Guidance

Pride in Place Programme: monitoring guidance

Updated 1 September 2026

This October 2026 submission will be the first monitoring return for Phase 2 Pride in Place neighbourhoods, and the second for Phase 1. The portal will open on Thursday 1 October and will close on Thursday 29 October 2026.

For Phase 2 neighbourhoods this is how you will formally report your spend to date and going forward up until April. You will be asked to report the funding you have received to help set up your board, funding that you are using for your initial engagement ahead of the submission of your plan at the end of November and any quick wins. You will not be asked to repeat any of this information as part of your 10 year vision and plan submission.

For Phase 1 places, this return is largely the same as the one you submitted in April, except you will not be asked to submit any forecasts or report against outputs.

We have created a template that you can use to help collect the information need to complete your submission and get the required clearances. We have populated it with some dummy data so you can see what sort of information you need to input. You can also find a link to it at the end of this guidance.

Context

The Pride in Place Programme is investing up to £20 million of funding and support to each place over the next 10 years. Through Neighbourhood Boards, in partnership with local authorities, the Programme empowers people to tackle deprivation and regenerate their local area.

Our monitoring process is designed to be light touch, placing as little administrative burden on places as possible, while ensuring that we have the right information we need to support places, demonstrate good value for money for the taxpayer and understand progress across the programme.

This guidance sets out what you will need to submit your monitoring return.

Responsibilities

Pride in Place Programme reporting must be completed online using a MHCLG digital tool. It is the responsibility of local authorities, in their current role as the accountable body, to complete the monitoring return.

Officials who have registered to complete the monitoring return will receive an email inviting them to use the platform when it opens.

Once submitted, your returns are final. Please ensure the information you submit is as accurate as possible.

By submitting the form, you are confirming that your S151 (England and Wales), S95 (Scotland) or Chief Finance Officer (Northern Ireland) is content and has been able to conduct their responsibilities as the accountable body.

All information submitted as part of the monitoring return must be signed off by the Neighbourhood Board and be made publicly available following submission to MHCLG.

What we will ask for in the monitoring returns

In October 2026, local authorities, in their current role as the accountable body, will be asked to submit details of:

• capacity funding activities
• projects delivered using programme funding
• projects planned using programme funding
• neighbourhood board details

Capacity funding/ early delivery funding activities

This section asks for information on all of the activities that were funded through the capacity funding/early delivery funding you received.

You can add activities individually or group related activities together if appropriate, for example all travel related expenses.

You will be asked to name an activity and then select one of the following categories which the activity most relates to:

• training
• management costs
• consultancy
• community outreach and engagement
• other

You will then be asked to provide a brief description of the activity – please ensure that this description is clear and easy to understand, particularly for your Community Outreach and Engagement activities where we are keen to understand what the activity was, who it was targeted at and the estimated number of people who benefitted.

You will also be asked to tell us the cost of the activity – you should only tell us how much of the Pride in Place capacity funding you spent rather than the overall cost of any activity.

Phase 1 places: You will only need to answer this question if you have spent any capacity/early funding since your last submission in April. If you have already spent all of the funding you will be able to skip this question.

Projects delivered using programme funding

This section asks for details of any projects that you have spent programme delivery funding on since you have received it.

You will be asked for the name of the project you have delivered. You will then be asked to select who the project was targeted at – you should select all that apply from the following:

• whole community
• children and young people
• local businesses
• older residents
• ethnic minority communities
• disabled residents
• voluntary, community and social enterprises

You will then be asked to provide a brief description of the activity, what you are trying to achieve and the estimated number of people who benefitted from the activity. Please ensure that the details you include are clear and easy for people who might not know the project to understand.

You will also be asked to provide a postcode for the project/activity. If this project relates to an area rather than a specific location, please do still provide a postcode that relates to the intervention – for example, if it’s a project/activity that is seeking to impact on the entire Highstreet then provide a postcode on that Highstreet. The postcodes help us to map projects/activities nationally.

 You will then be asked to identify the primary intervention that the project relates to from the following list:

• regeneration, high streets and heritage
• housing
• work, productivity and skills
• cohesion
• health and wellbeing
• transport
• safety and security
• community power
• education and opportunity

You will then be asked to identify whether the project relates to any other intervention.

You will be asked which type of organisation(s) has delivered the project:

• private sector
• voluntary, community and social enterprise
• local authority
• neighbourhood board
• housing association
• public sector
• statutory agency
• other

You will then be asked to provide the name of the organisation. Please avoid using abbreviations or acronyms so we are able to easily identify the organisation.

You will be asked for the total capital spend and the total revenue spend (of the entire project, including any match funding). You will then be asked to identify how much of the total capital and revenue spend was paid using the Pride in Place programme funding.

If the total amount of spend on a project exceeds the total amount of Pride in Place programme funding used, you will be asked for details on where the additional funding came from, selecting all that apply:

• local authority
• business investment
• devolved administration
• UK government funding
• other grant funding
• philanthropy
• other

You will be asked to tell us when the project started and when it ended/its estimated end date, as well as its current status.

You will be asked if you have used any of the programme delivery funding (separate to the capacity funding) for any management costs and, if so, you will be asked to give details.

Phase 2 places: Given the early stage of the programme you may not yet have delivered anything that you can report in this section so you will be able to skip this section. If you have already delivered some ‘quick wins’ please report them in this section.

Projects planned using programme funding

This section mirrors the previous section in terms of its structure. In this section you will be asked about the projects or activities which you will spend programme delivery funding on in the next 6 months.

You will be asked for the name of the planned project or activity. You will then be asked to select tell us who the project is targeted at – you should select all that apply from the following:

• whole community
• children and young people
• local businesses
• older residents
• ethnic minority communities
• disabled residents
• voluntary, community and social enterprises

You will then be asked to provide a brief description of the project/activity, what you are trying to achieve and the estimated number of people who will benefit from the activity. Please ensure that the details you include are clear and easy for people who might not know the project to understand.

You will also be asked to provide a postcode for the project/activity. If this project relates to an area rather than a specific location, please do still provide a postcode that relates to the intervention – for example, if it’s a project/activity that is seeking to impact on the entire Highstreet then provide a postcode on that Highstreet. The postcodes help us to map projects/activities nationally.

 You will then be asked to identify the primary intervention that the project relates to from the following list:

• regeneration, high streets and heritage
• housing
• work, productivity and skills
• cohesion
• health and wellbeing
• transport
• safety and security
• education and opportunity

You will then be asked to identify whether the project relates to any other intervention.

You will be asked which type of organisation(s) will deliver the project:

• private sector
• voluntary, community and social enterprise
• local authority
• neighbourhood board
• housing association
• public sector
• statutory agency
• other

You will then be asked to provide the name of the organisation. Please avoid using abbreviations or acronyms so we are able to easily identify the organisation.

You will be asked for the total capital spend and the total revenue spend (of the entire project, including any match funding). You will then be asked to identify how much of the total capital and revenue spend will be paid using the Pride in Place Programme funding.

If the total amount of spend on a project exceeds the total amount of Pride in Place Programme funding used, you will be asked for details on where the additional funding came from, selecting all that apply:

• local authority
• business investment
• devolved administration
• UK government funding
• other grant funding
• philanthropy
• other

You will be asked to tell us when the project will start and when its estimated to end, as well as its current status.

You will be asked if you have used any of the programme delivery funding (separate to the capacity funding/early delivery funding) for any management costs and, if so, you will be asked to give details.

Phase 2 places: Given you have not yet had your plans endorsed you will likely not have much you can report here so you will be given the option of skipping this section. However, if you are planning any ‘quick wins’ between October 2026 and April 2027 then you should report them in this section.  

Neighbourhood board details

You will be asked whether anyone has left or joined your board in the last 6 months.

If anyone has left or joined your board, you will be asked to provide their name, their occupation and why they have left/have joined the board.

Phase 2 places: You will have already have reported the make up of your board to us via the Board and Boundary submission. Please only include the details of any further changes that have occurred since that submission.

What will we do with the data provided?

Information requested from places will be used for the following purposes:

• to ensure we have a programme level view of progress across all places
• to monitor that the Programme’s monies are being spent on local priorities, and project/activity delivery is in line with expectations detailed in Investment Plans
• to support additional performance management processes, e.g. project change processes and formalised end of investment period progress reviews
• to ensure effective programme communications, allowing us to collect and highlight examples of successful delivery and impact in places

Performance management 

Places will have a primary point of contact in MHCLG’s Communities Delivery Unit who will work with them to deliver high-impact, long-lasting local change. Monitoring information will allow MHCLG Delivery Managers to better understand progress and provide effective practical support across government to help places achieve their delivery goals.

Any concerns should be discussed with your Delivery Manager, who will work with you to resolve these issues or find an alternative solution.

A formalised progress review will take place at the end of each investment period. These review points will allow MHCLG to consider whether the Programme’s 3 strategic objectives are being delivered effectively and how a place’s expenditure is progressing against their forecast. Further details on overall programme monitoring will be set out in forthcoming guidance shortly.

Project change process

The programme enables places to have flexibility to respond to local need and opportunities. Any requests to make changes, such as to boundaries or introducing off-menu interventions, must be within the spirit of the programme and underpinned by evidence of community support.

Places should work with their MHCLG Delivery Managers to understand the options available. If you do not know who your Delivery Manager is, you should contact: pippcorrespondence@communities.gov.uk.

Monitoring return template

Pride in Place Programme: monitoring template