Bletchley Investment Taskforce

The Taskforce aims to drive growth and opportunity for local businesses and residents.

Background

Bletchley – part of the UK’s fastest-growing city – has a proud past but can have an even brighter future. We will soon be Britain’ s best-connected town, with rail links from east to west, as well as north to south.

We have a history of innovation in Bletchley, and so much more continues to happen today. But we know that there are so many opportunities not yet realised that can help raise living standards and improve opportunities for local people. Launched in May 2025, the Bletchley Investment Taskforce seeks to unlock these new economic opportunities, and position Bletchley and Fenny Stratford as attractive investment destinations within Milton Keynes.

The Taskforce brings together influential local, national and global organisations that already operate in around Bletchley and Milton Keynes, as well as those who are exciting about its prospects.

Mission and priorities

The Taskforce will seek to secure sustained inward investment that creates jobs for local people, drives innovation, and improves Bletchley’s and Milton Keynes’s long-term economic competitiveness. Our five core priorities are to:

·     Develop and implement investment strategies tailored to Bletchley’s strengths.

·     Promote Bletchley as a prime destination for domestic and international investment.

·     Streamline the investment process for businesses and entrepreneurs.

·     Support current investors to grow and thrive locally.

·     Remove barriers to investment.

Activities

The Taskforce’s work will complement that of the Town Deal Board and Milton Keynes City Council (MKCC). MKCC’s Strategy For 2050 sets out the opportunity for Bletchley to become a significant technology hub and MKCC is taking steps to implement this. 

There are two interrelated aspects to the Taskforce’s work: 

1.      Influencing the broader market conditions – Creating the right environment for people to consider investing in Bletchley. 

a.    Market research to identify potential investment opportunities and target sectors. 

b.    Identifying and advocating for policy and regulatory changes to improve the investment climate at the national and local level. 

c.    Supporting marketing and awareness campaigns to highlight the benefits and opportunities of investing in Bletchley. 

2.      Specific deals where the Taskforce’s involvement can help unblock challenges. 

a.    Signposting toward streamlined process for handling investor inquiries and applications. 

b.    Identifying opportunities and using convening powers to bring people together to realise the opportunities. 

c.    Considering how to address specific challenges to investing in Bletchley and working with local organisations to overcome them.   

The Taskforce will report annually on its progress, so as to remain accountable to local stakeholders and local residents.

List of members

  • Callum Anderson MP (Taskforce Chair)

  • Bletchley Park Trust – Iain Standen, CEO, and Jacqueline De Rojas, Chair

  • Buckinghamshire Business First – Philippa Batting, Group CEO 

  • Central Arc Angels – Yvette Lamidey, Director  

  • Chiltern Railways – Richard Allan, Managing Director 

  • Dawn Capital – Haakon Overli, Co-founder and Partner 

  • Envisics – Jamieson Christmas, CEO 

  • Mercia  – Amrit Sami, Investment Associate

  • Milton Keynes College Group – Sally Alexander, CEO 

  • Milton Keynes Development Partnership – Tracey O’Donnell, Managing Director 

  • Milton Keynes Dons Football Club – Neil Hart, CEO 

  • Oxford Science Enterprises – Peter Wilder, Head of Property, Operations and Portfolio services 

Supported by:

·       Milton Keynes City Council – Sophie Lloyd, Head of Economic Development 

If you’re interested in contributing to the Taskforce’s work, please email callum.anderson.mp@parliament.uk