In December 2022, Oxford City Council secured £1 million from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) as part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda. This fund focuses on enhancing community pride, improving, life opportunities, investing in local areas, supporting businesses, and boosting people’s skills across the UK.
We secured a further £327,146 for the 2025-26 financial year, which was subsequently extended to cover projects up to the end of September 2026.
How the funding will be used in Oxford
2022-25 programme
As outlined in our investment plan submitted to the government (details available in item 7 of our Meeting Agenda), the 2022-25 programme supported several key projects in Oxford, including:
- Enhancing city centre quality and visitor experience through public realm investments
- Tackling economic inequality by supporting community groups and businesses in deprived areas
- Advancing our economy towards net zero, by developing new skills and employment opportunities
This programme has since closed and been replaced by the 2025-26 programme.
2025-26 programme
The 2025-26 programme is due to run until the end of September 2026 and will focus on delivering the following areas of support:
- Bespoke employability and recruitment support
- 1:1 support for social economy businesses
- Improvements to city centre public realm
- Support for the City's visitor economy infrastructure
