Getting Building Fund
The Getting Building Fund was announced by the Government in August 2020 and aims to to help kick-start the UK's economic recovery from Coronavirus, including in Oxfordshire.
Working alongside private and public sector partners from across the county, we have secured £8.4m-worth of investment from this fund, giving businesses and communities an all-important boost following the COVID-19 outbreak.
The ‘Getting Building Fund’, sees the Government provide investment for a range of projects nationwide, with the aim of accelerating the UK’s economic revival. Local Enterprise Partnerships across England were asked to bring forward ‘shovel ready’ projects to the Government, that had the potential to drive forward the country’s fiscal recovery from Coronavirus.
Through this fund, OxLEP announced that much of this investment will support a number of emerging clean energy projects in the county, creating hundreds of new jobs in the process with several Getting Building Fund projects backing Oxfordshire’s emerging green economy and low-carbon initiatives. There’s also recognition of the potential ‘changing face’ of work patterns with a rural gigabit voucher programme being introduced, set to provide greater broadband capabilities to predominately rural areas in the county, encouraging more people to work from home.
In total, the ‘Getting Building Fund’ will support seven programmes around the county. Collectively, these Oxfordshire-focused schemes are set to lead to the creation of 472 new jobs – as well as an additional 43 construction-focused roles – with the Fund also ready to safeguard a further 324 jobs.
Funding has also been secured to help boost the county’s small business community too.
The Fund will back emerging businesses through the introduction of new co-working spaces, as well as the regeneration of a number of existing work units across the county.
Meanwhile, an Economic Renewal Capital Fund – to be overseen by OxLEP Business – will support scalable businesses thanks to co-investment grants of up to £50,000 for capital projects. This will launch in 2021.
The full list of ‘Getting Building Fund’ Oxfordshire projects are as follows:
The Energy Systems Accelerator Pilot
A co-working space at Osney Mead in Oxford, supporting UK innovation in net zero-carbon systems. This pilot will inform final design and operational practices of a full Energy Systems Accelerator project.
Business Investment Fund
Overseen by OxLEP Business, this grant fund will support scalable, small to medium-sized businesses through grants for projects that back business transition to net-zero, amongst other priorities.
Meanwhile in Oxfordshire
A programme to tackle the projected increase in vacant units in Oxford city centre and the county’s market towns. Vacant units will be transformed into spaces for a diverse range of uses.
Digital Investment Plan – Rural Gigabit Voucher Programme
A countywide, Gigabit Voucher Scheme for building gigabit capable residential broadband infrastructure in predominantly rural areas.
Westmill Energy Visitors' Centre
A new visitor centre for the Westmill Energy Organisations near Shrivenham. This community-owned renewable energy project is the only combined wind/solar site in the south of England.
Clinical BioManufacturing Hub
Enabling works to expand the Headington-based Clinical Bio-Manufacturing Hub. This enhanced facility will support SMEs to undertake clinical trials of new biological medicinal projects.
Green Construction Skills Centre
This new centre in Abingdon will help meet the forecast demand for green construction skills by offering a variety of training programmes including areas such as low or zero-carbon new build and retrofit construction.
