Decision details

Decision to undertake separate awards to successful applicants in Round Two of the UK Shared Prosperity/Rural Prosperity Fund Programme. Specifically including:
-Lincolnshire Community Foundation – Supporting Social Enterprise (£28,178)
A project to provide support to the development of social enterprises in the district (through a dedicated advisor), with a particular focus on securing third party funding to enable start-ups in this area.
-Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce – SEL to the World, International Trade project (£49,906).
A project to support local businesses in exporting, as well as to increase and diversify the international trade they may already undertake.

As part of HMG’s Levelling Up Agenda and in line with the commitments made by South Holland District in the UKSPF Prospectus and Investment Plan, we have committed to invest in high-impact projects across three core themes:
Communities and place - Supporting community groups and investment in community facilities; enhancing the cultural and heritage offer; widening the use of community buildings; initiatives to help support our town centres.
Supporting local business - Helping local businesses invest for future growth; growing the food processing, horticulture and logistics sector; encouraging new businesses to establish; helping the local social and community enterprises to innovate and grow.
People and skills - Developing skills and employment opportunities within the fresh food, food processing and logistics sectors; creating new training hubs; supporting local residents with skills and access to employment.
These allocations principally meet the objectives that we have committed to under the Communities and Place and Supporting Local Businesses Themes and with the projects passing a rigorous assessment process, we are confident that they can deliver the outcomes expected from the Programme quickly and substantively. This has been the basis of the decision.

These funds were allocated on a competitive basis, based on the second round of submitted EoIs to the UK Shared Prosperity and Rural Prosperity Fund. The alternative would be to not award the funding, which would bring severe reputational risk to the Council both with the public and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.