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We are pleased to share the latest developments, milestones and insights from across the Ayrshire Growth Deal programme. |
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Projects progress
This quarter has seen promising developments across the delivery of projects, including progress on the Prestwick Commercial Build project, and Phase 1 of the i3 Flexible Business Space project being handed over to its new tenant.
Key highlights also include the launch of the second IGNITE Welding Course with J and D Pierce Contracts Ltd as well as the new vocational training programme as part of the Community Renewable Energy project (CoRE).
This programme aims to upskill residents in Cumnock and Doon Valley, boosting access to employment in the emerging electric vehicle and hydrogen automotive sector.
Read on to find out more about these updates
 Our Annual Performance Report for 2025/26 is currently being finalised and will be published soon. Here are our key achievements up to March 2026.
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The Ayrshire Skills Investment Fund continues to deliver training interventions to upskill and increase skills in key growth sectors. These interventions aim to ensure productivity levels can increase by investing in people and businesses across Ayrshire. The Employer Grants programme has completed 8 rounds of funding, with a range of innovation training solutions being delivered.
ASIF INGITE is supporting industry and employers to create accredited training pathways for unemployed people, to prepare them to secure employment within identified growth sectors.
Second training course
The second IGNITE welding course programme has recently launched with J and D Pierce Contracts Ltd. Participants will receive training at J and D Pierce’s state-of-the-art facility in Glengarnock, one of the UK’s largest and most advanced structural steelwork engineering sites.
The course lasts 15 weeks and provides trainees with practical, industry relevant skills and direct pathways into work.
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Meeting Sam
The new recruits met with Sam, a graduate of the first course, who has secured employment with J and D Pierce Contracts Ltd.
Sam spoke about the positive impact the training has had on his life, saying:
“The course has been fantastic. The instructors and boys on the course have been brilliant and supportive. It has genuinely improved my life and gave me stability and skills I didn’t know I was capable of, especially so soon.”
The WfHE team is delivering health interventions across Ayrshire by supporting unemployed people to manage their health conditions to be able to progress into employment.
It also supports people at risk of being unable to retain employment through ill health. The team works closely with the delivery partner and key stakeholders to provide this service across Ayrshire.
A recent beneficiary of the WfHE service said:
“The service has helped me improve a lot and I would not have been able to move into work without the support from my case manager and Employability Advisor. I would recommend this service to other people who are looking for support.”
Read the case study spotlight at the end of the newsletter for some more insight.
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Work is progressing well on site and the infrastructure work is continuing, along with the commencement of the signalised junction works, as well as utilities and services being installed.
The final version of the Full Business Case (FBC) for the non-food units is in its final stages of development, review and approval, and it is hoped this stage will conclude in coming weeks. Once this business case is approved, work on the Phase 3 FBC for the food grade units will start.
Information event
In March, an information event was held for Phase 3 to provide local agents, colleagues from neighbouring councils and key stakeholders with an overview of AIP.
This session offered an opportunity to share details on the development, objectives and benefits AIP is expected to bring to the local economy across Ayrshire. Attendees welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the project and to discuss future opportunities for collaboration.
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An evaluation for the first phase of DPMC is underway. This evaluation will help inform the direction for DPMC Phase 2.
Phase 1 of the project is progressing well. At a recent event, Andrew Hamilton, Head of DPMC reported DPMC's key engagement and awareness achievements.
Research studies
Andrew further highlighted two research studies DMPC has been involved in. Research funded by Merck, has been carried out to investigate 5GMPN translation to industrial scenarios and generate comparable metrics to support industrial intelligence.
DPMC has also supported a pilot study to be carried out via Intelligent DES Catapult project, which is supporting digital translation at the Prestwick Aerospace Cluster.
 Phase 1 is now complete and has been handed over to the tenant so further development and fit out can take place. The Full Business Case for Phase 2 is in its latter stages of development and review.
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 Meagher Court
Delivery of the first phase of the CoRE pathfinder projects is well underway. Work continues at Meagher Court in Cumnock to retrofit three entire blocks of flats into a modern, low-carbon, energy efficient housing development as part of a demonstrator project for CoRE.
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EV mechanic training
Vocational training for EV mechanics has been launched. The first of these training sessions took place in March 2026 at Emergency One in Cumnock, with nine mechanics from local garages working alongside staff from Emergency One to gain accredited EV qualifications.
A spokesperson from Emergency One commented:
"The training content completed a gap in our skill base and will help us scale up the knowledge base when the demand for EV in our market takes place.”
Councillor Iain Linton, East Ayrshire Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Resources and Economy commented:
“East Ayrshire Council has a sound partnership with Emergency One, a hugely successful local company which has already launched the careers of many local apprentices, and we are delighted that they are on board with this Community Renewable Energy project.
“One of the main aims of Ayrshire Growth Deal is to boost employment prospects for local people and this CoRE project does just that.
"This training programme will address skills shortages in EV and Hydrogen automotive technologies and will create a sustainable, multi-year skills pipeline linked directly to local labour market needs.
“It’s great to see our ambitions for CoRE starting to bear fruit as this programme offers young people and local mechanics increased employment and career progression opportunities.
"Sustainable transport is here to stay, and it is vital that we have a local workforce with the necessary skills to support increased demand across East Ayrshire.”
 Diarmid Turnbull, Project Lead for CoRE, had the opportunity to showcase CoRE at the All-Energy Conference.
The Outline Business Case (OBC) is currently under review by the governments. Board meetings are taking place regularly with IMSE partners to advance the project.
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 Photo credit "First Minister visits Ryan Air, Prestwick Airport" by Scottish Government, CC BY 4.0
The Commercial Build project continues to be driven at pace to enable expansion demands. As part of the programme, Ryanair will expand their maintenance facility at Prestwick Airport, which will see the construction of a new 11,938 sqm 4-bay heavy maintenance hangar and additional component workshops.
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Depute Chief Executive for South Ayrshire Council, Kevin Braidwood, said:
“This is a fantastic investment for South Ayrshire and the local area, which will be of significant benefit to the economy.”
As leads for the project South Ayrshire Council teams are working closely with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the existing partnership with Ayrshire College, to ensure it is complimentary with existing innovation infrastructure. The OBC will soon be submitted to the governments for review.
Development work continues on the Prestwick Roads project. Ayrshire Roads Alliance (ARA) is engaged in discussions with Transport Scotland. Overall, work is ongoing to bring the project in line with the Prestwick Commercial Build project and ASTAC.
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 Work continues onsite for Phase 1, the Coastal Hub, and completion is expected in Summer 2026 where an official opening ceremony will be held.
The design work is ongoing for Phase 2 of the project.
 Marine Tourism comprises two projects, located in Cumbrae and Arran. With the OBC for Cumbrae now approved, the OBC for the Arran element of the programme is in development and stakeholder sessions continue to take place.
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Building Digital Capital is a pan-Ayrshire programme with associated projects and host sites in both the Aerospace and Economic Infrastructure themes of the AGD. The draft Programme Business Case has now been submitted to the UK and Scottish Governments for review with the aim for the programme to enter its delivery phase later this year.
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The Ayrshire Growth Deal’s Working for a Healthy Economy project helps people overcome health barriers to finding, staying in, or returning to work, improving wellbeing whilst supporting a healthier and more productive workforce across Ayrshire.
In this case study, Cathy (whose name has been changed to protect her identity), shares an example of how her life has been transformed with the help of the WfHE service. This case study shows how the support offered by the WfHE Team can have a great impact on every day lives, to the benefit of individuals and the local economy as a whole.
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That brings us to the end of the quarterly progress update for the AGD. Thank you for reading and engaging. In the meantime, please get in touch with the team if you wish to further engage or have any questions.
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