An annual update on a multi-million pound funding programme to support economic growth in Dundee will be considered by councillors.
Dundee City Council allocated nearly £3.3 million into local projects over 2024-25 through the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Councillors will hear that since 2022, the council has used UKSPF to support the delivery of key economic development interventions based around three key themes of Communities and Place; Local Business Support; and People and Skills.
The UKSPF allocation included revenue support for projects alongside ring-fenced revenue funding for the Multiply programme aimed at supporting adults in the city to improve their functional numeracy skills; and a ring-fenced percentage for capital investment.
Dundee’s UKSPF Investment Plan comprises a mix of delivery mechanisms including in-house delivery, procurement, challenge funds and partnership approaches.
Partnership work through the funds has been undertaken with groups including:
- Dundee City Council Employability Team: UKSPF has provided on-going funding as part of the wider Employability Pathway to support local people towards and into employment. In 2024/2025 the Employability Team supported 623 people and enabled 193 people to enter employment and 37 to enter education or training.
- Business Gateway: funding provided to Elevator enabled the recruitment of community-based outreach advisors, additional expert help and ongoing delivery of Digital Boost.
- Tourism Leadership Group: supporting the marketing of the city’s visitor attractions, hospitality and leisure sectors to attract new visitors.
Fair Work, Economic Growth and Infrastructure convener Councillor Steven Rome said: “We are determined to improve the economy of Dundee through a range of measures with our partners, and this report shows how we are targeting these funds.
“Through this investment we are helping to deliver high quality skills training, support people into sustained, suitable employment and businesses with their productivity, growth and innovation.
“I am also pleased to see the impact of the Multiply project as it delivers numeracy skills for adults through a series of innovative projects.”
Other projects supported over 2024/25 include:
- McManus External Lighting
- Lochee High Street – Retail Unit upgrades
- HMS Unicorn 200 Years Events Programme
- Dundee Design Festival
- Dundee SME Development Grants
- Challenge Catalyst - Socially Responsible Businesses Support Programme
- Barnardo’s Reach Project – Numeracy
- Enable - Multiply Dundee
The committee meets on Monday August 18.
Dundee City Council
Dundee draws skilled workers from a 60-minute catchment population of 640,000 and has a local population of over 140,000. The availability of a large pool of highly skilled labour is a key feature in the Dundee economy. Flexibility in the labour force is currently more prevalent in Dundee than in Scotland as a whole. All forms of labour market flexibility - part-time, temporary employment, self-employment and shift work - are widely operational within the city. Labour force stability in the city is excellent, enabling companies to plan with confidence. Labour turnover levels are less than 5% and absenteeism averages 2%.
