Decision details

Decision to undertake separate awards to successful applicants in Round One of the UK Shared Prosperity/Rural Prosperity Fund Programme. Specifically including the following projects:

LCF – Social Innovation & Enterprise
A project which is looking to strengthen local enterprise ecosystems and grow the local social economy, building on a pilot delivered in Gainsborough. This project will engage with social enterprise start-ups in the area through the provision of 1 to 1 advice, guidance and mentoring from a specialist social enterprise advisor. It will also provide sign posting to an Innovation and Ideas fund, made available locally.

Transported Arts – Boston Wings Trail
Building on the successful work of the Boston School of Mosaic and the inspiration of the Lincoln Imp Trail, Transported Arts will lead on the development of a series of co-created, community-led wall paintings in Boston Town Centre – a trail of commissioned art representing birds. The aim of this project is to increase footfall to the town centre, improve pride in place and increase the number of volunteers participating in community arts and heritage activities (a core outcome of the UKSPF/RPF investment plan).

Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce – SEL to the World International Trade Project
This project seeks to provide support to businesses to encourage them to export. It consists of a programme of online and in-person events for businesses, with advice to support businesses to begin exporting.

REASONS FOR DECISION:

As part of HMG’s Levelling Up Agenda and in line with the commitments made by Boston Borough 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 Expressions of Interest and Full Applications 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.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF DECISION:

This involves the disbursement of UK Shared Prosperity/Rural Prosperity Funding in Boston Borough, with the allocation of funds per project being as follows:
• LCF Social Innovation and Enterprise - £22,913
• Transported Arts – Boston Wings Trail - £25,168
• Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce – SEL to the World - £40,581