The Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP) was formed in May 2011. Following the government’s review of LEPs in 2018 it was recommended that all Local Enterprise Partnerships become incorporated. We became LLEP Limited in April 2019.

The LLEP is a strategic body that exists to drive forward regeneration and growth of the local economy in Leicester and Leicestershire. We are a company limited by guarantee, and are led by a board of directors.

We are working to create a vibrant, attractive and distinctive place with highly skilled people, and to make Leicester and Leicestershire the destination of choice for successful businesses. 

One of our key strengths is our diversity: the diversity of our people, our place and our economy. There is not one sole industry on which the region is economically dependent. Instead, at the LLEP we have a focus on 15 key growth sectors: 

  • Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering 
  • Aerospace and Satellite Technology
  • Agri Food and Drink Manufacturing
  • Construction and Development
  • Creative and Cultural Industries 
  • Digital Technology and Communications
  • Health and Social Care
  • Life Sciences and Biotech
  • Logistics and Distribution 
  • Low Carbon 
  • Professional and Financial Services 
  • Retail and Wholesale
  • Sport and Physical Activity
  • Textile Manufacturing 
  • Tourism and Hospitality 
Our Vision

Our role is to lead the development and implement an Economic Growth Strategy (EGS) for Leicester and Leicestershire. Visit our strategy section to find out more.

We work with partners and have achieved significant success in boosting our economy. Through our various funding programmes we support key projects to deliver enabling infrastructure, create jobs and unlock employment and housing sites. Visit our investments section to find out more.

Catch up with the latest news about our strategy and investments, as well as news from our partners. Find out about LLEP and partner events, including our business breakfasts and Careers Speed networking.

Leicester City Council is our accountable body. It ensures that all of our expenditure is in accordance with all applicable legal requirements, including the requirement to act prudently in our spending. As the accountable body, LCC also audits our accounts and processes.  Find out more about the way the LLEP is run in our Governance section.

Latest news

Person using laptop
12 Mar
Cyber Incident update
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12 Mar
Made Smarter drives £283k of investment in Leicester and Leicestershire manufacturers
LLEP site
7 Mar
Finalists gather ahead of Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024
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6 Mar
Speakers revealed for Growth Hub Business Boost start-up event
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4 Mar
More small business investment support as £400m extension to MEIF launches
Innovation Festival 2023
27 Feb
Finalists revealed for Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024
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27 Feb
Record haul of nominations for Leicestershire Innovation Awards
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26 Feb
Growth Hub event will spotlight support available for business owners
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23 Feb
VentureVersity project gains 14 innovation ideas in first week
Launch of Innovation Festival 2024
22 Feb
More than 1,000 attendees at Leicestershire Innovation Festival
Kegworth
21 Feb
£1m village improvement scheme approved
Innovation Master class
16 Feb
Students see innovation in action during packed day at Holovis
Lord Lieutenant event at NSC
14 Feb
Lord-Lieutenant encourages small business innovators to go for King’s Award
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9 Feb
One week left to enter Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024
Minister at Kindeva
6 Feb
Health Minister attends life sciences event at Charnwood Campus
Photo of an English and Computing course for adults Held at the Highfields Centre
6 Feb
Digital Inclusion research launched in Leicester and Leicestershire
Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
6 Feb
Innovation Festival 2024 launches at Space Park Leicester
Innovation Festival 2023
1 Feb
Launch event sells out for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
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29 Jan
FSB National Chair to launch Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
Leicesteshire Innovation Festival logo
23 Jan
Leicestershire Innovation Festival profiled for small business magazine audience
Growth Hub event January 2024
19 Jan
70+ attendees at Growth Hub Business Boost 24 event
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12 Jan
Psychology of confidence support for small business owners
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10 Jan
Tax credit expert to share financial insights with creative businesses
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8 Jan
Intellectual Property Office and EMC² to host webinar for creative businesses
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5 Jan
Health Innovation Fund offers up to £10,000 to advance SME ideas
Master Landscape with Sponsors White BG
4 Jan
Business Gateway Growth Hub takes lead on Leicestershire Innovation Awards 2024
Maria-Peggs
20 Dec
New peer network to develop leadership skills of business owners
LLEP site – online assessment
13 Dec
Employers invited to benchmark their careers offer against national averages
LLEP site – Made Smarter
8 Dec
Made Smarter programme opened up to regional micro manufacturers
Dock extension BPD
1 Dec
£16.5m Dock expansion takes shape at heart of Space City Leicester
East Midlands Create Growth
29 Nov
Creative businesses get funded investment readiness support
LLEP MIRA
28 Nov
Work underway following £6m investment in MIRA Technology Park
East Midlands Create Growth roundtable
22 Nov
Businesses can register now for Create Growth roundtable
St Margaret's Bus Station
17 Nov
LLEP-funded regeneration projects recognised at ProCon
LLEP CEC employer image
16 Nov
Leicester charity helps shape new CEC recruitment inclusivity framework
15 Nov
Video shows progress made on £16.9m Loughborough Town Deal
Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024 event
14 Nov
First sponsors announced for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
Midlands-engine-logo
9 Nov
£400m extension to MEIF set for launch in the new year
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6 Nov
Leicester Business Festival gets started with first of 70+ events
East Midlands creative business funding
6 Nov
Businesses can now apply for Cohort 2 of £1.2m East Midlands Create Growth
Kegworth
6 Nov
Revealed: New look for village following £1m development project
LLEP WOW
2 Nov
28,000 copies of latest World of Work Leicestershire guide are handed out
Marlborough Square
31 Oct
Work starts on £2.7m Coalville town centre transformation project
SportPark pavilion 4 opening ceremony.
27 Oct
SportPark 4 opens after £6m Getting Building Fund investment
Audience with LLEP Sign
24 Oct
LLEP funds Skills Festival at MIRA Technology Park for automotive employers
Sue Tilley at Lboro event
20 Oct
Growth Hub signposts startup support at Loughborough business event
Lab space at Charnwood Campus in Loughborough
19 Oct
£4.6m investment will bring 200+ jobs to new lab space
Innovation Festival 2024 Awards
18 Oct
Nominations open for LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards 2024
LLEP site – green skills
16 Oct
Workforce would benefit from green skills training, new report advises
DMU Headshots. Ismini Vasielou
16 Oct
Register for Digital Skills Partnership event at Leicester Business Festival
MTI building front view - from left
13 Oct
42,000 pass through doors in first five years of MIRA Technology Institute
LLEP site – LBAS
13 Oct
New UKSPF-funded business advice service launched by district councils
Anil and Andy at AGM
10 Oct
LLEP Annual General Meeting held at Charnwood Campus
EW Awards 2023-376 (1)
10 Oct
Enterprising Women Lifetime Achievement award for LLEP's Sue Tilley
East Midlands Create Growth launched
5 Oct
East Midlands creative businesses meet to launch Cohort 1 of Create Growth
Innovation Festival 2024
4 Oct
Slots for hosting your own Innovation Festival event are filling up fast
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3 Oct
Creative businesses: Free webinar will help you perfect your pitch
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29 Sep
Full house: All places reserved on IP webinar for creative businesses
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28 Sep
£57k LLEP grant helps bring free public wi-fi to Oadby and Wigston
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27 Sep
Innovation Festival 2024: Apply now to sponsor and host events
apprenticeship
13 Sep
CEC wins £1 million investment to boost apprenticeship take-up
Marlborough Square
12 Sep
Work to begin on £2.7m Coalville town centre transformation project
Old John Bradgate Park
7 Sep
£185k LLEP grant helps boost Leicester and Leicestershire visitor economy
East Midlands Hydrogen logo
6 Sep
East Midlands Hydrogen poised to launch UK’s largest inland hydrogen cluster
East Midlands Creative Consortium
5 Sep
Free advice for creative businesses on protecting brands and products
29 Aug
Dock Innovation Hub Expansion taking shape
DMU Headshots. Ismini Vasielou
29 Aug
Cyber security boost as cluster launches to support SMEs and local firms
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25 Aug
Innovative Leicestershire shortlisted for business collaboration award
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25 Aug
Careers chiefs meet to reflect on LLEP Careers Hub’s work
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22 Aug
Productivity project aims to improve knowledge of SME leaders
Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023
9 Aug
Dates confirmed for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024
[Pictures Copyrighted to Beth Walsh] LLEP: Phoebe Dawson
4 Aug
LLEP responds to Government decision on transfer of core functions to local authorities
Curve in Leicester (Beth Walsh)
4 Aug
Public invited to respond to interim report on Leicester creative sector
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1 Aug
World first for Loughborough University as Researchers create CO2 measurement tool
Recycling
1 Aug
Zellar data shows businesses have saved £150k in energy spending
Highfield computer
31 Jul
£300k LLEP inclusion grants help hundreds build digital skills
Time Bank
31 Jul
Develop your workplace employees and utilize timebank skills
Loughborough SportPark 113
31 Jul
UK Anti-Doping relocation from London to Loughborough SportPark
Hydrogen fuel cell
31 Jul
Intelligent Energy to roll out new fuel cell units
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31 Jul
Careers Hub Summer Celebration Launches 5 Year Impact Report
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14 Jul
LLEP welcomes praise for Growth Hubs in Government-commissioned report
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4 Jul
STEM careers opportunities highlighted with development day at Charnwood Campus
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3 Jul
Growth Hub celebration sets out post-ERDF business support plan
[Pictures Copyrighted to Beth Walsh] LLEP: Phoebe Dawson
27 Jun
LLEP Board moves to cement legacy with decision on service provision beyond March 2024
Baroness Morgan of Cotes
26 Jun
Nicky Morgan says Careers Hub is ‘shining example’ as it marks 5-year milestone
Joe Fuggle from The Athlete Place 2 (Create Growth)
22 Jun
14 East Midlands businesses awarded Create Growth grants
Celebration event host Jim Willis
19 Jun
Business Gateway Growth Hub celebration event sells out
Andrew Clarke of Micro Weighing Solutions
12 Jun
Manufacturer fast-tracked expansion with help of Business Gateway Growth Hub
Steven Thai is MD of Ocean King
6 Jun
From frozen food truck to £5m business hub - with more still to come
Future Careers school children taking part in a career day
30 May
Shaping Future Careers Education with LLEP Careers Hub
Tajinder Banwait
19 May
Event: Urban Apothecary founder to share journey from kitchen table to global sales
Loughborough SportPark 113
3 May
LLEP welcomes Passivhaus accreditation for SportPark4
Growth Hub conference at Morningside Arena
20 Apr
Positive mood as Growth Hub conference provides host of free tips to SMEs
Aselection of the World of Work Guides for Adults
17 Apr
World of Work: Job vacancies up by 23% as market trend continues 
Shipping containers
12 Apr
Free export support worth £1,800 for businesses through LLEP pilot with Santander
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12 Apr
12 speakers confirmed for free day-long ‘Survive and Thrive’ event for SMEs
East Midlands Freeport delivering Business Growth incentives
3 Apr
LLEP welcomes fresh step forward for East Midlands Freeport
Glynis Wright MBE
31 Mar
'Growth Hub event will help businesses navigate choppy waters’ - book now
Phoebe Dawson – LLEP Chief Executive
23 Mar
Phoebe Dawson announced as incoming Chief Executive of LLEP
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16 Mar
LLEP responds to Government decision to transfer functions to local authorities
LLEP Business Gateway Growth Hub event
13 Mar
Free places for 200 SMEs at Growth Hub 'cost-of-business' expo - register now
Robert Halfon at CEC round table at Loughborough College (Beth Walsh)
10 Mar
Minister meets apprentices and employers during National Careers Week visit
Innovate UK CEO Indro Mukerjee visiting Space Park Leicester
9 Mar
Record attendances during Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023
Signing of the new Climate Change Pact
3 Mar
Organisations tackling climate change with a new pact
Daria Nepriakhina
28 Feb
Simple text messages could help children onto careers ladder
A contactless payment being made over a counter for a drink with the seller wearing PPE mask and gloves
27 Feb
Business Tracker Survey 4: Focus on skills, costs, and exports
SpaceCity
23 Feb
Leicester set to launch its Space City
Nik Kotecha and Indro Mukerjee
17 Feb
Innovate UK CEO praises passion and energy of Innovative Leicestershire
Made Smarter East Midlands
14 Feb
100+ SME manufacturers have applied for £3m Made Smarter East Midlands
Former LLEP chief executive Mandip Rai, pictured in 2019
13 Feb
Tributes to former LLEP Chief Executive Mandip Rai
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10 Feb
Thousands of SMEs to gain free support to maximise use of Microsoft technologies
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9 Feb
Dozens of businesses apply for £1.3m Create Growth East Midlands
Nick Jennings at Innovation Festival launch
6 Feb
Innovative Leicestershire website launches at Leicestershire Innovation Festival
Innovation Advocate at DMU
1 Feb
Increase your business productivity with Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2023
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23 Jan
Applications open for £1.3m Create Growth East Midlands
Indro Mukerjee
12 Jan
Innovate UK CEO to deliver keynote speech during Leicestershire Innovation Festival
Shaping careers provision locally Enterprise Advisers at a previous recruitment event
6 Jan
Shaping careers provision locally within schools and colleges
Building Workforce Future
14 Dec
New 16-page guide helps SMEs build resilient future workforces
Digital manufacturing (jeshoots-com-sMKUYIasyDM-unsplash)
12 Dec
East Midlands SMEs invited to apply to new £3m Made Smarter fund
apprenticeship levy
2 Dec
Successful Apprenticeship Levy transfers help support SMEs
Create Growth LCB2
30 Nov
Create Growth Stakeholder Event announced