Research and analysis

North Ayrshire UKSPF evaluation: interim findings

Updated 3 December 2025

Applies to England

Executive Summary: North Ayrshire Interim Findings

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) provides a total of £3.5 billion of funding for local investment over four years (2022-26), with all places receiving an allocation via a funding formula. Local decision-makers work with their local communities and partners to deliver interventions under three investment priorities: Communities and Place, Supporting Local Businesses and People and Skills.

This interim report presents the emerging findings from the place level evaluation of UKSPF in North Ayrshire, based on research conducted between July 2024 and January 2025. It outlines the progress made to date and presents interim evaluation findings.

Key process evaluation findings

Intervention design

• Flexibility was highlighted as a key benefit of UKSPF. For example, under the Communities and Place priority, North Ayrshire Council were able to develop a mixture of council-led projects, participatory budgeting initiatives, and community-led projects through a competitive grant scheme.
• The flexibility of UKSPF funding structure allowed for adaptations in budgets to accommodate rising costs and the selection of a wide range of projects in response to local needs.
• North Ayrshire Council used UKSPF to continue European Social Fund projects under the People and Skills and Supporting Local Businesses priorities, maintaining partnerships and minimising disruption for beneficiaries. This ensured continuity and enabled delivery within short timescales.
• Tight submission timescales limited wider stakeholder consultation during intervention design, especially under the Communities and Place investment priority.

Portfolio implementation

• North Ayrshire Council primarily engaged existing partners to deliver UKSPF interventions, drawing on established relationships with local third-sector partners. This created efficiencies but potentially limited the scope for new and innovative approaches and providers.
• The council ran a ‘commissioning of services’ exercise through a procurement framework, which incorporated market testing and a competitive bidding process.

Intervention delivery

• The reliance on existing providers facilitated rapid project mobilisation, which was crucial given the tight timelines for UKSPF implementation. It also meant that staff and partners had the relevant skills and experience to deliver the interventions.
• The continuation of ESF-funded services under UKSPF ensured ongoing support for existing beneficiaries, which was highlighted as a key success by interviewees.
• Interventions were well aligned to local needs and addressed gaps in existing provision, which was also positive for delivery.
• Frequent meetings and effective communication between the Programme Manager and thematic leads, established relationships with delivery partners and the Local Employability Partnership (LEP) were identified as key enablers of effective partnership working and knowledge sharing throughout intervention delivery.
• The decrease in the funding available from ESF to UKSPF presented challenges in funding existing interventions and ensuring service continuity, which meant that UKSPF had to be combined with alternative funding sources to keep those services running.
• Delays in releasing UKSPF funding to local authorities made it difficult to retain staff and continue to deliver services after European funding ended.
• Community groups involved in delivery experienced challenges linked to rising costs, capacity limitations, and difficulties in completing projects on time. Capacity to deliver funded interventions was said to be particularly limited in island communities.

Data collection and monitoring

UKSPF reporting requirements were more streamlined and manageable than those for ESF. However, concerns were raised about the over-reliance on quantitative outputs and the limited ability to fully capture impact and a comprehensive picture of the distance travelled by beneficiaries.

Programme oversight

• The UKSPF Delivery Group, comprising the Programme Manager and thematic leads for each investment priority, was responsible for overseeing implementation and monitoring of the programme.
• Stakeholders highlighted how thematic leads supported smooth, priority-driven delivery and fostered strong collaboration among service providers.
• Each investment priority had its own oversight and management structures, complementing the overall programme-wide governance.

Multiply

• The ring-fencing of funding for Multiply required the development of a new programme of adult numeracy interventions, which had not been identified as a local need.
• A dedicated Multiply thematic working group, led by the Connected Communities Team, was established to shape delivery of adult numeracy interventions funded through UKSPF. Multiply interventions built on existing initiatives being delivered by the team.
• Multiply activities focused on improving numeracy and financial literacy, with an emphasis on life skills. Partnerships with regional education providers enabled the creation of new bespoke programmes designed to be flexible and provide support to people facing multiple and complex barriers.

Progress to date: expenditure, outputs and outcomes

North Ayrshire received £2.6 million of UKSPF funding for the three-year period to March 2025. As of September 2024, North Ayrshire had reported expenditure of £345,000 across two of the investment priorities – £323,000 for People and Skills and £22,000 for Supporting Local Businesses. There was also some spend for Communities and Place. However, an exact figure was not available at the time of the interim reporting.

There was some progress reported in relation to the Communities and Place investment priority, including increased public engagement and improved perceptions of local facilities. At the time of reporting, a total of 17 volunteering opportunities had been created, well below the target of 100.

There was positive progress reported in relation to the intended outcomes of Supporting Local Businesses. There were 28 new businesses created (against a target of 20) and 64 enterprises with improved productivity (against a target of 75).

The People and Skills investment priority was found to be behind in some key target areas. This includes the number of people in education or training, the number of people in employment and people gaining qualifications following support.

Early impact findings

At the time of the interim report, not all outputs and outcomes had been recorded and some will require more time to be realised. However, there is some early evidence of the impact of UKSPF.

• Supporting Local Businesses interventions were said to have led to cost savings, business expansion, job creation, and new contracts for supported enterprises. Stakeholders highlighted the positive impact of grant funding and consultancy support in helping businesses grow and/ or become more resilient.
• In relation to People and Skills, interviewees identified potential positive impacts for individual customer journeys and progression along the employability pipeline. This included improved confidence and self-image among young and disabled people, which was attributed to interventions funded by UKSPF. However, stakeholders expressed concerns about the achievability of job outcome targets, given the complexity of the local labour market and deep-rooted challenges in North Ayrshire.

The outcomes and impact of UKSPF in North Ayrshire will be explored in more depth in the final evaluation report, drawing on additional evidence gathering from delivery partners and beneficiaries.