Leeds City Council will soon have funding opportunities available under the ‘Communities & Place’ category for the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The UKSPF was launched last year, as the successor to the European Structural & Investment Fund, and aims to build pride in place; support high-quality skills training; support pay, employment and productivity growth; and increase life chances.

The funding opportunities will be available through Leeds City Council’s Dynamic Purchasing System (Tender ID: 47772). In order to be in a position to apply for them, you will need to enrol on the system.

Instructions on how to join can be found attached.

The Council envisages that in the first round of funding they will be inviting applicants to put forward a bid for a ward based community engagement project that:

• Targets the six priority wards in Leeds
• Develops new ways of engaging with people and advises on how we can make better use of the information that services and partners collect
• Consults with and collects information regarding how residents feel about where they live and identifies opportunities for them to play an active role in their community

The successful applicant will be expected to identify examples of best practice of engagement and provide recommendations for futures approaches; including conducting an additional annual survey before the end of the project.

Over the next 6 months, under the Communities & Place Category, future funding from the UKSPF will be used to develop a targeted programme of work in each of the 6 priority wards in Leeds. The following opportunities may be available in the future:

Social action projects led by residents:

• Deliver 10 social action projects led by local residents, which empower and inspire them to take ownership of their neighbourhood developing skill and social capital in the process
• Deliver improvements to the physical environment and support local people to take pride in place

Local infrastructure improvement – digital capacity in communities

• Deliver improvements to 3 local community facilities, for example by increasing digital capacity to support neighbourhoods experiencing digital exclusion

Cultural projects to support community cohesion

• Working with third sector partners to deliver a programme of local cultural  / heritage events to encourage and develop improved social cohesion and understanding of differences

Voluntary Action Leeds