Get involved

Economic and Skills Development Partnership

Bracknell Forest, unlike anywhere else in the Thames Valley, is fortunate to have a highly active business led partnership that covers the entire borough. This is called the Economic and Skills Development Partnership (ESDP).

The purpose of the ESDP is to facilitate and promote the continued economic development of Bracknell Forest. The partnership acts as the voice of business and brings together representatives from the private, public and education sectors.

The partnership recognises that it cannot and should not act in isolation, so that economic goals are achieved. Organisations that the partnership engage with (but may not sit on the ESDP membership) include:

• Thames Valley Berkshire LEP
• Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce
• Federation of Small Businesses
• and many others

Currently the partnership contains representatives from the following organisations, among others:

• 3M
• Activate Learning
• Bracknell Forest Council
• Bracknell Business Improvement District
• Bracknell and Wokingham College
• Duncan Yeardley
• Department of Work and Pensions
• Federation of Small Businesses
• Fujitsu
• Learning to Work
• NHS
• ON semiconductors
• Panasonic
• SEGRO Thames Valley
• Silva Homes (formerly Bracknell Forest Homes)
• Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce group
• The Lexicon
• TRL
• Waitrose
• Wellington College
• WWP

Agendas and minutes

View the ESDP agendas and minutes.

As the partnership evolves and priorities change, we are always looking for passionate and active people to get involved in our work, and hopefully in time become a member. If this is of interest or you would like to learn more please contact us.

Bracknell Forest Photo Competition

The ESDP supports the Bracknell Forest Photo Competition. This annual competition is free to enter and is targeted at amateur photographers. It celebrates the abundance of amazing local places, which make Bracknell Forest a special place in which to live, work and play.

Bracknell Business Improvement District

A Business Improvement District (BID) is a defined geographical area in which local, individual rate-paying businesses put forward ideas to improve and transform their area.

These ideas are then voted on by all the BID members. BID funds are ring-fenced to provide the improvements agreed through the voting process. This makes sure of a sustainable and democratic way of creating a development plan for the area which can help transform it into a better place for business and residents.

A BID offers all businesses a great opportunity to come together with their own budget and a collective voice, to deliver benefits to businesses and change perceptions of the area.

For more information, visit the Bracknell BID website.

Local business survey

We commissioned Public Perspectives, an independent research organisation, to conduct a survey of local businesses. The survey took place in November 2022.

• impact of increased energy costs
• impact of the cost of living crisis 
• skills
• infrastructure
• green agenda
• workplace wellbeing

A full copy of the business survey is available to download.