What we do

What we do

Through our strong partnerships with key stakeholders across the region, we have developed a comprehensive set of investment priorities aimed at creating jobs, growing businesses and infrastructure improvements across the region. Our areas of focus will be transport, infrastructure development, housing, delivering on our Net Zero goals and economic development.

Transport

Working closely with our constituent councils and other key partners, our goal is to transform transport opportunities for all those who live, work and do business in our region, as well as those who come to visit our amazing places.

We will do this by:

Upgrading the quality of our road network
Developing a comprehensive strategic plan and investment programme to deliver improvements to local rail, buses, roads and active travel
Working with bus companies to enhance services, routes, ticketing and passenger information
Promoting a greater switch to electric car use
Targeting investment in better transport connections across the region
Building on our strong reputation for transport innovation
Giving the East Midlands a more powerful voice and influence in national and cross-regional transport decisions

Housing

With an annual budget of over £16.8 million secured for brownfield land regeneration from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities (DLUHC) and Homes England, our aim is to deliver up to 1,400 high-quality new homes by March 2026.

Collaborating with local authorities, landowners, and developers, we aim to unlock the potential of some of the most challenging brownfield sites. Our vision includes creating affordable, high-quality housing options and enhancing the quality of existing homes through retrofit schemes to ensure their environmental sustainability.

To achieve this ambitious target we will allocate £9 million to support housing priorities. Additionally, devolution will enable us to focus on growth, infrastructure and regeneration. We are committed to actively pursuing strategic planning opportunities to unlock the potential through integrated investment packages.

Skills and Adult Education

A key part of devolution means working with local partners to ensure our residents and young people have access to a wealth of opportunities to improve their personal and professional growth, by developing skills to remove barriers, and to progress into good and highly skilled jobs or an apprenticeship. We want to work collaboratively to build a strong and sustainable local economy.

Through future projects our aim is to:

Reduce low attainment
Provide progression opportunities for our residents and communities of need
Increase levels of technical training to ensure a better skilled workforce
Prioritise region specific projects to overcome national constraints
Allocate funding for tailored adult skills initiatives to help the people who need it most

With several projects in the pipeline, we have the opportunity to leverage our knowledge in research, energy, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing, to take full advantage of future opportunities. Our goal is to foster a dynamic talent pool that can adapt to the growing demands of local businesses.

Net Zero

We have made a commitment to address the global climate crisis and tackle climate change.

Our journey to Net Zero will see us become carbon neutral by 2050 aligning with national ambitions and taking the region on a journey to become cleaner and more sustainable, with improved green spaces, increased biodiversity and delivering life-long housing with high levels of energy efficiency.

Through devolution, £18 million will be available to deliver housing and Net Zero aspirations in the East Midlands. Our collaborative approach includes:

Building new low carbon homes
Retrofitting existing homes to increase energy efficiency
Promoting the use of renewable energy
Protecting and enhancing our green spaces
Exploring the potential to increase the region’s electricity network capacity

Economic Development

With access to over £4 billion of funding allocated to the region over the next 30 years, our aim is to transform the regional economy. We want to attract more public and private investment to the East Midlands, boosting the local economy and enhancing the quality of life for residents.

Investing in the East Midlands provides numerous opportunities for businesses looking to engage with a dynamic regional economy that offers substantial growth potential. The region boasts a wide range of investment opportunities, and our Digital Investment Prospectus, below, highlights just a few of them.

Investment prospectus