Keeping money circulating in your local economy

The Pennine Pound’s underlying principle is to promote financial, economic and social well-being for all. Our business framework is available to all local councils across the UK.

The Pennine Pound builds opportunity, strength and resilience into the local economy. We take advantage of both traditional and global markets using online technologies. The Pennine Pound assists councils with ways to unlock local supply chains and encourage more streamlined procurement processes.

This includes supporting schemes which help councils purchase from their local businesses; in turn, this supports more local jobs and reduces carbon foot print.

We champion ‘shop local’ to keep money circulating in the Pennine economy. We help consumer spend go further by applying merchant discounts.  We help increase footfall in local shops, businesses and other places, for example libraries and community centres. Plus, we support business, innovation and growth leading to more investment in the local economy, increased opportunities, and higher standards of living.

A more balanced and sustainable local economy which benefits everyone!

Benefits for local councils

Economic resilience. The Pennine Pound prepaid top-up Visa card is accepted anywhere in the world. This enables councils to support a competitive discount scheme for local shops and businesses, which includes through e-commerce. This is money that comes back into the local economy.

Increased revenue from business rates. SMEs are the backbone of the UK economy. Their success is your success. We are a ‘one stop shop’ for local businesses, including start-ups looking for loans, payment card solutions, or e-commerce opportunities. 

‘Glocalisation’. The Pennine Pound champions local supply chains through our parent organisations The Pennine Cloud. We build local product directories to enable councils to buy from and support, local businesses. We also support locally-supported procurement, assembly and trading hubs to support global enterprise – ‘glocalisation’.   

Supporting young people. We work with schools, colleges and universities to help prepare young people for the day to day financial challenges they will face throughout their life. Together with our educational partners, we offer free financial literacy classes to schools.

Staff health and well-being. The Pennine Pound scheme promotes health and well-being through ethical lending and savings schemes for your employees. too.

Smart Spaces. Smart Places. You can install Payzone into any one of your libraries or customer-facing civic centres. This allows citizens to pay their bills and helps you drive up footfall where it’s needed.

Universal. You can use the Pennine Pound scheme principles anywhere. Not just in and around the UK’s Pennine region. We can tailor and brand the ‘Pennine’ Pound to suit your own individual requirements.

Bringing local businesses, communities and folks together. Plus promoting civic pride. The best thing of all!