iED CPD Online: Introduction to Economic Development for Elected Members

Important – this webinar will run over 3 separate sessions, each running for 90 minutes on the 13th, 14th and 15th July 2026.

Run by the Institute of Economic Development Executive Director, Nigel Wilcock.

This webinar (run over 3 separate sessions) will introduce Elected Members who may be new to economic development to some of the key disciplines.

Attendance is open to both iED members and non iED members. Whilst Elected Members themselves may not be members of the iED, they can access the member rate if their local authority is an organisation member of the Institute.

An introduction to Economic Development

This CPD course is intended to provide a broad introduction to economic development, what it is, who are the key players and how it can be delivered. The course is designed for elected members who require a wide understanding of the role economic development plays in driving vibrant and sustainable economies.

Topics that will be covered as part of this module include:

• The economic development landscape – what form economic development takes in different places and the key players involved

• The government’s approach to economic development

• Funding streams available to support economic development

The course will also touch on the following topics, although only at a broad level:

• Economic Development’s role in attracting and securing investment
• How economic development shapes places and creates communities
• The role of Economic Development in facilitating business start-up, growth and productivity
• Skills – how to ensure your local economy has the right skills to grow

This webinar will be delivered by Nigel Wilcock, Executive Director of the iED.

The webinar sessions will be on:

13th July 5.00-6.30pm

14th July 5.00-6.30pm

15th July 5.00-6.30pm

There is an expectation that delegates will attend all 3 webinars. If you are unable to attend all 3, you can request a recording of the missed webinar, but there will be no discount should you not be able to attend all 3.

Please note that the webinars will be conducted via MS Teams and you will be able to ask live questions via the chat during the course of the sessions.

The inclusive price for this session (3 x 90 minute webinars) is £75 for iED members and £145 for non iED members. No VAT is chargeable. Pay by invoice is possible. Whilst Elected Members themselves may not be members of the iED, they can access the member rate if their local authority is an organisation member of the Institute.

To register, click here.

We will send you a link to each webinar in the days running up to the first session.

We need a minimum of 10 delegates to run this course. If minimum numbers are not met, this course will not run and you will receive a full refund.

Please note that we are happy to provide this course or other CPD courses directly to your organisation – for now, these will all be delivered online. Please get in touch with us for more details.