Shared Prosperity Fund

Introduction

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UK SPF) is central to the delivery of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda. The scope of the Fund is described in detail in the Prospectus published by the UK Government (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus).

This explains that the UKSPF will support the UK government’s wider commitment to level up all parts of the UK by delivering on each of the levelling up objectives:

• 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

The primary goal of the UKSPF is to build pride in place and increase life chances across the UK. This aligns with Levelling Up White Paper missions, particularly: By 2030, pride in place, such as people’s satisfaction with their town centre and engagement in local culture and community, will have risen in every area of the UK, with the gap between the top performing and other areas closing.

Why are we consulting

The UKSPF is the main source of funding being made available to replace the European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund that are no longer available following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, though it is not a direct like-for-like replacement. The UKSPF is a 3 year fund, that is predominantly revenue.

This consultation invites the views of everyone with an interest in helping to decide how the UK SPF should be used over the next three years.

Ceredigion and Powys are required to work together to develop a Regional Investment Plan for submission to UK Government by 1 August 2022.

Your views will be analysed along with those of elected Members, Council officers and representatives of public, private and voluntary sector bodies in Powys and Ceredigion.

All the representations we receive will help to inform the production of an Investment Plan that will describe how the region feels that UK SPF can best be used to address the needs and opportunities facing us.

Please note: this engagement exercise is purely informative, to help shape the high-level priorities for developing the regional investment plan. It does not invite or agree projects at this stage.

How to Respond

For each of the themes of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the UK Government has suggested ways in which the funding might be used. These are called “interventions”. We want to understand which of these are most important to you.

We ask that you indicate how you would spend the money by voting for your highest priority actions. If you are interested only in one or two themes then just respond for those themes. You do not have to answer on them all.

You can respond via the online form below