The Liverpool City Region’s £2bn Investment Fund will unlock more than 520,000 square feet of office, lab, and light industrial space in its opening phase, supporting over 2,800 jobs.
Dozens of proposals worth more than £1bn answered a call for investable schemes following the launch of the region’s largest ever financial resource at MIPIM in March.
Guided by a new Investment Strategy launched at UKREiiF, fund managers have identified six priority projects worth over £200m to move to the next stage.
These include two major developments in Liverpool’s Central Business District that will generate nearly 250,000 square feet of Grade A office space and support more than 2,000 positions.
The schemes include the city’s first new-build Grade A offices in 15 years and the transformation of a prominent, vacant Grade II listed property.
The initial six selections also feature two industrial developments in St Helens, a laboratory hub in Runcorn, and a light industrial project in Liverpool.
Two additional schemes are further advanced, with backing already confirmed for Sci-Tech Daresbury’s Project Violet Phase 2, which will generate around 250 roles.
Additionally, the Hemisphere ONE development in Liverpool’s Knowledge Quarter is positioned for funding support, subject to full business case approval, bringing more than 500 operational jobs and nearly 300 construction roles to help meet local demand for commercial research infrastructure.
The pool was established by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority alongside public and private collaborators to accelerate local economic expansion.
Shortly after launching, the pot was bolstered by £95m from the Government’s City Investment Funds, which is designed to strengthen investor confidence and accelerate the urban regeneration pipeline.
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The funding model marks a shift away from short-term financial frameworks toward sustainable regional capital investment.
Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram said:
“For too long, regions like ours have been expected to transform local economies with short-term funding and one hand tied behind our back.
“This £2bn Investment Fund is about changing that, giving us the ability to really back ourselves, think long-term and invest in the projects that can genuinely change people’s lives.
‘We’ll use it to unlock new opportunities, bring private investment into our communities and support the homes, jobs and inclusive growth that our region needs.”
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Central government allocations aim to accelerate construction in high-productivity sectors such as health, life sciences, digital technology, and advanced manufacturing.
Announcing the projects at UKREiiF, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:
“Liverpool is ready to take its city centre to the next level, and we’re backing it.
“These new projects will bring historic buildings back into use while backing the growth sectors driving jobs in the city.”
Decisions are guided by the new LCR Investment Strategy to deliver a decade-long Growth Plan designed to expand the regional economy by £10bn.
The framework targets transport improvements, including four new rail stations and a rapid transit system, alongside a housing development pipeline intended to deliver up to 64,000 new homes.
Regeneration will also be accelerated at Liverpool’s North Docks through a new Mayoral Development Corporation, building on international investor confidence, such as US firm Kyndryl’s new city centre hub, which is set to bring up to 1,000 jobs to the area.
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