Issue - decisions

Decision to undertake separate awards to the continuation projects of the UK Shared Prosperity/Rural Prosperity Fund Programme 2025-2026, specifically including the following projects:

Communities and Place

Active Lincolnshire – Active Communities Continuation - £15,500 Revenue

This project supports communities to access sports groups and will also support a cohort of participating residents (at least 10) to train to gain accredited qualifications in the sport and physical activity sector.

Boston Borough Council - Continuation of Pride in Place Volunteering Scheme - £9,988 Revenue

Funding for a community volunteer co-ordinator, hosted within SELCP, to support communities to volunteer and undertake community environmental improvements, targeting the creation of a significant number of additional volunteering opportunities for local residents.

Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service (LCVS) – Continuation of LCVS Community Transport - £15,000 Revenue

Continuing the community transport co-ordination efforts being undertaken over the wide SELCP geography through a dedicated officer hosted within the Lincolnshire Community and Voluntary Service. Supporting the recruitment of additional volunteer drivers to support local residents in the most rural communities without access to transport to access vital services such as health, skills and community groups.

Supporting Local Business

Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce – UK Fresh Produce Network Events - £20,763 revenue

Supporting local fresh produce and agri-food businesses to access the All Party Parliamentary Group on Fresh Produce, as well as a series of events to both promote the sector and encourage inward investment into the sector within the Borough.

People and Skills

Boston College – Restart, Reskill, Upskill - £29,580 revenue 

Continuation (though on a reduced scale) of Boston College's Restart, Reskill, Upskill project delivered across the SELCP area. Targeted at supporting those who are economically inactive to receive both a qualification and a guaranteed interview with a local employer. This year’s programme will focus specifically on supporting a cohort of residents to start long-term apprenticeships at Level 3 or above in the food manufacturing and processing sector. In so doing, this will support the sector to gain a pipeline of talent, drawn from the local population.

Steadfast Training – Connect2Grow - £20,000 revenue

Support for a cohort of economically inactive residents to gain employment within the local economy, via the provision of an accredited qualification and a guaranteed interview with a local employer.

University of Lincoln – Higher Level Engineering Skills - £30,000 revenue

Targeted at NEET young people, economically inactive residents and residents Targeted at supporting those who are economically inactive to receive both a qualification and a guaranteed interview with a local employer. This year’s programme will focus specifically on supporting a cohort of residents to start long-term apprenticeships at Level 3 or above in the food manufacturing and processing sector, supporting the sector to gain a pipeline of talent drawn from the local populationemployed in the food sector, a series of short courses in robotics, digital, engineering and AI in the food sector, with links to local employers and skills providers. The objective is to spark interest in careers in the food manufacturing sector and to support those currently employed in the sector on to upskilling pathways.

Heritage Lincolnshire – Heritage Skills - £10,000 revenue, £2,500 capital

Support for residents to gain experience of historic environment and heritage construction skills, as well as linking them to local skills providers, seeking to contribute towards a chronic shortage of skills in these disciplines.