The Greater Lincolnshire LEP is delighted to announce that three projects in Greater Lincolnshire have been successful in attracting funding to support pilot schemes for developing Food Enterprise Zones.

The three schemes focus on Europarc in North East Lincolnshire along with two areas in Lincolnshire with strong agri-food development potential in the Holbeach and Hemswell areas.

This funding will enable the LEP to develop a strong business case for each area which will be required to apply to become a Food Enterprise Zone, bringing huge benefits to companies operating within those areas.

“The food sector is of enormous importance to Greater Lincolnshire – it’s our third biggest sector and contributes £2.5 billion every year to the area’s economy,” said Councillor Colin Davie, a Director of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Executive Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council.

“This is the first step towards creating new Food Enterprise Zones in North East Lincolnshire, South Holland and West Lindsey which will be a welcome development and play a vital role in helping us to achieve our vision of doubling the economic value of the agrifood sector in Greater Lincolnshire by 2030.

“There is work to be done before we can secure these three important Food Enterprise Zones but this pilot funding is a good start and we’re looking forward now to building strong cases to enable us to bid subsequently for Food Enterprise Zone status.”

Funding for 11 proposed Food Enterprise Zones across England have been announced today – and three of them are in Greater Lincolnshire.

The new zones are designed to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of the countryside and food producers.

They will free up food and farming businesses, making it simpler and easier for them to grow, and will attract new businesses. Local communities will benefit from new jobs and the opportunity to develop local produce, boosting their economies.

As well as attracting investment, the Food Enterprise Zones will encourage closer ties between food and farming businesses to boost the domestic food and farming sector.