Source: City of Preston
1 July 2025
Activities to help and support Prestonians across a range of programmes is being funded via UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
The Government announced in December 2024 there would be £900m available across the UK as transitional funding for an extra year of activities for 2025/26 after the 2022/2025 funding programme closed.
Our goal is to deliver a wide-reaching and impactful programme of activities that will build pride of place in Preston and increase life chances in the city, in line with the overall goals of the UKSPF. This will be delivered via three investment priorities, as defined by Government:
- Communities and Place
- Supporting local business
- People and skills
Councillor Matthew Brown, Leader at Preston City Council, said:
“Thanks to UKSPF funding, we’ve equipped people and local businesses across Preston with essential support and skills that have a huge impact on all our communities.
“This extra funding will enable us to invest in the future of the city despite other financial challenges the Council faces.
“It’s about giving people the tools they need to succeed, building a fairer and more democratic Preston economy, and revitalising our communities to build a more inclusive, connected, and resilient Preston for the future.”
More information
A table of 2025/26 programme activity for Preston is provided at the end of this article.
- The fund aims to support local communities and businesses across the UK, and will contribute to the delivery of the government’s Five Missions:
- Mission 1 (M1): Kickstart economic growth
- Mission 2 (M2): Make Britain a clean energy superpower
- Mission 3 (M3): Take back our streets
- Mission 4 (M4): Break down barriers to opportunity
- Mission 5 (M5): Build an NHS fit for the future
About UKSPF
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a fund allocated by the UK Government and managed by local authorities in partnership with local stakeholders.
Lancashire Combined County Authority (LCCA) was awarded a total of £21,748,007 for 2025/6 enabling projects and initiatives to continue for another year across the county. Preston City Council’s allocation was £2,462,651.
UKSPF programme 2025/26 under revised themes and sub-themes
Priority 1 – Communities and Place
Sub-theme – Health and Wellbeing Programme and Inclusivity
1. Community Programme, including:
- Volunteering and community grants
- Youth Strategy
- Sport
- Tree planting
- Digital Connectivity
Sub-theme – Development of visitor economy
2. City Events Programme
Sub-theme – Reduce crime and fear of crime
3. City Safety
- City centre lighting
- Community safety initiatives
- Parks enhancements
Priority 2 – Supporting local businesses
Theme – Support for Businesses
Sub-theme – Advice and support to business
1. Preston Business Support programme, including:
- Innovation & Technology business support
- Kickstart and Pre-Start up support
2. Innovation Programme
- Business research & development programme
- Decarbonisation support
3. Community Business support
- Sustainable Transport
- Green Energy
- Supporting Preston Democratic Economy
Priority 3 – People and Skills
Theme – Employability
Sub-theme – Supporting people in and towards employment
1. Preston Employability Programme
- Support for those not in education, employment or training (NEET)
- Breaking down barriers to employment
- Improving Life Chances learning and skills
Theme – Skills
Sub-theme – Employment related skills
1. Preston Skills Programme
- Green energy skills
- Numeracy skills