LEPs win Growth Fund millions
YORKSHIRE’s local enterprise partnerships have today been handed millions of pounds to put their ambitious plans into action.
The Humber Local Enterprise Partnership secured £30m from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund which will be split between measures to support the area’s bid to become a hub for the renewable energy industy and a programme to support the development of the logistics, food and digital sectors.
LEP chairman Lord Haskins said: “This is a big win for the LEP and its partners that will help us to grow the Humber economy. It is another reminder of what can be achieved when businesses and local authorities come together across the Humber.
“The fact that a third of the bid is for renewable energy shows again the confidence Government has in the Humber to deliver with this sector. We now have a comprehensive package of support across the area to further strengthen the Humber’s leading offer for manufacturing, installation, operations and maintenance.
“The £20m business expansion programme will enable us to support job creation in other key sectors, and we look forward to working with partners to deliver that.”
The Sheffield City Region is set to use £25m to work with 27 companies to that will in turn unlock £100m and create 1,500 jobs.
James Newman, the LEP’s chairman, said: “This bid has been several months in planning and a lot of hard work has gone into getting it right – it brings together dozens of companies with robust plans for growth.
“It is now crucial that we focus on the delivery of this ambitious programme, and we look forward to working with our partners, Government and local businesses.
“The Sheffield City Region LEP’s programme will demonstrate that a small amount of funding can unlock significantly more direct private sector investment – leading to growth and sustainable, private sector employment.”
The Leeds City Region LEP will receive £20m it will use to encourage growth in sectors including life sciences, digital and creative, low carbon, advanced manufacturing and business services through two grant schemes aimed at SMEs and larger businesses.
LEP chairman Neil McLean said: “This is great news for Leeds City Region businesses. These programmes will give us significant additional capacity to drive growth by providing grants to ambitious SMEs.
“Having both programmes approved means we’ll be able to offer support to a wide range of projects with grants of £10,000 up to £1m.
“Approval of our bid is more evidence of the confidence the Government has in the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership. It is a reflection of their and our desire to empower businesses and to enable us to realise our vision of a dynamic economy.”
