In 2022, we were awarded £16.9 million from the government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). The funding could be used to support programmes, projects, and activities which aimed to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities, local businesses, and people and skills. A further £5.4 million was received from the Rural England Prosperity Fund to support projects tackling the impact of rurality on access, productivity, and connectivity. From 2022 to March 2025, we distributed this funding through a wide variety of grant and support schemes.

Through the Shared Prosperity Fund, we funded 791 projects which reached more than 50,000 people in North Yorkshire. We safeguarded or created 2,000 jobs and directly supported more than 1,020 businesses. The export and investment programme added £170 million to the county’s economy.

In 2024, the government announced a one-year extension of the UK Shared Prospertiy Fund up until March 2026.

This will be delivered by the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority which has been allocated £8.7 million in funding. 

Further information on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

More information can be found on the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority website.