Councils Issue Calls for Projects Seeking UK Shared Prosperity Fund Support

Lead authorities for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) are beginning to deliver funding across the country for local priorities, such as regenerating high streets, tackling crime and improving wellbeing.

The lead authorities for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) across the country are ramping up activity relating to the delivery of this central pillar of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda.

All areas of the UK have received an allocation from the UKSPF via a funding formula rather than a competition. The funding is intended help places across the country deliver enhanced outcomes and recognises that even the most affluent parts of the UK contain pockets of deprivation and need support.

The UKSPF was announced by the UK Government last spring and enables communities to draw up plans to deliver on local priorities, based on a conditional allocation of funding over the next three years. These could include, for example, regenerating high streets, fighting anti-social behaviour and crime, or helping more people into employment.

When it was announced, the UK Government said local areas across England would receive £1.58 billion, Scotland £212 million, Wales £585 million and Northern Ireland £127 million under the fund.

As an example, Derbyshire’s Amber Valley Borough Council is inviting not-for-profit groups and charities in the borough to apply for a share of support from its Community and Place Fund, provided from the UKSPF.

The grant is centred around the themes ‘Culture and Communities’ and/or ‘Health and Wellbeing’. To be eligible, groups’ activities need to be delivered against a set of criteria: Support for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities; Impactful volunteering and/or social action projects; Community engagement schemes, local regeneration and community measures to reduce the cost of living, including through measures to improve energy efficiency, and combat fuel poverty and climate change.

Elsewhere, other councils have also issued calls for projects seeking funding through the UKSPF. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly for example have been allocated £132 million to spend on local investment, and there are opportunities through Carmarthenshire County Council, which has been allocated £32 million in core funding plus £6.6 million for projects to improve adult numeracy through the Multiply initiative.

All prospective UKSPF applicants are reminded that funding applications are time consuming, require significant research and preparation, and of course come with no guarantee of success. Before deciding to complete a UKSPF application, those interested in making a submission should read the guidance notes carefully to confirm that any proposed project can meet the programme objectives.

GrantFinder advises interested parties to consult the website of their local authority for information about UKSPF delivery in their area.

(This report was the subject of a GRANTfinder Newsflash.)