UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) 2025-2026
In 2025 Nottingham City Council was awarded an extension to our UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) Programme and has been allocated £4.6m to deliver an additional 12-months of activity. The programme will run until 31 March 2026.
Nottingham’s programme focusses on six key themes:
- Supporting the development of Nottingham’s communities. (including employment support)
- Improving Nottingham’s City Centre & neighbourhoods
- Supporting Nottingham’s visitor economy
- Supporting inward investment in Nottingham
- Supporting Nottingham’s businesses to grow
- Developing Nottingham’s skills (including digital skills and green skills)
The ambitions to become a carbon neutral city and to remain a diverse and inclusive City are embedded in each of these themes.
Nottingham’s UKSPF funded projects
In response to the announcement that further UKSPF funding will be made available for 2025-2026 Nottingham City Council conducted an Open Call process for projects that provide:
- Employment Support for Economically Inactive Individuals
- Support for Local Businesses
Local Organisations have been awarded grants through these Open Call exercises to deliver projects relating to these themes.
Details of the support available to our residents and businesses through these projects can be found below.
Employment Support
This call focuses on People and Skills as part of the UKSPF Investment Priorities within Nottingham City Council’s UKSPF programme.
Nottingham City Council will utilise UKSPF funding to support its community development objectives. Within these combined Investment Priorities, we invited applications from organisations, groups and bodies whose activities support the development of Nottingham’s communities and the people who live within them.
With the key metric of Improving Pride in Place by 2030, we asked for applications that included:
- Strengthening the social fabric of Nottingham.
- Promoting social inclusion.
- Reducing social deprivation, reducing the cost of living and encouraging social mobility
- Developing community and neighbourhood infrastructure.
- Delivering life, vocational, financial and personal developmental skills.
- Offering engagement of Economically Inactive residents to support local regeneration and economic progression.
- Contributing to Nottingham becoming a carbon neutral city
We aim to use this portion of the UKSPF programme funding to deliver tangible improvements to our local communities where people live, study and work, so that Nottingham citizens feel more proud, more connected and more invested in and towards our city.
The table below details the organisations that were successful in securing grants to deliver their projects through this call.
For details about the Organisations and the projects they are delivering, click on the links.
|
Organisation |
UKSPF Investment Priority |
Project Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| Belong Nottingham | People & Skills | April 2025 |
| Bestwood Partnership | People & Skills | April 2025 |
| Evolve | People & Skills | April 2025 |
| Futures | People & Skills | April 2025 |
| Second Chance Learning Academy | People & Skills | April 2025 |
| Nottingham City Council Housing Services | People & Skills | April 2025 |
| Transform Training | People & Skills | April 2025 |
Support for Local Businesses
This call focused on the UKSPF Investment Priority of Supporting Local Businesses within Nottingham City Council’s UKSPF programme.
Through this Open Call, Nottingham City Council awarded grant funding to deliver four projects. These projects will help to grow business productivity, increase the local business pool and drive growth in the economy. One of the projects is focussed on growing the social economy in the City.
The table below details the organisations that were successful in securing grants to deliver their projects through this call.
For details about the Organisations and the projects they are delivering, click on the links.
| Organisation | Project Name | Project Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| East Midlands Chamber | Accelerator | April 2025 |
| Medilink Midlands | MeTAP | April 2025 |
| Nottingham City Growth Hub | Nottingham City Growth Hub | April 2025 |
| Nottingham Trent University | Social Enterprise Accelerator | April 2025 |
| Universities for Nottingham | Talent and Innovation | April 2025 |
We will be posting more details about the projects that each organisation will be delivering on this web-page in the near future.
Regional UKSPF funded business support projects
Four projects have been commissioned by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA). Three operate across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire while one operates only in Nottinghamshire. All four projects are available to Nottingham entrepreneurs and businesses.
The four projects are
- Business Start-Up programme (Nottingham/shire only)
- Workshop programme
- High Growth programme
- Export programme
Details of the support available through these projects can be found below
These projects focus on the UKSPF Investment Priority of Supporting Local Businesses. It was identified by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) that these projects would be best delivered at a regional rather than local level.
The table below details the organisations that were successful in securing grants to deliver projects through this regional open call.
For details about the organisations and the projects they are delivering, click on the links
| Organisation | Project | Project start date |
| NBV | Starting in Business programme | April 2025 |
| East Midlands Chamber | High Growth Accelerator | May 2025 |
| East Midlands Chamber | Export Accelerator | May 2025 |
| East Midlands Chamber | Workshops programme | May 2025 |
Nottingham’s UKSPF Grants
In addition to the employment support and business support projects, Nottingham City Council will also use UKSPF funds to deliver a number of grant schemes during 2025-2026 to support our residents, communities and businesses.
Community Support Grants
Winter Support Grant - Launched July 14th 2025
Nottingham City Council is committed to supporting Nottingham households. We are looking to support organisations to help households in their communities to reduce the impact of the increased cost of living, particularly with the rising cost of household energy bills.
Essential Skills Grant - Grants have been awarded, please follow the link below for details
Nottingham City Council will use funding from its UK Shared Prosperity Fund to improving access and increased referrals to essential skills in Nottingham. Focus areas are ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), Digital Skills, and Numeracy. Recognising that delivery in the community is key to helping improve the take-up.
Community Venues and Spaces Grant - Grants have been awarded, please follow the link below for details
Nottingham City Council will use funding from its UK Shared Prosperity Fund to improve venues, facilities or outdoor spaces that will be used to support the delivery of community engagement activities
Community Engagement Grant - Closed to applications
Nottingham City Council will use funding from its UK Shared Prosperity Fund to contribute to the costs of community activities events.
Business Support Grants
Nottingham City Council is committed to supporting the city’s business community. We are targeting a portion of our UKSPF allocation to support our local businesses, particularly those operating in priority sectors.
UKSPF Programme Update – June 2025
This report provides an update on Nottingham City Council’s delivery of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) programme from 2022 to 2025, along with plans for its fourth and final year. By March 2026, the programme will have invested over £13 million to support Nottingham’s residents, communities, and businesses.
Inside, you’ll find a selection of the events, activities and projects included in the programme, as well as a summary of the outcomes achieved to date.
The success of this work is a testament to the dedication and collaboration of a wide range of local organisations and businesses working in partnership with Nottingham City Council. Our thanks go to all of those involved.
Click here to view the UKSPF Programme Report 2022-26
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