UK Government levelling up and community investment programmes

The Levelling Up Fund will run until March 2025 and invest £4.8 billion across the UK. 

The Fund funds large capital projects and will support: 

• town centre and high street regeneration (up to £20 million)
• cultural and heritage assets (up to £20 million)
• local transport projects (up to £50 million) 

Only local authorities can apply to the Fund.  

Areas can submit bids for each Parliamentary Constituency within their boundaries and one additional bid for a local transport project. Gwynedd Council can therefore submit up to three bids. 

The first round of the Levelling Up Fund was held in 2021. No applications from Gwynedd Council were successful. 

Cyngor Gwynedd submitted 3 applications to the second round of the Levelling Up Fund in August 2022. 

• Bywiogi Bangor – a package of projects including the development of a Health and Wellbeing Centre, environmental improvements to Hirael Bay, improved connectivity within the City and the first phase of the North Wales Medical School. A programme connecting health and wellbeing interventions and regenerating the city centre.
• Ardudwy Green Corridor - a package including building a new road to bypass the village of Llanbedr, creating new access to the airfield, as well as introducing wider improvements to walking and cycling provision, bus stops and an electric car charging service along the A496 corridor in Ardudwy.
• Llewyrch o’r Llechi 2023 - A package of schemes across 3 slate communities of Gwynedd that identify opportunities to maximise the benefits to the local community and economy from World Heritage Site designation back in 2021. A scheme that offers opportunities and developments that contribute to the regeneration of these communities. A specific package focusing on projects in Ogwen, Peris and Ffestiniog. 

In January, the UK Government announced the successful projects for the second round of the Levelling Up Fund. Confirmation has been received that Llewyrch o’r Llechi is successful with an investment of £18.8m through the Levelling Up Fund towards a complete package worth around £27m.

More information on the Levelling Up Fund  

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund will provide £2.6 billion of funding across the UK by March 2025.  A total of £24.4 million has been allocated to Gwynedd for the period up to March 2025, of which £4.2 million must be invested in raising adult numeracy levels – Multiply.  

The Fund is now closed to applications.

Cyngor Gwynedd, with the help of local partners, has selected 39 projects from across Gwynedd to receive funding directly from the county’s allocation.

29 projects will operate in Gwynedd alone and 10 projects operating regionally.

The money is split between each investment priority as follows: 

• Community and Place:£12.27 million to 18 projects
• Supporting Local Business: £5.16 million to 12 projects
• People and Skills: £4.53 million to 9 projects (which includes £1.28 million of Multiply funding)    

More information on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The Community Ownership Fund (COF) exists to help communities across the UK to take ownership of assets at risk of closure. It will run until March 2025.

Voluntary and community groups can bid for funding to purchase and/or renovate assets and amenities to be run for the benefit of the local community. 

Any one group wishing to apply for funding should complete an Expression of Interest form in the first instance, and projects that pass the eligibility criteria will be invited to submit a full application.   

Round 4 is the final round of the Community Ownership Fund. There will be two bidding windows in Round 4 to allocate remaining funding.
The first window for applications in Round 4 is open from 25 March 2024 to 10 April 2024. The second window for applications will open in late May.

More information on the Community Ownership Fund and Expression of Interest form 

Support with your application

In 2021, the UK Government provided £220 million across the UK as an interim measure prior to the launch of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Applications were submitted to the UK Government via Gwynedd Council following an open call and a prioritisation process. 

Nine application from Gwynedd were successful in securing £2.61 million.  All projects are to be completed by 31 December 2022.

More information on the local projects 

and

More information on the Community Renewal Fund