Become a Founder Member of Economic Development World

[If you are looking for the 17-day foundation course by email – you can register for it here]

The Founder Member Offer

Shape the community and the lessons and resources we develop

✓ Try for free

✓ 15 hours of on-demand courses

✓ Practical workbooks

✓ Community, chatrooms, discussion

✓ First 3 months: 3 x Monthly 1-to-1 Mentoring Session; 1 x Career Planning Session

✓ First 12 months: Exclusive Founder Member workshops

✓ Year 1: 67% off annual membership

Download the Course Prospectus

Join in first quarter of 2026

Help shape the community

HOW IT WORKS

STEP 1: Register to get joining instructions
Register on the form above. We’ll send you joining instructions

STEP 2: Start Learning (Day 1)
 Immediate access to all Navigator tier content plus book your first 1-to-1 with Glenn.

STEP 3: Join Founder Workshops (Week 1)
 First fortnightly workshop within 7 days of launch.

Founder Member Benefits

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Immediate access to 10+ hours of on-demand courses across 8 economic development disciplines

Foundation knowledge; Policy, strategy and intelligence; Enterprise, industry and innovation; Employment and skills; Inclusion, poverty and inequality; Place, infrastructure and real estate; Climate and sustainability; Executive toolkit.

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1-to-1 sessions and workshops

3x 1-to-1 sessions with Glenn. Monthly Workshop with Glenn and other Founder Members.

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Locked in savings over 5 years

Save £200 in Year 1
Lock in Year 2-5 pricing at £195 (save another £200)
10% off if you upgrade to Practitioner or Expert tiers; Discounts on Masterclasses
Combined savings over 2 years: £400-600+

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Preferential access to online events

You will be in the first tier to register to attend online events. Full access to the podcast archive.

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Complete template library (business cases, logic models, stakeholder maps)

Access to all the workbooks and guidance resources that go with the courses.

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On demand learning

Learn what you want, when you want it. Got a meeting about FDI, and don’t know much about it? take our 10 minute foundational course or 1 hour introductory course to get you up to speed!

What You Get as a Founder Member

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IMMEDIATE ACCESS (When We Launch):

  • 15 hours of on-demand courses across 8 ED disciplines 
  • Complete template library (strategy templates, how to guides, audits and assessments, business case template)
  • Community discussion forums with fellow founding members and other membership tiers
  • Monthly live Q&A sessions
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EXCLUSIVE FOUNDER BENEFITS:

  • Month 1: Personal guidance 1-to-1 session; 1x career development planning session
  • Months 2 & 3: 2x 1-to-1 mentoring and guidance sessions
  • Every 2 months: Founder Members Meet Up and Workshop
  • Influence the community’s direction and future course content

Why become a founder member?

  1. Shape the Community

As a founding member, you’ll have direct input into:

  • Content priorities
  • Course topics
  • Community features
  • Event formats

Your voice will be heard first and loudest.

  1. Exceptional Value

Year 1 at £95 is less than the cost of a single conference ticket, but you get:

  • Year-round learning
  • Expert guidance from Glenn
  • Peer network of 20 committed professionals
  • Complete ED training library
  1. Direct Access to Glenn

Three 45-minute 1-to-1 sessions over 3 months means:

  • Get unstuck on specific challenges
  • Strategic career advice
  • Navigate complex stakeholder situations
  • Build your professional development plan

This level of access won’t be available again.

  1. Build Your Network

The first 20 members will form a tight-knit cohort. These relationships often become:

  • Bi-monthly Founder Members Meet-up
  • Your go-to advice network
  • Collaboration partners
  • Career opportunities
  • Lifelong professional friendships
  1. Lock in Lifetime Savings

Your Year 2 and 3 rate of £195 is guaranteed. As the community grows and adds more value, standard pricing will increase. You’ll always pay less.

Who this is for

This founding membership is perfect if you're:

✓ An economic development officer, manager, or director in local, city or regional government
 ✓ Working in a Combined Authority, Local Authority, Metropolitan Authority, Development Agency, Consultancy, Think Tanks, or similar organisation
 ✓ A consultant specialising in economic development
 ✓ New to ED and want comprehensive foundational training
 ✓ Experienced but lacking access to CPD and peer networks
 ✓ Committed to improving your practice and advancing your career
 ✓ Ready to invest in yourself and your professional development

This is NOT for you if:

✗ You’re just browsing and not ready to commit
 ✗ You want specialist content and insight highly relevant to your home nation (the content and context are UK-specific, but international practitioners are welcome)
 ✗ You work in an unrelated field
 ✗ You’re looking for a quick fix rather than sustained professional and personal development

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why only 20 Founder Members?
 A: This ensures Glenn can provide meaningful 1-to-1 time with each member and the workshop groups remain intimate enough for deep discussion. Quality over quantity.

Q: What if I can’t make all the group / workshop sessions?
 A: 1-to-1 sessions can be rescheduled. Workshops will be recorded for founder members who can’t attend live.

Q: Can my employer pay for this?
 A: Yes! £95 is well within most CPD discretionary budgets. We can provide a membership and course brochure pdf to help you get it signed off as well as full invoices.

Q: What happens after Year 1?
 A: You’ll have the option to renew at your guaranteed £195 rate (vs £395 standard). Entirely your choice.

Q: What if I want to upgrade to the Practitioner or Expert tier (click here for the membership tiers explained)?
 A: You’ll get 10% off those tiers for life as a Founder Member. You can upgrade anytime.

Q: What’s included in “1-to-1s” with Glenn?
 A: Up to 45 minutes of focused time every month for 3 months. Bring your challenges, career questions, strategic dilemmas. It’s your time to use as needed.

Q: When exactly does the community launch?
 A: 01 December 2025. You’ll get 7 days notice before launch date is confirmed.

Q: What if I join the waitlist but don’t get Founder Member status?
 A: You’ll be first in line for standard Navigator membership (£295) and we’ll give you a consolation 10% discount code.

Q: Is this just for senior practitioners?
 A: Not at all! Founder Members range from recent graduates to Heads of Service. All experience levels welcome.

Q: What makes you qualified to teach this, Glenn?
 A: 30+ years in UK economic development, strategic advisor to multiple local authorities, PhD in economic development, and I’ve been asking “why doesn’t this community exist?” for years. Now I’m building it.

Our Clients are Superfans

“Glenn delivers high quality advice and insights based on years of experience with no fuss, he just delivers the results you need.”

Skills Development Scotland

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“Glenn’s work is highly professional, demonstrating a very high level of stakeholder management, workshop and facilitation skills.” 

Local London

“Glenn is an uber-consultant, a cut above the rest.”

UK Innovation Corridor

“Glenn, Mike and Hannah delivered us a high quality and locally focused employment, careers and skills strategy and action plan that allows us to take our approach and reputation for skills to the next level.”

Warwickshire County Council

Best Practice Economic Development Organisations Don’t Just Implement Programs

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The Hidden Cost of Vague Objectives

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Sep 15, 2025 | , ,

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗮 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗩𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗢𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀.⁣ (and it will make or break your economic development initiatives)⁣ 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴.⁣ → Simply having a "mission statement" doesn't...