UK Shared Prosperity Fund 2022-25
Overview
The UK Government has recently launched the Shared Prosperity Fund as a central pillar of its Levelling Up agenda and a replacement for EU Structural Funds. The primary goal of the fund is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK. The three investment priorities are community and place, supporting local business and people and skills.
The fund seeks to support projects that can deliver across one or more of the following themes:
- Boost productivity, pay, jobs and living standards by growing the private sector, especially in those places where they are lagging.
- Spread opportunities and improve public services, especially in those places where they are weakest
- Restore a sense of community, local pride and belonging, especially in those places where they have been lost
- Empower local leaders and communities, especially in those places lacking local agency
This is a three-year funding initiative worth £2.6 billion across the UK. Funding is confirmed for three financial years- £400 million for 2022-23, £700 million for 2023-24 and £1.5 billion for 2024-25. The projected funding for Glasgow is £27.2m over these 3 years. Of this sum £4.7m has been ringfenced by the UK Government for the adult numeracy activities in the city through the "Multiply" programme.
The initial approach being taken in Glasgow was approved by committee on 22nd June 2022, details of which can be found on our website. A follow up report was approved on 18th August 2022, details of which can also be found on our website. For more information on the fund at UK level, including the full prospectus, please visit the UK Government Website.
We hosted a Stakeholder Information Session on the 4th of August 2022, the information slides for this session can be accessed here.
Latest Updates
Communities and Place Fund
At a meeting held on 13th October 2022, the City Administration Committee approved the arrangements for the setting up of a £6m Glasgow UKSPF Communities and Place Fund. The fund will run for the 2 years commencing 1st April 2023. The link to the report can be found on our website.
The Council has agreed to allocate £6m of its UK Shared Prosperity Fund budget to set up the Glasgow Communities and Place Fund.
The deadline for submitting applications under the Glasgow Communities and Place Fund expired at 12:00 midday on Monday 12th December 2022 and the fund is now closed for applications.
A stakeholder information session on the fund took place via Zoom on 10th November. The presentation slides from this event can be accessed here.
Following this event, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section has been added to this webpage.
Applicants were able to apply for a minimum grant of £200,000. Assessment of applications took place between December 2022 and February 2023 and the recommendations on applications received were approved by the City Administration Committee at its meeting on 23rd March 2023. The report can be accessed here. Approved projects will commence from April 2023 and run until March 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Is there a mandatory requirement for match funding or could the bid cover the full cost of the project? Can the Glasgow Communities & Place Fund be used to match-fund other government funding?
Match funding is not required. However, match fundingcanenhance alignment with other provision and efficient delivery which increases value for money. Value for money is a selection consideration and assessors will take the overall funding package for each project, including any match funding where appropriate, into account.
The Glasgow Communities & Place Fund itself can be used as match against other government funding streams, where this is permitted by the rules governing the other funding. - Can projects be a mix of capital and revenue?
No projects must be revenue only. - Is there a minimum threshold value for projects?
The minimum project size is £200,000 over the two years covered by the fund. - Is there a maximum threshold value for projects?
No set maximum. However, projects seeking over £500,000 will be closely scrutinised in terms of organisational capacity to deliver the activities within the permitted timeframe. - Can organisations submit more than one application?
Yes - Will consortium and partnership bids be accepted?
Yes, consortium and partnership bids will be accepted. A memorandum of understanding or similar should be evidenced confirming the organisations in the partnership/consortium. A Lead Partner will be required to be identified and this partner will be legally responsible for the totality of the project. - I have applied for funding through Glasgow Communities Fund. Can I put a bid into Glasgow Communities & Place Fund?
Yes, but your bid must also align to the specific UKSPF Communities & Place interventions, outputs, and outcomes. The Communities & Place Fund should be used to fund additional activity. - Which organisations can bid for funding?
Any properly constituted third sector organisation, registered charity, CIC, SCIO or Housing Association can apply. - Is there an appeal process?
No, it is the applicants' responsibility to submit a fully completed application form and all required supporting documentation by the deadline. Late applications will not be accepted. Assessment will be based on the information contained in the application as submitted. - The prospectus says that funding must be spent by 31 March 2025. How do you define spent? What happens if spend goes beyond?
Spend by 31 March 2025 means all expenditure incurred by this date. Any expenditure that is incurred after this date (that is relates to activity happening after 31 March 2025) is not eligible. - Is there a date by which projects must have started? Can projects that have already launched also be funded?
Projects will commence in April 2023 and run until March 2025. No extensions will be given as the end date has been set by UK Government. While continuations of existing projects are eligible, applicants should note that projects will be assessed against considerations including that the project would not proceed without funding, can demonstrate innovation in service delivery or could only be delivered on a smaller scale in the absence of GCPF support.
Costs are eligible for support from the date that projects are approved by Glasgow City Council - retrospective costs are not eligible. Assessment of applications will take place between December 2022 and January 2023, with decisions on funding planned for February 2023. - Which local strategies will be used to assess strategic fit?
Projects should demonstrate fit with the Glasgow Strategic Plan for 2022-27 and/or the following strategies:
• The Glasgow Economic Strategy;
• The Glasgow Climate Plan and Adaptation PlanThe Glasgow Green Deal;
• The Digital Glasgow Strategy;
• The Glasgow Poverty Leadership Panel Strategy;
• The Glasgow Food Growing Strategy - What contribution are projects expected to make towards the Council's Net Zero and climate change objectives?
The Council welcomes bids which seek to directly support the council's Net Zero and climate change objectives. However, all projects, irrespective of theme, are expected to show how they have taken into account these objectives in the design of the project. - Are Cultural and Arts projects eligible to apply?
Yes, S5 in the list of UKSPF Communities & Place Interventions identifies support for sport, arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities, projects and facilities and institutions. - Are we able to define our own outcomes?
As a minimum, projects must identify outputs and outcomes that are appropriate to the UKSPF intervention under which the application has been submitted. Applicants are free to develop additional outputs and outcomes where this can demonstrate the value of the project and fit with the relevant council strategies. - Can projects continue after the 31st March 2025 using other funds?
Yes. However, all activity funded by the Glasgow Communities & Place Fund must be complete by the end of March 2025. - Do projects need to be new?
Projects do not have to be completely new however we would be looking for new approaches and learning from previous phases for a continuation project. - Is there any help available with completing the application?
Yes, GCVS may be able provide help - please email sectordev@gcvs.org.uk - What if I experience technical difficulties with the application?
If you are experiencing technical problems with the application, please e-mail ukspf@glasgow.gov.uk clearly explaining the issue that you are having - What happens after we submit our application?
Once you have completed your application and pressed submit, you will receive an onscreen acknowledgement of your submission. In addition to this, you will be emailed a copy of your application form in PDF format within 5 working days of receipt. Eligible applications will then be assessed and scored using the published criteria. - Is everything uploaded through the form with no extra attachments to send?
All requested documents should be uploaded as part of the application process. - Why is a copy of our board minutes required? What is it you want to see on this? Can we include a limited section of this (i.e. just the first page)?
Your board meeting minutes will form part of the overall assessment of your Governance. Any sensitive information can be redacted. We want to ensure that you are working in line with your governing document and that meetings are recorded properly. A partial minute would be acceptable as long as the date, sederunt and some text around the discussion is included. - Does evidence of collaboration need to be within Glasgow currently or across Scotland? Also, do you need to be delivering within Glasgow currently to be eligible to apply to the fund?
Collaboration can take place across Scotland; however, we would also encourage local collaboration. No, you do not have to be delivering in Glasgow currently however the funding you are applying for should relate to activity that will be delivered solely within the Glasgow City Council boundary. - Can you explain the signing of the Governing Document?
We expect organisations (excluding SCIOs) to review, sign and date their governing document annually as best practice. - The form asks for details of social media channels. I'm interested in why are these requested, do they have a function in the assessment?
Social media provides a good overview of how much organisations involve communities/service users in the planning and delivery of services and how they interact with service users. The content, however, does not form part of the assessment process. - Why are there word restrictions on some of the text boxes in the application?
We anticipate demand for the fund to be high with a large volume of applications and supporting documents requiring to be assessed. Word limits have been applied to certain questions to assist you to answer questions clearly and concisely. - Why does it not inform me that I have reached the word limit in each box?
Smart Survey does not have this facility therefore we suggest that you cut and paste from a Word document if you want to keep check of your word count. - Are employability projects eligible?
The Council is working, through the Glasgow Local Employability Partnership, on a range of employability activities under the People and Skills Investment theme within the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.So, in order to avoid duplication, projects consisting exclusively or predominantly of employability activities cannot be considered under the Glasgow Community and Places Fund.
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