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DLUHC  Levelling Up Fund 2 Success

The Challenge

  • The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contacted us to rapidly create a digital application process for the Levelling up Fund 2

  • The Levelling Up Fund is a £4.8 billion initiative that aims to enhance infrastructure and improve daily life throughout the UK. The fund will aid in the regeneration of town centres, high streets, local transportation projects, cultural and heritage assets.

  • For the second round of the Levelling Up Fund, which was announced at Spring Statement 2022, Unitary authorities (including metropolitan borough councils), London borough councils, and district councils in two-tier areas in England, as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, were eligible to apply.

  • In Northern Ireland, a variety of local applicants, including businesses, universities, voluntary and community sector organizations, district councils, the Northern Ireland Executive, and other public sector bodies are also eligible to submit bids to the UK government.

  • A digital service needed to be designed and created within a month from a rough workflow,

  • The service was required to allow Finance teams in Local Authorities and Councils to submit complex business cases to pitch for investment from the Levelling Up Fund 2.

  • The pitches would be assessed by 30+ DHLUC Case Workers using an assessment criteria.​

Our Answer

  • Gathered requirements from DLUHC and operations colleagues and provided a service design and prototype. 

  • Designed and built a gov.uk branded, accessible, inclusive and security-compliant digital experience using the Govforms Digital Service Builder for Local Authorities and Councils in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  • The design and build featured a 256 page digital service with authentication, data entry validation and branching logic based on citizen input answers to questions, file uploads, exit pages as well as save and come back later.

  • The whole service was built using the Govforms Digital Service Builder that accelerated the deployment and content variations of the Government Design System components that we provide out-the-box; no coding was needed.

  • Tested and iterated the service first using the prototype, put the beta live and rapidly iterated the beta service.

  • Following a successful completion of the digital journey for eligibility the user was provided with a submission confirmation

  • In parallel, the operations team received a data transmission of submissions to a DLUHC controlled SharePoint repository. Where Caseworkers could review and process applications. 

The Results

​£1bn in funding was made available to Local Authorities and Councils supporting the Levelling Up agenda

  • Several hundred applications were received from Local Authorities and Councils and submitted to DHLUC using the Govforms Platform

  • The DHLUC caseworkers were able to easily use the submitted information in the SharePoint to prioritise the applications against a criteria for Ministerial approval for investment

  • Hundreds of Local Authorities and Councils in the UK were awarded investments:

Rapid Fault Free Digital Delivery to UK Government Digital Design System Standards

  • The whole capability was delivered in 2 weeks bug free from configuring out of the box components in the Govforms platform.

  • Citizens had a seamless digital experience from Gov.uk to the fund application service by Govforms use of Government Design System an out of the box capability in Govforms Digital Service Builder

  • The service ran successfully without any unplanned downtime for a few months as planned

Saved 8x times the traditional cost and was greener​

  • Overall the Govforms solution was 8 times more cost effective than bespoke traditional digital building and live running.

  • A low cost fixed priced delivery meant that budget parameters were met.

  • The service contributed to a greener UK through the reuse of components in Govforms platform meant that less energy was needed to create the service than traditional digital approaches.

Eligible Local Authorities

Levelling Up Fund 2 Eligible Local Authorities and Councils

  • The service needed to be open for all the UKs Local Authorities and Councils in each nation. Specifically in:

  • England for the 317 Local Authorities made up of:

    • 21 county councils:

      • Cambridgeshire County Council, Derbyshire County Council, Devon County Council, East Sussex County Council, Essex County Council, Gloucestershire County Council, Hampshire County Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Kent County Council, Lancashire County Council, Leicestershire County Council, Lincolnshire County Council, Norfolk County Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Oxfordshire County Council, Staffordshire County Council, Suffolk County Council, Surrey County Council, Warwickshire County Council, West Sussex County Council and Worcestershire County Council.

    • 164 district councils:

      • Adur District Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Arun District Council, Ashfield District Council, Ashford Borough Council, Babergh District Council, Basildon Borough Council, Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council, Bassetlaw District Council, Blaby District Council, Bolsover District Council, Boston Borough Council, Braintree District Council, Breckland District Council, Brentwood Borough Council, Broadland District Council, Bromsgrove District Council, Broxbourne Borough Council, Broxtowe Borough Council, Burnley Borough Council, Cambridge City Council, Cannock Chase District Council, Canterbury City Council, Castle Point District Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Chelmsford City Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Cherwell District Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Chichester District Council, Chorley Borough Council, Colchester Borough Council, Cotswold District Council, Crawley Borough Council, Dacorum Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Dover District Council, East Cambridgeshire District Council, East Devon District Council, East Hampshire District Council, East Hertfordshire District Council, East Lindsey District Council, East Staffordshire Borough Council, East Suffolk Council, Eastbourne Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council, Epping Forest District Council, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Erewash Borough Council, Exeter City Council, Fareham Borough Council, Fenland District Council, Folkestone and Hythe District 
        Council, Forest of Dean District Council, Fylde Borough Council, Gedling Borough Council, Gloucester City Council, Gosport Borough Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, Guildford Borough Council, Harborough District Council, Harlow District Council, Hart District Council, Hastings Borough Council, Havant Borough Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, High Peak Borough Council, Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Horsham District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Kings Lynn & West Norfolk Borough Council, Lancaster City Council, Lewes District Council, Lichfield City Council, Lincoln City Council, Maidstone Borough Council, Maldon District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Mansfield District Council, Melton Borough Council, Mid Devon District Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, Mid Sussex District Council, Mole Valley District Council, New Forest District Council, Newark & Sherwood District Council, Newcastle-Under-Lyme Borough Council, North Devon District Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, North Kesteven District Council, North Norfolk District Council, North West Leicestershire District Council, North Warwickshire Borough Council, Norwich City Council, Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, Oadby & Wigston Borough Council, Oxford City Council, Pendle Borough Council, Preston City Council, Redditch Borough Council, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Rochford District Council, Rossendale Borough Council, Rother District Council, Rugby Borough Council, Runnymede Borough Council, Rushcliffe Borough Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Sevenoaks District Council, South Cambridgeshire District Council, South Derbyshire District Council, South Hams District Council, South Holland District Council, South Kesteven District Council, South Norfolk District Council, South Oxfordshire District Council, South Ribble Borough Council, South Staffordshire District Council, Spelthorne Borough Council, St Albans City Council, Stafford Borough Council, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council, Stevenage Borough Council, Stratford on Avon District Council, Stroud District Council, Surrey Heath Borough Council, Swale Borough Council, Tamworth Borough Council, Tandridge District Council, Teignbridge District Council, Tendring District Council, Test Valley Borough Council, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Thanet District Council, Three Rivers District Council, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council, Torridge District Council. Tunbridge Wells Borough Council, Uttlesford District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council, Warwick District Council, Watford Borough Council, Waverley Borough Council, Wealden District Council, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, West Devon District Council, West Lancashire District Council, West Lindsey District Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, West Suffolk Council, Winchester City Council, Woking Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Worthing Borough Council, Wychavon District Council, Wyre Borough Council and Wyre Forest District Council​.

    • 62 unitary authorities:

      • ​Bath and North East Somerset Council, Bedford Borough Council, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, Blackpool Council, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, Bracknell Forest Borough Council, Brighton and Hove City Council, Bristol City Council, Buckinghamshire Council, Central Bedfordshire Council, Cheshire East Council, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cornwall Council, Cumberland Council, Durham County Council, Darlington Borough Council, Derby City Council, Dorset Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Halton Borough Council, Hartlepool Borough Council, Herefordshire Council. Isle of Wight Council, Hull City Council, Leicester City Council, Luton Borough Council, Medway Council, Middlesbrough Borough Council, Milton Keynes Council, North East Lincolnshire Council, North Lincolnshire Council, North Northamptonshire Council, North Somerset Council, North Yorkshire Council, Northumberland County Council, Nottingham City Council, Peterborough City Council, Plymouth City Council, Portsmouth City Council, Reading Borough Council, Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, Rutland County Council, Shropshire Council, Slough Borough Council, Somerset Council, Southampton City Council, Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, South Gloucestershire Council, Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Swindon Borough Council, Telford and Wrekin Borough Council, Thurrock Council, Torbay Council, Warrington Borough Council, Westmorland and Furness Council, West Berkshire Council, West Northamptonshire Council, Wiltshire Council, Windsor and Maidenhead Borough 
        Council, Wokingham Borough Council and City of York Council.

    • 36 metropolitan districts:

      • ​Barnsley Borough Council, Birmingham City Council, Bolton Borough Council, Bradford City Council, Bury Borough Council, Calderdale Borough Council, Coventry City Council, Doncaster Borough Council, Dudley Borough Council, Gateshead Borough Council, Kirklees Borough Council, Knowsley Borough Council, Leeds City Council. Liverpool City Council, Manchester City Council, North Tyneside Borough Council, Newcastle Upon Tyne City Council, Oldham Borough Council, Rochdale Borough Council, Rotherham Borough Council, South Tyneside Borough Council, Salford City Council, Sandwell Borough Council, Sefton Borough Council, Sheffield City Council, Solihull Borough Council, St Helens Borough Council. Stockport Borough Council, Sunderland City Council, Tameside Borough Council, Trafford Borough Council, Wakefield City Council, Walsall Borough Council, Wigan Borough Council, Wirral Borough Council and Wolverhampton City Council.

    • 32 London boroughs:

      • Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Bexley, Brent Bromley, Camden, Croydon, Ealing, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Kingston upon Thames, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Richmond upon Thames, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest, Wandsworth and Westminster​

    • ​1 City of London.

    • 1 Isle of Scilly.

​

  • Scotland for the 32 Local Authorities:

  • Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Angus Council, Argyll and Bute Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Clackmannanshire Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Dundee City Council, East Ayrshire Council, East Dunbartonshire Council, East Lothian Council, East Renfrewshire Council, Falkirk Council, Fife Council, Glasgow City Council, Inverclyde Council, Midlothian Council, North Ayrshire Council, North Lanarkshire Council, Orkney Islands Council, Perth and Kinross Council, Renfrewshire Council, Scottish Borders Council, Shetland Islands Council, South Ayrshire Council, South Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council, The Highland Council, The Moray Council, West Dunbartonshire Council and West Lothian Council.

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  • Wales for the 22 unitary authorities (county and county borough councils – sometimes called principal councils):

  • Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Blaenau Gwent),
    Bridgend County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Pen-y-bont ar Ogwr), Caerphilly County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Caerffili), Cardiff Council (Cyngor Caerdydd), Carmarthenshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin),
    Ceredigion County Council (Cyngor Sir Ceredigion), Conwy County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy), Denbighshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Ddinbych), Flintshire County Council (Cyngor Sir y Fflint), Gwynedd Council (Cyngor Sir Gwynedd), Isle of Anglesey County Council (Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn), Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Merthyr Tudful), Monmouthshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Fynwy), Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Castell-nedd Port Talbot), Newport City Council (Cyngor Dinas Casnewydd), Pembrokeshire County Council (Cyngor Sir Penfro), Powys County Council (Cyngor Sir Powys), Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Rhondda Cynon Taf), City and County of Swansea (Cyngor Sir a Dinas Abertawe), The Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Bro Morgannwg), Torfaen County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Torfaen) and (a) Wrexham County Borough Council (Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam)​​.

​​

  • Northern Ireland for the 11 Local Councils:

  • Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Derry City and Strabane District Council, Fermanagh and Omagh District Council - Enniskillen Office, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Mid Ulster District Council - Dungannon, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council.

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