OfS allocates £88.5m for new university and college facilities
The regulator said the funding will support new buildings, facilities and equipment, with £80.75m awarded through a bidding round and £7.75m distributed through a formula
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The Office for Students (OfS) has allocated £88.5m in capital funding for universities and colleges in England in 2025–26.The funding will back projects aimed at boosting student opportunities and supporting national and regional growth.
The regulator said the funding will support new buildings, facilities and equipment, with £80.75m awarded through a bidding round and £7.75m distributed through a formula.
Bidders were required to show alignment with the government’s industrial strategy, priority growth sectors and local employer needs, while also offering value for money and incorporating environmental sustainability measures.
A total of 60 institutions have secured project funding. Lancaster University has been awarded £2m to develop the Lancaster University Flexible and Immersive Nuclear Simulator for Future Skills Development, designed to train students in nuclear engineering, cyber security and related fields.
Yeovil College will receive £2m to refurbish the ground floor of its Engineering building. The project will introduce specialist technology and reconfigured teaching spaces to support skills development in advanced manufacturing, clean energy and defence engineering.
The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts has been granted £2.5m for the second phase of development at One Hope Place. The investment will expand provision in digital and creative industries, including a specialist artificial intelligence lab, updated facilities for virtual production and advanced visualisation, and new digital tools for hybrid music performance.
Durham University has secured £1.7m for seven projects across creative industries and digital media, chemical automation and sustainable materials, and engineering and clean energy technologies.
The plans include new facilities for digital image capture, immersive technologies and AI-driven analysis, alongside a Chemical Automation facility and Sustainable Materials Lab. Engineering upgrades include improvements to teaching laboratories and the creation of a Flight Controls Laboratory to increase capacity in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.
OfS director of Resources and Finance, Nolan Smith, said: “This year’s funding allocation will help a broad range of universities and colleges to ensure their students can access the facilities and equipment they need to succeed.
“This was a very competitive funding round, and the projects we are supporting will make a tangible difference to current and future students. As well as expanding opportunities for students in strategically important subject areas, these projects will offer a boost to local and regional economies and promote national growth.”
Skills minister Jacqui Smith added: “This government is committed to supporting colleges and universities as engines of opportunity and growth up and down the country. This cash boost from government ensures young people are using the most up-to-date tech and facilities, helping them to secure a future in the well-paying, highly-skilled jobs that are crucial for our Plan for Change.
“It will help build towards the Prime Minister’s target of two thirds of young people taking a gold standard apprenticeship or heading to university by the age of 25 – driving prosperity for families in every town and city.”