The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) was the regional development agency for the North West England region and was a non-departmental public body. It was abolished on 31 March 2012. The Agency was responsible for the economic development and regeneration of the Northwest of England. As a business-led organisation, the NWDA provideed a link between the needs of businesses and Government policies. As such, a major responsibility for the Agency was to help create an environment in which businesses in the region could flourish through offering business support, encouraging new start-ups, matching skills provision to employer needs and bringing business investment into the region.