GFirst LEP was a Local enterprise partnership – one of 38 in England – and was responsible for Gloucestershire's Strategic Economic Plan.
GFirst claims that it was responsible for bringing £77m of inward investment to Gloucestershire in 2015 alone. The LEP chair says in the 2015 annual report that GFirst is "the most successful LEP in the country; the only LEP to receive everything it asked for – and more – from Government."[1]
GFirst claim they have successfully bid for £113 million for infrastructure projects over the course of their existence.[2] Their work has received positive reactions from local business leaders.[3]
In April 2024, GFirst was dissolved following the ending of Central Government Funding, with its role being taken over by Gloucestershire County Council.[2] The majority of staff have been transferred to the council to continue their work.[4]