Hertfordshire Futures (formerly Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership) works to accelerate sustainable economic growth across the county. We are responsible for setting and directing the economic strategy for the area, focusing on increasing employment, enterprise, and innovation.
Our ambition is for Hertfordshire to be recognised as the UK's innovation heartland by 2036. A place where high value businesses scale, ideas turn into impact, productivity is strong, and people can genuinely feel that life is better. Find out how we are building on the county's reputation as a premier location for growth and innovation - and its globally recognised sector strengths in science, advanced manufacturing, film & TV, and technology. View our Economic Strategy.
Hertfordshire Futures delivers a family of 10 services, focused on boosting sector growth and inward investment; business support; and skills and employment. We are growing our pipeline of highly skilled talent to meet the skills needs of businesses and support those facing barriers to employment to progress into good jobs. We provide a comprehensive package of support to businesses, employers, and local partners and advocate for our county locally and nationally.
We were founded in 2011 as Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). In 2024, we became fully integrated with Hertfordshire County Council, adopting the new name Hertfordshire Futures to reflect our strengthened status and central role in creating an environment that allows our economy to thrive.
Learn about Hertfordshire LEP's decade of delivery 2011 - 2021.
Watch the Hertfordshire Futures launch video:
Governance
The Hertfordshire Futures Board is chaired by a businessperson and at least half of its members come from the private sector. Its role is to provide leadership and oversight over our plans for economic growth, the delivery of our programmes and services, advocacy, and investment activity.
Learn about the role of the Board and sub-Boards.
Funding
Historically, LEPs have had responsibility for bidding for central government funding, channelling funding into key growth projects and ensuring that these deliver against locally agreed priorities, in addition to managing European funds allocated to (former) LEP areas.
Government now channels future funds such as Levelling Up and UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) via local authorities. Hertfordshire Futures plays a pivotal role in helping districts/boroughs to deliver UKSPF priorities at scale and tailored to local need.
Our role
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