On 5 March 2026, at The Exchange, University of Birmingham, a room full of universities, funders and civic partners gathered for what felt like a quiet turning point. The discussions were billed as a “briefing”, but the tone was unmistakably strategic: UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) centre of gravity is shifting, and the future is place‑based.
What struck me most wasn’t any grand announcement; there weren’t any. UKRI colleagues were clear that structures, buckets, and programmes are still in flux. Instead, it was the consistency of the messages across the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), Research England and UKRI Strategy. For the first time, we are hearing a unified vision emerging: place-based funding is not a niche experiment anymore; it is becoming the organising principle for major UKRI investment.
And that means universities need to change fast.
A Bigger, Bolder UKRI Place Agenda
Over the past few years, we have seen place-based pilots, pots and trials surface across the research councils. What became clear in the room is that these aren’t isolated: they are precursors. The Local Innovation Partnerships Fund, up to £500 million, is the strongest signal yet that UKRI is mainstreaming regional investment as part of its core mission to unlock productivity, skills and innovation-led growth.
The message was simple: future funding will reward clusters, not individuals; ecosystems, not excellence alone.
This isn’t just Strength in Places Fund (SIPF) 2.0. It’s SIPF lessons absorbed into a much larger vision of universities as regional system leaders. UKRI now expects research organisations to demonstrate not just strong science, but strong civic capacity, trusting partnerships, shared governance, and a clear identity as part of a regional innovation ecosystem.
Place is no longer the context; it is the work.
Civic Partners Are Not “Supporters”, they’re Co‑Authors
One of the most refreshing but challenging messages was the reframing of civic partners. UKRI panellists repeated it in different ways, but the point landed:
“Letters of support are no longer enough. Civic partners must be co‑creators and co‑owners of outcomes.”
This shift, from goodwill to infrastructure, has enormous implications for universities. Too often, engagement relies on a handful of enthusiastic academics, personal relationships, or ad‑hoc project teams. UKRI wants that era to end. What they’re calling for is institutionalised partnership capability, with civic partners embedded in governance, data structures, outcome frameworks and long-term strategy.
For those of us working in place-based research and policy, this is a welcome acknowledgement of what it takes to build trust. But it will be a stretch for institutions that haven’t invested in boundary-spanning roles or coordinated approaches to civic engagement. Many universities simply don’t have the systems yet.
Ecosystem Funding Requires Ecosystem Thinking
One of the more technical but hugely important themes was Monitoring & Evaluation. With 217 metrics emerging from the Place-Based Impact Acceleration Accounts (PBIAA) review and the Local Innovation Partnerships Fund (LIPF) requirement for logic models, baseline data, and place-aligned KPIs, UKRI is raising the bar. This is not box‑ticking: it’s a signal that place-based investment must demonstrate real-world outcomes, skills, spillovers, business engagement, and civic capacity.
For universities, this means professionalising Monitoring and Evaluation, standardising theories of change, and creating shared frameworks with partners. Many don’t yet have this capability in-house. At City-REDI, we’ve learned how vital this is, not just for winning funding but for delivering meaningful impact alongside our civic partners. This capability gap is going to widen unless universities take it seriously.
What Universities Need to Do Now
If I had to distil the day into one message for university leaders, it would be this:
UKRI expects institutions to lead their regions, not just their disciplines.
That means:
- coordinating regional bids, not competing internally
- mapping assets and cluster strengths
- providing a single “front door” for civic partners
- investing in partnership infrastructure and shared governance
- embedding co-design and participatory research
- strengthening regional M&E capability across the institution
This is not the work of a lone Pro Vice-Chancellor (PVC), a civic office or a handful of engaged academics. It requires aligning place strategy across colleges, professional services, research offices and external partners.
A Turning Point, if We Choose to Take It
The UKRI panel didn’t give us answers. But they gave us something more valuable: clarity of direction.
The future is partnership-led, cluster-driven and regionally grounded. Universities that prepare now will shape and secure the next decade of place investment. Those who don’t risk being left behind.
For those of us committed to place-based research and civic impact, this moment feels long overdue and full of possibility.
This blog was written by Rebecca Riley, Professor for Enterprise, Engagement and Impact, City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Director of the LPIP Hub.
Find out more about the Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub.
Disclaimer:
The views expressed in this post are those of the author and not necessarily those of City-REDI or the University of Birmingham.