Local innovation funding announced in north east England

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority has announced the four projects which will share £23.7m as part of the region’s Local Innovation Partnerships Fund award.

The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) is backed by £500m in UKRI investment over the spending review for local “triple helix” partnerships. Ten regions had funding earmarked for them – seven English mayoral authorities, and one region in each of the devolved nations – while a separate “competed strand” saw areas without mayors submit bids for funding.

The four projects funded in northeast England include a Proctor and Gamble-led clean chemicals initiative and a hub for carbon-negative advanced materials led by a Durham University spin-out. Further projects are “expected to join the programme later this year.”

Funding awards from LIPF have already been announced in regions including the West Midlands, Glasgow City Region, Liverpool, and Greater Manchester.

The regions which were successful in the competed strand of the exercise were announced in April: Tay City Region; Great South West; Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor; Greater Lincolnshire; South West Wales; East Midlands; Hull and East Yorkshire and Tees Valley. Local organisations are currently working with UKRI to design projects.