UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Overview

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It will provide £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition. 

North Northamptonshire has been allocated £4.8m core UKSPF over three years from 2022/23.

The funding is intended to help places deliver enhanced outcomes.  Each local area has to develop an Investment Plan which sets out the challenges and opportunities. Places are being empowered to identify and build on their own strengths and needs at a local level to support economic development with a focus on pride in place and increasing life chances. 

Three priority themes have been identified by UK government:

1. Communities & Place - to enable places to invest to restore their community spaces and relationships and create the foundations for economic development at the neighbourhood-level. The intention of this is to strengthen the social fabric of communities, supporting in building pride in place
2. Local Business - will enable places to fund interventions that support local businesses to thrive, innovate and grow
3. People & Skills - to help reduce the barriers some people face to employment and support them to move towards employment and education. Places can also target funding into skills for local areas to support employment and local growth

North Northamptonshire has also received a separate allocation of £1.9m for the Multiply project – a nationwide programme to support adult numeracy.

The Council is keen to hear what you believe to be the top three challenges affecting North Northamptonshire for each of the three themes. It also wants to know what you think are the best ways to tackle these challenges and why. 

Responses are invited by noon 22 June 2022.

All responses will be reviewed by the Council and help to inform work on the local Investment Plan for North Northamptonshire. Any information you chose to provide will be treated confidentially and in accordance with data protection legislation and regulations.   

Alongside this survey the Council will also be liaising with key stakeholders including business networks and the private sector, national and local delivery bodies/agencies, and community representatives to help ensure an inclusive approach. This will include seeking views and support from local MPs.

If you would like a copy of this questionnaire in another format (including paper, easy read or large print) you can also contact us at cet@northnorthants.gov.uk.

For information about how consultation and engagement responses are managed, please see the consultation and engagement privacy notice.