‘Lighting the Spark: The Local Growth Fund’ – New animation showcases projects set to lead to the creation of 9,500 jobs and provide opportunities for 2,800 new learners
Nov 25, 2025
Enterprise Oxfordshire have today announced the launch of a new animation highlighting the outcomes of a series of projects funded by the Government’s substantial Local Growth Fund.
Announced in 2013, the fund set out with ambitions to provide targeted, long-term local funding to support regional growth across the UK, with Enterprise Oxfordshire securing £107.5m for the Oxfordshire economy through 30 different projects.
By 2030, these projects are collectively anticipated to lead to the creation of 9,500 jobs, provide opportunities for 2,800 new learners, support the development of 1,800 new homes and enable at least another £850 million-worth of additional funding.
Taking place over three rounds of funding in 2014, 2015 and 2017, the programme was completed whilst Enterprise Oxfordshire were operating as OxLEP – in April 2025 the organisation, now Oxfordshire County Council-owned, became Enterprise Oxfordshire.
Titled ‘Lighting the Spark’, the new video offers an update on previous projected outcome figures shared through another animation launched back in 2023, showcasing projects covering themes such as People, Place, Enterprise and Connectivity. Highlighted projects include Abingdon & Witney College’s Livestock Technology Centre, Oxpens Development Enabling Works, Prodrive’s Powertrain Technology Centre and Science Vale Cycle Network Improvements.
Working with world-class public and private sector partners, the projects showcase collaboration and funding secured for esteemed organisations, including the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Oxfordshire County Council – and many more.
View the animation here:
Whilst these projects have worked towards successfully achieving such impressive figures for over a decade, the outcomes of the Local Growth Fund projects will continue to benefit Oxfordshire communities and business for years to come.
Find out more about the Local Growth Fund
A previous animation was recently launched highlighting the outcomes of the later Getting Building Fund, through which £8.4m was utilised to provide a much-needed boost to Oxfordshire businesses and communities in the wake of Covid-19.