Most of the 56 bids to form local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) are not good enough, according to business secretary Vince Cable.

Speaking at the Liberal Democrat conference in Liverpool this week, Cable said three quarters of the bodies that are proposed to replace regional development agencies (RDAs) would need “a lot of work”.

LEPs are partnerships that are expected to lead on regeneration, and infrastructure across “natural economic” areas in England. Councils and private sector partners have clubbed together to ask the government to form an LEP to lead economic development.

But Cable said LEPs would be unlikely to receive or manage much of the two-year £1bn regional growth fund that has been announced by the government.

Speaking at a fringe meeting on Monday, he said most LEPs are “hopelessly fragmented and will have to get their act together”.

More detail on which LEPs are likely to be formed are expected at the spending review on 20 October, when the coalition is expected to release a white paper on regional economic growth.

Major economic areas such as big cities are expected to get the green light to form LEPs ahead of regional bids, which have seen local authorities submit conflicting bids to the government.

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