Norfolk Investment Framework
What is the Norfolk Investment Framework?
Norfolk County Council is committed to making the county a great place for everyone to live, learn, work, and succeed in business.
To make this aspiration a reality, the council has developed the Norfolk Investment Framework (the framework).
The framework was produced in response to several factors such as Covid-19 and a focus on securing other types of funding post-Brexit.
Data from across the county was collected to benchmark Norfolk's economy, population and opportunities for growth. The views of a wide range of people and organisations were also recorded during a public consultation. The data was collated in an evidence base (PDF) [23MB] and used to develop the framework.
The framework helps the council to better understand Norfolk's economy and the challenges that residents and organisations face. It identifies the four most significant challenges that Norfolk as a county faces and will help the council determine where money should be invested in the county in the medium to long-term to have the most impact.
It also supports the council's target for net zero carbon emissions by 2030, and a greener and more sustainable future for Norfolk.
The framework aims to put Norfolk in the best position to benefit from the UK Government's Levelling Up agenda, which provides funding opportunities to rebalance or 'level up' communities across the UK.
The framework's focus will be on four key areas:
- People & Skills: To increase employment opportunities for Norfolk's residents and improve supply, quality and access to skills that businesses need
- Public Services: To provide public services in a more flexible and efficient way, with a focus on adopting new technologies
- Business & Innovation: To future-proof Norfolk's established business sectors against automation and machine learning, and support emerging sectors to grow and expand
- Climate change: To protect Norfolk's economic and natural assets, such as land, rivers and coastal habitats, from climate change.
Pilot projects
With the framework in place, the council secured initial funding to take forward 12 pilot projects that address aspects of the four key areas and which together represent £1.5m of investment.
Workshops were held for each of the framework's priority areas in October 2022 where stakeholders were informed about the opportunity to submit Expressions of Interest to deliver pilot projects.
Facilitators supported applicants to turn Expressions of Interest into business case applications, which were then independently appraised. The recommended Norfolk Investment Framework pilot projects were endorsed by the Norfolk Investment Framework Steering Group on 24 January 2023 and approved by NCC Cabinet on 6 March 2023.
All projects are required to submit quarterly monitoring reports on their progress to Norfolk County Council. These quarterly performance updates will also be reviewed by the Norfolk Investment Framework Steering Group, to ensure projects are on track and being delivered against the funding criteria.
At the end of each project, results will be communicated to the public and made available on the Norfolk Investment Framework page webpage.
In addition, an independent evaluation of all the pilot projects will be commissioned by Norfolk County Council, and this report is expected to be published in April 2025.
The 12 pilot projects are:
- Seaweed in East Anglia, led by Hethel Innovation
- Net Zero East RENEW, led by Net Zero East
- Net Zero Norfolk Communities, led by Net Zero East
- Clean Hydrogen Strategy, led by South Norfolk and Broadland Council
- Agri Food Industrial Decarbonisation, led by New Anglia LEP
- Skills Workforce Initiative, led by Norfolk County Council
- Wayland DCMC, led by Breckland District Council
- Norwich Solar System, led by Norwich BID
- Digital Access Skills & Attainment, led by Norfolk County Council
- Rural EV Charging, led by Norfolk County Council
- Fintech Cluster Development, led by Tech East
- County-wide Housing Retrofit Strategy, led by Norfolk County Council
Funding opportunities
We are not currently holding an open call for funding.
If you would like to receive the latest updates on the Norfolk Investment Framework and other external funding opportunities, then please contact us to be added to our mailing list: nif@norfolk.gov.uk
More information
- Norfolk Investment Framework Evidence Base
- View the Investment Framework (PDF) [1MB]
- View the Norfolk and Suffolk Economic Strategy
- View the UK Government Levelling Up White Paper
- View the proposed Norfolk County Deal
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