Funding

Pride in Place funding: how the money actually works

Up to £20 million over ten years sounds simple until you have to profile it. This page covers the allocation, who holds the money, the capital and revenue split, and what Boards typically fund.

Allocation

Where the money sits

Funding is attached to a named neighbourhood, held by the local authority as accountable body, and released across the decade against the plan the Neighbourhood Board agrees.

Indicative allocation

Commonly up to £20 million per named area, profiled over ten years rather than paid up front.

Accountable body

The local authority manages assurance, procurement and reporting. The Board sets the priorities.

Capital and revenue

Capital builds and repairs; revenue pays for the staff and programmes that keep new spaces used. Boards need both.

Profiling

Three investment periods, not one long decade

The Delivery Guidance published on 20 August 2026 splits the programme into three investment periods — four years, then three, then three. A refreshed investment plan is reviewed before year 1 funding is released in each period.

Period 1 · 2026/27 to 2029/30
Four years — set up and first delivery
The investment plan for this period is submitted as part of your Pride in Place Plan. Board recruitment, evidence and engagement run alongside the first tranche of visible, deliverable projects.
Period 2 · 2030/31 to 2032/33
Three years — main delivery
A refreshed investment plan is reviewed by MHCLG before year 1 funding is released. This is where the larger capital schemes land, with revenue keeping new spaces used.
Period 3 · 2033/34 to 2035/36
Three years — consolidation and legacy
Another refreshed investment plan, then securing match funding, transferring assets or programmes to sustainable owners, and evidencing outcomes.

Delivery pace: the two parameters Boards are held to

Within each investment period, spend at least 25% of the cumulative allocation for that period.
By the end of Year 7 (financial year 2032/33, the end of Period 2), spend at least 50% of the cumulative total allocation.
Underspends roll over automatically into the next financial year, until the final year of the programme.
MHCLG pays the full annual amount in the funding profile at the start of each financial year, whatever the Board forecasts. Funding cannot be drawn down early.
Forecast below these percentages and MHCLG may ask for extra evidence that your plan is credible and deliverable.

Source: MHCLG Pride in Place Programme Delivery Guidance, 20 August 2026.

Spending

What Pride in Place money typically funds

Programme funding is deliberately flexible, but flexibility is not the same as unlimited. Use your accountable body's assurance framework as the final word.

Commonly funded

High street and town centre improvements, including bringing empty units back into use
Community and youth facilities, from refurbishing a hall to running the programme inside it
Public realm, lighting, green space and measures that make a neighbourhood feel safer
Transport and connectivity improvements at neighbourhood scale
Capacity building so residents and local groups can take part properly

Treat with caution

Anything that duplicates statutory services the council already has to provide
Commitments with ongoing revenue costs that outlast the funding profile
Projects with no measurable outcome or no named owner after year one
Spending decided without a documented Board decision and conflict-of-interest check

Eligibility rules are set by government and can change between phases. Always check the current position in the Pride in Place collection on GOV.UK.

See what your neighbourhood was allocated

The community directory lists every named Pride in Place area with its indicative funding and support, funding period, programme phase and links to published plans.

Search the community directory Read the full programme guide