Businesses are being asked to take part in a survey which will provide an in-depth insight into business activity in Greater Lincolnshire.

The Employer Survey has been commissioned by the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to help provide a database of information about businesses operating in Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and Rutland on behalf of the Lincolnshire and Rutland Employment and Skills Board.

It is the first major study of the local economy to be carried out by the LEP and has been commissioned because the information being gathered is not available any other way, the organisation said.

It is expected that around 1,600 responses will form the results.

Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, said: “Having a complete understanding of business conditions in our area is vital for us to be able to support the local economy and continue to grow.

“The results of the survey could help shape future development plans and strategies, and we will make those results available to all the local authorities. We’ve commissioned a company to undertake the work, who will be contacting businesses from a database of around 40,000 firms across our region.

“We would ask any business that is contacted to take the time to participate in the survey, as their input will greatly help our understanding of economic conditions in our area.”

Businesses will be asked around 70 questions which will include the number of employees, along with their ages and skill level, what kind of business it is, reasons vacancies might have been difficult to fill, growth plans and training offered.

Other topics such as broadband provision, transport networks, energy efficiency measures, exporting, flood risk management and operating costs will also be looked at. The survey will also try to identify any areas businesses think might be a barrier to growth.

The work, being carried out by BMG Research, will complement the quarterly economic survey conducted by the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and Lincolnshire County Council and the annual economic survey carried out by chartered accountants Duncan & Toplis.

For more information on the Greater Lincolnshire LEP visit www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk or follow @GreaterLincsLEP on Twitter.

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Notes to Editors:
About the Greater Lincolnshire LEP

•    The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a private and public sector partnership led by the private sector which aims to improve conditions for infrastructure and doing business in the Greater Lincolnshire area.
•    One of the first LEPs to be established in the UK, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP covers a large geographical area with a population of over one million and a diverse range of industries, from ports and logistics to farming, tourism and engineering.
•    It includes North and North East Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire and is controlled by a LEP board made up of leading figures in the public and private sector.
•    Visit www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk for details on the LEP

For media information about the LEP please contact:

Cerri Delaney
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
07985 143990
@cerridelaney
cerrri@weareshootingstar.co.uk
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