Policy paper

UK Community Renewal Fund: prospectus 2021-22

Updated 11 May 2021

Ministerial foreword

Now is the right time to prepare for our national recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.

We want people across all parts of the UK to see, feel, and experience the benefits as we bounce back and level up.

Now we have left the European Union, the opportunities to deliver this ambition are in our own hands. Investment from EU Structural Funds will continue to be spent by local areas until 2023 and this government has committed to at least matching EU receipts through the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund, on average reaching around £1.5 billion a year. This new Fund, to be launched in 2022, will operate throughout the UK and play a part in uniting and levelling up the whole country.

This is about more than replacing like with like. We can go beyond the limitations of EU funding with a successor to those arrangements far better tailored to the needs and aspirations of our own country. To give real focus to our domestic priorities for people and places by championing local insight, stripping out overly prescriptive categories for spending, and reducing bureaucracy.

That is what our UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be all about. Its long term vision, which will be set out in the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Framework, is designed to increase funding for projects that are supporting people and places across the UK, focused on our domestic priorities, growing local economies, and breathing new life into our communities.

And to ensure that local communities are best placed to do this we are starting work now, with the UK Community Renewal Fund being provided for 2021-22 – an additional £220 million of investment. This Fund, which this prospectus outlines, will help support local areas to pilot imaginative new approaches and programmes that unleash their potential, instil pride, and prepare them to take full advantage of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund when it launches in 2022.

We recognise that each area has its unique challenges requiring unique solutions. So each pilot will empower places to explore how best to tackle local challenges– whether through building skills, supporting local businesses, supporting communities and places, or providing employment support – to build communities where people want to live, work and visit, while allowing government to evaluate how best to ensure levelling up right across the country.

There is a real opportunity to help build the safer, greener, more prosperous and neighbourly country that we all want to see after Covid. Along with the Cabinet colleagues with whom I will be working to deliver the Fund, including the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – I am excited to see the creativity and ambition of the proposals we receive to help realise this Government’s mission to level up every part of our United Kingdom through this Fund and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund that will follow it.

Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

1. Introduction

The UK’s departure from the European Union is an historic opportunity to build a productive and prosperous economy that is fit for the future and works for all people, communities and nations across the United Kingdom. As we build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic, this government will deliver growth that levels up opportunity, is aligned to our net zero objectives and cements our status as Global Britain.

Our thriving communities form a fundamental part of the fabric of life in the UK. Economic differences still remain between different parts of the United Kingdom, from our cities to ex-industrial, rural and coastal communities. These inequalities have real implications. They affect people’s lives through their pay, work opportunities, health and life chances.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be a flagship policy in delivering on this Government’s commitment to level up the country. It will target people and places most in need across the UK. It will be focused on our domestic priorities and seize the opportunities that come from our departure from the EU and the bureaucracy of EU structural funds.

The UK pays for EU structural funds through its EU Budget contributions, made of UK taxpayers money. Local areas will continue to spend investment from EU structural funds until the end of 2023. Due to the way these funds operate, levels of investment from EU structural funds will be higher across the United Kingdom in the coming financial year 2021-22 than they were in 2020-21.

In addition to this investment, to help the UK prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this government is providing funding in 2021-22 through the UK Community Renewal Fund. This Fund aims to support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches, aligning national and local provision.

The UK Community Renewal Fund aims to support people and communities most in need across the UK, creating opportunities to trial new approaches and innovative ideas at the local level. Through this Fund, we will strengthen the relationship between UK government and places across the UK. The UK government will work directly with local partners, so that the people that know their places best are front and centre of the decisions that impact their areas and lives. This Fund will also provide capacity funding to help places prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

This prospectus sets out our ambition for the UK Community Renewal Fund, with guidance to help people access the funding.

1.1. Investing at the local level: Our offer to people and places

All places face a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Boosting productivity growth across the UK relies on harnessing local knowledge, expertise and social capital. Ensuring that all places can take advantage of economic growth requires support tailored to the individual barriers faced at a local level.

Investing at the local level can help provide the support people and places need to achieve higher levels of productivity and tackle disadvantage to ensure that future prosperity is felt across the UK. This is especially true as we build back stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside national provision, targeted public investment can help renew communities, supporting their recovery and boosting resilience.

Any investment must recognise the challenges faced by the people living in them and ensure that everyone is able to take advantage of economic growth. Ensuring that everyone has the skills they need to take advantage of the opportunities in their local area is critical to sharing prosperity. Yet people face different barriers to gaining employment and accessing the skills needed to progress in life. Overcoming those barriers requires support tailored to the challenges people face at a local level.

These pilots complement this Government’s strategy to support people and places across the UK, which looks to supercharge the economic performance of our major cities, catalyse industrial centres of excellence across the country in the sectors of importance to the future economy, and support our struggling towns to ensure no places are left behind. The existing offer includes:

• Levelling Up Fund, which will invest in local infrastructure that has a visible impact on people and their communities and will support economic recovery. The Fund will be jointly managed by HM Treasury, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, and the Department for Transport. This is a new approach to investing in local growth – ending siloes in Whitehall that make it difficult to take a holistic approach to the needs of local areas.

• City and Growth Deals, which are locally led, with local partners working with UK government, Devolved Administrations and the public and private sectors to develop proposals, deliver interventions and attract further investment to our cities. To date, the UK government has committed more than £3 billion to the Deals.

• Plan for Jobs, in which the government has announced unprecedented support to help unemployed people in Great Britain find a job. This includes many Great Britain-wide measures, such as doubling the number of work coaches, the Kickstart Scheme to support young people at risk of long-term unemployment, an expanded Youth Offer for young people on Universal Credit and investment in externally contracted provision via the Job Entry Targeted Support and the Job Finding Support programmes to expand support even further. Additionally, the Restart programme will provide regular, personalised support for Universal Credit claimants in England who have been searching for work for over a year. Plan for Jobs will support the longer-term recovery from the unprecedented economic impact of COVID-19.

• Freeports, which provides funding to establish Freeports as national hubs for global trade and investment across the UK, promote regeneration and job creation and create hotbeds for innovation that will intensify the economic impact of our ports and generate increased economic activity across the UK.

• UK Community Ownership Fund, which will empower communities to protect vital community assets in their area by providing funding to take ownership over them, in support of the social wellbeing of local communities.

In England, this funding will also sit alongside the following programmes and through which Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have received investment via the Barnett Formula:

• The Towns Fund, which provides the core public investment in Town Deals to drive the economic regeneration of towns to address growth constraints and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth through urban regeneration, skills and connectivity.

• Future High Streets Fund, which helps local high streets evolve and adapt to change, providing investment to renew and reshape town centres and high streets in a way that improves experience, promotes social connection, drives growth and ensures future sustainability.

• Getting Building Fund, which targets investment in areas facing the biggest economic challenges as a result of the pandemic, supporting the delivery of shovel-ready infrastructure projects, agreed with mayors and Local Enterprise Partnerships to boost economic growth, and fuel local recovery and jobs.

• Skills Bootcamps, which deliver a flexible training programme based on employer/sector ‘in-demand’ skills needs which may be either regulated (i.e. qualification based) or non-regulated (i.e. based on alignment with industry standards). They currently cover digital, technical and construction sectors.

• Further Education Reform, which aims to support people to get the skills our economy needs throughout their lives, wherever they live in the country. Focusing post-16 skills on this core mission will increase productivity, support growth industries, and give individuals opportunities to progress in their careers.

1.2 Moving on from EU Structural Funds

Leaving the European Union is an opportunity to change the way we support our people and places. We will replace EU structural funds with a domestic successor that is tailored to the UK and its priorities for people and places.

In designing a new programme, it has been important to learn lessons and we have worked closely with stakeholders to understand how we can design a fund which better meets our priorities. We hosted 25 engagement events across the UK, attended by more than 500 representatives from a variety of sectors, and continue to work closely with businesses, Mayoral Combined Authorities, Local Councils, Local Enterprise Partnerships, higher education institutions, voluntary and charity sector organisations, and rural partnership groups.

The feedback has been consistent. Our offer to places will champion local insight, strip out overly prescriptive categories for spend and reduce bureaucracy. We will maximise the benefits of leaving the EU through:

• Quicker delivery of funding including providing £220 million to spend in 2021-22 to help local areas transition away from EU structural funds.
• Better targeting for places in need, for example ex-industrial communities, coastal communities, rural areas and deprived towns, and for people most in need of additional support.
• Better alignment with domestic priorities moving away from a focus on overly prescriptive, siloed priority axes and instead enabling more holistic, joined-up investment based on local insight.
• Cutting burdensome EU bureaucracy including nurturing innovative proposals and reducing forms and targets that have created an unsustainable burden and led to a focus on outputs not outcomes.

The UK government has a responsibility to support people, jobs, and communities across the whole of our United Kingdom, particularly in the context of our recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the UK Internal Market Act 2020, the UK government can invest in supporting communities across the UK. This paves the way for a new relationship between the UK government and local partners who will be front and centre of this fund.

A big part of testing and trialling means evaluating what works well and what does not, so that it can feed into the development of both the places and people portions of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Evaluation will be central to this process from the start and should be embedded as a key element of proposals. Further details can be found in section 5.2.3 and section 9 of this prospectus.

1.3 Looking ahead to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Our long-term vision is for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to help level up and create opportunity across the UK for people and places. We have already committed to ramping up funding so that total domestic UK-wide funding will at least match EU receipts, on average reaching around £1.5 billion a year. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will include:

• A place-based portion which will target places most in need across the UK, such as ex-industrial areas, deprived towns and rural and coastal communities. It will support people and communities, opening up new opportunities and spurring regeneration and innovation. It will enable joined-up, holistic investment to support local communities and people; and

• A second portion of the Fund will be targeted differently to people most in need through bespoke employment and skills programmes that are tailored to local need. This will support improved employment outcomes for those in and out of work in specific cohorts of people who face labour market barriers.

We will publish further details on this in a UK-wide Investment Framework later this year and the profile will be confirmed at the next Spending Review.

The UK government will engage the Devolved Administrations and local partners as we develop the UK Shared Prosperity Fund’s Investment Framework and in advance of its publication. We intend to work with the Devolved Administrations to ensure that funding is used to best effect and supports citizens across the UK. We have demonstrated this commitment by confirming that the Devolved Administrations will have a place within the governance structures for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The UK Community Renewal Fund will help inform the design of the UK Shared Prosperity through funding of one-year pilots, but the funds are distinct with regard to design, eligibility and duration. Successful UK Community Renewal Fund bids will be for 2021-22 only.

2. UK Community Renewal Fund: An overview

2.1 Objectives of the UK Community Renewal Fund

2.1.1 Supporting a smooth transition

The UK pays for EU structural funds through its EU Budget contributions and local areas will continue to spend investment from EU structural funds until the end of 2023. Due to the way these funds operate, levels of investment from EU structural funds will be higher across the UK in the coming financial year 2021-22 than they were in 2020-21.

In addition to this investment, we are providing £220 million of additional funding through the UK Community Renewal Fund to help us move smoothly away from the EU structural fund programme. The UK Community Renewal Fund will help us prepare over 2021-22 for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund by piloting new approaches and through provision of capacity funding.

2.1.2 Enabling innovation through pilots

The UK Community Renewal Fund will support our communities to pilot programmes and new approaches ahead of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Through these pilots, we want to unleash new ideas and pilot programmes to better support people and communities in need across the UK.

We want to support innovative responses to local challenges and local need across the UK, spanning urban, rural and coastal areas. We want to use the UK Community Renewal Fund to test greater integration of types of interventions and greater flexibility between investment themes than under EU structural funds.

This includes removing barriers that people face in accessing skills and local labour market opportunities, building the evidence base for future interventions and exploring the viability of new ideas.

2.1.3 A new way of working between UK government and places

The UK Community Renewal Fund also offers us an opportunity to establish a new way of working between UK government and places. We want to work directly with local partners in each nation across the UK, putting people that know their places best front and centre in shaping decisions, forming a new, direct relationship with the UK government.

See section 5 for detailed guidance on the delivery model.

2.1.4 Levelling up and creating opportunity

The UK Community Renewal Fund will be a competitive process with no pre-set eligibility. In Great Britain, to level up and create opportunity across the UK for people and places we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience. We will prioritise projects that target investment at communities in need, especially at the top 100 priority places and provide capacity funding to the lead authority for these 100 places.

We are taking a different approach to delivering the UK Community Renewal Fund in Northern Ireland, which takes account of the different local government landscape in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain. There will be a pre-determined national allocation for Northern Ireland, set at £11 million.

See section 4 for further information on the investment process and selection criteria for all places. We will publish a methodological note to explain how the index was developed.

2.1.5 Building capacity

We want to support places to develop their capabilities to maximise the benefits of local investment. That is why we are reserving a portion of the UK Community Renewal Fund for capacity funding:

• Providing up to £2 million in total for bid co-ordination and appraisal as part of the UK Community Renewal Fund, available to the lead authorities of each of the 100 priority places, to help them coordinate and appraise bids.

• Providing up to £14 million capacity funding to support with preparation for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, available to local partners in Great Britain later in the year. In Northern Ireland, we will also provide capacity funding to partners such as sector groups and key stakeholders. Details on eligibility for this capacity funding, and the funding itself, will be released later this year.

Further details on capacity funding can be found in section 4.4 of this prospectus.

2.2 How the Fund will work – a summary

This prospectus sets out how the UK Community Renewal Fund will operate across the UK and is a guide for applicants entering the process. A summary is provided below and a glossary of terms is provided at Annex A.

The following details apply to the UK Community Renewal Fund only and do not predetermine the approach to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. We will publish further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in a UK-wide Investment Framework later this year and the profile will be confirmed at the next Spending Review.

2.2.1 Investment priorities

To nurture innovative thinking and offer flexibility, projects may align with one, or deliver across several, of the following investment priorities:

• Investment in skills
• Investment for local business
• Investment in communities and place
• Supporting people into employment

There will be no ringfences applied across these themes.

90% of funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund is revenue funding.

Section 3 sets out further detail on the Fund’s investment priorities.

2.2.2 Delivery in Great Britain

In Great Britain, UK government will run a competitive process with no pre-set eligibility.

To ensure the UK Community Renewal Fund funding reaches the most in need, we have identified 100 priority places based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density. This has been developed based on a consistent approach to identifying need across these nations.

For the purposes of the UK Community Renewal Fund, place is defined at the lower tier, borough and unitary geography as set out in the glossary of terms.

A lead authority has been assigned for each place. These are:

• Mayoral Combined Authorities, where they exist in England
• The Greater London Authority
• County Councils
• Unitary authorities elsewhere in England and in Scotland and Wales

Lead authorities should invite project proposals from a range of local applicants, including local district councils, voluntary and community sector organisations and local education providers including universities. Lead authorities should then appraise these projects and produce a shortlist of projects up to a maximum of £3 million per place for submission to UK government. The UK government will select projects in line with the selection criteria set out in section 6. The UK government will not accept direct bids from any bodies other than the lead authority.

The lead authority of each of the 100 priority places will receive capacity funding to help them with this bid co-ordination and appraisal.

Further detail on the distribution of funding in Great Britain can be found in section 4.1 and detail on the assessment process for all places is set out in section 6. The 100 priority places and lead authorities for each place can be found at the end of this prospectus.

Further detail on the role of lead authorities is set out in more detail in section 5.3.

Separate guidance will be made available for the lead authorities in Great Britain shortly.

The lead authority should submit their project shortlist to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by noon on Friday 18 June 2021.

2.2.3 Delivery in Northern Ireland

We are taking a different approach to delivering the UK Community Renewal Fund in Northern Ireland, which takes account of the different local government landscape in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain. There will be a pre-determined national allocation for Northern Ireland, set at £11 million. By treating Northern Ireland as one geographical area we will ensure all communities have equal access to apply for the Fund.

UK government will accept bids from a range of local applicants, including but not limited to universities, voluntary and community sector organisations, and umbrella business groups.

Bids should be submitted directly to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by noon on Friday 18 June 2021.

2.2.4 Delivery in Gibraltar

As a recipient of EU structural funds, the overseas territory of Gibraltar will also be eligible for up to £500,000 of investment from the UK Community Renewal Fund. The UK government will discuss the delivery of funding in Gibraltar directly with the Government of Gibraltar. A separate guidance document for Gibraltar has been published.

2.2.5 Preparing for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

Through the UK Community Renewal Fund, UK government will also provide up to £14 million capacity funding to support with preparation for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, available to local partners in Great Britain later in the year. In Northern Ireland, we will also provide capacity funding to partners such as sector groups and key stakeholders.

Further details on capacity funding can be found in section 4.4 of this prospectus.

2.2.6 Further details

You can contact UKCommunityRenewalFund@communities.gov.uk to request clarification on any of the content of this prospectus until 17 March 2021. A summary of frequently asked questions and answers will then be published online.

3. UK Community Renewal Fund: Investment priorities

We know the EU structural funds programmes were administratively burdensome and overly prescriptive. At times, local partners were unable to invest funds in line with the needs of their area where local demand did not align with the overly prescriptive funding priorities and ‘priority axes’. We will change this, and instead empower places to take a more holistic approach.

3.1 Guidance for investment

To nurture innovative thinking and offer flexibility, projects may align with one, or deliver across several, of the following investment priorities:

• Investment in skills
• Investment for local business
• Investment in communities and place
• Supporting people into employment

There will be no ringfences applied across these themes. This will empower places to take a more holistic approach, changing overly prescriptive funding priorities and ‘priority axes’.

90% of funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund is revenue funding, with a small amount of capital funding. Prospective applicants should calibrate their bids accordingly. We are interested in bids that are either wholly or predominantly revenue based. Further detail on guiding principles for prospective applicants can be found in section 5.2 of this prospectus.

We are interested in bids that build on local insight and knowledge, and project proposals that align with long-term strategic plans for local growth, target people most in need and support community renewal. In addition, projects should show how they complement other national and local provision. A focus for this Fund is to support innovation and new ideas in these areas, investing in pilots that draw on local insights and which will help places to prepare for the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund in 2022.

3.1.1 Contributing to our Net Zero and environmental objectives

This Government’s Net Zero ambitions represent a key pillar in our commitment to build back better. We are focused on delivering the kind of growth that levels up, reduces emissions, and cements our status as Global Britain.

Investment made under this Fund should be able to demonstrate the extent of contribution to net zero objectives or wider environmental considerations. Projects should be based on low or zero carbon best practice, adopt and support innovative clean tech where possible and support the growing skills and supply chains in support of Net Zero where possible. As a minimum, investment under this fund should meet the clean growth principle and must not conflict with the UK’s legal commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

To support green growth, bids should also consider how projects can work with the natural environment to achieve project objectives, and – at a minimum – consider the project’s impact on our natural assets and nature. For further information on how to take these considerations into account, see the Enabling a Natural Capital Approach (ENCA) resources.

This is not applicable to interventions focused on supporting people into employment. Further detail on UK-wide selection criteria can be found in section 6 of this prospectus.

3.1.2 Using the UK Internal Market Act 2020

The financial assistance power in the UK Internal Market Act 2020 allows the UK government to invest across the whole of the UK for the purpose of economic development and will therefore be used to deliver the UK Community Renewal Fund UK-wide.

The power, in addition to the Devolved Administrations’ existing powers, allows the UK government to complement and strengthen the support given to citizens, businesses and communities in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Proposals submitted for the UK Community Renewal Fund must therefore fall under the scope of the power, in that they must support economic development. Other areas covered by the power include culture, sport, and educational and training activities.

Details of the Act can be found on legislation.gov.uk.

Other vires such as the Industrial Development Act (1982) may be used where relevant.

3.1.3 The Public Sector Equality Duty

As a public sector body, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is required to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty, as set out in the Equality Act 2010. To ensure we are considering the potential impact of funding on individuals with protected characteristics, we will give due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty at key decision points, and will seek information from applicants and lead authorities to support this process.

Although this is not part of the project assessment, in making final decisions on the portfolio of approved projects the department will give due regard to its Public Sector Equality Duty. All applicants should consider equalities impacts in formulating their bids and lead authorities are required to consider the equalities impacts of their decisions on proposals under the Public Sector Equality Duty.

We recognise the importance of not only meeting our legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 but also giving due regard to the additional equalities considerations that apply in Northern Ireland.

3.2 Investment in skills

The UK Community Renewal Fund will help equip people with the skills they need to seize new opportunities and ensure their local communities are prosperous and productive. This includes equipping people with the skills they need to capitalise on the opportunities and needs of their local area and meet the needs of an increasingly green and digital economy.

Proposals should form part of the broader local growth bid and be clearly distinct from funding provided through other funding streams such as the Adult Education Budget, Apprenticeships, the Strategic Development Fund and Skills Bootcamps.

We are interested in proposals for innovative projects that address current and emerging local skills needs and are complementary to broader place-based investment. Bids may include, but are not limited to interventions that address:

• Work-based training – for example addressing specific local need from local employers for on-the-job training to support local growth, such as taking on trainee builders for a new infrastructure project.

• Retraining, upskilling or reskilling members of the workforce – for example helping organisations to identify and understand skills gaps or provide access to financial support for relevant training where the local workforce may require new skills to meet the needs of a local employer or sector and support local economic transitions.

• Promoting the advancement of digital skills and inclusion – for example supporting the development of digital skills for digitally excluded individuals, especially where digital exclusion presents a barrier to employment, building confidence in application of basic and advanced digital skills and promoting safety and awareness online.

Proposals should demonstrate their strategic fit and link to local skills and labour market need. Bids need to evidence that the project does not conflict with wider UK government policy. Further details on assessment criteria can be found in section 6 of this prospectus.

3.3 Investment for local business

Targeted support for local business can help local residents through increased employment, better training and in-work opportunities and creating new entrepreneurial ventures.

We are especially interested in projects that target support for under-represented groups and community-level interventions that can increase opportunity for all, including coastal and rural enterprises.

Investment in pilots can also help create an innovation culture across the UK. This could be through finding new ways to promote green and tech adoption, commercialisation or helping create a pathway for upskilling local businesses through collaborations between higher education and small businesses.

We are interested in proposals for innovative pilots and projects that address local business and innovation needs. Bids may include, but are not limited to, interventions that address:

• Supporting entrepreneurs and helping businesses with potential to create more job opportunities for current employees or take on new employees – for example helping businesses to access the specialist support they need such as investor readiness schemes and private sector experts like experienced non-executives.

• Encouraging businesses to develop their innovation potential – for example facilitating small businesses grow and to develop new and improved products and services by promoting collaboration and knowledge sharing, including small-scale knowledge transfer activity. This may include nurturing further join up between higher education institutions and small businesses, capitalising on research outcomes and building innovation capacity through development of plans for local innovation facilities and opportunities such as innovation centres and incubation services.

• Supporting decarbonisation measures – for example encouraging local businesses and organisations to reduce greenhouse gases through investment in new technology or energy efficiency measures that can have bottom line benefits and improve business productivity.

Proposals should demonstrate evidence their strategic fit and link to local economic and business need. Loan or equity investments are not in scope of this funding. Bids need to evidence that the project does not conflict with UK government policy. Further details on assessment criteria can be found in section 6 of this prospectus.

3.4 Investment in communities and place

Our communities are at the core of our cultural and economic heritage and identity. We need to invest further to maximise opportunities to bring people together, build our social fabric and boost recovery and resilience. In turn, this will create places where people want to work, visit and live. Investing in improving, protecting and creating community and natural assets can boost pride and wellbeing, drive productivity, attract and retain talent, and nurture a unique sense of place.

90% of funding available through the UK Community Renewal Fund is revenue funding. Applicants should calibrate their bids accordingly. Further detail on guiding principles for prospective applicants can be found in section 5.2.1 of this prospectus.

We are interested in proposals for innovative pilots and projects that address community needs and support local places. Bids may include, but are not limited to, interventions that address:

• Feasibility studies for delivering net-zero and local energy projects – for example assessing opportunity and viability of green projects that contribute towards our green agenda or net-zero objectives such as installing electric vehicle charging points and coastal investment projects. This may include investing in feasibility studies to assess, for example, scheduling considerations, legal, economic and technical factors for projects that could support local decarbonisation where this brings social or economic benefits to local people and promoting environmentally conscious or collaborative local solutions such as clean energy projects.

• Exploring opportunity for promoting culture-led regeneration and community development – for example investing in culture focused feasibility studies and community facilities to attract people to places, including city centres and rural and coastal towns. This may include research for projects that could generate footfall to support other private-sector businesses, opportunities to improve efficiency and collaboration by joining up local public services to produce better local outcomes or investing in the preservation or enhancement of cultural and sporting facilities such as museums, galleries, visitor attractions, pier restoration and heritage assets.

• Improving green spaces and preserving important local assets – for example enhancing natural assets, including green spaces in neighbourhoods and housing estates, to enhance quality of life to attract and retain talent, and attract tourism.

• Promoting rural connectivity – for example developing opportunities for digital functionality and physical connectivity to help realise the full potential of rural businesses. This may include exploring proposed innovative ideas for enhancing accessibility and social, economic and cultural opportunities for rural communities, including rural and green infrastructure.

Proposals should demonstrate evidence their strategic fit and link to local community, social or economic need. Bids need to evidence that the project does not conflict with UK government policy. Further details on assessment criteria can be found in section 6 of this prospectus.

3.5 Supporting people into employment

We need to act to reduce the additional barriers some people face to employment in order to enable them to take advantage of the economic opportunities as the UK moves forward.

Investment here will help places provide local, tailored, wrap-around support to those furthest from the labour market – focusing on individuals who find it difficult to engage with mainstream provision or for whom mainstream provision is not an option. This will support people in overcoming a variety of additional barriers to employment or mainstream programmes which they are unable to fully utilise without additional support.

This should be additional to other public support and may support but not duplicate, other government initiatives and core departmental provision (such as the Adult Education Budget or the Flexible Support Fund).

Bids should also demonstrate how their proposal will complement mainstream activity, such as the Kickstart Scheme, Restart Programme and other Plan for Jobs initiatives, highlighting what wrap-around support is being proposed, and how the target audience will be identified and engaged.

Pilots should draw upon and enhance multi-agency delivery teams, including the community and voluntary sector along with public provision. They should bring together a range of service providers to embed and provide a coordinated service to support individuals along the journey to employment.

We are interested in proposals for innovative pilots and projects that focus on delivering bespoke programmes, utilising a needs-based approach to support individuals to overcome their multiple or complex barriers which inhibit their ability to gain employment. These pilots should support those most disengaged from the labour market. Bids may include, but are not limited to, interventions that address:

• Supporting people to engage with local services which support them on their journey towards employment – such as bringing together multi-agency teams to join up a variety of services around an individual to address the variety of barriers to employment they may face; or key-worker support to connect individuals with existing public or voluntary provision.

• Identifying and addressing any potential barriers these individuals may face in gaining employment or moving closer to the labour market – such as the use of key-worker support to work with beneficiaries to identify barriers to employment; working with and connecting individuals to the most appropriate services throughout the employment journey.

• Raising aspirations, supporting individuals to access Plan for Jobs employment support, jobs and find sustainable employment – such as providing holistic support to address the long-term barriers to employment including but not limited to: support for alcohol and drugs interventions, skills for life such as timekeeping, confidence building and, employability support, including work experience, CV writing or interview preparation.

• Supporting people to gain the basic skills they need to develop their potential for sustainable work – such as English, Maths, Digital and English for Speakers of Other Languages skills and training courses. Other suitable provision could include support intended to develop communication, interpersonal and presentation skills.

• Testing what works in helping people move towards work – such as testing new initiatives which support people along the employment journey to understand how different interventions, or targeting approaches, can maximise the effectiveness of employment programmes aimed at those furthest from the labour market.

These pilot projects should enable us to test various interventions with a view to providing an evidence base to understand what really works in supporting people into employment. They should test ways of working collaboratively at a local level, taking a multi-agency approach, working with Jobcentre Plus and including the community and voluntary sector to provide the complete suite of support that those with additional or complex barriers might face.

Proposals should demonstrate evidence their strategic fit and link to local labour market and employability needs. Bids need to evidence that the project does not conflict with UK government policy. Further details on assessment criteria can be found in section 6 of this prospectus.

4. Distribution of the UK Community Renewal Fund

4.1 Distribution of funding in Great Britain

The UK government will run a competitive process that all places in Great Britain are eligible to apply for. Bids for the UK Community Renewal Fund will be managed by the following, hereafter referenced as the ‘lead authority’:

• Mayoral Combined Authorities, where they exist in England
• The Greater London Authority
• County Councils
• Unitary authorities elsewhere in England and in Scotland and Wales

These lead authorities must invite bids from project applicants prior to submitting a shortlist of project bids to UK government. This is set out in more detail at section 5.3. This approach is for the UK Community Renewal Fund in 2021-22 only.

To ensure the UK Community Renewal Fund funding reaches the most in need, we have identified 100 priority places for investment based on an index of economic resilience across Great Britain which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density. This has been developed based on a consistent approach to identifying need across Great Britain.

The UK Community Renewal Fund will prioritise bids that target the top 100 places (“100 priority places”), alongside a good contribution to strategic fit and delivery/effectiveness. The assessment process for all places is set out at section 6.

Funding will not be awarded for projects that do not demonstrate a good contribution to the selection criteria. Being listed as a priority place does not guarantee funding.

The lead authority of each of the 100 priority places will also receive capacity funding to help them invite bids locally and appraise these bids. Each lead authority will receive £20,000 per priority place. This funding can be incurred from April 2021 for staff or other resources needed to coordinate and appraise bids. It will be paid to lead authorities in the summer and will be paid regardless of whether bids are successful.

We are committed to transparency and a methodological note will be published, explaining how the index of economic resilience was developed and the 100 priority places identified.

4.2 Distribution of funding in Northern Ireland

A different approach will be taken for Northern Ireland, where UK government will run a national competition against a fixed national allocation. All areas in Northern Ireland are eligible for funding and applicants will be able to apply directly to UK government. This will equate to £11 million of funding.

Distributing funding through a national competition rather than through local councils takes account of the different local government landscape in Northern Ireland compared to Great Britain. We have not applied any sub-national targeting within Northern Ireland to seek to ensure that all communities across Northern Ireland can apply for these funds.

4.3 Distribution of funding in Gibraltar

As a recipient of EU structural funds, Gibraltar will also be eligible for up to £500,000 of investment from this fund. We will discuss this directly with the Government of Gibraltar and the following sections do not apply.

4.4 Capacity funding to support preparation for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

A portion of the Community Renewal Fund will be reserved for capacity funding, to be allocated to local partners for preparation for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Capacity funding to support preparation for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be available to local partners in Great Britain later in the year. This funding will help build internal capacity and develop a project pipeline ahead of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. In Northern Ireland, we will also provide capacity funding to partners such as sector groups and key stakeholders to build awareness of UK Shared Prosperity Fund opportunities, assist potential applicants applying to government and support us in developing a local investment plan for Northern Ireland.

Up to £14 million will be available for supporting preparation ahead of the introduction of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This will be made available when the long-term allocation profile for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is published later this year. We will also set out details on how this capacity funding will be distributed at this time. The allocation of capacity funding under the UK Community Renewal Fund does not pre-determine the allocation approach for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

5. Administering the Fund: Process and selection

5.1 Overview of delivery approach

We are committed to ensuring that local partners across the UK can shape investment from the UK Community Renewal Fund.

The approach outlined below applies to the UK Community Renewal Fund only. Further details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund delivery approach will be published in the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Framework later this year.

5.1.1 Delivery in Great Britain

In Great Britain, we are inviting lead authorities to: invite bids from a range of project applicants; appraise and prioritise a shortlist of projects up to a maximum of £3 million per place (as defined in the glossary of terms and set out in the list of 100 priority places); and submit a shortlist of projects to UK government.

To ensure the 100 priority places are able to undertake the functions carried out above, the lead authorities in the 100 priority places will receive capacity funding as set out at Section 4.1. Capacity funding is not available for lead authorities in other places.

The shortlist of projects should be submitted by lead authorities to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by noon on Friday 18 June 2021 by emailing UKCommunityRenewalFund@communities.gov.uk.

Bids received after the deadline or not through a lead authority will not be considered. We will then confirm which projects will receive funding from late July 2021 onwards.

Further information for lead authorities in Great Britain can be found in section 5.3 of this prospectus.

5.1.2 Delivery in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, the UK government will oversee a project competition directly.

We are expecting bids to be prepared by a range of applicants, including but not limited to universities, voluntary and community sector organisations, and umbrella business groups. Any legally constituted organisation delivering an appropriate service should feel able to submit a bid.

Financial due diligence checks will be undertaken on non-public sector applicants. These checks will include assessment of the applicant’s financial standing including ability to deal with cost overruns, the ability to fund the project and repay funds if required. The outcome of these checks may exclude applicants from further consideration.

Bids should be submitted by applicants to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by noon on Friday 18 June 2021 by emailing UKCommunityRenewalFund@communities.gov.uk.

Bids received after the deadline will not be considered. We will then confirm which projects will receive funding from late July onwards.

5.1.3 Delivery in Gibraltar

The UK government will work with the Government of Gibraltar to agree the delivery arrangements for Gibraltar.

5.1.4 Timeline

A full timeline for the UK Community Renewal Fund is at section 10; the below summarises the funding application process.

3 March 2021

• UK government publishes the UK Community Renewal Fund prospectus.
• The list of priority places and lead authorities in Great Britain is published within the prospectus.
• UK government launches a project competition in Northern Ireland.

18 June 2021

• Lead Authorities in Great Britain submit shortlists of projects to UK government for assessment.
• Applicants in Northern Ireland submit their bids to UK government for appraisal and assessment.
• From 18 June and throughout July, UK government assesses bids.

Late July 2021 onwards

• UK government announces successful projects for the UK Community Renewal Fund.

5.2 Information for prospective applicants across the UK

5.2.1 Bid preparation

Prospective applicants, for example business groups, charities, and universities across the UK, should ensure that their proposals demonstrate alignment with the objectives set out in this prospectus and the Fund Eligibility Rules and Guidance. The Fund Eligibility Rules and Guidance will be published shortly.

Prospective applicants across the UK should also take account of the following guiding principles:

• Bids which respond holistically to issues or challenges, are encouraged.
• Bids need to evidence that the project complements and does not conflict with UK government policy.
• Bids cannot be submitted for projects that benefit a single entity (for example a single business) – there must be evidence of wider impact for multiple individuals, businesses or other organisations.
• We anticipate supporting a range of projects by theme and size, but we encourage applicants to maximise impact and deliverability through larger projects (£500,000+) where this is possible.
• The funding available consists of 90% revenue funding and 10% capital funding overall – applicants should calibrate their bids accordingly.
• Project proposals should demonstrate alignment with strategic plans relevant to each place(s) as well as local need.
• Projects should contribute to key objectives and outcomes of the Fund, including outcome/ output indicators set out in Fund Eligibility Rules and Guidance, which will be published shortly.
• Project applicants should consider equalities impacts.
• Projects must deliver in accordance with branding requirements set out in Fund Eligibility Rules and Guidance, which will be published shortly.
• Projects should meet the expectations for monitoring and evaluation, as outlined in section 5.2.3 below. Projects should include appropriate costs to ensure that any project delivery, monitoring or evaluation obligations can be met from the approved project amount.
• All bids must also consider how they will deliver in line with subsidy control (or State Aid for aid in scope of the Northern Ireland Protocol) as per UK government guidance – as well as all other relevant legal obligations such as procurement. This will be tested as part of the appraisal process, and monitored thereafter.
• Interventions must be financially completed (i.e. all delivery activity concluded) by 31 March 2022 and will be for this year only.

If there is more than one organisation applying to deliver a project, a lead organisation must be selected to become the lead applicant (and grant recipient) with the remaining organisation(s) acting as delivery partner(s). In this situation the applicant would be responsible and liable for the delivery partner(s) and ensuring the project is operating as planned.

5.2.2 Submitting your bid

In Great Britain, prospective applicants should contact their lead authority to submit bids. The UK government will not accept bids directly – they must be submitted by lead authorities following a local appraisal process.

Each lead authority will set out its own requirements, but will utilise a common application form and appraisal process across the UK. These will be published shortly.

In Northern Ireland, bids should be submitted by project applicants directly to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by emailing UKCommunityRenewalFund@communities.gov.uk.

5.2.3 Monitoring and evaluation

We expect successful proposals to meet the following requirements for monitoring and evaluation:

• All proposals will be required to set out the intended impact of the project.
• Project performance will be monitored by progress against agreed targets and milestones.
• Applicants, if successful, will need to develop an evaluation plan with between 1-2% of their award to be dedicated to that evaluation with a minimum threshold of £10,000.

All projects will be monitored either by the lead authority (in the case of Great Britain) or by the UK government (for Northern Ireland). All projects will be required to submit evidence to the lead authority or UK government demonstrating progress towards achievement of project targets and investment profiles at regular intervals. This will need to include both quantitative and qualitative data.

Each successful applicant in Northern Ireland will also be required to submit an independent report (or for public bodies, an independent or internal report of equivalent value of standard) confirming regularity and adherence to contract.

5.3 Information for lead authorities in Great Britain

Detailed requirements will be published shortly for lead authorities, setting out a number of minimum requirements for their role for UK Community Renewal Fund expenditure.

In Great Britain, we are inviting lead authorities to undertake the following role:

• Invite bids from a range of project applicants, including but not limited to universities, voluntary and community sector organisations, and umbrella business groups. Any legally constituted organisation delivering an appropriate service should feel able to prepare a proposal.

• Undertake constructive engagement with local partners, including but not limited to lower tier local authorities and elected representatives, and other public, private and third sector organisations.

• Collaborate with other lead authorities or partners across the UK where relevant – for example to promote cross-border project opportunities that address needs in common or achieve efficient delivery scale.

• Appraise and prioritise a shortlist of projects up to a maximum of £3 million per place (as defined in the glossary of terms, for the UK Community Renewal Fund we define place at the lower tier, borough and unitary geography, (see list of places), from which the UK government will select projects.

• Submit shortlist to UK government who will assess the proposals and select projects based on the criteria set out at section 6 below.

• Issue grant agreements to successful bidders once funding has been agreed by UK government, and then undertake monitoring and assurance activity.

To ensure the 100 priority places are able to undertake the functions carried out above, the lead authorities in the 100 priority places will receive capacity funding as set out at section 4.1. Capacity funding is not available for lead authorities in other places.

The shortlist of projects should be submitted by lead authorities to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government by noon on Friday 18 June 2021 by emailing UKCommunityRenewalFund@communities.gov.uk.

Bids received after the deadline or not submitted via the lead authority will not be considered. We will then confirm which projects will receive funding from late July 2021 onwards.

Each lead authority will be assessed against the requirements set out in Lead Authority Requirements document. Lead Authorities should also take account of the Cabinet Office Grants Standards in an appropriate and proportionate manner, drawing on them as examples of good practice and sources of information.

Failure by a lead authority to demonstrate delivery in line with the requirements may result in the rejection of bids they submit.

6. Assessment of bids by UK government: Assessment criteria

The UK government will assess all bids from across the UK against the assessment criteria below.

Final decisions to approve or reject a bid will be made by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. Where appropriate, UK government will seek advice from the Devolved Administrations at the shortlisting stage on projects that will be delivered in their geographical areas, including on deliverability and alignment with existing provision.

6.1 UK-wide gateway criteria

All proposed projects must be received by the deadline, with a complete bid that demonstrates they:

• Will be delivered (including all expenditure incurred) by 31 March 2022
• Respond to a need identified in the prospectus
• Do not duplicate other national or local provision
• Do not conflict with national policy
• Will be delivered by a legally constituted organisation that can receive public funds
• Can deliver project activity in line with subsidy control/State Aid requirements
• Will be delivered in accordance with branding requirements.
• For Great Britain only: Have been submitted by the lead authority. Bids submitted independently from the lead authority will not be accepted.
• For Great Britain only: The lead authority must also show they have led an open process by which organisations are invited to submit bids.

Projects must pass all gateway criteria to be considered for selection. Failure to adequately demonstrate one or more of these criteria will result in project rejection.

6.2 UK-wide selection criteria

Applications will be sifted in response to the themes of strategic fit, and deliverability, efficiency and effectiveness. We will publish more information on the criteria and approach to selecting successful projects in Great Britain and in Northern Ireland shortly, alongside rules and guidance for applicants and lead authorities.

6.2.1 Strategic fit

All proposed projects will be assessed against the following strategic fit considerations:

• Level of contribution to local needs articulated in relevant local plans and with evidence of local support
• Level of contribution to an articulated investment priority set out at sections 3.2 to 3.5 in the prospectus
• The extent of contribution to net zero objectives, as set out at section 3.1.1, or wider environmental considerations (not applicable to employment support interventions)
• The extent to which the project can inform UK Shared Prosperity Fund through transferable learning or opportunity to scale up for local partners and UK government
• The extent to which the project demonstrates innovation in service delivery, through:
  • introducing new delivery approaches (for example, trialling new modes of delivery)
  • integrated approaches across policy themes or
  • collaboration across more than one place

6.2.2 Deliverability, effectiveness, and efficiency

All proposed projects will be assessed against the following deliverability, effectiveness and efficiency considerations:

• That it can be delivered as proposed by March 2022 with realistic milestones identified
• Project risks have been identified and are adequately mitigated, including project-level management controls
• The applicant sets out an efficient mode of delivery, taking account of the level of innovation proposed and will operate at an appropriate scale. This shall include an assessment of value for money taking account of:
  • the level of contribution to programme outputs for funding sought
  • the amount of match funding or leverage proposed to maximise impact (not applicable to employment interventions)
• That the project would not proceed without funding or could only be delivered on a smaller scale
• An effective monitoring and evaluation strategy has been identified for the project

6.3 Additional information on the assessment of bids in Great Britain

In Great Britain, UK government will apply a £3 million cap per place for investment in final project selection. In addition to assessment against strategic fit and deliverability, effectiveness and efficiency considerations, Ministers can exercise discretion to meet the following set of additional considerations:

• Ensuring a reasonable thematic split of approved projects (e.g. skills, local business, communities and place, employment support)
• Ensuring a balanced spread of approved projects across Great Britain
• Ensuring that the balance of approved projects between those focused on priority and non-priority places gives appropriate regard to priority places
• Where no distinction can be made between two or more projects on the basis of the selection criteria and the prioritisation of the relevant place(s) via the index (i.e. where projects score the same and e.g. cover the same geography), Ministers can make decisions between projects based on which they consider the best value for money in delivering the objectives of the programme.

Applicants should note that this is a competitive process and there is no minimum amount available per place. Where bids do not meet minimum standards, they will not be supported.

6.4 Additional information on the assessment of bids from Northern Ireland

Projects can be of any value up to the total allocation of £11 million for Northern Ireland. However, applicants should note that this is a competitive process, and the UK government will be looking to select a portfolio of different size projects, covering a range of themes and geographies, subject to the volume and quality of proposals received.

We recognise the importance of not only meeting our legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 but also giving due regard to the additional equalities considerations that apply in Northern Ireland.

In addition to assessment against strategic fit and deliverability, effectiveness and efficiency considerations, Ministers can exercise discretion to meet the following additional considerations:

• Ensuring a reasonable thematic split of approved projects (e.g. employment, skills, communities and place, local business)
• Ensuring a fair geographical spread of approved projects across Northern Ireland
• Where two or more projects are scored the same on all assessment criteria, but cannot all be funded, Ministers have the discretion to choose the project(s) they consider to be better value for money in achieving the programme’s objectives.

7. Leveraging other funds

The UK government encourages applicants and lead authorities to maximise the leverage of other funding. This has a number of benefits including enhanced alignment with other provision and efficient delivery which increases value for money.

We recognise that not all projects or applicants will be able to secure match funding, and it is not expected for employment support projects. However, applicants and lead authorities should note that value for money is a selection consideration. This will take the overall funding package for each project, including any match funding, into account.

8. Grant funding and payments

Following conclusion of the selection process, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will enter into agreements with:

• Lead authorities – for an agreed package of projects as well as bid coordination and appraisal support where relevant (as set out at sections 4.1 and 5.3)
• Individual project deliverers (successful project applicants) in Northern Ireland

Each agreement will set out the rights and obligations for each party and a template will be published later in the spring.

This shall include the mechanism for paying lead authorities in Great Britain, and individual project deliverers in Northern Ireland. We anticipate making an initial payment on project commencement and then a second payment on completion. This is designed to accelerate early delivery and simplify the monitoring and claims process compared with predecessor EU funds.

For the avoidance of doubt, we expect/require that each grant must be used for the purpose intended, and this will be subject to monitoring and final review. Any underspend will be recovered and/or not paid.

9. Monitoring and evaluation

The monitoring and evaluation requirements for applicants are set out in section 5.2 above.

The UK government is placing greater emphasis on high-quality evaluation, which is critical to understanding what works. To support this, at a national level, we will be setting up evaluation networks to support the development of evaluation plans, sharing of best practice and to support thinking on more comprehensive indicator requirements for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Other national activity will include:

• Beginning to develop the supporting infrastructure required to facilitate the efficient sharing of information and data built around user needs.
• Undertake a comprehensive process evaluation to understand how efficient the delivery structures and business processes are including the impact of capacity funding.
• Undertake evaluation’s which consider both the impact of funding on place and investment themes.

The monitoring and evaluation work will be taken forward in consultation with the What Works Centre for Local Economic Growth to reinforce and build on their work to date. It will also look to build on existing approaches such as the Towns Fund Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

10. Timelines

Included here is a summary of the UK Community Renewal Fund timelines and key dates.

3 March 2021

• UK government publishes the UK Community Renewal Fund prospectus.
• The list of priority places and lead authorities in Great Britain is published within the prospectus.
• During March, lead authorities launch invite bids from for their places in Great Britain. UK government launches a project competition in Northern Ireland.

1 April 2021

• Bid assessment and coordination capacity funding can be incurred by lead authorities of the 100 priority places in Great Britain.

18 June 2021

• Lead authorities in Great Britain submit a shortlist of project bids to UK government for assessment.
• Applicants in Northern Ireland submit their bids to UK government for appraisal and assessment.

Late July 2021 onwards

• UK government announces successful projects for the UK Community Renewal Fund.
• First tranche of funding flows to lead authorities (Great Britain) and projects (Northern Ireland).

November and December 2021

• Mid-point monitoring reviews of projects with lead authorities (Great Britain) and project deliverers in (Northern Ireland).

31 March 2022

• UK Community Renewal Fund finishes.

Quarter 1 2022-23

• Second tranche of funding paid to lead authorities (Great Britain) and project deliverers (Northern Ireland).

Annex A: Glossary of terms

100 priority places

We will prioritise bids that target investment at the top 100 priority places based on the UK Community Renewal Fund index of economic resilience. We will also provide capacity funding to the lead authority for these 100 places.

Index of economic resilience

In Great Britain priority places have been identified using an index of economic resilience which measures productivity, household income, unemployment, skills and population density. A methodological note will be provided, explaining how the index was developed. This prospectus sets out the top 100 priority places according to this index and the associated lead authorities.

Lead authority

The institution responsible for inviting project bids for a place, appraising project bids and submitting a project shortlist to UK government in Great Britain. These are county councils, Mayoral Combined Authorities, Greater London Authority and unitaries. See the list. In Great Britain we will only accept projects from lead authorities.

Project applicant

Across the UK project applicants include, but are not limited to, universities, voluntary and community sector organisations, and umbrella business groups. In Great Britain, project applicants should submit bids to lead authorities who will appraise projects and submit a shortlist to UK government. In Northern Ireland, project applicants should submit bids directly to UK government.

Project deliverer

Successful project applicants across the UK.

Place

These are the places where investment will be received. For the purpose of the UK Community Renewal Fund, “places” are defined at the district, unitary or borough scale in England, council areas in Scotland and unitaries in Wales. This definition applies to the UK Community Renewal Fund only, details on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be published later this year. All areas in Northern Ireland are eligible for funding and applicants will be able to apply directly to UK government.

Project shortlist

In Great Britain lead authorities should submit a short list of projects to UK government after having invited and appraised bids locally.