Agenda item

Report from the Assistant Chief Executive.

Recommendations:

That Cabinet:

1.    Endorse the projects for submission to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority for award of UKSPF for 2025/26 as follows:

a.    Local Business Support

                                               i.         £945,256 for sub-regional business support supporting three strands of Launchpad (start-up support), Productivity and Low Carbon.

                                              ii.         ii)     £390,000 (£270,000 capital) for shop unit grants and market improvements.

                                            iii.         iii)    £137,667 for social value to increase opportunities for local businesses and ensure delivery against commitments.

b.    People and Skills

                                               i.         £444,985 for a skills programme incorporating Ambition (children and young people), Core Skills (community-delivered basic skills training) and Advance (support to progress in work).

                                              ii.         £275,000 for Children’s Capital of Culture to extend the traineeship programme.

c.     Communities and Place

                                               i.         £200,000 for Children’s Capital of Culture, to provide additional capacity during the festival year, supporting ongoing programme development and delivery, as well as marketing and design costs.

                                              ii.         £255,000 for Events, delivering a wide-ranging programme of events and festivals in the town centre.

                                            iii.         £359,549 for community-based support, including ongoing delivery of local advice sessions and engagement events through Open Arms Rotherham, and further funding for Reaching Out (£30,000) - strengthening connections with Rotherham’s diverse communities.

                                            iv.         £86,000 (capital) for Active Lives, providing match funding to enable delivery of a multi-use games area.

2. Agrees to delegate authority to the Assistant Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council to determine revised and final allocations for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is to include provision for other eligible actions within the use of the fund should it not be possible to achieve full spend of the grant through the allocations above.

Consideration was given to the report which set out proposals and recommendations for the use of Rotherham’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) £3.28 million allocation in 2025/26. A transitional year allocation, this built upon the £7.2m of UKSPF that the borough received over three years from April 2022 to March 2025 and preceded the integrated settlement due to be in place for South Yorkshire from April 2026.

For the transitional year of funding, the proposed approach was to:

• maintain delivery of key business support and skills projects prior to the introduction of an integrated settlement from 2026/27.
• continue to support community-based projects across Rotherham, including events and Open Arms one-stop-shop advice sessions.
• provide ongoing support for Children’s Capital of Culture during this festival year.
• fund other projects that reflect current priorities for Rotherham, including initiatives to rejuvenate the town centre.

There was no match funding requirement for UKSPF, but the outlined approach would complement budget investments that sought to create an inclusive economy and support residents with the high cost of living. Projects would support Rotherham businesses to start up and grow, enable people to develop their skills and achieve their aspirations, improve the town centre offer and increase footfall, and provide local help and advice in the communities where it was most needed.

Consideration had also been given to the deliverability of projects, bearing in

mind that this was a one-year allocation. Most of the projects were therefore

continuations from the current programme. A summary of the proposals for each theme was set out in the report, with a more detailed breakdown included at Appendix 2 and an overall financial summary provided in Appendix 1.

Following endorsement of the overall programme by Cabinet, it was proposed

that the final and revised allocations for individual projects be approved by the Assistant Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council. This included use of the unallocated capital funding of £62,500 and unallocated revenue funding of £127,143.

During the meeting the Leader confirmed that the Council were urging the government to continue a similar form of funding going forward.

Resolved:

That Cabinet:

1.    Endorse the projects for submission to South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority for award of UKSPF for 2025/26 as follows:

a) Local Business Support

i) £945,256 for sub-regional business support supporting three strands of Launchpad (start-up support), Productivity and Low Carbon.

ii) £390,000 (£270,000 capital) for shop unit grants and market improvements.

iii) £137,667 for social value to increase opportunities for local businesses and ensure delivery against commitments.

b) People and Skills

i) £444,985 for a skills programme incorporating Ambition (children and young people), Core Skills (community-delivered basic skills training) and Advance (support to progress in work).

ii) £275,000 for Children’s Capital of Culture to extend the traineeship programme.

c) Communities and Place

i) £200,000 for Children’s Capital of Culture, to provide additional capacity during the festival year, supporting ongoing programme development and delivery, as well as marketing and design costs.

ii) £255,000 for Events, delivering a wide-ranging programme of events and festivals in the town centre.

iii) £359,549 for community-based support, including ongoing delivery of local advice sessions and engagement events through Open Arms Rotherham, and further funding for Reaching Out (£30,000) - strengthening connections with Rotherham’s diverse communities.

iv) £86,000 (capital) for Active Lives, providing match funding to enable delivery of a multi-use games area.

2.    Agree to delegate authority to the Assistant Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader of the Council to determine revised and final allocations for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This is to include provision for other eligible actions within the use of the fund should it not be possible to achieve full spend of the grant through the allocations above.