Following the 2010 General Election, the Government announced the creation of Local Enterprise Partnerships to replace Regional Development Agencies (RDAs). LEPs aim to act as joint local authority-business bodies working to promote local economic development and growth.
The FSB has been engaging at national, area and regional level to ensure that the small and micro business voice is involved in the formation of and subsequent running of LEPs. Read more...
West of England LEP
The West of England is a functional economic area, defined by travel to work patterns (local residents account for about 90% of the jobs in our area), transport infrastructure (traffic flows and transport services focussed on our major settlements and the movement between them) and clusters of industries (e.g. aerospace and the largest concentration of creative industries outside London).
The area has a population of a million people expected to increase by 19% to nearly 1.2 million people by 2026 and 450,000 jobs which the Local Enterprise Partnership aims to increase by 21% by 2030.
Website: http://www.westofenglandlep.co.uk/
Twitter: @WofEnglandLEP
Heart of the South West LEP
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is the LEP for Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay, covering a population of 1.6 million and 63,500 businesses with a combined output of £25 billion a year.
It is private sector led and supported by Devon and Somerset County Councils, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council.
Website: http://www.heartofswlep.co.uk/
Swindon and Wiltshire LEP
The Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership covers a population of around 650,000 and represents over 26,000 businesses.
It has the support of both local authorities in the area and joins the 36 partnerships announced since the Government's Local Growth White Paper was published in October 2010.
Website: http://www.swlep.biz/
Newsletters: Nov/Dec 11 Sep/Oct 11
.