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Introduction

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Irwin Grayson Associates are consultants in economic regeneration who can help you develop innovative approaches to enterprise and economic development.

Irwin Grayson Associates is a partnership of David Irwin and David Grayson. In 1980, they founded Project North East, one of the UK's leading enterprise and economic development agencies, which has now worked in 40 countries.

	Irwin Grayson Associates undertake strategic reviews, programme design and assist with implementation on initiatives intended to provide support to new and growing businesses such as incubator workspace and finance. They undertake programme evaluations and provide policy advice to governments and private sector organisations including on regulatory reform and the business enabling environment.
	IGA works throughout the world, but with a particular focus on the UK and Africa. Recent clients include DANIDA, DFID, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, European Bank for Reconstruction & Development, Gatsby Charitable Foundation, National Council of Voluntary Organisations, OECD and the World Bank.

	David Irwin	David Grayson
	David Irwin continued to manage and grow Project North East until 2000. PNE achieved a number of firsts including the first Youth Enterprise Centre which became a model for centres in the UK and internationally. In 1984, PNE started managing Livewire in the north east of England and then won the contract to provide the national management starting from 1986. Livewire now operates in about 24 countries round the world. David continues to be a trustee of the Northern Youth Venture Fund. In 2000, he was appointed as the first Chief Executive of the UK's Small Business Service taking responsibility for all of the UK Government's support for SMEs and a newly created role to be a "strong voice for small business at the heart of government" advocating the case for an improved regulatory environment. He stepped down from that role at the end of March 2002. David is Chairman of Cobweb Information Ltd, a business that researches, publishes and markets business information. He is a director of Sunderland Youth Enterprise Trust and Chairman of the International Association for Enterprise Promotion. He is also a member of the investment advisory committee for Oxfam's Enterprise Development Programme. David is a holder of the Queen's Award for Enterprise Promotion which he was awarded in 2009.	In April 2007, David Grayson was appointed Chair of Corporate Responsibility and Director of the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility at Cranfield University. He is a social entrepreneur. He chairs Housing 21, one of the leading providers of sheltered and extra care housing and care for older people. He is a former joint Managing Director of Business in the Community and remains a part-time Director of Business in the Community where he particularly focuses on small businesses as founder chairman of the UK Small Business Consortium. Much of his recent work has focussed on how to shift Corporate Responsibility from being a bolt-on to business operations to being built-in to business purpose and strategy. He is especially interested in how a genuine commitment to sustainability and responsibility can become a source of creativity and innovation, leading to new business opportunities. He speaks, writes and advises regularly on business, society, entrepreneurship and future trends for businesses, media and business schools around the world. He has worked with many, leading global businesses including BP, Shell, Microsoft and Diageo. He has also worked with international institutions such as the OECD, the European Union and the World Bank. He is a visiting Senior Fellow at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard for 2006-07. David was the first, joint Managing Director of the Prince's Youth Business Trust; and the director of The Prince of Wales Award for Innovation. He is a contributing editor to The Corporate Citizenship Briefing and a regular columnist for The Ethical Corporation. His publications include: .Corporate Social Opportunity: Seven Steps to make Corporate Social Responsibility work for your business (Greenleaf, 2004); "Everybody's Business - Managing Risks and Opportunities in to-day's global society" (Dorling Kindersley and The Financial Times 2001) - both co-authored with Adrian Hodges. He was awarded the OBE for services to industry in 1994 and the CBE for services to disability in 1999. He is happiest on, in or - preferably - under water - in hot climates. Speeches, articles and other resources are regularly posted at davidgrayson.net