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Welcome to this quarterly progress update for the Ayrshire Growth Deal.
This update provides an overview of the latest progress of the programme, signposts upcoming engagements and outlines opportunities for you to get involved.
Please read on for an insight into the AGD’s programmes and projects
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 The Ayrshire Growth Deal is making good progress, with several projects set to advance from planning to delivery, bringing tangible benefits to communities across our region.
These developments will deliver real value to local people and places, building on to the Deal’s delivery of job creation, skills and infrastructure improvements and further steps towards strengthening regional connectivity.
The last quarter was a busy time for stakeholders involved in the AGD, with colleagues in South Ayrshire hosting a visit from the Scottish Government’s travelling Cabinet. This included a public engagement event as well as a visit from Depute First Minister Kate Forbes to Ayrshire College, where AGD representatives fielded keen interest regarding the AGD’s Aerospace and Space Technology Application Centre project.
Ayrshire College share their thoughts on the visit in this news release.
Scottish Parliament presentation
 In December we had the opportunity to engage with the panel at the Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee, presenting insight on both the challenges and successes of the Deal to date, many of which are shared across the network of Deals in Scotland and beyond. David McDowall, Head of Economic Growth, represented Ayrshire.
Regional event
In October, the Regional State of the Economy event was held at Ayrshire College. This event, which was organised by the Regional Economic Partnership, stressed the importance of strong regional collaboration, which the AGD will continue to support.
Looking forward
Looking forward, and amongst the flurry of programme and project activity, this month will see AGD partners meet with UK and Scottish Government representatives for Ayrshire’s Annual Conversation.
This will give partners the opportunity to reflect back on progress to date and look forward with focus on how we can work more effectively together, quickening the pace towards successful delivery of the Deal.
“We look forward to continuing the momentum with Partners in the positive progression of the Ayrshire Growth Deal. We expect more projects to enter delivery stages and achieve benefits that maximise the investment being made in the Ayrshire region.”
Graham Saunders, Ayrshire Growth Deal Strategic Manager
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 The Ayrshire Growth Deal Communities Programme focuses on the health, wellbeing and progress of our local communities.
Three projects sit within this theme:
- Working for a Healthy Economy (WfHE)
- Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund (ASIF)
- Community Wealth Building
All three of these projects have been in delivery for several years and are making good progress towards achieving objectives, and in some cases, exceeding key outputs by some distance.
WfHE
WfHE is committed to supporting individuals manage and improve their health to progress or sustain employment.
Video case studies
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Benedict's video
Last year, Benedict Terry, a young Ayrshire resident, was inspired to work with the Programme Lead to produce this video snapshot of the opportunity this project holds
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Steven's story
In this next video case study Steven describes the support he has received from the project. These cases of support grow as the project continues to increase the number of residents supported.
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ASIF
The ASIF project is also progressing well, with now over 275 employees from across 75 local businesses supported to develop skills within the priority sectors of; engineering, visitor economy, digital and clean growth. The project has been involved in the commissioning of research to understand current and future skills requirements for Ayrshire. This will mean ASIF can prioritise skills development interventions to deliver the impact needed to increase productivity and deliver inclusive economic growth for the region.
“The Ayrshire Growth Deal is building a legacy for the next generation of Ayrshire - everyone should feel part of the journey, part of something. Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund helps employers show staff they are valued, provides a catalyst for promotion and supports business growth, to retain talent in Ayrshire.”
Juliet Dempster, ASIF and FWA Programme Manager
Community Wealth Building
Our Community Wealth Building Programme has been in delivery since 2021 and has supported over 1,000 businesses in Ayrshire over this time.
Support has come in an array of different forms, including grants from the dedicated £1m CWB fund, support in accessing public contracts, Fair Work guidance and more.
A highlight for the CWB project has been regional events welcoming and engaging with thousands of public, private and third sector stakeholders. The impact of this has raised awareness and understanding of how Community Wealth Building is being embedded by local enterprises across the Ayrshire economy, as well as supporting strengthened networks to ensure that Deal benefits are widely distributed. The project is drawing to a conclusion in March 2025.
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The Economic Infrastructure programme
This programme focuses on creating conditions for growth, providing local jobs, strong regional supply chains and skills development across a number of sectors in Ayrshire.
Five major capital projects sit within this theme This includes:
- one completed project:
- two projects in delivery:
- i3 Flexible Business Space
- i3 Digital Processing Manufacturing Centre (DPMC)
- two projects set to enter delivery this year:
- Ayrshire Engineering Park (AEP)
- Ayrshire Manufacturing Investment Corridor (AMIC)
These projects directly counter historic market failure and seek to meet high demand within the Ayrshire economy.
This quarter will see the official launch of DPMC take place on 27 February 2025, an exciting milestone for all involved in getting to this stage.
AMIC and AEP are progressing through final Outline Business Case stages. Project leads are working hard to conclude business case stages as soon as possible so the projects can commence delivery.
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The Energy, Circular Economy and Environment Programme
This programme will unlock the benefits of developing low carbon energy technologies and solutions.
Ayrshire’s location and natural resources offer the potential to create new jobs, reduce carbon emissions and contribute to achieving net zero by 2045.
The three projects within this theme continue to progress through their developmental stages. These are:
- Community Renewable Energy (CoRE)
- Hunterston Strategic Development Area
- International Marine Science and Environment Centre (IMSE)
Coming months will see the submission of CoRE’s Phase 1 Full Business Case for its pathfinder demonstrator projects, prior to delivery phase commencement.
Project work for IMSE continues through a strong partnership approach, while work regarding Hunterston is focusing on scoping and developing relevant interventions for the project to maximise the outcomes and outputs for the region.
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The Space and Aerospace programme
This programme focuses on positioning Ayrshire as one of the UK’s leading centres of aerospace and space activity.
Having experienced challenges to project progression within this theme, South Ayrshire Council, as lead authority, is continuing to review alternative investment possibilities. At the same time it is pushing forward on the development and delivery of key projects within this theme such as Aerospace and Space Technology Application Centre (ASTAC) project.
This project has been supported by the formation of a strong partnership with Ayrshire College, supporting the delivery of the project's primary objectives, particularly those related to education and specialist and innovative training.
The next quarter will see proposals for projects within this theme continue to evolve through discussion and partnership with the UK and Scottish Governments, Scottish Enterprise and other local and national agencies.
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Tourism as a key sector in Ayrshire
This programme builds on the existing tourism offer to make the region a highly desirable place to visit and live, work and invest in.
This theme comprises the Great Harbour project and the Marine Tourism project, and good progress has been made over the last few months, including government endorsement of the Great Harbour Phase 1 Coastal Hub Full Business Case.
This allows the project to enter its delivery phase, with the contract being awarded and on-site work set to start this month.
The Project Leads have submitted a revised Programme Business Case (PBC) for the Marine Tourism project and they are looking to gain approval to move the project forward to the full design stages.
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Building Digital Capital
This is a new project proposal which aims to enhance digital infrastructure and capabilities across the region. Having been unanimously approved by local governance channels, the proposal is under final consideration with UK and Scottish Governments.
We will issue further updates in due course.
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Working for a Healthy Economy
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‘Hannah’
The person engaging with this project wishes to remain anonymous – we’ve used the name Hannah for case study purposes.
Hannah was referred to the Working for a Healthy Economy programme in May 2023 through her employability adviser. She presented with a diagnosis of depression and social anxiety. Hannah had been unemployed for 18 months
as a consequence of her poor health and lack of general wellbeing.
Whilst undergoing a health assessment with her case manager it was apparent that the Hannah lacked motivation to engage in everyday tasks, had severe difficulties with maintaining sleep and was experiencing dietary difficulties.
Through action planning, the Hannah informed her case manager that she required support to improve her health and adopt a healthier lifestyle in order to increase her ability of entering and sustaining employment.
Through working with her case manager the Hannah managed to achieve the following outcomes:
- Hannah developed effective coping strategies through self-help and case management support using CBT techniques. There was a significant reduction in her symptoms of anxiety and depression, consistent with an improvement in the HADS (Hospital anxiety and depression scale) and the European Quality of Life (EQ5D) clinical assessment scores.
- Hannah was able to improve her physical health and general wellbeing by improving her everyday structure and activity. Hannah started to go to the gym regularly.
- Hannah was supported by her case manager to re-engage with her GP ensuring she was being prescribed the correct medication for her mood.
- Hannah was able to learn about and put into practice guided sleep meditation and is now sleeping through the night undisturbed.
- Hannah commenced a college course and started working part time. She is thriving in both opportunities.
Hannah may potentially benefit from further support from the AGD once her college course has ended and she wishes to pursue full time employment and she can contact her case manager should she require support in the future.
“It was a pleasure to be able to support Hannah in improving her health so that she could feel confident and capable enough to enter full time education and employment. This case study highlights the importance of and success that can be achieved by integrating health and employability support in partnership.”
Stephanie Wrightson, Case Manager, Salus
 This brings us to the end of the AGD Progress Update for this quarter.
Please get in touch with the team if you have any questions or wish to engage with us on any of the opportunities featured.
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