Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors

DBT should use the framework of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy to review its operating model for supporting industry sectors, build on its capability needs assessment, and enable it to adapt and prioritise its activity and resources accordingly. It should also consider how it engages with and supports those sectors not explicitly covered in the forthcoming Industrial Strategy.

Ref Page 13, 19a · Implemented Q2 2026-27

DBT should consider how it can collate capital and resource spending on support to business in a more useful way, and use it to inform decision making. It should consider how it can categorise this spending, such as by support type, sector or region.

Ref Page 14, 19e · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should develop an evidence based decision-making process that demonstrates that it chooses sectoral interventions appropriately and understands what works, and when.

Ref Page 14, 19f · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should develop its approach to monitoring and evaluation in order to understand measures of success and learn from what works. DBT should develop a programme of evaluation of its business support, focusing on the interventions that could add the most value.

Ref Page 14, 19g · Implemented Q1 2026-27

DBT should make best use of the learning from how it has developed its current approach to supporting industry. It should review and build on its existing Sector Views and Sector Action Plans to support development of the new Sector Plans.

Ref Page 13, 19b · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should make best use of the learning from how it has developed its current approach to supporting industry. It should review and build on its mechanisms for engaging with industry and stakeholders and use the learning to inform the development of the new sector councils.

Ref Page 13, 19b, bullet point 2 · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to clarify respective roles and responsibilities on growth and in implementing the new Industrial Strategy and growth mission.

Ref Page 13, 19c, bullet point 1 · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to establish consistent and effective ways of working.

Ref Page 13, 19c, bullet point 2 · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to learn from its more mature relationships to establish effective influencing relationships where it does not own policy levers

Ref Page 13, 19b · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should formalise and articulate clear criteria and metrics.

Ref Page 14, 19d, bullet point 1 · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should record the outcome of these decisions and the agreed trade-offs.

Ref Page 14, 19d, bullet point 2 · Implemented Q1 2027-28

DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should use this information to inform its approach to future interventions, and to prioritise intervention options, given resource constraints.

Ref Page 14, 19d, bullet point 3 · Implemented Q1 2027-28