Purpose

In December 2024, the council received notification from Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) that the UKSPF programme had been extended for a final year; April 2025 to March 2026. Thanet was awarded a further: £546,557 (£69,671 capital and £476,886 revenue) to be spent by 31 March 2026.

A report was taken to Cabinet 20 March 2025, where Councillors agreed to commence delivery of the extended phase of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme for the 2025-2026 financial year. This report sets out financial details of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) delivery 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 financial years.

The Head of Regeneration and Growth was given delegated authority to move allocations between priorities and manage contracts and expenditure. While the information presented was accurate as of the date of publication, some minor details remained subject to change as the project progressed through its final delivery stages.

Decisions were undertaken in collaboration with the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Property, ensuring alignment with council processes and procedures.

The deadline of spend has now been extended by MHCLG to 30 September 2026.

The overarching objective throughout the programme has been ‘Building pride in place and increasing life chances’ with three investment priorities:

• Community and Place
• Supporting Local Business; and
• People and Skills

During the 2025-26 delivery period, the council successfully executed a diverse range of projects across all three UKSPF investment priorities. Building on the foundations established in the programme’s first phase, delivery focused on scalability and targeted interventions, particularly regarding skills and employability for those furthest from the labour market. The Plan was rooted in evidence and underpinned by data, feedback and learnings from the first phase of the programme.

The council was required to provide bi-annual monitoring and evaluation returns to central government. The last six month report was submitted in April 2026, with the final return due in October 2026. An underspend is not expected with all funding either spent or allocated to projects and to be spent within the set timescales (end September 2026). Any underspend is required to be returned to central government. The current spend across capital and the programme's priorities is set out below.

UKSPF allocation:

Investment Priorities

Communities and Place

Supporting Local Business

People and Skills

Capital

Total

Budget spend/ allocation

£129,683

£90,663

£234,678

£69,671

£546,557

 4% Administration

£21,862

Community and Place: Allocated £129,683

Project

Delivery

Delivery Partner

Amount

Community Champions Awards and Conference

Held in January 2026. Engaged over 200 people and organisations

Social Enterprise Kent

£15,521.31

Community Champions /Stronger Together Programme

Training, networking and workshops including Funding Masterclass, Mental Health First Aid and First Aid courses for VCSE Sector.

Various partners but council led

£9,092.83

Funding for All

Funding support for VCSE sector

Funding for All

£10,000.00

Thanet Youth Network

Coordination and bursary costs

Pie Factory Music (lead organisation)

£15,000.00

Women and Girls Network

Coordination costs

Beyond the Page (lead organisation)

£3,750.00

Thanet Grassroots Change Makers network

Coordination costs

Consortium of Thanet VCSE Sector Discovery Planet (lead organisation)

£3,750.00

Collaborative Youth Wellbeing Programme

Delivered a programme of support and activities for young people in aged 11-17 years in Cliftonville and Dane Valley

Starlings CIC

£19,986.48

Thanet Skatepark Needs Assessment

Develop plan to support the work of the council and partners

Sport 4 Good

£5,000.00

Clock House Vision Document

Produce a vision document to support the Clock House regeneration project ensuring that a community voice is included in the final delivery of the heritage space.

Commissioned Haley Sharpe Design

£20,000.00

Homeless initiative

Employment support as part of homeless prevention work in housing team

Housing Options Team (council led)

£15,000.00

Community Hub

Feasibility/Business plan of a potential community hub based on first floor of Thanet Health Hub

Social Enterprise Kent

£5,000.00

Tourism Website

Contribution to the new Visit Thanet Website ensures continued support for the visitor economy businesses in Thanet, with a focus on showcasing the district's accessibility.

Council led

£5,000.00

Impact Report

Production of Impact Report to evidence outputs and outcomes and case studies

Council led

£2,581.93

TOTAL

£129,682.55

Supporting Local Business: £90,663

Project

Delivery

Delivery Partner

Amount

Naturehood (formerly Environmental Working Group)

Group that brings together community and nature-focused organisations in Thanet to collaborate, share knowledge, and create opportunities for everyone to enjoy and care for the natural world

Co-relate Communication CIC

£2,000.00

Stronger Together Programme

Industry focused programme. Event to bring together creative sector, education and businesses

East Kent Colleges Group

£9,113.00

Ignite Membership

Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce (KICC) membership to better support local businesses

KICC

£350.00

First Aid for Businesses

Free First Aid at Work courses for Thanet businesses

Kent Surf School

£1,692.00

Business Event for green and maritime business

Forum/event to engage with potential third party operators and businesses that would be interested in the Green Campus initiative and the wider green and maritime economy in Ramsgate/ Thanet.

Ramsgate Space CIC/council led

£8,000.00

Tourism Inclusivity Project

Support, training and guidance for tourism businesses to be more accessible and inclusive

Council led

£20,000.00

Innovation Kitchen

Nourish grant programme to help kick start food innovation for small business and entrepreneurs

East Kent Colleges Group

£22,500.00

Business Support Programme

Training, workshops, advice and networking

Ramsgate Space

£10,000.00

Business support

BOSS events, 121 support and promotion of all business support available to Thanet businesses

Syndic Solutions

£6,728.40

Business networking event

Networking event with Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce to support Thanet Businesses

Council led

£625.00

Inclusivity support for businesses

Event to support businesses to be more informed and confident to employ and support neurodivergent people

Neurodivergent Friends of Thanet

£1,165.00

EKC Airsource Heat Pump and Retrofit Course

8 week course to businesses or self employed wanted to retrain

East Kent Colleges Group

£1,440.00

Impact Report

Phase 1 Impact Report to evidence outputs and outcomes, along with case studies

Council led with PRD Ltd

£5,050.00

Visitor Survey Workshops

Session to discuss and analyse latest visitor research and practical tips to tourism businesses

Council led

£2,000.00

Total

£90,663.40

People and Skills: £234,678

Project

Delivery

Delivery Partner

Amount

Creative Catalyst Ramsgate and Margate

Supporting progression routes for NEETs to opportunities and employment within creative industries

Co-Relate CIC and Eleanor Seath

£50,000.00

Creative Learning Programme for NEETs

Weekly creative provision of art and music for young people

Arts Education Exchange

£3,672.64

The Perfect Place to Grow

Paid trainee program for NEETs into the hospitality industry

The Perfect Place to Grow CIC

£21,600.00

SIA Courses

Two, 6-day accredited SIA Door Supervisor and security guard courses

Burgeoton Academy

£14,400.00

Teenage Markets

Continuation of programme across the district to provide support to young people to gain employability skills, entrepreneurship

Council led

£31,305.13

Find a Job you love

Workshop to improve confidence and empower women to return to work and connect with potential employers

Successful Mums

£7,000.00

Green Courses

Carbon Literacy courses to improve understanding of implementation of sustainable practises into the workplace

Sea of Purpose

£3,123.00

Jobs Fairs

Focused events to help connect employers with those looking for employment

Department for Work and Pensions

£1,842.50

Young People Science Fairs

Community based family science fairs - working with local young people to deliver the events out in the community

Discovery Planet

£12,866.00

Green Catalyst

Programme to bring local young people together with organisations offering

opportunities in Thanet’s green economy

Co-relate CIC

£9,937.00

Future Proof

Tailored employability project to support participants to progress confidently into work, education, or further training

CXK

£17,466.00

Thanet Talks: Youth Employment Futures

Youth-led project capturing the real experiences, challenges, and ideas of young people across Thanet to influence how the district shapes fairer, more accessible, and more meaningful employment opportunities for the next generation

CXK

£10,000.00

Pie Pros Project

An employability skills programme to support young people at risk of being NEET to better outcomes

Pie Factory Music

£22,306.00

Beyond The Page

Employability and skills support and development for migrant women in Thanet

Beyond The Page

£5,000.00

Youth Employability and Skills Hub

Grant to fund the setting up and coordination of the new hub for a pilot period

Nelson College London

£20,000.00

Impact Report

Production of Phase 1 Impact Report to evidence outputs and outcomes, along with case studies

Council led with PRD Ltd

£4,159.50

Total

£234,677.77

Capital Programme: £69,671

Project

Delivery

Delivery Partner

Amount

MUGA and fencing - Dane Valley

Replacement of the Multi-Use Games Area (MUGA) in Dane Valley and upgrading fencing at a nearby play area

Council led

£69,671

Decision

The remaining funding within the UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme has been allocated to the end of the programme, in September 2026.

Reasons for the decision

The planned programme of activities support the outputs and outcomes as identified in the UK Shared Prosperity Investment Plan (UKSPF) approved by central government and Thanet District Council’s Cabinet.

Evidence to support the programme of activities and support are highlighted in Phase 1 Impact Report of the UK Shared Prosperity Programme delivery (2022-25) which was published in January 2026. As well as the ‘Delivering Shared Prosperity for Thanet’ report.

The funding profile for delivery is covered by the allocated 2025/26 and 2026/2027 budget.

The final monitoring and evaluation report is due to be submitted to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in October 2026. An underspend is not expected with all funding either spent or allocated to projects and to be spent within the set timescales (end September 2026). Any underspend is required to be returned to central government. There is the freedom and flexibility to move across themes if/where required.

All delivery is recorded as part of the monitoring process to help measure impact, outcomes and how the funding has contributed to the outcomes identified.

Following programme delivery, further information will be collated and a final impact report will be produced to capture the final phase outputs, impact and case studies.

Evidence from this will be used to not only report on the programme, but to provide evidence for future lobbying and funding programmes that might be relevant.

Alternative options considered

Alternative partners could be identified. This would mean that the council is not using organisations who are suitably linked with the sector and are well placed to ensure maximum impact. This could lead to a reduction in the quality of delivery and the level of support, as well as jeopardising expected outcomes and impact for the programme. This option was not recommended.

Do nothing - the project plan could have been amended, however there was limited time and reduced funding in this UKSPF phase to find alternative delivery. This would have led to an underspend for the programme that would need to be returned to central government. This option was not recommended.