The Belfast Region City Deal (BRCD) was formally signed in December 2021, marking the first ever signed City Deal for Northern Ireland and securing substantial financial commitment from UK and NI Government and BRCD Partners.
The highly ambitious Deal secures £1billion of transformative co-investment at a critical time, and will create up to 20,000 new jobs as it is delivered over the next 10 years.
It’s an exciting, once in a generation opportunity to accelerate inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the region, making it a global investment destination.
The Deal has been developed by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Ards and North Down Borough Council, Belfast City Council, Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Newry, Mourne and Down District Council working with Queen’s University Belfast, Ulster University, Belfast Metropolitan College, Northern Regional College, South Eastern Regional College, the Southern Regional College and our government and private sector partners.
The BRCD will deliver more than 20 highly ambitious projects and programmes over the next decade. Contracts have been signed for the most advanced projects, with construction starting in September 2022 on the first of these, Studio Ulster. Funding is starting to flow through to projects to enable delivery.
THE BRCD’s ambitions for inclusive growth will be delivered through four pillars of investment:
Tourism and regeneration
Boosting tourism and regenerating our region – creating world-class visitor attractions and investing in towns and cities to provide a year-round destination that will provide stand out in international markets.
Innovation and digital
Achieving world-leading competitive advantage in key sectors: building our innovation and digital capability - facilitating invention, commercialisation and widespread adoption as a driver of economic prosperity and increased well-being.
Employability and skills
Enabling a constant pipeline of appropriately skilled talent to support the job opportunities resulting from the BRCD programme of investment.
Infrastructure
Connecting people to opportunity and services through enhanced and sustainable infrastructure.