Highland UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a three year £2.6 billion UK-wide fund launched in April 2022.

The Highland Council has been allocated £9.44 million to invest in local projects until March 2025, we were then invited to submit a plan as to how we would invest the allocation and deliver improvements in the region. An Investment Plan for Highland set out a vision which was developed with input and comments from the wide range of partners within the Highland region.

The four main strands to this plan are Community and Places, Supporting Local Businesses, People and Skills, and Multiply.

Communities and Places

The Highland Investment Plan identified several approaches to help our communities and support them in addressing key issues. This will be achieved through a number of initiatives or Challenge Funds being launched, over the period to March 2025. These will build on and enhance other funding streams to add to funding available.

  • Community Led Solutions and Action
  • Supporting Communities Communications and Connectivity
  • Active Travel
  • Supporting Communities to Develop Assets and Infrastructure

Supporting Local Businesses

Within the Investment Plan a number of support initiatives are planned and in progress. The following summarises the key elements of the strategic plan.

  • start-up rate, SME growth and sustainability
  • business development funding and support
  • specialist support for businesses

People and Skills

Working alongside the Highland Employability Partnership and operational Local Employability Partnerships we will ensure employability provision is available throughout the Highland region. Challenge funds to provide client focused services will be launched on building blocks from initial help, through to direct client and placement support.

  • access to employability services
  • tailored support for people furthest away from the labour market
  • local skills brokerage and training
  • targeted employment support
  • sector skills solutions and training

Multiply

Multiply will be available throughout the Highland region and will provide support to increase people's abilities and confidence in using numbers in their daily lives. It will be proactive in addressing barriers to learning, with all provisions based on a recognised Adult Learning model in Scotland through being lifelong, life-wide and learner-centred.

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