Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg will visit the North West today where he will set out further details on the boost to fund, which will now be £2.4billion in total. He will announce that there will be at least two further rounds of bidding, with the next round opening during February 2012.
He will also confirm:
- the focus of the fund will remain on creating jobs, encouraging private investment and supporting areas dependent on the public sector
- cities will be encouraged as part of future bidding rounds to come forward with innovative programmes and packages of projects, building upon successful approaches adopted in previous rounds
- Lord Heseltine and Sir Ian Wrigglesworth will remain as Chair and Deputy Chair of the Independent Advisory Panel.
Leeds City Region welcomes the announcement and the opportunity to come forward with innovative programmes and packages of projects, building on the success of the Advanced Manufacturing Package, which gained Round 2 RGF support for nine separate companies.
Further details about the bidding rounds, including timings, funding allocations and application forms will be available on the BIS website in due course.
Any companies interested in being part of a Leeds City Region package bid can email lcr@leedscityregion.gov.uk. Companies interested in gaining support from the Local Enterprise Partnership for their bids are also invited to get in touch.