Stevenage was one of 101 towns in England invited to bid and was successfully awarded £37.5m in March 2021 following the submission of the Stevenage Town Investment Plan, set out and ratified by the Stevenage Development Board.

The Stevenage Development Board is chaired by businessperson Adrian Hawkins OBE, the Independent Chair. The Board brings together voluntary key stakeholders from public sector organisations, private businesses, not-for-profit organisations and heritage organisations, to ensure a diverse range of views are represented. Thanks to the effort of all of those involved, Stevenage secured the second joint highest bid in the country, working in collaboration on a Town Investment Plan with a clear vision, strategy and delivery proposals, that support local residents and businesses.

Adrian Hawkins OBE is the former Deputy Chair and Chair of the Hertfordshire LEP from 2014 to 2024 and Chair of the LEP’s Skills and Employment Board delivering the Hertfordshire Skills strategy since 2014. Adrian is the Founder of Weldability SIF, an innovative advanced manufacturing firm based in Letchworth Garden City. He is the Chairman and Co-founder of biz4Biz, an organisation established to support business owners and leaders, as well as a Patron of Business Clubs, working alongside local MPs. In 2024 following the integration of LEP’s with Local Authorities, Adrian was appointed Chair of the Hertfordshire Economic Board known as Hertfordshire Futures.

Adrian is a former School and College Governor and Chair of an Academy Trust. Adrian is also the Founder of the Weldability SIF Foundation, a registered charity which, working alongside FE Colleges and businesses like Make UK and EDF, has created 41 Welding Skills Training College Studios across the UK, delivering 29,000 qualifications at Level One to Level Three since its inception.

Within his remit for the Herts LEP, he encouraged the creation of HOP the Hertfordshire Opportunities Portal and the range of some 33 Generation events across the County bringing potential Employers together with some 1000 Students per event to assist with Career direction and provision.

The independent Stevenage Development Board continues to provide strategic oversight for the Towns Fund projects, with all its members working together for the town. The allocation awarded to Stevenage is being put towards nine projects, and a full list of these can be found on the Stevenage Even Better Town Investment Plan web page.