GFirst LEP is preparing to launch the next phase of a project aimed at providing improved services to businesses.

Gloucestershire organisations are being invited to submit their interest as the Growth Hub expands across Cheltenham, Stroud and the Forest of Dean.

Using funding from the £106.6million allocated from Government in the Gloucestershire Growth Deal, GFirst LEP is creating a network of Growth Hubs across the county, enabling businesses to access enhanced services from a range of locations.

Growth Hub manager Sarah Danson (pictured) said: "This is a fantastic opportunity to continue to build upon the momentum of the Growth Hub expansion.

"For organisations who are passionate about supporting businesses, who really understand their business communities and can demonstrate how they can use this investment to drive business growth in Gloucestershire, this is a very exciting time to get involved."

The Growth Hub was set up to help businesses scale up, boost performance and find new ways of working, so the LEP is looking for innovative partners to help facilitate the network expansion of Hubs across the county.

Partners could include educational institutions, local authorities, business representatives and support organisations, sector bodies, individual or groups of businesses, or others.

Having announced partnerships with Gloucestershire County Libraries, Tewkesbury Borough Council and the Royal Agricultural University, the LEP are now looking for locations within Cheltenham, Stroud and the Forest of Dean.

Alongside capital investment to create attractive and vibrant facilities for businesses to access, partners will receive support from central growth hub services and a digital infrastructure delivering the virtual Growth Hub.

The Growth Hub Network will build on the success of the current Hub, based at the Oxstalls Campus of the University of Gloucestershire, which opened its doors in October 2014.

The Growth Hub is currently supporting 2,519 businesses throughout Gloucestershire that benefit from 203 experts in our community of support providers.

The key aim of the Growth Hub Network is to grow the Gloucestershire economy above the national rate of growth, by providing support for businesses to accelerate business growth, to enable them to reach and exploit their full potential, as well as creating opportunities for businesses to meet, network and promote their services to each other.

Interested organisations should visit the GFirst LEP website to download the expression of interest form, which should be submitted by 23 June.