£17 million for adult numeracy and innovation in Northern Ireland
UK Shared Prosperity Fund to invest in two new initiatives in Northern Ireland
The first meeting of the new East-West Council noted two new projects to improve adult numeracy and support business innovation in Northern Ireland.
The projects have been designed by the Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland respectively and will be funded through the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The Council was established as part of the Safeguarding the Union Command Paper published by the UK Government in January this year which helped re-establish devolved government in Northern Ireland.
Today’s Council meeting took place in Dover House, London and was chaired by the Secretary of State for Levelling Up and Minister for Intergovernmental Relations (Michael Gove). The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Chris Heaton-Harris) and Minister of State for Northern Ireland and the Cabinet Office (Steve Baker), the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Levelling Up (Jacob Young), Northern Ireland’s First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, the Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy and Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons also attended.
The two initiatives announced at the Council are:
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£5.9m for Multiply to help address the lower levels of adult numeracy in Northern Ireland compared with the UK and OECD average. The project will invest in more, and new and innovative forms of, delivery that can extend the reach of provision and improve the earnings potential and productivity of the workforce. It aims to support 3,650 people to participate in numeracy courses, with 1,500 people achieving a maths qualification.
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£11.2m for Manufacturing, Innovation, Green Growth and Sector Supports to increase the number of innovation active businesses, particularly small and medium sized enterprises, and accelerate the diffusion and take up of new technologies and innovations. The project will provide R&D grants, sector support and networking, and technical consultancy. It will support 371 enterprises with grants, 426 enterprises with advice, and lead to outcomes including improved productivity, engagement in new markets, and newly innovating companies.
Both initiatives will start delivery from April 2024.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove, who chaired the first meeting of the Council, said:
“The restoration of devolved government in Northern Ireland has opened up further opportunities for the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive to work together to improve the lives of people in Northern Ireland.
“These two new initiatives will be funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and demonstrate the way in which we can pool our resources and expertise to maximise impact and target the specific needs of people and businesses in Northern Ireland.”
###Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy, said:
“I welcome this funding of more than £17million which will have a positive impact. Numeracy is a vital skill and the Multiply programme will boost the competence and confidence of over 3,600 adults and in turn enhance their opportunities for further training and employment. In parallel the support for manufacturing, innovation and green growth will see hundreds of businesses benefit from support, delivered through Invest NI which will boost their competitive edge in evolving and emerging sectors.”
Notes to Editors
UK Shared Prosperity Fund in Northern Ireland
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a £2.6 billion fund operating over financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25. It is delivered across the UK and is a central pillar of the UK Government’s levelling up agenda. The fund allows places to invest in three investment priorities – communities and place, supporting local business and people and skills – in line with need and opportunity of each place, and is a significant component of the Fund’s support for places across the UK. Delivery of the fund in Northern Ireland is managed by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), which is working in close partnership with stakeholders, including Northern Ireland’s councils, the business voice, higher education, and the voluntary and community sector through an advisory Partnership Group.
UKSPF is building pride in place and increasing life chances across Northern Ireland through a range of investments addressing economic inactivity, promoting enterprise and business growth, and improving community spaces.
Alongside the two new initiatives being announced today, 30 impactful projects with UKSPF investment of £75.9m are already in delivery. These include:
£57.6m addressing economic inactivity and numeracy skills through 18 projects, typically led by third sector partners.
£17m to help grow local business and stimulate start-ups through the Council-led Go Succeed programme.
£1.3m to help build pride in local places through 26 projects enhancing parks and green infrastructure across all Council areas in Northern Ireland.
Through investments to date, we are already supporting 25,000 economically inactive people to move towards paid work and build their numeracy skills, 4,750 businesses to develop and grow, creating over 2,800 jobs and improving pride in place across Northern Ireland. Additional information on the two UKSPF initiatives announced today
Multiply
The Department for the Economy will lead a partnership of all 11 NI Councils (through their Labour Market Partnerships), the three universities, and four of the six further education colleges to deliver 12 linked activities, including
vocational mathematics (linked to traineeships and apprenticeships),
maths for speakers of other languages,
engaging mature learners,
supporting prior offenders and those in the prison system, and
support that helps children and parents learn numeracy together.
Totalling £5.9m and delivering over 2024-25, the project builds on DfE’s delivery of pilot numeracy activities during 2023-24 and will deliver the following key outputs and outcomes:
3,650 beneficiaries participating in funded courses (including teacher training)
1,500 beneficiaries achieving maths qualifications up to and including Level 2
Manufacturing, Innovation, Green Growth and Sector Supports
Invest Northern Ireland is leading this initiative, totalling 16 different elements targeting the need for additional support for research and development and growth support for business owners in Northern Ireland. Drawing on £11.2m of UKSPF investment, it will:
Provide advice, grants and training to manufacturing businesses to adopt industrial digital technology solutions.
Increase investment in R&D and the diffusion of innovation knowledge and activities, through measures such as innovation vouchers and advice, grants supporting R&D, technical development and Knowledge Transfer Partnerships.
Help businesses to sustain, grow and innovate through networking and support to adopt new processes and enter new markets.
Provide technical consultancy on energy and resource efficiency, a resource matching service to re-use commercial by-products, and capital grants
Delivering over 2024-25, it will lever almost £18m in private sector match funding, and deliver the following key outputs and outcomes:
371 enterprises supported with grants and 426 enterprises with advice leading to:
123 enterprises adopting new to the firm technologies or processes
160 R&D active enterprises/organisations engaged in knowledge transfer
32 enterprises with improved productivity and 51 engaged in new markets
9,700 tonnes of CO2 reduction