GFirst LEP was a Local enterprise partnership – one of 38 in England – and was responsible for Gloucestershire's Strategic Economic Plan.
GFirst claims that it was responsible for bringing £77m of inward investment to Gloucestershire in 2015 alone. The LEP chair says in the 2015 annual report that GFirst is "the most successful LEP in the country; the only LEP to receive everything it asked for – and more – from Government."[1]
GFirst claim they have successfully bid for £113 million for infrastructure projects over the course of their existence.[2] Their work has received positive reactions from local business leaders.[3]
In April 2024, GFirst was dissolved following the ending of Central Government Funding, with its role being taken over by Gloucestershire County Council.[2] The majority of staff have been transferred to the council to continue their work.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ "Download Annual Report – GFirst LEP".
- ^ a b "GFirst LEP: that's it, but watch this space". www.punchline-gloucester.com. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ SoGlos (8 August 2023). "End of an era' for GFirst LEP". www.soglos.com. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
- ^ "Gloucestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership to transition to county council next year". The Business Magazine. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2024.