Northwest Regional Development Agency

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) is the regional development agency for the North West England region and is a non-departmental public body..

The Agency is responsible for the economic development and regeneration of the Northwest of England. As a business-led organisation, the NWDA provides a link between the needs of businesses and Government policies. As such, a major responsibility for the Agency is to help create an environment in which businesses in the region can flourish through offering business support, encouraging new start-ups, matching skills provision to employer needs and bringing business investment into the region.

The Agency funds or manages a series of financial support products for businesses in the region. Information is available at the NWDA's Finance for Business Website

Geographically, the Agency covers Greater Manchester including Manchester and Salford, Merseyside including Liverpool, Cheshire and Warrington, Cumbria, including the Lake District and Lancashire including Preston.

The Agency is one of the principal players in the creation of MediaCityUK in Salford Quays, shortly to be home for a number of relocated BBC Departments as well as a major creative and digital village in its own right. It is also playing a strong role in the development of The Waterfront Barrow-in-Furness.

The NWDA is funded by central Government and is responsible to the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. Since their establishment in 1999 Regional Development Agencies they have cost £15 billion.