matters in relation to the Island’s economy. 

Frequency of meetings

The EDB meet on a quarterly basis.

  • Leader of the Isle of Wight Council
  • Isle of Wight council committee chair - Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure committee
  • Isle of Wight council committee member - Economy, Regeneration, Transport and Infrastructure committee
  • Chair of the IW Tech Group
  • Representative from the Mission Zero Business Hub
  • Chair of the IW Skills Board
  • Managing Director Visit IOW - Tourism
  • Strategic Leader from Further Education
  • Sector Representative from Rural Economy
  • Managing Director Creative Island - Culture
  • Managing Director IW Chamber of Commerce - Business
  • Regional Lead Federation of Small Businesses – Business
  • Director of Community Services – Isle of Wight Council Service Director
  • Admin Support - Isle of Wight Council officer
logos of the organisations listed in the member list
natural enterprise mission zero business hub iw college iw tech group logos

Economic Development Board meeting papers