Driving Gloucestershire Investment
About this Event
Driving Gloucestershire Investment
8:00 - 4:00 17th July 2026,
Patch, Glouceste
A BUSINESS INSIGHTS - GLOUCESTERSHIRE event taking place on 17 July 2026 at Patch, The Forum, Gloucester, we bring together business leaders, policymakers, investors, community organisations, and Members of Parliament to explore how Gloucestershire can drive sustainable economic growth and attract greater investment.
The programme features a series of panel discussions covering investment attraction, local procurement, regeneration, social value, skills development, and community impact. We include a morning discussion with Gloucestershire MPs, a debate on retaining more procurement spending within the county through Together Gloucestershire, an exploration of Gloucester’s regeneration and development ambitions, and the launch of the Social Value Ideas Factory.
We’ll be exploring growth opportunities, supply chain development, job creation, infrastructure investment, and collaborative approaches that strengthen local economies and communities.
There will be valuable networking opportunities and discussion about how business, government, and community partners can work together to create long-term prosperity across Gloucestershire.
Agenda
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:30 AM
Start the day with our Gloucestershire Members of Parliament
Info: Join us from 8:00am for coffee and the start of our Business Insights – Gloucestershire event, bringing together business leaders and Gloucestershire Members of Parliament to discuss the county’s ambitions for growth, investment, and long-term economic success.
Throughout the morning, we’ll explore how Gloucestershire can attract, retain, and grow investment, and what this means for businesses, communities, and the wider regional economy. Discussions will focus on growth plans, job creation, investment in local enterprise, strengthening communities, developing future skills, supporting sustainability goals, and creating a strong sense of place that encourages workforce loyalty and prosperity.
Attendees will gain valuable insight into the opportunities and challenges facing businesses across the county, while hearing directly from a panel of Gloucestershire MPs about the priorities shaping policy and investment decisions at Westminster.
🕑: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Together Gloucestershire – Keeping Investment Local
Host: Ian Mean
Info: As part of the Business Insights – Gloucestershire programme, building on the success of the Gloucestershire Business Show since 2015, we’re bringing together key voices to explore how more of the county’s procurement spend can be retained locally, driving investment in our economy, jobs, skills, and communities.
In partnership with Together Gloucestershire, this live panel discussion will feature MPs, business leaders, and sector experts examining how we can achieve meaningful economic growth while delivering measurable social value. The conversation will focus on practical ways to strengthen local supply chains, support SMEs, and create long-term, sustainable opportunities across the county.
Launched in 2022, Together Gloucestershire connects major buyers with local SMEs to enhance social impact, support community development, build resilient local workforces, and strengthen supply chain security—all while advancing carbon reduction goals.
🕑: 12:30 PM - 01:30 PM
Growing Gloucester, Developments, Plans and Ambitions
Host: Ruth Dooley
Info: Hosted at PATCH in The Forum, the centrepiece of Gloucester’s newly developed city quarter, this engaging panel discussion brings together developers, business leaders, policymakers and members of the wider business community to explore the city’s transformation and future direction.
The discussion will focus on Gloucester’s recent regeneration projects, the impact they are already having on the city, and how collaboration between the public and private sectors is helping to drive growth, investment and opportunity across the region.
Panellists will share insight into what is working, the opportunities emerging for businesses and investors, and the long-term vision for Gloucester as a vibrant county town and ambitious regional centre. The conversation will also explore how regeneration is supporting local enterprise, strengthening communities and helping to create a city where people want to live, work and invest.
🕑: 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Introducing the Social Value Ideas Factory
Host: Sarah Bryars
Info: Gloucestershire is home to a growing number of nationally significant infrastructure projects, spanning consultation and planning through to active development. Alongside procurement and Social Value legislation, this has prompted important conversations across the county about what social value means in practice, how it should be delivered and measured, and how developers, VCSE organisations, local authorities and small businesses can work together more effectively.
The Social Value Ideas Factory emerged from a 2025 roundtable that brought together developers, suppliers, local authorities, the VCSE sector and community partners to address these challenges and create practical solutions to support employment, skills, communities and the charity sector across Gloucestershire.
Now evolving into a sustainable organisation, The Social Value Ideas Factory aims to play a leading role in coordinating social value opportunities and investment across the county.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 0.00 to GBP 163.22
