The Greater Lincolnshire economy is growing and tangible projects are now being delivered thanks to funding which has been secured by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

These successes will be celebrated at an essential business event being organised by the LEP next month.

LEP Business Live on Friday 24th October is an unmissable diary date which will bring together last year’s successful Business Live event and the Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s annual summit.

The theme of the event will reflect the recent upturn in the economic outlook in Greater Lincolnshire and the significant funding secured for the area by the LEP through the Government’s Growth Deal.

In July the LEP secured £111m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to support economic growth in the area, with £18.6m of new funding confirmed for 2015/16 and £21.2m for 2016/17 to 2021.

This includes a provisional award of a further £27.5m of funding for projects starting in 2016 and beyond and £43.9m of funding which the Government has previously committed as part of Local Growth Deal funding to the area.

The first projects which will benefit from the Growth Deal are the Grantham Southern Relief Road, The Quadrant housing scheme and football stadium in Boston, Boole Technology Centre in Lincoln, Unlocking Rural Housing, Bishop Burton College and Skegness Countryside Business Park.

LEP Business Live will take place at the EPIC Centre, Lincolnshire Showground, on 24^th October 2014 and will feature exhibitors, speakers, a Q&A panel session, business networking and lunch.

Among the exhibitors already confirmed are DoubleTree by Hilton, the Federation of Small Businesses, Lincoln UTC, HCF Catch and the Lincoln Growth Fund.

The identify of the keynote speaker is yet to be revealed but other speakers on the day will include Steven Fletcher, Publisher of Lincolnshire Media, who will round up the last 12 months of business news from around the county, and Ursula Lidbetter, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, who will give an update on the LEP’s progress and its priorities in the coming years.

Under the same roof on the same day the annual Greater Lincolnshire LEP summit will provide a platform for business leaders and politicians to debate the big economic issues that face Greater Lincolnshire.

Members of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s board, who are drawn from the private and the public sector, will take part in a panel Q&A session which will give delegates an opportunity to ask questions about the LEP and the Greater Lincolnshire economy.

“LEPs are now assuming more responsibility for shaping the local economy and deciding for themselves where they think funds should be spent,” said Ursula Lidbetter.

“In July we were delighted to secure a very positive Growth Deal for Greater Lincolnshire and now we are looking forward to seeing these important projects become a reality.

“LEP Business Live is a brilliant opportunity for business leaders to find out what their LEP is doing for the area and debate the big economic issues that face Greater Lincolnshire.

“It’s also a chance to network with other business people in the county, share ideas and create new collaborations.”

Places for the event are free but numbers are limited. If you would like to attend click here or visit www.eventbrite.com and search for LEP Business Live.

If you would like to book an exhibitor’s stand contact Karis Mellin at Lincolnshire Media by emailing karis.mellin@lincolnshiremedia.co.uk or by calling 01522 804328.

Follow @GreaterLincsLEP on Twitter or use the hashtag #LEPBusinessLive.