Call for projects in Hampshire seeking capital funding from the LEP legacy reserves
In April 2024, responsibility for the functions of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) transferred to upper tier local authorities.
As a result, financial assets transferred from Enterprise M3 and Solent LEPs to Hampshire County Council – the LEP legacy reserves.
Also, the Hampshire Prosperity Partnership Board was established, and given the role of making recommendations regarding significant projects requiring use of the LEP legacy reserves.
Hampshire County Council, with the Hampshire Prosperity Partnership Board, has now opened a call for projects seeking funding from the LEP legacy reserves.
Projects must contribute to sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Hampshire, and address one or more of the following priority areas:
- High potential sectors and clusters, including the Industrial Strategy “IS-8” sectors
- Business support
- Infrastructure: energy, digital, transport, and business space
- Skills, employment and careers
HCC welcomes applications from partnerships of organisations working together to deliver a project, and proposed projects may have multiple beneficiaries. Each application, however, must be made by a single organisation i.e. the lead partner, in the case of a collaboration. Applicants must be one of the following:
- A local authority or other public body
- A business organisation representing multiple businesses and/or a business sector or cluster
- A university or college
An organisation can be the lead partner for up to two applications only.
The maximum amount of LEP legacy reserves funding that is available to be allocated through this call for projects is £22.3 million, and this funding is capital only.
Further detail is set out in the LEP Legacy Reserves Guidance Note. Please read this carefully before submitting an application.
Applicants should also read the template funding agreement - Draft Grant Agreement - LEP Legacy Reserves. Successful applicants for a grant will need to agree to the terms of this agreement. Successful applicants for a loan will need to enter into an agreement with similar terms, but with specific provisions relating to the loan.
To apply, applicants should complete all sections of the Business Case Template and email this, with any appendices, to [email protected] by Friday 16 January 2026.
If you have any questions about the call for projects, please email us at [email protected] no later than Monday 6 January. Questions received, together with answers, will be published in the form of a Q&A document. This may be updated from time to time and the latest version is now available: Questions and Answers.
We will publish a final version of the Q&A document on Friday 9 January. We will not be able to provide answers to any questions received later than Monday 6 January.