Collection

New levelling up and community investments

This collection brings together four investment programmes which aim to level up communities.

From:
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
Published
3 March 2021
Last updated
6 March 2024 — See all updates

Overview

The UK government is committed to levelling up across the whole of the United Kingdom to ensure that no community is left behind, particularly as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

That is why we are now making the biggest changes to the way we support local economic growth in a decade, in order to regenerate our town centres and high streets, support individuals into employment, improve local transport links and invest in local culture, while giving communities a stronger voice to take over cherished local assets that might otherwise be lost.

This will involve the UK government decentralising power and working more directly with local partners and communities across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are best placed to understand the needs of their local areas and more closely aligned to the local economic geographies to deliver quickly on the ground.

To support these objectives, the UK government has launched four new investment programmes to support communities right across the country. All share common challenges and opportunities, which the UK government is determined to address in collaboration with local partners. These investment programmes are:

  • The UK Community Renewal Fund
  • The Levelling Up Fund
  • The Community Ownership Fund
  • The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Community Renewal Fund

The UK Community Renewal Fund Programme was closed in December 2023 following the publication of the UK Community Renewal Fund evaluation report.

The Levelling Up Fund

The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets.

The Levelling Up Fund Round 2

The Levelling Up Fund Round 3

This provides information on the outcome of round 3 of the Levelling Up Fund, with links to the explanatory note and validation guidance which includes the lists of successful projects.

The Community Ownership Fund

The £150 million Community Ownership Fund helps to ensure that communities across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland can support and continue benefiting from the local facilities, community assets and amenities most important to them.

The Community Ownership Fund: Round 4

Communities will rightly be seeking clarity regarding Round 4 and the future of the Community Ownership Fund.

This government was elected on a manifesto that stressed its commitment to the communities’ sector and community ownership through empowering communities to own and run those local assets which mean the most to them.

We recognise uncertainty is challenging for groups seeking to save vital community assets; the government is carefully considering all available options and will confirm plans in due course.

We encourage community groups to explore support which remains available through the Community Ownership Fund’s development support provider via the ‘My Community’ website. We have worked closely with them to produce guidance and tools that would help any organisation to save an asset important to them.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025, with all areas of the UK receiving an allocation from the Fund via a funding formula rather than a competition.

It will help places right across the country deliver enhanced outcomes and recognises that even the most affluent parts of the UK contain pockets of deprivation and need support.

Updates to this page

Published 3 March 2021
Last updated 6 March 2024 + show all updates

  1. Added Community Ownership Fund Round 4: how to express your interest in applying.

  2. Added Community Ownership Fund: evaluation method.

  3. Added The Levelling Up Fund Round 3.

  4. Added UK Shared Prosperity Fund: grant determinations 2023 to 2024

  5. Added Community Ownership Fund round 3: webinar slides and recording.

  6. Added Community Ownership Fund, Round 3: prospectus and assessment criteria guidance.

  7. Added UK Shared Prosperity Fund: evaluation.

  8. UKSPF Additional Information added

  9. Added Community Ownership Fund round 2: application form assessment criteria guidance.

  10. Added: Levelling Up Fund Round 2: small scheme appraisal toolkit user guide

  11. Added: Community Ownership Fund round 2: how to express your interest in applying

  12. Added Levelling Up Fund Round 2: frequently asked questions.

  13. Added: Levelling Up Fund Round 2 technical note and application guidance

  14. Added UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Prospectus; interventions, outputs and indicators; and allocations methodology.

  15. Added: Community Ownership Fund: further bids from reopening of first round announced

  16. Added Levelling Up Fund Round 2: Prospectus and Updates to the Index of Priority Places

  17. Added UK Shared Prosperity Fund: pre-launch guidance.

  18. Details of Community Ownership Fund new round 2 start date and reopening of round 1 added.

  19. Added UK Community Renewal Fund list of successful bids, explanatory notes on assessment and decision-making process, monitoring and evaluation guidance, grant funding agreement and FAQs.

  20. Added Levelling Up Fund and Community Ownership Fund first round successful bidders and explanatory notes on assessment and decision-making process.

  21. Added Community Ownership Fund: prospectus; assessment criteria guidance; application form; and privacy notice.

  22. Added Levelling Up Fund: additional documents.

  23. First published.

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