Research and analysis

Tamworth UKSPF evaluation: impact and value for money findings – executive summary

Updated 28 August 2026

Applies to England

Introduction

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) was launched by the UK Government in April 2022, providing £2.6 billion for local investment by March 2025, with an additional £900 million for 2025–26. Local decision-makers worked with communities and partners to deliver interventions under three investment priorities: Communities and Place, Supporting Local Businesses, and People and Skills. UKSPF empowered places to build on local strengths and needs, focusing on enhancing community pride and increasing life chances.

Tamworth, a small urban borough in Staffordshire, received £2.4 million UKSPF funding across the three priorities: Communities and Place (£1.5 million), Supporting Local Businesses (£0.3 million), and People and Skills (£0.1 million), plus £0.8 million for 2025/26. Thirty interventions were supported by UKSPF, targeting town centre vitality, heritage assets, business support, and community capacity.

Key impact evaluation findings

Communities and Place

Increased visitor numbers

Cultural and heritage events funded by UKSPF, including the Saxon Longboat, Art of Tamworth, and Heritage Crafts, coincided with marginal increases in town centre footfall and strong engagement from a wide range of participants, including underrepresented groups. The tourism TV advert reached over one million viewers, and stakeholders reported positive impacts on Tamworth’s cultural landscape. These activities were achieved through targeted investment in events and effective partnership working with local venues and organisations.

Increased community capacity

Support for Voluntary, Community, and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations through grants, training, and funding fairs enabled 283 organisations to expand their activities. Initiatives such as the Dementia Carers Support Group and Tamworth Focus training courses increased the reach and effectiveness of local groups. Delivery partners consistently reported that these activities would not have occurred, or not at the same scale, without UKSPF. This was achieved by providing both financial and non-financial support, responding to identified local needs, and facilitating networking and peer learning.

Increased volunteering

UKSPF enabled the recruitment of volunteer coordinators in several VCSE organisations, resulting in 135 volunteering roles being created. Case studies highlighted the value of volunteering for individuals and organisations, with increased capacity to support residents and provide timely assistance. This was achieved by funding dedicated roles and supporting organisations to actively recruit, train, and retain volunteers.

Supporting Local Businesses

Increased innovation

UKSPF supported 148 businesses with non-financial support and 19 with grants. Twenty-eight enterprises adopted new or improved products and services, and 19 adopted new technologies or processes, exceeding targets. The focus on digital skills and marketing was particularly effective, with businesses reporting improved online presence and customer engagement. This was achieved through targeted workshops, grants for digital development, and tailored business support programmes.

Business births

UKSPF supported 117 potential entrepreneurs to become enterprise-ready, and 26 new enterprises were created, exceeding initial targets. The Ignite Enterprise Programme and Get Started and Grow scheme provided tailored advice, workshops, and mentoring, helping individuals develop viable business plans and build essential skills. The success of these programmes was underpinned by accessible local delivery and a focus on practical, hands-on support.

People and Skills

Employment

Three hundred and ninety-five individuals secured employment, with 829 supported overall. The partnership project led by South Staffordshire College provided tailored support, resulting in a job outcome rate higher than comparable programmes. This was achieved through one-to-one guidance, flexible delivery models, and collaboration with local organisations to address barriers to employment.

Improved employability

Seventy-seven individuals reported increased employability through development of interpersonal skills, and 165 gained qualifications or completed courses. Digital inclusion and targeted vocational training addressed local skills gaps, and participants reported increased confidence and readiness for work. These outcomes were achieved through a partnership approach, offering a range of courses and support tailored to individual needs.

Key economic evaluation findings

The UKSPF programme in Tamworth demonstrated high value for money across the 4Es framework:

• Economy – High: Tamworth’s UKSPF programme was underpinned by robust procurement and award processes, ensuring that funded projects were selected on the basis of quality, value for money, and alignment with local priorities. Proactive management by the council’s funding officers enabled effective oversight, timely decision-making, and the ability to address delivery challenges as they arose.

• Efficiency – Adequate: Most output targets were met or exceeded, and the cost efficiency of delivery was broadly in line with national benchmarks for similar programmes. However, there was some underachievement in outputs for Supporting Local Businesses, which was attributed to conservative target setting and the short timescales available for delivery. Despite these challenges, the majority of interventions delivered good value for money, and the council’s flexible approach allowed for the reallocation of resources to areas of higher demand.

• Effectiveness – High: The majority of outcome targets were achieved or surpassed, with particularly strong performance in the People and Skills priority where employment and skills outcomes exceeded expectations. Interventions were designed to address clearly identified local needs, and the partnership approach with local organisations ensured that support was tailored and accessible.

• Equity – High: Interventions were well-targeted to the most appropriate beneficiary groups, including deprived residents, SMEs, and individuals needing upskilling. Monitoring data and stakeholder feedback provided strong evidence that the programme reached those most in need, with a focus on inclusion and reducing inequalities. The open prospectus approach and transparent commissioning process enabled funding to reach a wide range of local organisations, including smaller VCSE groups, further supporting equitable access and impact.

Key learning

The following key lessons have been identified, supporting the design and delivery of future local growth funds:

• Flexibility and adaptability – The ability to adapt delivery models (from pragmatic internal approaches to open prospectus and competitive tendering) was crucial for responding to tight timescales and maximising reach.

• Transparent commissioning – The open prospectus approach in Tamworth increased transparency and enabled funding to reach a wider range of local organisations, including smaller VCSE groups.

• Strong partnership working – The establishment of a dedicated UKSPF Partnership Board and proactive management by funding officers and Community Partnership Managers ensured effective governance and high-quality delivery in Tamworth

• Tailoring to local needs – Flexibility in planning and close monitoring allowed interventions to be tailored to local needs, underpinning strong performance against planned outputs and outcomes.

• Evidence and measurement – Conservative target setting and challenges in data collection limited the ability to fully evidence some outcomes, highlighting the need for robust monitoring systems and longer-term evaluation.