Evaluation of the Coastal Communities Fund

This document describes an evaluation of the Coastal Communities Fund (CCF), a programme aimed at fostering sustainable economic development in English coastal communities through grants. The evaluation used a multi-method approach, including interviews, case studies, and analysis of regional data, to assess the CCF's effectiveness in job creation, economic regeneration, and community engagement. Results showed that the CCF successfully distributed funds, particularly favoring larger projects, and had a positive impact on local economies. However, issues such as slow funding distribution and difficulty in assessing the impact of smaller projects were noted. Recommendations for the CCF include considering local population size and deprivation levels in fund allocation, enhancing project design and delivery, and adopting a more strategic investment approach. Overall, the CCF was seen as flexible and impactful, with stakeholders supporting its continuation, but improvements in guidance, collaboration, and impact measurement were suggested to optimize future outcomes. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Theory-based methods
• Theory-based methods: Other
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: May 2022

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes