North Northamptonshire culture projects could win share of £5m after council awarded funding boost

Cultural projects across the county are in with a chance of being awarded a share of £5m as part of a government funding project looking to uplift local organisations.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) was provisionally offered the funding through the government’s Levelling Up Fund as part of the Spring Budget. It is part of a £100m pot set aside nationally for levelling-up art and culture projects.

Entries from local projects closed this morning (Monday, April 22) and an NNC panel will now be trusted to shortlist projects to be included in the investment plans. To secure the money, NNC must complete an investment plan detailing the chosen projects and submit the document to the government by May 10.

Cllr Helen Howell, NNC’s executive member for culture and tourism, said: “There are a lot of fantastic organisations that do great work throughout the whole of north Northamptonshire providing all sorts of cultural heritage projects and talks and walk and all those things that enrich our residents’ lives.

“I really welcome this funding and look forward to the fantastic projects coming forward.”

The authority will need to illustrate the impact funding will have on the area and show how it will provide value for money. Projects submitted must have significant prominence, meaning they will cost over £500,000 or have a tangible strategic impact on the area.

A grant scheme to support smaller capital projects (less than £500,000) will also be considered by the council. It is intended that details of this smaller grant scheme will be released later in the year.

All enquiries must be sufficiently developed to ensure that the funding can be spent by March 2026.

NNC’s leader, Cllr Jason Smithers said: “This is great news for north Northamptonshire and our local residents that the government has prioritised us in this area for a levelling up investment.

“This funding allocation is a great opportunity for the council to develop cultural projects that will benefit the people and the economy. The council aims to ensure that the selected projects will significantly impact the community and the benefits will be felt widely.”

Following NNC’s submission, the Government will assess the details of the project(s) proposed and decide how much funding to award.

It is expected that decisions will be taken during the summer.