LLEP

What LLEP does

LLEP (Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership), also operating under the brand LLBSP (Leicester and Leicestershire Business and Skills Partnership), is a UK Local Enterprise Partnership — a public-private coordination body established to lead and drive economic prosperity across the Leicester and Leicestershire area. Its functional role combines three pillars: business support delivery (via the Business Gateway Growth Hub as a single free, impartial access point for businesses of any stage), skills and careers programming (Careers Hub connecting schools, colleges, and employers, plus Skills initiatives for young people and adults), and infrastructure investment management (oversight of Getting Building Fund, Local Growth Fund, and Growing Places Fund, allocated to 4, 20, and 11 projects respectively). It also maintains designated Enterprise Zones and produces regular economic and business intelligence publications.

The underlying technology footprint is intentionally light: LLEP operates digital platforms for business support, an investment map for infrastructure projects, and a document library for publications, but does not develop proprietary technology products. Its underlying 'platform' is a coordination and funding-allocation model rather than a software platform. Strategic intelligence is published through sector profiles, labour market dashboards, and economic profiles (issues 37 through 53 documented).

LLEP's business model is publicly funded rather than commercially monetised. Revenue comes from UK government allocations — including pass-through investment funds and operating support — with all Business Gateway Growth Hub services provided free of charge to beneficiaries. Customer segments are regional rather than commercial: businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire (primary), schools and colleges (primary), young people (secondary), and adults seeking skills development (secondary). Following UK government guidance, LLEP transitioned governance in 2024 from its independent Business Board structure to upper tier local authorities, reflecting a national restructuring of Local Enterprise Partnership functions. Current partnerships include the East Midlands Freeport, East Midlands Development Corporation, Midlands Engine, MIT REAP, and the Local Resilience Forum.

Name

LLEP

Legal name

Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership

Website

https://llep.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LLEP is a UK Local Enterprise Partnership coordinating economic development across Leicester and Leicestershire through free business support (Business Gateway Growth Hub), skills and careers programmes, Enterprise Zones, and management of government infrastructure investment funds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Regional Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (FSABAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Development Finance & Blended Finance Facilities (BPADAOAD), National Development Banks & State Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) (BPADACAC), SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Business support services
• Government investment funds
• Careers education programmes
• Public-private partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Leicester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: LLEP operates as a publicly-funded Local Enterprise Partnership receiving allocation and oversight of government economic development funds including Getting Building Fund, Local Growth Fund, and Growing Places Fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

LLEP leads and drives economic prosperity across the Leicester and Leicestershire area by acting as the single designated access point for free, impartial business support, advice, and funding access via the Business Gateway Growth Hub. It manages and allocates government investment funds (Getting Building Fund, Local Growth Fund, Growing Places Fund) to local infrastructure projects, delivers careers and skills programmes linking schools, employers, and young people/adults, and publishes economic intelligence and sector profiles for the region.

Product overview

LLEP (Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership) is a public-sector economic development organization that operates as a coordination and funding body rather than a product company. Its portfolio consists of business support services (Business Gateway Growth Hub, Careers Hub, Enterprise Zones), investment programs (Getting Building Fund, Local Growth Fund, Growing Places Fund), and economic intelligence publications. These offerings work together to drive economic prosperity through partnerships, intelligence, and innovation across the Leicester and Leicestershire area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Gateway Growth Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• Managed allocation of Getting Building Fund to 4 key infrastructure projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Business Gateway Growth HubcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Business Gateway Growth Hub is operated as a partnership providing a single place for businesses across Leicester and Leicestershire to access business support and funding. It offers tailored, commercially focused, and joined-up advice that is free, impartial and delivered to meet specific business needs.
• East Midlands FreeportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLEP is partnered with the East Midlands Freeport initiative, a government-backed free trade zone designation that aims to boost economic growth, create jobs, and attract investment to the region.
• East Midlands Development CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLEP collaborates with the East Midlands Development Corporation on regional economic development initiatives and strategic planning.
• MIT REAP (Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLEP participates in the MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT REAP), a framework for regions to strengthen their innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial capacity.
• Midlands EnginecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLEP is aligned with Midlands Engine, the regional economic development partnership for the Midlands region of England, collaborating on broader regional growth initiatives.
• Local Resilience ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLEP led the development of short and long-term economic recovery plans through the Local Resilience Forum, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic response.
• Upper Tier Local AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFollowing government guidance, LLEP has transitioned oversight to upper tier local authorities, reflecting a governance restructuring of regional economic development responsibilities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Midlands Engine: Pan-regional economic partnership covering the wider Midlands including LLEP's territory. Not a direct operator of business support services, but an overarching strategic partner that LLEP works with and which convenes activity across multiple LEPs.

Direct peers

• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority: Combined authority that absorbed the former Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP. Performs the same economic development, growth hub, skills, and funding-allocation functions as LLEP but with the additional governance layer of a directly elected mayor, representing an evolved LEP model relevant to LLEP's transition.
• D2N2 (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire) Local Enterprise Partnership: Adjacent UK Local Enterprise Partnership covering Derby/Nottingham with the same statutory economic development role, fund management mandate (Local Growth Fund, Getting Building Fund), Business Growth Hub, and Careers Hub model. Directly comparable governance structure, funding streams, and service portfolio to LLEP.
• East Midlands Development Corporation: Regional development corporation for the East Midlands focused on strategic infrastructure, housing and economic growth. Performs a complementary role to LLEP and is listed as an explicit strategic partner, making it a directly comparable public-sector economic development body.
• South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership: UK LEP covering Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, and Buckinghamshire. Operates the same LEP model of growth hub, careers hub, enterprise zones, and government fund allocation, making it a close structural and operational peer to LLEP.
• Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership: Smaller UK LEP operating the same statutory economic development framework with growth hub, skills, careers hub, and central government fund allocation. Closely comparable in size, scope, and governance stage to LLEP pre-transition.
• Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership: UK LEP covering Hertfordshire with matching Growth Hub, Careers Hub, Local Growth Fund allocation, and Enterprise Zone functions. Same statutory mandate and operating model as LLEP at a similar regional scale.

Broad incumbents

• Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (now West Yorkshire Combined Authority functions): Former LEP whose economic development functions were absorbed into the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. Highly comparable in original mandate and service portfolio (growth hub, skills, enterprise zones), and a relevant structural peer given LLEP's recent transition to upper tier authorities.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Large combined authority that absorbed the former Greater Manchester LEP, with a devolved funding settlement, growth hub, and skills programs far larger in scope. Comparable mission but at significantly greater scale, representing the structural destination many LEPs are converging toward.
• West Midlands Combined Authority: Combined authority covering Birmingham and the wider West Midlands with its own growth company, devolved skills funding, and freeport partnerships. Operates at greater scale and with broader devolved powers than LLEP but pursues an identical economic development and skills agenda.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/llepnews
• Facebookfacebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https://llbsp.org.uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/llep-page
• Instagraminstagram.com/llepnews/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LLEP