The £5.6m UKSPF fund supporting local communities, businesses, people and skills, has now been granted to Warwickshire County Council.
As part of this next phase of funding, greater control is given to Warwickshire to deliver a programme that is based on local requirements. Working in partnership with the District and Borough Councils, Warwickshire County Council will deliver a bottom-up programme for residents to gain new skills, support businesses to start and grow and improve.
The purpose of the UKSPF fund is to support three investment priorities, allowing Warwickshire to:
- Invest in place-based regeneration and community infrastructure.
- Support local businesses with tailored growth and innovation programmes.
- Deliver skills and employment support that meets the needs of residents and employers.
The continuation of UKSPF for another year has allowed the County Council to extend the Business Growth Warwickshire Programme and a range of Warwickshire Skills Hub’s employment and skills programmes.
The District and Borough Councils are leading on the delivery of the communities and place activities with each district and borough council having been awarded its own allocation of funding. The County Council is also delivering some additional communities and place activities at the local level.
Councillor George Finch, Interim Leader for Warwickshire County Council, said:
“We are pleased to begin this next phase of the UKSPF funding. Our focus is to deliver a programme to support and develop Warwickshire’s communities, businesses and skills. Working in partnership with the District and Borough council’s we want to create improved economic opportunities for our residents.”
Following the devolution agreement with central government, Warwickshire County Council now holds direct responsibility for planning and delivering the UKSPF from April 2025. This change will allow:
Local management: The Council will lead on the coordination of the UKSPF investments and help maximise the benefits across the county, supporting the delivery of ambitious, inclusive and sustainable growth for Warwickshire.
Integrated skills delivery: Warwickshire County Council will lead on the delivery of this priority, allowing greater control to create a framework that is based upon local need. From August 2026, the Council will also take over the Adult Skills Fund, enabling a more joined-up approach to skills, employment, and economic development. In the lead-up, UKSPF-funded Employment & Skills projects will play a vital role in laying the groundwork for this transition, helping to scale up local provision and build momentum for future investment.
Capital Investment boost: The 2025–26 transition year includes a £0.97 million capital grant, part of a total £5.27 million UKSPF allocation, to support small-scale infrastructure investments and regeneration projects. The County Council has also been awarded a further £453,161 of capital funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund. The County Council will be using this grant to establish a grant scheme for rural businesses in North Warwickshire and Stratford District later and to support additional communities and place activities.
If you’re interested in finding out more, visit the Warwickshire UKSPF Programme pages at www.warwickshire.gov.uk/ukspf
Funded by The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), Warwickshire has been awarded £5.27 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and a further £453,161 from the Rural England Prosperity Fund for the rural areas of North Warwickshire and Stratford District.