Cheshire & Warrington

What Cheshire & Warrington does

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington (ECW) is a council-owned economic development organization operating as the designated Local Enterprise Partnership for the Cheshire and Warrington region of the United Kingdom. The organization collaborates with three constituent local councils (Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, and Warrington Borough), industry leaders, and community partners to shape regional economic and transport strategies, deliver skills training, provide business support services, and ensure that the voice of business is represented in local decision-making. Led by CEO Philip Cox, ECW operates under public-sector governance and is accountable to local governmental stakeholders rather than shareholders.

ECW's service portfolio spans business growth, workforce development, tourism promotion, and sustainability. The Growth Hub delivers advisory and funding-navigation services across starting a business, growth, resilience, exporting, finance, innovation, net zero and energy efficiency, and inward investment. Marketing Cheshire operates as the visitor economy division, encompassing the Visit Cheshire Tourism Awards 2027 and the "Meet in Chester and Cheshire" program. Workforce and education offerings include Skills Bootcamps, the Careers Hub, the Digital Skills Partnership, and the Regional Skills Pilot. Cross-cutting initiatives comprise the Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission, the Fair Employment Charter, and Clean Energy Projects. Digital tools include the Support Finder (a needs-matching tool for businesses) and the Opportunities Portal (a self-service listings platform). The underlying technology stack is not proprietary; ECW is explicitly an economic development body rather than a technology company, and its digital products function as service-delivery portals.

ECW is funded through local authority contributions and public economic development funds rather than commercial revenue. All services are provided free of charge to end users, with no pricing model or revenue per customer disclosed. The customer base is segmented into SMEs (primary), employers seeking workforce solutions, the tourism and visitor economy, and local public-sector partners. Geographic scope is strictly regional (Cheshire and Warrington), with no global footprint claimed and no disclosed revenue or financial figures. Marketing and outreach occur through the organization's website, LinkedIn and Twitter profiles, news releases, the UKREiiF investment forum, and regional events.

Name

Cheshire & Warrington

Legal name

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington

Website

https://871candwep.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington is a council-owned Local Enterprise Partnership delivering business support, skills training, tourism promotion, and sustainability initiatives across the Cheshire and Warrington region. Funded by three local councils, it serves SMEs, employers, and the visitor economy through free public services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Economic Development Services

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Energy, Utilities & Sustainability Management (BPABAAAF)

Keywords

• Economic development services
• Business support programs
• Workforce skills training
• Regional growth strategy
• Tourism promotion services

Headquarters

HQ city

Winsford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington is a council-owned organization funded through local authority contributions and public economic development funds. It does not generate commercial revenue but distributes funding and support services to businesses in the region.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington (ECW) is a council-owned local enterprise partnership that delivers economic development services across the Cheshire and Warrington region in the UK. It provides business support through the Growth Hub (covering starting a business, growth, resilience, exporting, finance, innovation, net zero, and inward investment), workforce development via Skills Bootcamps and Careers Hub, tourism promotion through its Marketing Cheshire division, and regional strategy coordination with three local councils to advance sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Product overview

Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington (ECW) operates as a council-owned economic development organization, not a traditional software product company. Its offerings consist of interconnected service programs and digital tools designed to support regional economic growth. The core portfolio includes the Growth Hub (providing business support services across growth, finance, innovation, and export areas), Marketing Cheshire (tourism and visitor economy promotion), Skills Bootcamps and Careers Hub (workforce development), Support Finder and Opportunities Portal (digital self-service tools), and the Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission (environmental and social impact initiatives). These programs work together to deliver ECW's mission of making Cheshire and Warrington the UK's healthiest, most sustainable, inclusive, and growing economy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Marketing Cheshire: Division of ECW that champions Cheshire and Warrington as an outstanding place to live, work, invest, study, and visit, and supports the visitor economy.
• Growth Hub
• Cheshire and Warrington Growth Hub
• Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission
• Visit Cheshire

Products and services

• Growth Hub A comprehensive business support hub providing guidance and services on starting a business, business growth, business resilience, exporting, finance, innovation, net zero and energy efficiency, inward investment, and insolvency support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Cheshire and Warrington region.
• Marketing Cheshire The tourism and visitor economy division of ECW that promotes Cheshire and Warrington as a destination, supports attractions and experiences, and runs the Visit Cheshire Tourism Awards program for the visitor economy.
• Skills Bootcamps Workforce training programs designed to help employers fill vacancies and grow the skills of their workforce across the Cheshire and Warrington region.
• Careers Hub Career development and education service connecting schools, colleges, and employers to prepare young people for the workforce in the Cheshire and Warrington region.
• Opportunities Portal An online portal showcasing business and employment opportunities, including tenders, in the Cheshire and Warrington region.
• Support Finder An online self-service tool that helps businesses identify appropriate support services based on their specific needs and growth stage.
• Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission A strategic commission focused on helping Cheshire become the most sustainable and inclusive subregion in the UK through strategic initiatives and economic policy.
• Cheshire and Warrington Fair Employment Charter A charter promoting fair employment practices across the Cheshire and Warrington region, providing certification to participating employers.
• Digital Skills Partnership A program designed to improve digital skills within workplaces across the Cheshire and Warrington region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Most productive economy in the North of England
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Warrington Borough CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree local councils collaborate with Enterprise Cheshire and Warrington to shape economic and transport strategies for the region. The partnership works to implement the Sustainable and Inclusive Economic Strategy and coordinate regional development initiatives.
• Industry Leaders and Business PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnterprise Cheshire and Warrington collaborates with industry leaders to shape economic strategies, ensure business voice in local decision-making, and support regional growth initiatives through the Business Advisory Board.
• Community PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partners collaborate on sustainable and inclusive growth initiatives, supporting the Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission in making Cheshire the most sustainable and inclusive subregion in the UK.
• ION DevelopmentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerION Developments is working on the Chester Northgate regeneration project, holding public engagement events for the next phase of development in Chester.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership: Standalone LEP delivering business growth support, skills programmes, and economic strategy for Hertfordshire, with a service portfolio closely mirroring ECW's Growth Hub and Skills Bootcamps.
• Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership: Standalone LEP running skills, business support, and growth programmes for the Oxfordshire region. Comparable in scale, governance, and service portfolio to ECW.
• Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership: Remaining standalone LEP delivering economic development, business growth support, and skills programmes within a defined UK sub-region. Closest structural twin to ECW among surviving LEPs.
• West Yorkshire Combined Authority: Combined authority running Growth Hub-equivalent business support, skills programmes, and economic strategy for West Yorkshire. Same operating model, same council-owned governance structure, same UK regional development remit.
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority: Combined authority that absorbed the former Liverpool City Region LEP, now performing economic strategy, business support, and skills functions for a defined UK region — directly comparable to ECW's mandate and service mix.
• Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership: Standalone LEP running a comparable Growth Hub-style business support offering and skills agenda for the Coventry and Warwickshire region.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Combined authority delivering economic development, skills, and growth-hub-style business support across a UK region. Closest functional analogue to ECW but operating at city-region scale following the absorption of the former Greater Manchester LEP.
• North East Combined Authority: Combined authority performing economic strategy, business support, and skills coordination for the North East, having absorbed the former North East LEP. Same mandate as ECW but at a larger combined-authority scale.

Broad incumbents

• British Chambers of Commerce: National umbrella body for UK chambers of commerce providing business representation, networking, and advocacy. Broader incumbent playing an adjacent role in UK business support, comparable to ECW in serving the business community.

Regional players

• Scottish Enterprise: Scotland's national economic development agency delivering business growth, innovation, and inward investment support. Functions as a scaled-up analogue of ECW but operating across a different UK territory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/candwep
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cheshire-and-warrington-enterprise-partnership

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about Cheshire & Warrington