Harrogate Borough Council's Economic Development Unit (EDU) has recently produced a review of 2009-2010, highlighting the unit's key achievements of the past year.

Working with partners, the EDU delivers the Council's corporate objective of creating A Strong Local Economy: a robust and diverse economy that benefits all local people and creates employment opportunities, particularly in rural areas and the market towns across the district.

All city region businesses are invited to the launch of the Leeds City Region Innovation Capital Programme on Thursday 29 July at 4-6pm in York.

The event will present the work to date in putting business needs at the forefront of the city region's innovation and related agendas, and includes a discussion of the Partnership's recent agreement to develop a city region Local Enterprise Partnership.

All businesses located within the Leeds City Region (which includes the whole of the Harrogate District) are welcome to attend, though places must be reserved.

An Employment and Skills Strategy for the Leeds City Region has recently been produced in consultation with a wide range of employer groups and stakeholders.

Local businesses are now being offered the opportunity to further shape the direction of skills provision in the Harrogate district and are invited to attend a free breakfast briefing seminar on Tuesday 7 September at Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough. Here businesses will hear about the Strategy, discuss local priorities and have a say on local skills requirements for both the current and furture workforce in our district.

Business helping business is the theme to a new venture due to be launched this week in Ripon. The official launch of The Ripon and District Chamber of Trade and Commerce will be taking place at 6pm on Wednesday 28 July in Ripon. All business managers and owners are welcome to attend.

Sustainable procurement is fast becoming a big issue for business, but what does it really mean? Could it reduce costs and make a difference to your performance?

The North Yorkshire Green Business Club are hosting a half-day seminar on Monday 6 September at Conyngham Hall, Knaresborough to look at the business benefits of making more informed and sustainable choices when buying, and how sustainable procurement can contribute to the environmental performance of your business.

Over 30,000 businesses in the UK have launched their own websites as a result of the Getting British Business Online campaign, which launched in February. The campaign is a joint initiative between Google, BT, Enterprise UK, e-skills UK and many other national and local partners which aims to help 100,000 new businesses online with their first free website by the end of 2010.