Introduction
Somerset Council is receiving up to £7,263,760 of UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UKSPF) from the UK Government for local investment by March 2025.
The UKSPF is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK, investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK Shared Prosperity Fund Prospectus – GOV.UK
Priorities
Within this national framework, local consultation identified the following priorities for UKSPF funding in Somerset:
Communities and Place
- Improving health and wellbeing including by expanding active travel networks and access to natural assets, which will also encourage community-driven place marketing
- Improving access to services in rural and coastal communities including by strengthening public transport infrastructure
- Promoting social cohesiveness and place loyalty by developing stronger community links by providing support for and creating, new social networks
Local Business
- Providing support to bedrock and growth sectors through new or existing advice networks
- Fostering the necessary business environment to attract inward investment with a focus on opportunity and growth sectors
- Supporting innovation and fostering research and development growth, including in rural and coastal communities, with a focus on climate change and net-zero initiatives
People and Skills
- Improving social mobility to address social inequalities in Somerset in respect of access to skills training and employment, plus life opportunities
- Enhancing future prospects for young people to improve opportunities and life chances, plus retain talent in Somerset
- Reducing barriers to adult learning to improve upskilling across the workforce
Somerset Council has adopted a commissioning approach to UKSPF implementation, inviting proposals on a thematic basis in line with the above priorities and specific identified supporting needs and opportunities for the county. Activity is being commissioned through three mechanisms – in house, procurement and open call.
This page provides details of open funding opportunities and funded activity.
Funding Opportunities
Open Call for Proposals – PS004 Skills Development Advice and Guidance
This call is seeking proposals for activity to provide independent and impartial advice and guidance on skills development for employers and individuals in Somerset.
Through this call for proposals, Somerset Council indicatively expects to allocate:
- around £80,000 of UKSPF funding for delivery of eligible activity and costs incurred in 2023/24; and
- subject to confirmation of Somerset’s 2024/25 UKSPF allocation and acceptable 2023/24 project delivery, around a further £160,000 of UKSPF funding for delivery of activity and costs incurred from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The maximum UKSPF contribution rate is 100% of the total eligible project costs, subject to Subsidy Control compliance.
The deadline for application is 12 noon on Tuesday 7th November 2023.
For more information and to request an application pack, please contact ukspf@somerset.gov.uk using call reference ‘PS004 Skills Development Advice and Guidance’ in the email subject line.
Open Call for Proposals – LB005 Somerset Green Business Grant Scheme
The Somerset Green Business Grant Scheme can provide eligible Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) with financial assistance to take forward measures to reduce energy consumption and costs as well as carbon emissions. Grants can be capital and/or revenue and fund up to 50% of total eligible project costs, with the remainder funded by the applicant.
The grant scheme is now open for applications for activity and expenditure which can be completed by end of March 2024. The deadline for submission is 31 October 2023.
For more information, please see our Funding and Grants for Business page.
Open Call for Proposals – CP004 VCFSE Sector Capacity Building and Support for Volunteering
This call is seeking proposals for activity to build capacity within the Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector and to support volunteering in Somerset.
Through this call for proposals, Somerset Council indicatively expects to allocate:
- around £100,000 of UKSPF funding for delivery of eligible activity and costs incurred in 2023/24; and
- subject to confirmation of Somerset’s 2024/25 UKSPF allocation and acceptable 2023/24 project delivery, around a further £350,000 of UKSPF funding for delivery of activity and costs incurred from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The expectation is that the outcome of this call will result in the award of a single grant funding agreement.
The maximum UKSPF contribution rate is 100% of the total eligible project costs, subject to Subsidy Control compliance.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 30 November 2023.
For more information and to request an application pack, please contact ukspf@somerset.gov.uk using call reference ‘CP004 VCFSE Sector Capacity Building and Support for Volunteering’ in the email subject line.
Open Call for Proposals – CP005 De-carbonisation Support for VCFSE Sector
This call is seeking proposals for activity to support Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector organisations to:
- Understand their energy consumption; and
- Identify measures to reduce their energy consumption and carbon emissions.
Through this call for proposals, Somerset Council indicatively expects to allocate:
- around £25,000 of UKSPF funding for delivery of eligible activity and costs incurred in 2023/24; and
- subject to confirmation of Somerset’s 2024/25 UKSPF allocation and acceptable 2023/24 project delivery, around a further £75,000 of UKSPF funding for delivery of activity and costs incurred from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The expectation is that the outcome of this call will result in the award of a single grant funding agreement.
The maximum UKSPF contribution rate is 100% of the total eligible project costs, subject to Subsidy Control compliance.
The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Thursday 30 November 2023.
For more information and to request an application pack, please contact ukspf@somerset.gov.uk using call reference ‘CP005 De-carbonisation Support for VCFSE Sector’ in the email subject line.