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What Are Local Enterprise Partnerships, And Where Can I Apply?

Posted 4 years ago

What Are Local Enterprise Partnerships, And Where Can I Apply?
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With 38 currently operating within England, a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is a partnership between local authorities and businesses. They decide local economic priorities and help to drive economic growth and create jobs in the local area. LEPs are a government subsidised operation and are there to help your business. 

LEPs can help companies of any size and stage of operation with startups at the bottom end, to large multinationals at the other end. Other relevant parties could include universities, whose research labs are important sources of innovation and intellectual capital, and funders and corporate financiers, who help determine flows of investment into the local region.

The impact of LEPs

Forging a unique alliance between local business and the public sector, England’s 38 Local Enterprise Partnerships have, as at March 2018:

  • Helped to build 93,200 homes
  • Leveraged over £7.6bn private investment
  • Supported over 196,000 businesses
  • Created over 180,600 jobs
  • Supported over 217,900 learners

Where can I apply?

Those looking for business support will be reassured to hear that since 2014, the government has handed around £17bn to England’s 39 LEPs, up until 2021. To give you an idea of whether you can benefit, we’ve compiled a list of England’s 39 LEPs and details of how to apply. 

Local Enterprise Partnership 

Details

Black Country

The Growth Hub offers a variety of support encompassing advice on funding, startups and international trade. To apply for free and impartial support, contact the Black Country Growth Hub

Buckinghamshire

This particular LEP is currently offering grants under the Growth Programme as well as bespoke advice to those looking to grow their business. For more details, contact Buckinghamshire Business First

Cambridgeshire & Peterborough

If you’ve got an idea, but aren’t sure where to start, have been trading for a while and are thinking of taking on your first staff member, or need funding support to purchase an asset to expand production capacity – Signpost 2 Grow can point you in the right direction. For more details, make a search to begin your journey. 

Cheshire & Warrington

In this region, the Growth Hub team provides bespoke support to businesses at every stage of their growth journey from start-ups to large businesses. For more details, fill out this contact form

Coast to Capital

The Coast to Capital Growth Hub team provides fully funded advice, signposting and support in Greater Brighton, West Sussex, East Surrey and Croydon to help small and medium sized enterprises address business challenges. For more details, make an enquiry

Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

Need a helping hand but are unsure which way to turn? The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Hubs are two projects working hand-in-hand to help businesses realise their potential. For more details, fill out this contact form. 

Coventry and Warwickshire

CWLEP GrowthHub offers impartial advice to help grow your business. For more details, speak to one of their advisors

Cumbria

A focal point for businesses looking to increase their competitiveness and grow, it offers a great choice of advice, training, networking and more, all tailored to your needs. For more details, visit the business support section. 

Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

D2N2 Growth Hub provides businesses in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire with a single point of access to business support. For more details, fill out this contact form. 

Dorset

Established in 2011, Dorset LEP is a private sector-led organisation responsible for speaking on behalf of businesses, championing important issues with government, securing funding and investment for the region and ultimately driving the economic growth of Dorset. For more details, fill out this contact form

Enterprise M3

Aimed at businesses looking to succeed in the Enterprise M3 area, the Enterprise M3 Growth Hub is an expert advice and resource network which helps businesses achieve results quickly through a free personal, tailored service focused on Growth. For more details, follow this link to get in contact

GFirst

The Growth Hub’s extensive digital and people network is here to help every business that’s seeking support to grow. For more details, get in touch

Greater Birmingham and Solihull

The Growth Hub is the home for advice, guidance and funding for businesses and entrepreneurs across the Greater Birmingham area. For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form. 

Greater Lincolnshire

Business Lincolnshire is set up to help support Greater Lincolnshire based businesses to start and grow. It hosts a Growth Hub – a single place to go to for business experts and mentors, support and guidance, grants and finance For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form. 

Greater Manchester

GC Business Growth Hub supports businesses at all stages of their growth journey with our broad range of services. We offer expert one-to-one and peer-to-peer business support, events, specialist programmes, funding and much more. For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form

Heart of the South West

The Heart of the South West Growth Hub provides independent diagnosis and referrals to existing business support services. For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form

Hertfordshire

The Hertfordshire Growth Hub helps established businesses with real potential for growth to access the support they need to achieve even more. For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form

Humber

The Growth Hub can signpost you to a range of business support information and organisations who provide a wide variety of services, including funding, training courses, events, support, advice, mentoring and business services who can help your business. For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form

Lancashire

Through Boost, Lancashire businesses from start-ups to large companies can get access to a number of funded programmes in areas such as mentoring, scaling up, innovation, international trade, leadership development, and accessing finance. For more details, fill out their contact form

Leeds City Region

The Growth Hub is the HotSW LEP’s main mechanism of engaging with businesses across the area. It promotes local training, workshops or services which can assist local businesses on our Events pages. For more details, fill out the Hub’s contact form. 

Leicester and Leicestershire

The LLEP is a strategic body led by a Board made up of local government and business leaders as well as senior education and third sector representatives. The LLEP Board draws upon the expertise of senior leaders from the sectors mentioned and all our Board Members’ time is given on a voluntary and unpaid basis. For more details, fill out their contact form. 

Liverpool City Region

The Liverpool City Region LEP is Liverpool City Region’s primary economic development company, and the most innovative of its kind in the country. For more details, fill out their contact form. 

London

The London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP) is the local enterprise partnership for London. The LEAP brings entrepreneurs and business together with the Mayoralty and London Councils to identify strategic actions to support and lead economic growth and job creation in the capital. For more details, fill out their contact form. 

New Anglia

New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership works with businesses, education and local authority partners to drive growth and enterprise in Norfolk and Suffolk. For more details, fill out their contact form

North East 

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (North East LEP) is a public, private and education sector partnership. For more details, fill out their contact form. 

Oxfordshire

The Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (OxLEP), champions Oxfordshire’s economic potential, acting as a catalyst and convener to drive a dynamic, sustainable and growing economy. For more details, fill out their contact form

Sheffield City Region

Investing in delivering transport, housing, business growth, skills and economic development related projects. For more details, fill out their contact form.

Solent

The Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was formed after the Government offered local areas the opportunity to take control of their future economic development. It is a locally-owned partnership between businesses and local authorities and plays a central role in determining local economic priorities and undertaking activities to drive economic growth and the creation of local jobs. For more details, fill out their contact form.

South East

The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP) is a genuine partnership for growth between business, government and education. For more details, fill out their contact form

South East Midlands

Steered by a business-led Board, SEMLP works to build a strong economy by tackling barriers to sustainable growth and supporting job creation for the future prosperity of communities across the South East Midlands. For more details, fill out their contact form

Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire

Formed in 2011, the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire LEP has a clear vision to create 50,000 jobs and increase the size of the economy by 50 per cent by 2021.

Swindon and Wiltshire

The SWLEP is the Local Enterprise Partnership for Swindon and Wiltshire, established by Central Government in July 2011 as a private sector led partnership between local businesses, Swindon Borough Council, Wiltshire Council, the military and the education sector. For more details, fill out their contact form. 

Tees Valley

The Tees Valley Combined Authority was created in April 2016 and is designed to drive economic growth and job creation in the area. For more details, fill out their contact form

Thames Valley Berkshire

Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a business-led, multi-sector partnership mandated by the government to lead activities that drive local economic growth. For more details, fill out its contact form. 

The Marches

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership is the business-led organisation which drives economic growth across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin by combining the best entrepreneurial instincts of the private sector with the knowledge, resources and infrastructure of the public sector. Fore more details, fill out its contact form. 

Worcestershire

The Worcestershire LEP is working to create 25,000 jobs, increase Gross Value Added (GVA) by £2.9bn and contribute towards the delivery of 21,500 new homes by 2025. For more details, fill out their contact form.  

York and North Yorkshire

This LEP unlocks economic growth by working with partners to help the area’s businesses to start-up and grow. It does this by attracting public and private sector investment for our growth industries, skills needs and infrastructure like broadband, housing and roads. For more details, fill out their contact form


Authors: Oliver Murphy & Sacha Bright

Disclaimer

To the best of our knowledge, the information we have provided is correct at the time of publishing. Sacha Bright is not a solicitor or accountant and we recommend that you seek professional advice on any topic discussed.

Tagged: LEP business sme funding finance entrepreneur



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