Northern Ireland Partnership Group meeting notes 4 February 2025
Updated 21 May 2025
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-northern-ireland-supporting-documents/northern-ireland-partnership-group-meeting-notes-4-february-2025
UKSPF Partnership Group
4 February 2.30pm- 4.30pm
NICVA Offices Belfast
Members attending
| Name | Organisation | Sector |
|---|---|---|
| John Osborne (chair) | MHCLG | UK government |
| Valerie McConville | CO3 | Voluntary & community |
| Adrian McCreesh (remotely) | SOLACE (Mid Ulster District) | Local government |
| Celine McStravick | NICVA | Voluntary & community |
| Phil Murray (representing Suzanne Wylie) | NI Chamber of Commerce | Business |
| Lisa Toland (representing John Walsh) | SOLACE (Belfast City Council) | Local government |
| Gabrielle Wickham (remotely) | NIO | UK government |
| Luke Sunerton (remotely) | NIO | UK government |
Secretariat
The meeting was supported by MHCLG staff – Chris Taylor, Rebekah Bleakley, Chris Moore, Benjamin Ekpenyong (attending remotely).
Apologies
Apologies were received from Professor Sir Ian Greer (Queens University Belfast), John Walsh (represented by Lisa Toland) and Suzanne Wylie (NI Chamber of Commerce represented by Phil Murray), Christine Robinson (MHCLG)
1. Chair’s welcome
The Chair welcomed members and nominees to the thirteenth UKSPF Northern Ireland Partnership Group meeting and thanked Celine McStravick for hosting the meeting.
2. UKSPF Update
MHCLG officials provided an update on activities undertaken since the last meeting, including, the commissioning and assessment of updated economic inactivity projects, reallocation of 2024-25 underspends to three projects, process evaluation and project visits.
Officials also provided a programme update following submission of nine-month reports, including spend to date and forecast and fund impacts across Northern Ireland.
3. 25-26 Budget Update
MHCLG officials provided the Partnership Group with a recap on the 25-26 budget, including the funding allocations, assessment approach, the revenue and capital split and the implications for UKSPF in Northern Ireland.
4. 25-26 Economic Inactivity
MHCLG officials informed members of the progress made in commissioning and assessing the package of economic inactivity projects. Officials provided a synopsis of the updated bids received, including projected outputs and outcomes, the geographical spread of projects, and the timelines for decision making.
Members discussed the value for money of the projects submitted as well as the deliverability by March 2026 and alignment of 2025-26 funding with activity funded through Labour Market Partnerships and the upcoming funding available through Local Economic Partnerships.
Adrian McCreesh left the meeting after this agenda item.
5. Supporting Local Business
Due to a conflict-of-interest Lisa Toland left the meeting for this agenda item.
Members were provided with an update on the reduced funding for this theme, noting a significant change in the available revenue budget.
MHCLG officials informed members they have consulted with Invest NI, Northern Ireland’s councils, the Department for the Economy and Department for Communities as well as Enterprise NI, who deliver the UKSPF-funded Explore Enterprise project, on maximising the Supporting Local Business budget.
Members were asked to provide views on three primary options:
- Fund all current projects at a smaller scale
- Only fund Go Succeed and Invest NI, and at a reduced scale
- Option 2 plus boosting at mid-year if funding becomes available
Members felt that MHCLG officials should explore options 2 and 3, and in particular leverage investment in Go Succeed, augmented with a more intensive pre-start up stage. Members expressed support for additional joint work between councils and Invest NI, for example to specify further sectoral and thematic workshops/peer networks.
MHCLG officials noted this feedback and informed members that they hoped to commission this piece of work in February with decisions made during March.
6. Managing Project Performance
Lisa Toland returned to the meeting for this agenda item.
MHCLG officials noted that alongside a reduced budget for 2025-26, any funding that is not utilised or is underspent, will be recovered by MHCLG. This means the department is considering additional measures to monitor project performance.
MHCLG officials presented a proposal to require full quarterly project reporting (financials, outputs and outcomes), and decommitment of monies from underperforming projects against these quarterly targets.
MHCLG officials noted that underperforming projects would be asked to submit a recovery plan, and where performance does not adequately recover by the end of September 2025, MHCLG reserves the right to decommit funding and reallocate to other performing projects.
To support this, a list of projects/activities that, subject to their own performance, can take additional budget from October/November 2025 will be developed.
This approach was endorsed by members.
7. AOB
None.
8. Date of next meeting
Members agreed that the next meeting will be scheduled in May at the CO3 offices.