The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is one of 38 LEPs in England. Our purpose is to lead and influence economic growth, job creation and prosperity across the Heart of the South West area covering Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
Comprised of business leaders from across our key sectors, the LEP Board oversees the programme of infrastructure, business support and skills projects being delivered by 2025.
Responsible for the day to day running of the LEP, the core team supports the Board in delivering the LEP strategy.
The LEP’s Plan to Build Back Better sets out the transformational opportunities in the Heart of the South West area that will unlock investment, create more and better jobs and deliver prosperity and resilience through clean and inclusive growth. The plan is rooted in the ambitious vision of our Local Industrial Strategy.
Clean and Inclusive growth are the overarching themes of the Local Industrial Strategy.
We manage a portfolio of over three-quarters of a billion pounds that we’re investing into over 80 infrastructure, business support and skills packages.
The 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Growth Programme for England brings together three funds:
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) >
Are you a Business entrepreneur or thinking of relocating your business?
Discover transformational opportunities in the Heart of the South West >
Find out why companies are coming to the Heart of the South West >
Skills Launchpad can help you find information about skills, careers, training and jobs in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
If you are a local business owner seeking advice and support for your business, the Growth Hub can help.
Free at the point of access, questions can be about anything a business may want to ask.
Our Business Bulletins provide a comprehensive summary of business sentiment across the Heart of the South West, along with national and regional business intelligence.
Businesses thrive in the Heart of the South West with its excellent value, quality development sites and premises, skilled workforce and business support. Our strong private, public, education and third sector partnerships are driving the economy forward in this destination of choice.
The LEP monitors a wide range of economic indicators and commissions specific research to ensure our work reflects the latest understanding of the area’s challenges and opportunities. In this section you can access these reports and the evidence base which underpins our Build Back Better plan. Click on the links below to find out more:
Build Back Better evidence base >
Further research undertaken by our local authority partners can be accessed here:
Who are we? > Policies & Procedures
Local Enterprise Partnerships are voluntary partnerships between local authorities education organisations and businesses to help determine local economic priorities and lead on productivity and prosperity growth within their local area. Our LEP is constituted as a Community Interest Company – a corporate body; it enters into agreements and holds funds via an accountable local authority which acts on its behalf. The accountable local authority for our LEP is Somerset Council.
The Heart of the South West LEP operates within an Assurance Framework which sets out its governance arrangements, policies and protocols, and the relationship with the accountable local authority including management of funding. This can be downloaded from the list below, along with other relevant policies.
These set out the terms of reference for our board and how it will operate.
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership and its accountable body, Somerset Council, have responsibility for ensuring that all funding decisions are made in accordance with the Assurance Framework, which ensures robust and accountable processes are in place, as required by Government in dealing with public funds. The Chief Executive is responsible for day to day processes and ensuring value for money is delivered.
Below is the National Local Growth Assurance Framework. This framework sets out government’s guidance for places that are required to develop their own local assurance framework. It applies to Mayoral Combined Authorities with a Single Pot and Local Enterprise Partnerships.
This policy is for the rolling replacement and/or retirement of HotSW Board members, following the Strengthened LEPs report.
All directors and staff follow these codes of conduct.
A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction about any aspect of HotSW LEP.
Our ordinary complaints procedure may not be suitable if someone wants the complaint to remain confidential. This policy is if a confidential complaint is received.
Sets out where conflicts of interest may arise and how they are to be managed.
If you are seeking HotSW endorsement for your project or proposal, we ask that the following process is followed:
A response will usually be forthcoming within two weeks. In the event that the project meets the criteria, a formal letter of endorsement will be issued. If it does not meet the criteria, we will explain the reasons behind our decision.
Please note: the Heart of the South West will not endorse projects verbally. Without the formal letter of endorsement, projects will not be able to claim approval. In the event that this claim is made without foundation, we may elect to inform the appropriate bodies to ensure that our reputation and those of the partners is protected.
The governing arrangements for each of the Enterprise Zones can be found below:
Gravity Enterprise Zone
*This is an extract of the ‘Huntspill Energy Park: Implementation Plan dated March 2017’.
Oceansgate Enterprise Zone
*This is an extract of the ‘Oceansgate Enterprise Zone Implementation Plan March 2017’.
Exeter & East Devon Enterprise Zone
*This is an extract of the ‘Appendix 3 EZ Implementation Plan amended January 2018 v1’.
The Joint Scrutiny Committee provides strategic overview and Scrutiny of the activities of the Heart of the South West (HotSW) Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)
In meeting its purpose, the Joint Scrutiny Committee will be specifically charged with:
View the work programme.
Further details as well as meeting documents can be found here.
LEPs are committed to publishing minutes, agenda and papers for full board meetings and any sub-committees which involves decisions about public money. The HotSW LEP only has three such meetings; LEP Board, Strategic Investment Panel (SIP) and Finance and Resources Committee (F&R). The following policy outlines how the HotSW will comply with the Governance and Transparency Guidance published by Government in December 2017.
Arising from concerns about a danger, risk, contravention of rules or illegality to act in the wider public interest, usually because it threatens others or impacts on public funds.
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is one of 38 LEPs in England. Our purpose is to lead and influence economic growth, job creation and prosperity across the Heart of the South West area covering Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay.
Chief Executive
David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.
Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.
David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.