Local skills improvement plans and designated employer representative bodies
Updated 28 August 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/designated-employer-representative-bodies/notice-of-designated-employer-representative-bodies
In autumn 2022, employer representative bodies (ERBs) were designated to lead the development of local skills improvement plans (LSIPs) for all areas of the country.
The first cycle of LSIPs were approved by the Secretary of State for Education in summer 2023, in line with the approval criteria set out in the Skills and Post-16 Education Act 2022 and in accordance with the LSIP statutory guidance.
In summer 2024 and 2025, each area produced an annual progress report setting out completed actions in the LSIP, the impact and benefits of those actions, and what still needs to be achieved in the area. The published LSIP and annual progress reports can be found on the designated ERB websites, with links to these provided below.
The next cycle of LSIPs will be developed from 1 October 2025. Ahead of this, the LSIP specified areas (geographies) have been reviewed to ensure alignment with Strategic Authority[footnote 1] boundaries, where possible. This will help to facilitate the policy intent in the English Devolution White Paper of joint ownership of the LSIP model between ERBs and Strategic Authorities, in areas with devolution. This has resulted in changes to 9 LSIP areas, with a net gain of one LSIP area, bringing the total to 39 areas from 1 October 2025.
The existing LSIPs will remain valid until replacement LSIPs are published (expected in summer 2026). From October 2025 to summer 2026, the designated ERBs will therefore be developing new LSIPs whilst continuing to implement and review the existing LSIPs.
Further information on these LSIP transitional areas is provided below.
The designation terms and conditions, which all designated ERBs have consented to, are available.
North-east
| LSIP specified area | Designated ERB | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| North East (comprises the existing North of Tyne and North East LSIPs) |
North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) Limited | County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland Strategic Authority: North East Combined Authority |
| Tees Valley | North East England Chamber of Commerce | Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar and Cleveland, Stockton on Tees Strategic Authority: Tees Valley Combined Authority |
North-west
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Cheshire and Warrington | South and North Cheshire Chamber of Commerce | Cheshire East, Cheshire West and Chester, Warrington |
| Cumbria | Cumbria Chamber of Commerce | Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness |
| Greater Manchester | Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce | Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan Strategic Authority: Greater Manchester Combined Authority |
| Lancashire | North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce | Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool Strategic Authority: Lancashire Combined County Authority |
| Liverpool City Region | Liverpool Chamber of Commerce | Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral Strategic Authority: Liverpool City Region Combined Authority |
Yorkshire and the Humber
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Hull and East Yorkshire | Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce | East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull Strategic Authority: Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority |
| South Yorkshire | Doncaster Chamber of Commerce | Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield Strategic Authority: South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority |
| West Yorkshire | West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce | Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds, Wakefield Strategic Authority: West Yorkshire Combined Authority |
| York and North Yorkshire | West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce | North Yorkshire, York Strategic Authority: York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority |
East Midlands
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands | Federation of Small Businesses | Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire Strategic Authority: East Midlands Combined County Authority |
| Greater Lincolnshire (comprised of part of the existing Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland LSIP) |
Federation of Small Businesses | Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire Strategic Authority: Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority |
| Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (comprised of parts of the existing Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland LSIP and Leicester and Leicestershire LSIP) |
East Midlands Chamber of Commerce | Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland |
| South-East Midlands | Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce (incorporating Milton Keynes Chamber) | Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, North Northamptonshire, West Northamptonshire |
West Midlands
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire | Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire |
| The Marches | Shropshire Chamber of Commerce | Herefordshire, Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin |
| Warwickshire (comprised of part of the existing West Midlands and Warwickshire LSIP) |
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce | Warwickshire Strategic Authority: Warwickshire County Council |
| West Midlands (comprised of part of the existing West Midlands and Warwickshire LSIP) |
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce | Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton Strategic Authority: West Midlands Combined Authority |
| Worcestershire | Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce | Worcestershire |
East
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Cambridgeshire and Peterborough | Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce | Cambridgeshire, Peterborough Strategic Authority: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority |
| Greater Essex | Essex Chambers of Commerce | Essex, Southend-on-Sea, Thurrock |
| Hertfordshire | Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce | Hertfordshire |
| Norfolk and Suffolk | Norfolk Chambers of Commerce | Norfolk, Suffolk |
Greater London
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Greater London (a single LSIP covers the Greater London Authority area) |
BusinessLDN | Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent, Bromley, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston Upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth, Westminster Strategic Authority: Greater London Authority |
South-east
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire | Buckinghamshire Business First | Buckinghamshire Strategic Authority: Buckinghamshire Council |
| Hampshire and Solent (comprised of parts of the existing Solent and Enterprise M3 LEP LSIPs) |
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce | Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton |
| Kent and Medway | Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce | Kent, Medway |
| Oxfordshire | Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group | Oxfordshire |
| Surrey (comprised of part of the existing Enterprise M3 LEP LSIP) |
Surrey Chambers of Commerce | Surrey Strategic Authority: Surrey County Council |
| Sussex and Brighton | Sussex Chamber of Commerce | Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, West Sussex |
| Thames Valley Berkshire | Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group | Bracknell Forest, Reading, Slough, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Wokingham |
South-west
| LSIP specified area | Designated employer representative body | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly | Federation of Small Businesses | Cornwall, The Isles of Scilly Strategic Authority: Cornwall Council |
| Dorset | Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, Dorset |
| Gloucestershire | Business West Chambers of Commerce | Gloucestershire |
| Greater Devon (comprised of part of the existing Heart of the South West LSIP) |
Devon Chamber of Commerce | Devon, Plymouth, Torbay Strategic Authority: Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority |
| Somerset (comprised of part of the existing Heart of the South West LSIP) |
Business West Chambers of Commerce | Somerset |
| Swindon and Wiltshire | Business West Chambers of Commerce | Swindon, Wiltshire |
| West of England and North Somerset | Business West Chambers of Commerce | Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire Strategic Authority: West of England |
LSIP transitional areas
Where an LSIP specified area has changed, the designated ERB will remain designated to lead the implementation and review of the existing LSIP, including in relation to the area no longer covered by the new LSIP being developed, until a new LSIP(s) covering the area is published. During this transition period, in some parts of the country there will be two designated ERBs covering parts of the same LSIP geography.
| LSIP specified area | Designated ERB | Locations covered |
|---|---|---|
| Enterprise M3 LEP (now covered by the Hampshire and Solent LSIP and Surrey LSIP) |
Surrey Chambers of Commerce | Hampshire (excluding the districts of Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest), Surrey |
| Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland (now covered by the Greater Lincolnshire LSIP and Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland LSIP) |
Federation of Small Businesses | Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire, Rutland |
| Heart of the South West (now covered by the Greater Devon LSIP and Somerset LSIP) |
Devon and Somerset Local Skills Improvement Plan | Devon, Plymouth, Torbay, and Somerset |
| Leicester and Leicestershire (now covered by the Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland LSIP) |
East Midlands Chamber of Commerce | Leicester and Leicestershire |
| North East (now covered by the new North East LSIP) |
North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) Limited | County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland Strategic Authority: North-East Combined Authority |
| Solent (now covered by the Hampshire and Solent LSIP) |
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce | Isle of Wight, Portsmouth, Southampton, and the following districts in Hampshire: Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport, Havant, New Forest |
| West Midlands and Warwickshire (now covered by the West Midlands LSIP and Warwickshire LSIP) |
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce | Warwickshire, West Midlands Combined Authority |
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‘Strategic Authority’ is used as a collective term to include: mayoral and non-mayoral combined authorities, combined county authorities, the Greater London Authority and local authorities which have functions conferred on them by Regulations made under the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016. ↩