Evaluation of LEP Growth Hubs published

An independent evaluation of the LEP Growth Hubs programme has been published this week by central Government.

Evaluation of LEP Growth Hubs published
An independent evaluation of the LEP Growth Hubs programme has been published this week by central Government. The evaluation made five recommendations to inform future decisions about policy and funding, which included an increase in resourcing of Growth Hubs and more consistency in the support they provide. Growth Hubs are currently funded to March 2024 with a final decision on future funding yet to be decided.

Summary of findings
The network of 38 Growth Hubs has a strong reputation for reliability and independence among stakeholders, partners, and businesses. These groups also see the Growth Hubs as contributing positively to the development of their local ecosystems by i) addressing local policy, ii) bringing together and leveraging local partners and where possible continually appraising gaps and needs, and iii) communicating local needs to policy makers in central government . National and regional stakeholders also reflected a perceived contribution to national rebalancing through Growth Hubs’ unique understanding of local needs and strengths that can be fed back into national policy design.

Partners, stakeholders, and businesses believe that the Growth Hubs are delivering relevant support for businesses in their areas, and the localised nature of Growth Hubs was again thought to be essential to this.

Across the network, the Growth Hubs have clear potential to simplify the business support landscape, and there are evident consistent volumes of referrals to other programmes. In addition, all Growth Hubs appear to be undertaking significant, ongoing strategic stakeholder engagement and management to expand the available support offer in their local areas.