[3] After Labour came to power in the 1997 election, eight RDAs were created on 25 November 1998 following the passing of the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998.

[5] The statutory objectives of the RDAs were: They took over responsibility from Government Offices for administering European Union regional development funds.

[6] The total funding, known as the 'Single Pot', was:[citation needed] In 2009 a study by accountants PriceWaterhouseCoopers showed that RDAs were generating £1 for the local economy for every £1 of public spending, though this figure was estimated to rise to £4.50 when long-term investments in infrastructure matured.

The day-to-day running of the RDA was the responsibility of the Chief Executive who was appointed by the board, subject to approval by BIS ministers (or the London Mayor in the case of the LDA).

Each RDA had a science and industry council (SIC) made up of business, university and public sector experts.

The RDA for the South West became Regen, a not-for-profit focused on accelerating the transition to clean energy[12] The Regional Development Agencies were: