HomeReportNorth of Tyne Final UKSPF Programme Evaluation

North of Tyne Final UKSPF Programme Evaluation

A summary of the final UKSPF Programme evaluation

Evaluation
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The UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) is a £2.6 billion national programme launched in 2022 to replace the European Structural and Investment Funds. It is a key component of the UK Government’s Levelling Up agenda, aiming to reduce regional disparities and improve life chances across the UK. The fund supports three core investment priorities: Communities and Place, Supporting Local Business & People and Skills.

In the North of Tyne area (Newcastle, North Tyneside, and Northumberland), the programme was administered by the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA), later succeeded by the North East Combined Authority. The region received £51.2 million in UKSPF funding, including £4.1 million for the Multiply programme focused on adult numeracy. The programme was extended to March 2026, and this evaluation covers delivery from April 2022 to March 2025.

50

projects delivered over three investment themes and Multiply programme

£219.9m in net additional GVA generated

2,200

business supported

870 people supported into employment

87,000

individuals engaged in activities and events

Overarching Summary

 

The evaluation finds that the North of Tyne UKSPF programme delivered strong strategic, economic, and social impacts, despite operating under compressed timelines and evolving national guidance. The programme was marked by flexibility, inclusive delivery, and strong local engagement, with over 50 projects supported across the three investment themes and Multiply.

The final evaluation of the North of Tyne UKSPF programme, covering April 2022 to March 2025, presents a comprehensive picture of a programme that delivered substantial economic and social value under challenging conditions. Despite compressed timelines and evolving national guidance, the programme achieved strong alignment with regional strategic goals, particularly around inclusive growth, community resilience, and productivity.

The evaluation highlights that UKSPF enabled a wide range of impactful projects. These included support for economically inactive individuals, business innovation and decarbonisation, and community-led regeneration. The programme’s flexible, trusted delivery model was widely praised, especially by VCSE organisations, which benefited from devolved grant-making and reduced administrative burdens compared to previous EU-funded schemes.

Economically, the programme generated an estimated £219.9 million in net additional Gross Value Added (GVA) over five years, with a benefit–cost ratio of 4.9:1. It supported over 2,200 businesses, helped more than 870 people into employment, and engaged nearly 870,000 individuals in activities and events—far exceeding initial targets. Socially, it fostered inclusion, wellbeing, and civic pride, with projects reaching underrepresented groups and delivering person-centred support in trusted community settings.

However, the report also identifies key challenges. Short-term funding cycles and late contracting created financial strain and limited sustainability. Monitoring systems often failed to capture qualitative outcomes, and siloed delivery across themes sometimes hindered holistic support for beneficiaries. Despite these issues, the programme laid strong foundations for future place-based development, demonstrating the value of locally led, inclusive, and integrated approaches.

The evaluation concludes with a set of recommendations for government, combined authorities, delivery partners, and evaluators. These include calls for multi-year funding, simplified reporting, better integration across themes, and a stronger focus on inclusion and social value. As the region moves into the next phase of strategic development, the lessons from UKSPF offer a roadmap for designing more resilient and impactful programmes.

Headline Findings

Strategic Fit and Delivery Effectiveness

The programme aligned well with NTCA’s goals for inclusive growth and community resilience. Its trust-based, flexible delivery model enabled rapid mobilisation and tailored interventions. The Dynamic Purchasing System was praised for efficient commissioning, especially under Supporting Local Business.

Economic Impact and Value for Money

The programme delivered an estimated £219.9m net additional GVA over five years, with a BCR of 4.9:1 meaning every £1 invested generated £4.90 in economic and social value. The cost per job was £48,000 - higher than ERDF benchmarks but justified by the broader progeamme scope. 

Social Value and Inclusion

Projects reached underrepresented groups including carers, disabled people, refugees, and older workers. Delivery models were person-centred, trauma-informed, and often co-designed with communities. Community hubs, volunteering pathways, and peer-led support were key enablers of impact.

Innovation and New Models

The programme included new approaches included integrated service hubs, peer mentoring, and inclusive business support. Multiply programme delivered tailored numeracy support with strong outreach and employer engagement.

Programme Management and Collaboration

98% of project leads rated internal management as effective, with strong cross-sector partnerships that enhanced delivery and sustainability. Challenges included short-term funding, monitoring burdens, and data fragmentation.

Sustainability and Legacy

Many outcomes show potential for long-term impact, but sustainability is threatened by annual funding cycles and lack of successor programme clarity. Recommendations include multi-year settlements, proportionate monitoring, and exit planning

Output and Outcome Achievement

The programme exceeded expectations across most headline indicators. While most targets were met or exceeded, some outcome areas — such as jobs safeguarded and new enterprise creation — fell short, often due to delivery delays or sector-specific constraints.

Conclusions and recommendations

The North of Tyne UKSPF Programme has delivered substantial and wide-ranging benefits across the region, despite operating under compressed timelines and evolving national guidance. The programme aligned strongly with strategic priorities for inclusive growth, community resilience, and economic development. It supported over 50 projects across three investment themes: Communities and Place, Supporting Local Business, and People and Skills as well as the Multiply numeracy programme. 

Key achievements include:

  • A net additional economic impact of £219.9 million over five years, with a benefit-cost ratio of 4.9:1.
  • Over 2,200 businesses supported, 874 people helped into employment, and 869,000 individuals engaged in activities and events.
  • Strong evidence of social value, including improved wellbeing, civic pride, and inclusion of underrepresented groups.
  • Effective partnership working, particularly with VCSE organisations, which enhanced delivery reach and responsiveness.

However, the evaluation also identified challenges that constrained the full realisation of outcomes. These included short-term funding cycles, administrative burdens, delayed contracting, and fragmented monitoring systems. While the programme demonstrated flexibility and innovation, sustainability of impact remains at risk without structural reforms.

Moving forward, there are a number of recommendations that should be considered:

1. Extend and stablise funding - Move towards multi-year funding settlements to support continuity, innovation, and staff retention and provide early signals on successor funding to avoid delivery gaps and maintain momentum.

2. Strengthen monitoring and evaluation - Align monitoring systems with social value and inclusion goals, capturing qualitative outcomes alongside quantitative metrics and create a regional evaluation registry to coordinate project-level and programme-level evaluations and avoid duplication.

3. Support inclusive and sustainable delivery - Maintain trust-based, flexible management approaches, especially for VCSE partners; introduce upfront or milestone payments for smaller organisations to ease cash flow pressures and embed inclusive, person-centred models in future programme design, with tailored support for harder-to-reach groups.

4. Enhance strategic integration - strengthen cross-theme linkages between business support, skills development, and community engagement and promote joined-up commissioning to create seamless progression pathways for beneficiaries.

5. Plan for legacy and exit - Require all funded projects to develop exit strategies and sustainability plans, including options for diversified income and continued delivery. Institutionalise peer-learning networks and collaborative forums to share best practice and maintain partnerships beyond the funding period.

 

Interested in finding out more? Download the Executive Summary