Keystone Consulting provides a bespoke service that helps our clients to engage with political decision-makers. Sectors covered include small businesses, retail, education, freight & clinical research.We have had a number of successes including the following clear wins:Keystone Consulting successfully lobbied for a change in the business rates threshold in order to provide relief for all businesses under a rateable value threshold of £51,001, up to half of their total bill. This was then extended to total relief in the 2020 Budget.Developed a strategic campaign to highlight the weaknesses of having a £200 threshold for shop theft. The Government recognised this campaign in their response to the Call for Evidence on Violence against shopworkers (July 2020). They are now "writing to PCCs and Chief Constables setting out that the theft of goods valued up to £200 from a shop should be prosecuted as a criminal offence and therefore should not constrain the ability of the police to arrest or prosecute someone in the way they feel is most appropriate". This is a good move forward for all those affected, especially independent shops and newsagents who are the least able to absorb the costs of these crimes.A successful campaign to ensure education for excluded children was addressed by the Government. Online/blended education became part of the guidelines of the Children and Families Act 2014.Other highlights have been:Looking to ensure the Government continues to support our post office network by extending the subsidyRaising the profile of light rail freight in Parliament with the aim of establishing the need to get freight off the road and onto rail due to environmental impact. This campaign is underway and gaining strength all the time.Establishing the principle that competency within clinical research is key through engagement with Parliamentarians and key industry stakeholders.

Business Development and consultancy advice for AECOM's International Development Team.

David is a Director at WYG, responsible for project management, business development, bid writing, and staffing, as well as technical inputs into ongoing projects. David works with key client and counterpart stakeholders within WYG’s HMG portfolio, identifying and analysing HMG’s needs in respect of client satisfaction, and ensuring optimal functioning of contract and project management processes. He is responsible for developing systems to ensure smooth delivery of projects and clear measurement and communication of results and impact. He was responsible for positioning on the Conflict Stabilisation and Security Framework and the Prosperity Fund. He reviewed and developed the organisations business development processes.

David was responsible for project management, business development, bid writing and staffing as well as technical inputs into ongoing projects. He worked as the Project Manager (Technical) for DFID’s M4D program responsible for Value for Money and responsible with the Technical Director for overall project delivery. Prior to this David was the full time Interim Team Leader on M4D in Kano. Other project work included the start-up of the Bangladesh Health Innovation Challenge Fund.His main day-to-day responsibilities were bid management and bid writing for DFID, AusAID, USAID and EC proposals, primarily concerning Fragile and Conflict Affected States. Recent business development successes included the Bangladesh TARIF project, managing bids for the DFID Governance, FCAS and Evaluation Frameworks and for projects in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya and Nigeria. Other BD responsibilities include longer term horizon scanning including research, positioning, and client management.