ANNEX B
Introduction
This document sets out the strategic framework and interventions selected for the York UK Shared Prosperity Fund Investment Plan, the allocations of funding proposed and the outputs and outcomes offered in York’s submission to Government in August 2022. These are currently being considered by the DHLUC programme team, with approval anticipated in November 2022.
Each section then provides a commentary on the funding and an indication of the expected route for delivery. Interventions are presented under the three priority areas of Communities and Place, Local Business Investment and People and Skills. For each priority, the section begins with a summary of the key challenges and opportunities which have then informed the choice of interventions. This prioritisation was undertaken by the York UKSPF Partnership Board in May and June 2022. These challenges and opportunities sections formed part of the submission made to UK Government.
COMMUNITIES AND PLACE
Challenges
Our challenges under this priority are summarised in recent work on:
• Addressing Violence against Women and Girls Strategy
• Financial Inclusion Steering Group Initiatives
• Digital Inclusion Strategy
• Inclusive Growth Evidence Base
York is an expensive city to live in, due to relatively high housing costs. We have high levels of employment and economic activity, including higher than average levels of full time and part time working and self-employment. For those without higher level skills and qualifications, employment options are focussed on lower paying sectors such as hospitality, retail and social care. So, despite strong employment and relatively high wages, York has enduring issues of deprivation and poverty, with life expectancy in the most deprived areas being more than 10 years lower than in the most prosperous neighbourhood.
This leads to the following challenges:
• Reducing poverty/ deprivation/ debt/ mitigating impacts of cost of living crisis:
– Growing skills and employability
– Increasing volunteering
– Increasing community capacity/development
– Enabling retail and hospitality businesses to improve their employment offer and making it safer and easier for workers in those sectors to get to and from work
• Improving Health & wellbeing/addressing life expectancy gap
– Social isolation
– Growing mental health crisis
– Early intervention and prevention
Like all high streets and retail areas, York’s city centre and secondary shopping areas need to adapt to remain vibrant. We have much higher than usual levels of shop vacancies (around double the levels seen pre-COVID), and much work is required to adapt our medieval streets to modern patterns of outdoor dining and leisure while installing the hostile vehicle measures needed in the modern age. This has led to particular challenges around wheelchair accessibility and high-profile media campaigns highlighting the problems that blue badge holders face in accessing the historic core of the city. Beyond the city centre, our secondary shopping areas must adapt to a changing balance of retail, leisure and residential uses, and recent studies have shown what residents would like to see for the Acomb and Haxby shopping areas.
• How we maintain a vibrant city centre and increase/maintain the footfall to support shops, decrease empty buildings and create jobs
• How do we drive footfall and improve the vibrancy of the secondary shopping areas i.e. Acomb and Haxby, to enhance sustainability and economic growth.
Making our medieval city safe through Counter Terrorism Security measures.
Opportunities
The studies and strategies listed above have identified a range of opportunities under the Communities and Place priority.
Our work on developing community hubs in partnership with the third sector was a central plank of COVID support and recovery and we wish to extend our use of these locations and to build on the work of our Ward Committee network. Both initiatives include existing practice in local grant making and in working with local communities and their associations. There are community cohesion and anti-racism initiatives, work to challenge poverty and deprivation, digital inclusion programmes, social prescribing work and many other projects which would fit well with the priorities of UKSPF.
We have two Community Renewal Fund projects currently running under this priority – Archaeology on Prescription and Street Life – that are delivering well and might be suitable for continuation funding.
In our city centre and secondary shopping areas, we have identified opportunities to create new public spaces to support family and cultural activities and options to make it easier and cheaper for others to use existing spaces for community and cultural events that would enhance the vibrancy of our retail areas. We know that in the city centre we need to improve accessibility through more dropped kerbs, improved surfaces and seating and better facilities for disabled people; and by embedding dementia and autism friendly standards. We also need to improve hostile vehicle measures to make the centre safer.
In the secondary shopping areas, we want to work with businesses to improve the public realm, increase awareness of the opportunities and potential impact of utilising the outdoor space adjacent to their businesses and install gateway signs.
Working with our retail and hospitality sectors, we want to find ways to improve safety for workers as they travel to and from work, particularly after late shifts and at the weekend
Interventions selected
E1: Improvements to town centres & high streets
E6: Local arts, cultural, heritage & creative activities
E9: Impactful volunteering and/or social action projects
E11: Capacity building & infrastructure support local groups
E13: Community measures to reduce the cost of living
E14: Relevant feasibility studies.
E1: Improvements to town centres & high streets
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£1,100,000 |
22% |
£425,000 |
£300,000 |
£375,000 |
Outputs:
|
Amount of public realm created or improved (m2) |
2000 |
|
Number of low or zero carbon energy infrastructure installed (numerical value) |
5 |
|
Number of decarbonisation plans developed (numerical value) |
3 |
|
Sqm of land made wheelchair accessible/step free (m2) |
2000 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased footfall (% increase) |
5 |
|
Increased visitor numbers (% increase) |
2 |
|
Reduced vacancy rates (% decreased) |
1 |
|
Improved perceived/experienced accessibility (% increase) |
10 |
|
Improved perception of facilities/amenities (% increase) |
10 |
Responding to the needs identified in My City Centre and the Acomb Front Street and Haxby Shopping Area studies, this allocation provides funds for capital work to improve the attractiveness and performance of our key retail areas. The work will be delivered by CYC and steered by the public consultation which has underpinned the three studies. With the overall aim of improving footfall and experience, the funding will help improve public space and its accessibility and support the three areas to reduce their carbon footprints.
Delivery route: CYC
E6: Local arts, cultural, heritage & creative activities
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£100,000 |
2% |
- |
£50,000 |
£50,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of local events or activities supported (numerical value) |
6 |
|
Number of potential entrepreneurs provided assistance to be business ready (numerical value) |
20 |
|
Number of volunteering opportunities supported (numerical value) |
100 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased footfall (% increase) |
5 |
|
Increased visitor numbers (% increase) |
2 |
|
Improved perception of facilities/amenities (% increase) |
10 |
|
Number of community-led arts, cultural, heritage and creative programmes as a result of support (numerical value) |
6 |
Guided by the York Cultural Strategy, this allocation will form part of the open call for projects. It will support new or expanded events, fairs and festivals, helping to grow trading and volunteering activities and contributing to improved experiences and perceptions of the city centre.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E9: Impactful volunteering and/or social action projects
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£150,000 |
3% |
- |
£50,000 |
£100,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of organisations receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
10 |
|
Number of local events or activities supported (numerical value) |
5 |
|
Number of volunteering opportunities supported (numerical value) |
200 |
|
Number of projects (numerical value) |
8 |
Outcomes:
|
Volunteering numbers as a result of support (numerical value) |
200 |
Members of the Partnership Board were keen to include a strand supporting increased volunteering, particularly where that would help to target corporate volunteering on agreed social issues in York. This allocation will be part of the call for proposals and will aim to develop 200 volunteering opportunities across a range of organisations as set out in the outputs and outcomes.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E11: Capacity building & infrastructure support local groups
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£125,000 |
2% |
- |
£50,000 |
£75,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of organisations receiving grants (numerical value) |
10 |
|
Number of organisations receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
24 |
|
Number of people attending training sessions (numerical value) |
160 |
Outcomes:
|
Improved engagement numbers (% increase) |
15 |
|
Number of new or improved community facilities as a result of support (numerical value) |
3 |
VCSE partners have called for investment at community level to support local resilience and financial sustainability. This intervention will provide support and training for community organisations to help them secure grant funding from other sources and develop their capacity.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E13: Community measures to reduce the cost of living
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£175,000 |
3% |
£25,000 |
£75,000 |
£75,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of organisations receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
5 |
|
Number of households receiving support (numerical value) |
200 |
|
Number of households supported to take energy efficiency measures (numerical value) |
100 |
|
Number of people reached (numerical value) |
1000 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased take up of energy efficiency measures (% increase) |
10 |
In the current cost of living crisis, the need to provide sound advice to residents on how to reduce their energy bills through efficiency measures is heightened. This intervention is designed to establish a programme of neighbourhood energy advice and support households to undertake measures identified in that advice, leading to 10% of those households advised implementing measures.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E14: Relevant feasibility studies
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£45,000 |
1% |
£15,000 |
£15,000 |
£15,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of feasibility studies supported (numerical value) |
12 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased number of projects arising from funded feasibility studies (% increase) |
20 |
Under the Community and Place priority, there is an expectation that community and voluntary organisations will develop projects suitable for UKSPF and other funding. There is currently a lack of expertise in the sector in terms of developing projects that are funding ready, and this intervention will provide support to work with VCSE organisations and provide technical support to ensure that their proposals have the level of detail and evidence that is required for success in attracting funding.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals or CYC delivery (tbc)
LOCAL BUSINESS INVESTMENT
Challenges
Our challenges under this priority are summarised in the following strategies and studies:
• Draft Economic Strategy 2022-32
• York & North Yorkshire LEP plan for growth
When current EU funding concludes in March 2023, our existing Growth Hub will be left without funds. We need to continue this service, and have had extensive feedback from business associations that we need to extend delivery to include B2C business models, enabling retail, hospitality and the consumer service sectors to be supported. These sectors are particularly important in York.
The cost of living challenges for individuals and families is matched with a cost of doing business crisis for small businesses, and we need to extend some of our innovative approaches for business support in the pandemic to provide further assistance through the coming years. The impact of rising fuel prices highlights the challenge of helping businesses to adapt to the problems of climate change and to reduce their carbon footprints.
We know that our high-growth sectors such as rail, bio-tech, tech/digital and creative media are lacking targeted support and we want to extend our growth hub offer to provide some bespoke assistance for these businesses.
There is little start-up support currently available for the 1,000 or so businesses that start each year in York. There are also challenges in securing affordable startup and growth space in York, with a need for intervention to ensure that employment sites are not lost to residential uses, further growing this challenge.
Opportunities
Through the COVID pandemic we have worked hard as a city to bring together our institutions, business associations and business leaders to find collective solutions that work in York. We have strong HE/FE links, a very successful Business Improvement District (BID), networks of local traders and a city-wide Indie York movement, and active Federation of Small Business and Chamber of Commerce organisations. We wish to build on these links to provide better support to the business community in York with a particular focus on small and micro businesses. We have developed a weekly newsletter which goes to over 2,000 local businesses, and see opportunities to extend this approach.
With the end of ERDF funding for our Growth Hub, we have an opportunity to refocus support on small and micro businesses, and to extend the offer to B2C business models. We know that businesses who receive early stage support are shown to have a higher likelihood of surviving and thriving, and wish to increase startup support. In COVID, we innovated using ARG funds and developed a local voucher scheme which enabled 130 York businesses to give support to a further 450 small and micro enterprises, building a local support market which we can now build upon.
The development of York Central, together with the recent refurbishment of York’s Guildhall (now operated by University of York as a business hub), provides an opportunity to create new startup and growth space for businesses in York. Working with local developers, we believe there is an opportunity to kick-start a market response to the provision of flexible space which will underpin economic growth
Interventions selected
E16: Open markets & town centre retail & service sector
E22: Enterprise infrastructure & employment / innovation sites
E23: Strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems
E24: Training hubs, business support offers, incubators
E26: Growing the local social economy
E29: Supporting decarbonisation whilst growing the local economy
E31: Support relevant feasibility studies
E16: Open markets & town centre retail & service sector
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£200,000 |
4% |
- |
£50,000 |
£150,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of local markets supported (numerical value) |
3 |
|
Number of businesses receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
30 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased footfall (% increase) |
2 |
|
Increased visitor numbers (% increase) |
3 |
|
Improved perception of markets (% increase) |
5 |
|
Increased number of businesses supported (% increase) |
20 |
The particular challenges of the retail and hospitality sectors in York are highlighted elsewhere. This intervention focusses on the outdoor market offer, which can provide a first step on the business journey for such businesses and is also a key attraction for customers across the city centre.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E22: Enterprise infrastructure & employment / innovation sites
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£482,980 |
9% |
- |
- |
£482,980 |
Outputs:
|
Number of commercial buildings developed or improved (numerical value) |
1 |
|
M2 of commercial buildings developed or improved (m2) |
15000 |
|
Number of rehabilitated premises (numerical value) |
1 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased amount of investment (£) |
3000000 |
|
Number of premises with improved digital connectivity (numerical value) |
1 |
There is an established need for affordable and flexible facilities for early stage businesses across York, and this intervention seeks to help bring forward new facilities for this market. It is envisaged that the funding will support the development of a new facility through the conversion or refurbishment of existing space, with the funding provided in Year 3 and predominantly as capital.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals or CYC (tbc)
E23: Strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£50,000 |
1% |
- |
- |
£50,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of businesses receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
250 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of businesses introducing new products to the firm (numerical value) |
25 |
As noted above, there is a general low level of support for start-up businesses and entrepreneurship in York. This intervention will help address that shortage, and the outputs and outcomes point towards a programme of workshops and networking.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals or CYC (tbc)
E24: Training hubs, business support offers, incubators
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£730,000 |
14% |
£130,000 |
£250,000 |
£350,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of businesses receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
200 |
|
Number of potential entrepreneurs provided assistance to be business ready (numerical value) |
150 |
|
Jobs created (numerical value) |
50 |
|
Jobs safeguarded (numerical value) |
75 |
|
Number of new businesses created (numerical value) |
25 |
|
Number of businesses introducing new products to the firm (numerical value) |
25 |
This intervention will provide support for York’s participation in the York and North Yorkshire Growth Hub, together with investment to continue our innovative work on voucher schemes and self-help in the micro business community.
Delivery route: CYC
E26: Growing the local social economy
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£100,000 |
2% |
- |
£50,000 |
£50,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of businesses receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
25 |
|
Number of potential entrepreneurs provided assistance to be business ready (numerical value) |
25 |
Outcomes:
|
Jobs created (numerical value) |
15 |
|
Number of new businesses created (numerical value) |
15 |
|
Increased amount of investment (£) |
£500,000 |
Specific support for social enterprise and the social economy is also a big gap in current provision, and this intervention will help contribute in that area. The outputs and outcomes suggest a programme of outreach and one-to-one support to help social enterprises secure investment and grow their delivery.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E29: Supporting decarbonisation whilst growing the local economy
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£200,000 |
4% |
- |
£50,000 |
£150,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of businesses receiving non-financial support (numerical value) |
100 |
|
Number of decarbonisation plans developed (numerical value) |
75 |
Outcomes:
|
Jobs safeguarded (numerical value) |
15 |
|
Number of premises with improved digital connectivity (numerical value) |
10 |
|
Number of businesses adopting new to the firm technologies or processes (numerical value) |
10 |
|
Greenhouse gas reductions (% decrease in Tonnes of Co2e) |
5% |
The importance of working with businesses to reduce carbon usage in York is clear from our Climate Change Strategy. This intervention provides scope to increase the amount of advice available and work with businesses to plan and implement changes in processes and technologies which will support decarbonisation.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E31: Support relevant feasibility studies
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£74,530 |
1% |
£24,843 |
£24,687 |
£25,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of feasibility studies supported (numerical value) |
25 |
Outcomes:
|
Increased number of projects arising from funded feasibility studies (% increase) |
10 |
To ensure that workable solutions are developed in response to the UKSPF interventions, this item will support the Regeneration Team to work with potential applicants on feasibility studies and business cases.
Delivery route:
CYC
PEOPLE AND SKILLS
Challenges
Our challenges under this theme are fully covered in our recently published 10-Year Skills Strategy, which was developed by a cross-sector partnership and is now overseen by our independent Skills Board.
The challenges set out in that strategy are as follows:
• We have an ageing population, and this is leading to a lack of skills as people retire from the workforce more quickly and in larger numbers than people can be trained or recruited.
• Current models of training and employment do not always support people to fulfil their potential e.g. those with disabilities, low skills attainment, caring responsibilities, neurodiversity.
• There is a lack of employer engagement and understanding of benefits of training/skills support.
• The demand for digital skills at all levels outstrips supply.
• Lack of timely and localised Information, Advice and Guidance for inactives and those in work.
• Lack of support for career changers (i.e. training for new skills beyond the interests of the current employer)
Opportunities
The opportunities set out in the strategy can be summarised as follows:
• Build on existing work through third sector partners on ESF
• Pioneering partnerships – putting businesses closer to the heart of skills planning.
• Community outreach providing a gateway to upskilling and reskilling opportunities.
• Growth in key sectors such as rail and construction with high demand for staff.
• Improve progression routes from entry level to higher level skills/training in priority sectors
• Technology offers innovation to traditional industries and opportunities for entrepreneurship among a wider group of people.
• Better align careers education information, advice and guidance with York’s labour market
• Implement a boot-camp approach to support career changers
Interventions selected
E33: Employment support for economically inactive people
E35: Enrichment & volunteering activities
E36: Increase levels of digital inclusion, essential digital skills
E37: Tailored support for the employed to access courses
E38: Local areas to fund local skills needs
E39: Green skills courses
E41: Local digital skills
E33: Employment support for economically inactive people
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£725,000 |
14% |
- |
£275,000 |
£450,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of economically inactive people engaging with keyworker support services (numerical value) |
200 |
|
Number of economically inactive people supported to engage with the benefits system (numerical value) |
40 |
|
Number of people accessing mental and physical health support leading to employment (numerical value) |
40 |
|
Number of people supported to engage in job-searching (numerical value) |
35 |
|
Number of people receiving support to gain employment (numerical value) |
40 |
|
Effective working between keyworkers and additional services (number of engagements) |
40 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of economically inactive individuals in receipt of benefits they are entitled to following support (numerical value) |
40 |
|
Number of people in supported employment (numerical value) |
20 |
|
Number of people engaging with mainstream healthcare services (numerical value) |
10 |
|
Number of people engaged in job-searching following support (numerical value) |
40 |
|
Number of people in employment, including self-employment, following support (numerical value) |
20 |
|
Number of people sustaining employment for 6 months (numerical value) |
15 |
This intervention provides continuation funding in 2023-24 and 2024-25 for the Access Towards Inclusion project which is currently funded through the European Structural Investment Funds, with an additional allocation in 2024-25 to enable some new outreach work. ATI supports a network of organisations across York to engage with out-of-work residents and help them move towards the labour market.
Delivery route: Direct commission (Better Connect for ATI network) and open call for proposals (£175k in 2024-25)
E35: Enrichment & volunteering activities
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£100,000 |
2% |
- |
- |
£100,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of volunteering opportunities supported (numerical value) |
50 |
|
Number of people taking part in work experience programmes (numerical value) |
25 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of people experiencing reduced structural barriers into employment and into skills provision (numerical value) |
20 |
|
Number of people familiarised with employers’ expectations, including, standards of behaviour in the workplace (numerical value) |
20 |
The role of volunteering and work experience in helping people to overcome barriers to work is well established. In York, initiatives such as social prescribing are already making a big difference and this funding seeks to continue such activity.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E36: Increase levels of digital inclusion, essential digital skills
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total UKSPF Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£100,000 |
2% |
- |
- |
£100,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of people supported to engage in life skills (numerical value) |
50 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of people gaining a qualification or completing a course following support (numerical value) |
40 |
This intervention will support basic and essential digital skills and seek to reduce digital exclusion through skills and training.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E37: Tailored support for the employed to access courses
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£50,000 |
1% |
- |
- |
£50,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of people retraining (numerical value) |
12 |
|
Number of people in employment engaging with the skills system (numerical value) |
12 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of people gaining qualifications, licences and skills (numerical value) |
12 |
The ability of people currently in work to access retraining opportunities is very limited. This intervention will provide some targeted retraining to enable new applicants to priority industries in York.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E38: Local areas to fund local skills needs
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£300,000 |
6% |
- |
- |
£300,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of people receiving support to gain a vocational licence (numerical value) |
50 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of people in employment, including self-employment, following support (numerical value) |
25 |
|
Number of people in education/training (numerical value) |
25 |
Targeting for this intervention will be guided by the York Skills Board.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E39: Green skills courses
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£200,000 |
4% |
- |
- |
£200,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of people receiving support to gain employment (numerical value) |
36 |
|
Number of people gaining a qualification or completing a course following support (numerical value) |
24 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of people in employment, including self-employment, following support (numerical value) |
12 |
|
Number of people gaining a qualification or completing a course following support (numerical value) |
24 |
Current research is exploring the future needs of green industries in York, and this intervention will provide resources to support the growth of such industries by providing trained candidates and employees.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals
E41: Local digital skills
|
UKSPF Allocation |
% of Total Allocation |
2022-23 |
2023-24 |
2024-25 |
|
£100,000 |
2% |
- |
- |
£100,000 |
Outputs:
|
Number of people gaining a qualification or completing a course following support (numerical value) |
20 |
Outcomes:
|
Number of people gaining a qualification or completing a course following support (numerical value) |
20 |
While E36 addresses essential digital skills, this intervention focusses on higher level skills. Initial thinking is that this would support potential digital specialists to upgrade their technical skills to meet identified skills gaps from employers. Detailed delivery would be guided by the York Skills Board.
Delivery route: Open call for proposals