Introduction
The UK government has set out an ambitious plan for change, focused on 5 national Missions: ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that provide a driving sense of purpose for the country.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) proactively supports Mission-delivery: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to help kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.
The UK government’s Autumn Budget announced a further £900 million of funding for local investment across the UK by March 2026. All areas are receiving a further allocation of UKSPF – helping places take advantage of the Fund’s flexibility and plan for delivery from April 2025.
Somerset Council is receiving up to £2,376,311 of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) from the UK Government for local investment by March 2026.
For 2025-26, the government have mapped existing interventions into Mission-led themes across the three priority areas: Communities and Place; Support for Local Business; and People and Skills.
These are set out below.
Priorities
Communities and Place
There are two themes under the priority of Communities and Place, these are Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Communities, and Thriving Places.
Healthy, Safe and Inclusive Communities supports:
- Mission 2: Make Britain a clean energy superpower
- Mission 3: Take back our streets
- Mission 4: Break down barriers to opportunity
- Mission 5: Build and NHS fit for the future
Its scope includes improving health and wellbeing, reducing crime and the fear of crime, bringing communities together and tackling homelessness.
Thriving Places supports:
- Mission 1: Kickstart economic growth
Its scope includes development of the visitor economy, and high street and town centre improvements.
Local Business
The Support for Business theme sits under the Supporting Local Business priority. This is the only theme under this investment priority.
Support for Business supports:
- Mission 1: Kickstart the economy
- Mission 2: Make Britain a clean energy superpower
- Mission 4: Break down barriers to opportunity
Its scope includes advice and support to business, enterprise culture and start-up support, as well as business sites and premises.
People and Skills
The are two themes under the priority of People and Skills. These are Employability and Skills.
Both themes support:
- Mission 1: Kickstart the economy
- Mission 2: Make Britain a clean energy superpower
- Mission 4: Break down barriers to opportunity
The scope of the Employability theme includes supporting people, including those who are economically inactive, to progress towards and into sustained employment and support for young people who are at risk of becoming NEET .
The scope of the Skills theme includes essential skills (including numeracy, literacy, ESOL and digital) and employment related skills.
Funded Activity
A brief selection (there will be more to follow) of the projects that are delivering activities in these three priorities is below;
Community and Place
Name of Project – Energy Efficiency Support for Households
The funding for this project will be used to assist fuel poor homes and vulnerable customers with access to retrofit measures such as Insulation, Solar PV and Clean heat solutions with the aim to assist with the homes heat retention, reduce carbon emissions and reliance on the national grid, and improve healthier homes. The UK SPF project for retrofit measures is being delivered through our delivery partners at the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE).
Contact – For more information, please contact the CSE on 0117 934 1400.
Name of Project – VCFSE Capacity Building and Support for Volunteering
The project builds on and adds significant additional value and capacity to the current successful Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) infrastructure offer in Somerset. It is delivered by Spark Somerset. With significant and escalating demands facing our VCFSE sector, set against a backdrop of financial instability, this funding provides an opportunity to provide a comprehensive programme of activity that will invest in additional intensive targeted support to the sector and pilot new approaches that can be up scaled and leave a legacy beyond the end of the programme.
Name of Project – De-carbonisation Support for VCFSE Sector
A project set up to engage with the VCFSE sector in Somerset to enable them to understand their energy consumption and create realistic action plans to reduce consumptions and the carbon impact through providing expert advice, information and guidance. This project is delivered through The Community Council for Somerset.
Local Business
Name of Project – Screen Somerset
Screen Somerset is part of Somerset Council and a member of the Filming in England Partnership. Helping filmmakers and photographers find locations in Somerset which in turn capitalises on screen tourism that delivers benefits to the wider Somerset economy, skills and employment opportunities and place marketing.
Contact – filming@somerset.gov.uk
Name of Project – Business Mentoring
The aim of the Somerset Business Mentoring Programme is to develop and deliver a full business mentor programme for Somerset businesses by providing 12 hours of free mentor support over 3 to 6 months. Support provided included areas such as recruitment, finance, bid writing and Human resources. This project is delivered by Somerset Council.
People and Skills
Name of Project – Skill Up Somerset
Apprenticeship and Skills Advisory Service. Providing advice for Businesses to help them find the right skills solutions for their business, helping individuals explore apprenticeships and the skills options available.
Contact – Dorset and Somerset Training Provider Network
Name of Project – SomersetWorks Plus
The project aims to support economically inactive people to overcome barriers to work by providing cohesive, locally tailored support including access to basic skills. The project built on the proven, evidence-informed practices and embedded in SomersetWorks’ approach of mentoring and advocacy for those furthest from engagement, particularly those struggling with mental health, wellbeing and anxiety. It expands support to those who fall outside the scope of SomersetWorks to support them into employment outcomes. These are young people who have recently fallen through the net of support and have not been able to access the support they need to engage due to other circumstances.
Contact – SomersetWorks