UKSPF - Year 2

Home » UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) » Year 2

Net Zero: Business Grants Programme

The Business Grants Programme will run from April 2023 to April 2025 and aims to support our small and medium size businesses (SMEs) with decarbonisation works and continue working towards a net zero North Somerset area.

You can apply for a capital grant of up to £30,000 to perform energy efficiency measures, such as LED replacements, draught proofing, installation of air source heat pumps and renewables.

We will be offering match funding up to 70% for businesses depending on the size, location and type of project.

Click here to find out more about the Business Grants Programme

Broadway Lodge: Aftercare Service

Broadway Lodge is offering an Aftercare Service in Weston-super-Mare for anyone in abstinence-based recovery from addiction who is economically inactive and looking to work towards employment.

The service is provided by a counsellor and a key worker to facilitate therapy groups, workshops, and 1-1 counselling sessions. The aim of the service is to support people in early recovery to build and maintain abstinence-based recovery, build recovery capital, and access education, training and employment support.

Centre for Sustainable Energy: Home Energy Advice Helpline

UKSPF is part-funding a freephone home energy advice service for households in North Somerset and the surrounding areas. The advice line will offer free, impartial advice to all households, particularly to those in or at risk of fuel poverty.

The advice line provides energy advice and support covering various topics, including energy-saving measures, income maximization, grants and benefits, and renewable energy technologies.

Click here to find out more about the Home Energy Advice Helpline

Business Support Unlocked (BSU)

Delivered through the hive, the Business Support Unlocked programme is a free at the point of access pre-start, early growth, and business resilience programme that provides North Somerset businesses with a package of flexible and accessible support to help them overcome challenges and succeed well into the future.

Support includes:

A 3.5 day Starting in Business Course
Advice Sessions delivered through face-to-face appointments, by phone, or via online platforms
A series of workshops that focus on up-to-date information on key priorities and sectors

Click here to find out more about BSU

West of England Combined Authority - Growth Hub

The West of England Growth Hub provides tailored support, expert guidance and access to finance and support programmes to small and medium-sized businesses across North Somerset. This free and impartial service is available to business of all sectors and sizes who have ambition to grow.

Support includes:

Triage and Diagnostics Service
The Good Employment Charter
Intellectual Property Support
Thrive at Work
Workforce for the Future
The Create Growth Programme

Click here to find out more about the Growth Hub

Visit West

Visit West (VW) is the officially accredited Local Visitor Economy Partnership (LVEP) for the visitor economy in Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucester, and North Somerset.

UKSPF has funded North Somerset’s membership of Visit West. This membership enables local visitor economy businesses to join a network of more than 700 like-minded businesses, working together to develop and market the region, to consumers, travel trade and the business events industry. This enables a wider audience and connect them with routes to market, business support, industry insight, unique marketing opportunities, exclusive member events, networking and more.

Click here to find out more about Visit West.

Continuation from Year 1

Grants to local communities and partners.

Grants of up to £10,000 for single organisations or £30,000 for partnerships will be distributed through an open competitive process led by North Somerset Council (NSC).
NSC would welcome the proposals that would demonstrate projects that could support local priorities and follow Government’s interventions stated in the UKSPF investment plan.

E6: Local arts, cultural, heritage & creative activities
E9: Impactful volunteering and/or social action projects
E11: Capacity building & infrastructure support local groups
E12: Community engagement schemes, local regeneration
E14: Relevant feasibility studies

The first round of funding has now closed. More information on the second funding round will be released in early 2024.

Capacity building for organisations

This project builds on the CRF-funded Innovation Plan to support community groups, social enterprises, not-for-profit organisations, and charities interested in developing asset-based projects. It offers capacity-building and performance improvement support to increase organisational capacity.

The project focuses on addressing local challenges like utilising vacant buildings for community and SME space, driving local wealth building, and improving high streets. It supports emerging, locally-led enterprises to unlock vacant units for community and local economic use, increasing their sustainability by utilising assets.

Care leaver employment and training support

A specialist Education, Employment, and Training (EET) Coach is supporting young care leavers (aged 16-25) into sustainable education, employment, and training. This will help them with the transition to independence and adulthood.

The council is working with local organisations and businesses to develop new partnerships and provide work placement opportunities, helping both the care leavers to build their employment skills, and helping businesses to increase their capacity.

To find out more, or if you can provide an employment or training opportunity for a young care leaver please contact: jane.goodison@n-somerset.gov.uk