| The Growth Programme Board is the overall programme monitoring committee in England for the 2014-2020 European Social Investment Fund (ESIF) programme, the latest meeting held in December included an overview of UK investment programmes, as the Growth Programme Board continues to work closely with local partners through the transition from ESIF Funding. UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Confirmed in the Autumn 2021 Budget, the UKSPF will be worth £2.6bn over the spending review period. The Fund will invest in locally across three priority areas; communities and place, people and skills, and local business. The adult numeracy programme ‘Multiply’ will be one of the first priorities for the UKSPF. The full investment framework will be published in due course. UK Community Renewal Fund (UKCRF) Successful bids have been announced for this one-year fund in preparation for the UKSPF, 65% of funding has been allocated to priority places and 35% of funding has been allocated to non-priority places. The delivery timeline has also been extended by 3 months to June 2022 to ensure the same delivery window as set out in the funding prospectus. Levelling Up Fund (LUF) The first local infrastructure projects to be funded by the Levelling Up Fund have been released, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. Details of round 2 will be announced shortly. Community Ownership Fund (COF) 21 projects were selected in the first round of the COF, helping community groups across the UK take ownership of local assets and amenities at risk of closure. Unsuccessful round 1 applicants are invited to reapply with deadline for re-submitting applications closing in February 2022, Round 2 for new applications will start Spring 2022. The full collection of funding prospectus, guidance and lists of successful bids can be viewed on the Gov.uk website here Have you applied for or accessed these funds? The Growth Programme Board is keen to hear experiences of the Third Sector and understand the local perspective. So that we can raise these issues at government level on your behalf and pro-actively work for solutions, contact us here |
