Decision details

The Business Support Hub was approved as part of Cheshire Easts Investment Plan and subsequent Skeleton Programme and has been in operation since March 2023.  The Hub continues to be a vital extension of service provision within the Business & Growth team. The proposal is to extend the current contract, so that the Hub does not cease operation on 31 March 2025, and continues smooth delivery for 25/26.

The Corporate Policy Committee, at its meeting on 6 February 2025, considered a report on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund Transition Year 25/26 and resolved:

1        Approve the split of the UKSPF 25/26 allocation as follows: £151,067 for Fund Management and Administration, £1,771,000 for Communities and Place Initiatives, £1,302,000 for Supporting Local Business Initiatives and £566,170 for People and Skills Interventions.

2.       Approve the use of £566,170 of the People and Skills allocation for the continuation of employment support for economically inactive people, and the use of £500,000 of the Communities and Place allocation for the continuation of Macclesfield Market Refurbishment, such allocations to be embedded into the MTFS.

3.       Delegate authority to the Director of Growth & Enterprise to manage the Cheshire East UKSPF programme, taking all necessary actions in the interests of maximising the impacts of the fund aligned to the fund parameters and local priorities, including but not limited to allocation of remaining funds to specific interventions, and reallocation of funds and movement of revenue funds to capital if required

It is proposed that an allocation of £100,000 revenue is sought from the £1,302,000 allocated for Supporting Local Business Initiatives to fund the Hub for the financial year 25/26.

Corporate Policy Committee 6 Feb 2025 UK Shared Prosperity Fund

To approve the Business Support Hub to continue as part of UKSPF Transition funding programme for FY 25/26 with an allocation of up to £100K.