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£700m fund expected to ‘unlock’ major high tech jobs park near Sheffield
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A £700m UK government programme could help bring forward Runway Park, a planned 100-acre innovation district in the Don Valley Corridor near Sheffield. South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard said support from the Strategic Sites Accelerator, alongside a partnership with the National Wealth Fund, could help attract investment and create skilled jobs. The proposed park would connect University of Sheffield research with businesses working in research, innovation and manufacturing.
The fund is intended to support six to 10 industrial and commercial sites across the UK through finance and technical advice, addressing obstacles such as planning, infrastructure and access to capital. Officials are already working with South Yorkshire partners on Runway Park’s development options and infrastructure needs, but the site has not been awarded investment. The government hopes the national programme will attract up to £2bn in private investment; its job projections depend on which projects proceed. Applications for the pilot close on 19 January 2027.
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In short
- Runway Park is being explored for support from a £700m national fund.
- The proposed innovation district covers 100 acres near Sheffield.
- No investment award or job total for Runway Park has been confirmed.
How this story developed
- 3 hours ago A £700m UK government programme could help bring forward Runway Park, a planned 100-acre innovation district in the Don Valley Corridor near Sheffield.
- The Star (Sheffield) £700m fund expected to ‘unlock’ major high tech jobs park near Sheffield
- Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Mayors and local leaders work with No10 North to drive search for ‘top 10’ biggest strategic investment sites across country
- UK Government Strategic Sites Accelerator
Full account
A £700 million government fund is expected to help unlock a major high-tech jobs park near Sheffield, as part of a wider effort to bring stalled industrial and commercial developments forward across the UK. The Strategic Sites Accelerator will provide finance and specialist support to as many as 10 sites, with the aim of attracting private investment and creating jobs over time.
The programme will focus on sites judged commercially viable and supported by investor interest, where targeted intervention could help development proceed. Support may include loans, equity, grants and technical advice. The government says it will address obstacles such as planning constraints, inadequate grid connections and difficulty securing finance.
Sheffield is among the locations where the programme is already discussing potential opportunities. The national initiative is also considering sites in places including Glasgow and Burgess Hill, and plans to work with mayors, devolved governments and local authorities to identify projects and align them with local priorities. The government says the fund could help draw in up to £2 billion in private investment and support tens of thousands of jobs across the country.
The scheme is a pilot, with more than £700 million available to support between six and 10 sites during the current parliamentary term. It is being delivered jointly by the Office for Investment and the National Wealth Fund, with property adviser CBRE appointed as national delivery partner. The programme also offers earlier-stage projects technical help to become ready for investment.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The first report foregrounds the Sheffield jobs park and presents the fund as a package of around £700 million intended to unlock up to 10 sites, alongside the national jobs and private-investment ambitions. The second gives more detail on the programme’s structure: it describes a pilot covering six to 10 sites, specifies the parliamentary timeframe and names the delivery organisations and CBRE. It also describes the support as intended for otherwise commercially viable sites, with financial products that may be offered below market rates where judged to provide value for money. The supplied reports do not give a site-specific funding amount, timetable or confirmed job total for Sheffield.
Coverage · 3 sources
- The Star (Sheffield)£700m fund expected to ‘unlock’ major high tech jobs park near Sheffield
- Department for Business, Innovation, Science and TradeMayors and local leaders work with No10 North to drive search for ‘top 10’ biggest strategic investment sites across country
- UK GovernmentStrategic Sites Accelerator
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